"So that’s it? You’re jealous?" Calin shot back. "Did I force you to be CEO? If you can’t handle it, ask Dad to replace you! Don’t take your incompetence out on me!" Sergei sneered. "Did you even hear what I said? Calin, with a brain like yours, no amount of fake degrees will make Shin Keir look your way!" He raked a hand down his face, exhaling sharply to steady himself. "Anyway, what the hell did you do? You asked me for some of my men not long ago. What did you use them for?" However, Calin, always vindictive and used to getting whatever she wanted snapped, "You’re making it sound like I did nothing for you! Sergei Ricci, the fact that I’m not competing with you for the company is already more than enough! Naturally, I deserve everything I have right now and that includes the company’s profits. Ever heard of shares?" Her voice cracked with indignation. "And fake? Don’t play dumb! You were the one who suggested I fake a few achievements in programming to get Brother Shin’s attention! You said I should have something in common with him if I wanted to be part of his world! Even joining the entertainment industry was your idea!" Sergei exhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. It was me. But that’s because you couldn’t handle a single day of hardship. You want everything handed to you, cooked, plated, and ready to eat. If possible, you’d want someone to spoon-feed you so you wouldn’t have to use your own hands!" The source of this content ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽 His voice rose, sharp and unrelenting. "Tell me, was there ever a time you worked hard on your own? Yes, I suggested entertainment, because if you joined KGG or our company, your incompetence would’ve been exposed immediately! Those fake certificates wouldn’t have lasted a week!" He stepped closer, glaring down at her. "You want everyone to work for you, the world to revolve around you, your life to go exactly as you expect but Calin, the world doesn’t bend for anyone." Calin stared at him, stunned, as if the man before her were a stranger. She’d never heard him talk to her that way. Each word cut deeper than a slap. "Again," Sergei pressed, voice cold, "what the hell did you do this time? You said it was just to ’teach some nobody a lesson.’ But now Shin Keir’s involved. What exactly did you order?" Calin’s eyes flashed with anger. "Are you saying I’m that dumb? That I—" "Shut up!" Sergei barked, patience snapping. "Don’t get stuck on the wrong argument, Calin! Just answer the damn question. What did you tell them to do?" Calin hesitated for a heartbeat, then sneered. "It’s just abducting that bitch who kept slandering KGG online! I wanted to know what happened between her and Yeri Zhi, that’s all. Why? What do you mean Brother Shin’s involved? Did he talk to you? What did he say?" Sergei stared at her wordlessly. For a long moment, his anger just... deflated. There was no point arguing with a mindset like hers. Without another word, he turned and walked out. "Where do you think you’re going after all that?!" Calin yelled, chasing after him down the hallway. Several servants, woken by the shouting, peeked from their rooms but wisely kept their heads down. They knew better than to get involved in Calin Ricci’s tantrums. Sergei shoved her aside and slammed the front door shut behind him. His car roared down the driveway seconds later. "Sergei, you scumbag!" Calin screamed after him, stamping her feet in rage. "Don’t think I’ll let this go!" But as her fury simmered, another thought took root. If Shin Keir was involved, if this incident had even the slightest link to him, then there was no way she was letting it slide. She marched back to her room and grabbed her phone, calling someone to dig into it immediately. Early the next morning. Shin arrived at the hospital without a wink of sleep. Yeri and Madam Zhi were still sleeping when he ran into Master Zhi, who had just arrived himself. "Can we talk?" the older man asked. Shin nodded. They headed to the café on the hospital’s ground floor, quiet except for the faint hum of the coffee machine. "Any update about the case?" Master Zhi asked. Shin explained what he knew from the surveillance footage, the confirmed identities, and that Lucia Hera’s phone had also captured part of the incident. Unfortunately, the video cut off right as Rogue appeared, but the audio continued, filled with Lucia’s panicked screams. Master Zhi listened in silence, his expression unreadable. Finally, Shin said calmly, "Master Zhi, I know it wasn’t you who shot that man. You weren’t even there when it happened. And it wasn’t Madam Zhi either." A faint tremor crossed the older man’s composure, quickly hidden behind a measured breath. Even so, Shin caught it, the rare flicker of vulnerability beneath that otherwise stoic demeanor. "I’ll make sure Yeri doesn’t get dragged into this," Shin continued. "Even if it involves the mafia or not. She won’t be detained, and she won’t bear the blame." Master Zhi looked at him for a long moment, scrutinizing, weighing him. Then, at last, he sighed and allowed the corners of his lips to lift slightly. "I never thought I’d say this so soon, but... perhaps my daughter chose the right person to like." "Like?" Shin blinked. Master Zhi nodded. "I admit I had my doubts...still do, if I’m being honest. A man like you could easily make a young girl like her fall for you. But seeing how you protect her..." He trailed off, then added quietly, "I can see why she does." Shin froze, the words echoing in his mind. When did she ever say she liked him? "Yeri said she liked me?" Shin asked, brows slightly furrowed. Master Zhi sighed like a father reluctantly surrendering to fate. "She doesn’t have to say it. I can tell." So she never said it... yet their relationship had already advanced to another level without him realizing? Master Zhi didn’t notice the subtle change in Shin’s expression, the way his lips threatened to curl into a smile he was trying so hard to hide. That day was supposed to be the official engagement meeting between their families, but given the current situation, both sides agreed to postpone it to the day after tomorrow. "Another thing," Shin said, leaning forward slightly. "There’s something you should know." He went on to tell Master Zhi about a serious discovery, though he carefully avoided mentioning that the information had come from well, raising the dead. When Yeri woke up, she was greeted by Shin’s amused face. "Awake? How many times have you woken up in a hospital rather than your own bed, hmm?" Shin teased. Yeri looked around, realizing she was alone. "Where’s Mom?" "She went for a walk in the hospital garden. Your dad’s talking to the doctors, checking if your mom can be discharged today and recover at home," Shin explained. "What about me?" Yeri frowned. "How are you feeling?" he asked, helping her sit up carefully. Yeri blinked. Strangely, her back didn’t hurt as much as last night. Even the soreness in her muscles had faded. For the first time, her body seemed to be healing unnaturally fast. Unbeknownst to her, Shin had quietly used his ability again to restore her body just minutes before she woke. "I think I could be discharged too," she said, stretching lightly. "I feel much better than yesterday. I heard you’ve been busy helping with the case." Shin nodded. "It’s okay." Yeri smiled softly. "Thank you... for helping Dad and for not letting him get detained. Honestly, he and Mom are innocent." "I know." Shin’s tone was calm but his gaze sharp. "The one who shot that guy was you, wasn’t it? How did you do it?" Yeri froze for a moment, then looked down, avoiding his eyes. "I don’t know... maybe it was adrenaline. He was about to shoot Mom when she came in, so I just... lunged at him." Adrenaline. Sure, the perfect excuse. That could make sense. People could do extraordinary things when pushed to the edge. But Shin wasn’t convinced, not entirely. She had been physically weak, barely out of recovery, and her opponent had been a trained killer. It didn’t add up. Still, he didn’t press her. Whether she had done it or not didn’t matter, he would protect her all the same. "By the way..." Shin sat beside her bed, eyes gleaming with mischief. "When did you start liking me? I was honest when I confessed to you, but why is it so hard for you to admit you like me too?" Yeri stared at him, completely dumbfounded. What kind of emotional whiplash was this?! Was this his way of comforting her or a sudden need for reassurance that she wasn’t traumatized? "Are you okay?" Yeri asked carefully. Did she sleep so long that she missed a Chapter in her own life? Shin chuckled and pinched her cheek. "Look at you, losing weight in just a few days. Stop throwing yourself into trouble, Yeri. You could rely on me once in a while, you know." "It’s fine if you don’t want to say it," Shin added with a smug grin. "Your father already told me." Yeri’s confusion deepened. Then, like a lightning strike, realization hit her. Her face paled. "What about Dad? What did he say?" Shin leaned closer, a teasing smile dancing on his lips. "That you have a crush on me." Yeri was rendered speechless, her mind short-circuiting. Of all people... it had to come from her father?! If anyone was going to sell her out, it should’ve been Jj. He was the one who started that ridiculous excuse saying she had a crush on Shin Keir to stop their dad from suspecting anything during that mess before! Her jaw clenched as she silently cursed her brother to the depths of sibling betrayal. "That, I—you know..." Yeri’s lips twitched helplessly, her brain scrambling for an explanation. But then looking at Shin’s expression, the quiet, genuine happiness in his eyes and somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to correct him. After all, "crush" only meant admiration, right? And she did admire him, his strength, his confidence... his ridiculously unfair face. So maybe... just this once, she could let the misunderstanding live? Consider it repayment for everything he’d done for her.