From the half-opened door, Young Master Lin and several others could be seen waiting outside.
After much effort and pulling every connection he could, he had finally managed to request an audience with Shin Keir. His hands were clasped nervously, hoping Shin would grant him even a minute of his time.
He didn't notice Tiffany's expression standing behind him, her eyes widened in disbelief upon recognizing the woman sitting across from Shin Keir.
For a moment, she froze. Then, as if possessed, she surged forward and pushed the door wide open.
With righteous indignation, she pointed dramatically at Yeri. "Yeri Zhi! Is this what you've been learning at school? How can you be so shameless? You used your sugar daddy to enter this establishment, and now you're even sneaking into Young Master Keir's private room? Are you a cockroach? You just have to be everywhere, don't you?"
Yeri: "…"
The irony. The cockroach herself calling others a cockroach.
Yeri raised an eyebrow and glanced at her so-called "sugar daddy."
Shin: "…"
Tiffany, oblivious to the real situation, quickly assumed Yeri was targeting Shin Keir himself.
The attendant who had just whispered to Shin Keir shot the group a cold glare. "What do you think you're doing, barging in like this? Do you have any idea where you are?"
Tiffany flinched, but seeing Yeri's calm, unfazed demeanor only made her angrier. "Sir, you don't understand," she said, forcing a sweet but trembling voice. "I apologize for the intrusion, but I just wanted to expose a scheming opportunist who relies on her looks to get whatever she wants!"
While Tiffany thought she was doing Shin Keir a favor, Marco and the others finally saw Yeri clearly when the door swung open.
They were momentarily stunned, then quickly relaxed.
Surely Yeri wasn't connected to Shin Keir. Everyone knew the man despised women and was immune to beauty traps.
Judging by the finished dishes on the table, they assumed Shin Keir had just ended a meeting before Yeri snuck in.
"Young Master Keir," Marco began, stepping forward like a self-proclaimed hero. "I'm Marco Fabian, a student from SC University. I know I'm not in a position to speak, but as a fellow student, I hope you'll be generous enough to overlook Yeri's behavior. She's still young and doesn't realize the consequences of her actions."
Tiffany's expression darkened. "What do you mean? Some people only learn through consequences. She's an adult, not a child," she snapped, glaring at Yeri.
Seeing the tension, Young Master Lin took the opportunity to step in. "Young Master Keir, I'm the second son of the Lin family," he said smoothly. "I was hoping to discuss business with you, but given this situation, I deeply apologize for my friend's rudeness. Tiffany only acted out of concern for you. I dare not claim to know her well…" He paused dramatically, glancing at Yeri. "…but I trust her judgment. Some people act fearless, thinking they're untouchable, when they're merely flies clinging to the back of an ox."
Gaining confidence, Tiffany lifted her chin proudly. "Exactly. Everyone at school knows Yeri Zhi, she's a manipulative vixen who pretends to be weak to gain sympathy. She even tried to steal my boyfriend, but it seems she's found a richer target now."
She looked at Shin Keir earnestly. "Young Master Keir, don't be fooled. She even slapped us earlier, relying on her sugar daddy's influence and Meril actually defended her! You should really look into your people. They don't deserve to be part of Hexion if their loyalty can be bought."
Yeri leaned forward, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. "If I'm the fly…" she said, grabbing Shin's hand across the table, "then, Young Master Keir, would you be the ox I depend on?"
Everyone: "…"
Shin: "…"
From sugar daddy to ox. Is he not human now? What a downgrade.
Yeri tilted her head, giving Tiffany a deliberately provocative smile. Since they already believed she was seducing Shin Keir, she might as well play the part.
"Yeri, have you lost your mind?" Tiffany sputtered, pointing to the attendant. "Why are you standing there? Can't you see what's happening? Get her out before she harms Young Master Keir!"
The attendant only rolled his eyes. If she really wasn't supposed to be here, she would've been thrown out long ago through the door and probably through a wall.
"Yeri Zhi, that's enough!" Marco barked, stepping forward with righteous fury. "I thought you were just being willful, but now you've gone too far! You're shaming not only yourself but our school and your family. Have some self-respect and apologize to Young Master Keir right now!"
Yeri pouted. "Why should I listen to a cheating scumbag who sleeps with his girlfriend's friends? You're the one who should be ashamed. And what's so shameless about me? I'm single and so is Young Master Keir. If anyone should be apologizing, it's you lot for barging in and ruining my opportunity."
Marco went pale. He might not care about Yeri, but being seen in a bad light by Shin Keir could affect his future.
Before he could recover, Young Master Lin patted his shoulder. "Don't let her provoke you. You're only this upset because you care too much about people who don't deserve it."
Ignoring them, Shin turned to Yeri. "You slapped them?"
Yeri sneered. "I ran into them on my way back from the restroom. They accused me of being an escort sneaking into the establishment, and one of your attendants even helped them."
"Isn't that exactly the case?" Tiffany interrupted, scoffing. "Otherwise, how could you even enter this place with your background? You even admitted earlier that you came by invitation!"
She didn't notice the sudden shift in Shin's aura, the way his calm expression darkened the moment he heard Yeri's explanation.
No wonder she questioned the "safety" of his establishment earlier. Such a thing had happened under his nose, in his territory.
"Tiffany is telling the truth, Young Master Keir," Marco insisted, trying to regain footing. "Yeri, I tried to stop you earlier to save you from disgrace, but since you refuse to listen, then so be it."
Yeri chuckled. If being 'saved' means owing a favor to a cheater, she'd rather save herself and suffer some backlash.
Seeing a chance to back her story, Young Master Lin spoke again, this time addressing Shin directly. "Young Master Keir, I've always been proud to be a member of this establishment. But for an outsider to act arrogantly, to insult members, and to even approach you so boldly, this isn't just insolence, it's provocation. She should be punished according to the mafia code."
"With all due respect, I agree," Tiffany said mockingly. "Yeri, do you really think Young Master Keir is shallow enough to fall for your face? You failed with my boyfriend, so now you're aiming higher?"
Yeri gave a slow shrug, smiling at the 'shallow' Shin. "Rather than shallow, I'd say he just has great taste."
Shin, his patience gone, spoke coldly. "Naturally, there will be an investigation."
Tiffany's eyes lit up, her victory seemed close.
Marco frowned, looking at Yeri with a mix of worry and helplessness, though deep down, he seemed to be waiting for her to panic, look anxious, and regret not taking his hand when he'd offered it.
Young Master Lin and the others appeared relieved yet smug, already imagining this as the first step toward earning Shin's favor. Perhaps, under Hexion's protection, the Lin family might even secure a connection with the Keirs.
But those fantasies shattered the moment Shin continued.
"Accusing my fiancée of being an escort," he said, voice low and deadly, "harassing her, and insulting her in my presence, of course, I'll get to the bottom of it."
The room froze.
Young Master Lin blinked in disbelief. The others looked at each other, unsure if they had heard him correctly.
Fiancée?
Shin stood, moved beside Yeri, and sat next to her. "Had enough fun?" he asked softly. "Were you hurt? What else did they do?"
Yeri opened her mouth to say she was fine but then she noticed Tiffany's expression morphing into shock, denial, and pure panic.
Okay, she was actually enjoying this drama. So she leaned closer and rested her head on Shin's arm.
"Of course I was afraid," she said coquettishly. "They wanted to drag me into a dark room. Luckily, Mr. Meril showed up and helped me."
Tiffany's face went through a kaleidoscope of emotions: shock, disbelief, fear, hatred, before she muttered something unintelligible under her breath.
Even Marco couldn't keep his fake composure anymore. "Yeri, stop being disrespectful! Don't get close to Young Master Keir—"
"If my fiancée can't be close to me," Shin interrupted, voice sharp as a blade, "then who should she be close to—you?"
The words hit like a gunshot.
Fiancée?
So they hadn't heard wrong the first time.
Yeri Zhi… was Shin Keir's fiancée?!
No one was prepared for this brutal truth.
It felt as if they had gambled with death itself and lost miserably.
Every insult, every accusation they had hurled at Yeri not long ago now echoed like a firing squad. In hindsight, they might as well have aimed a gun straight at their own heads.
And how could any of this be excused?
Shin Keir had heard everything himself.
The silence was suffocating, but Tiffany was the first to break it. Her eyes were bloodshot, voice trembling between disbelief and hysteria.
"Young Master Keir, don't be fooled by her!" she cried. "You're only taking her side because you think we were bullying her, right? I don't know what lies she told you or what kind of deal she made with you earlier, but you're making a big mistake! You can check the CCTV, she was the one who bullied us! And how could someone like her be your fiancée?! She admitted she has a sugar daddy! If you don't believe me, ask the attendant who was with us!"
"I never said I have a sugar daddy," Yeri replied calmly, voice laced with mockery. "I said I was with someone. You people were the ones who jumped to conclusions. Besides…" She tilted her head toward Shin, eyes glinting playfully. "Why can't I be the fiancée? Am I not qualified? Do I look ugly?"
Shin's lips curved faintly as he reached out to rub her head, playing along with her teasing. "Very pretty," he said softly, tone utterly doting.
Tiffany: "…"
Her jaw dropped. That gentle gesture, that affectionate look was something even Tiffany, for all her delusions, had never seen Shin Keir show anyone.
It was like watching the demon king of Hexion melt right before their eyes and all for the woman they had just insulted and believed to be an escort.