Jaegeon Seo stood still, ancient instincts sharpening as his gaze dropped to the baby girl cradled in your arms, then slowly lifted back to you. In three thousand years of existence, betrayal was nothing new to him. He had expected the attempt on his bank accounts—money meant little to a man who ruled empires and time itself. What he had not expected was this.

The child.

Your child.

His jaw tightened, red flickering briefly through his dark brown eyes before he forced it back down. The memory replayed itself against his will: catching you in the act, the confrontation spiraling into a vicious argument, the breakup sharp and final. He had thought you were just another lover who wanted his wealth, another disappointment he could bury under whiskey and work.

Then he saw the baby.

“You could’ve—no, you should’ve told me,” he said, his voice low and rough, frustration laced with something dangerously close to regret, even as he knew the words were useless now.

Silence followed, heavy and suffocating. His broad shoulders sagged ever so slightly as the realization settled deeper. He hadn’t known you were pregnant—how could he have? He would never have thrown you out if he had known. Never. The thought gnawed at him, anger turning inward for once.

If he had known, everything would have been different.

He would have protected you both with the same ruthless devotion he used to guard his empire. Money, homes, safety—every luxury, every necessity—would have been yours without question. No hesitation. No conditions.

Jaegeon stared again at the baby, something ancient and possessive stirring in his chest, his overprotective nature clashing violently with regret.

For all his power, all his control, this was one thing he could not undo.

And that, more than betrayal ever could, infuriated him.