Hadi's panic didn't fade, it multiplied, his hands trembled as he fumbled for his phone, nearly dropping it twice before finally managing to call his father.
What if he got blamed?
Not long after, Ellis and Hiro arrived but the moment they learned the situation, their reactions were far from worry and grief, only calculation.
Their eyes met briefly, a silent exchange passing between them before their thoughts aligned on the same thing— the old matriarch's assets.
More specifically, her shares in KGG.
After a brief discussion, they moved quickly.
Ellis wasted no time and left to meet the Keir family lawyer.
Hiro stepped aside, making several calls in a low voice.
Hadi was still stuck in his own storm.
"With… with Grandma like this… then what about me?" he blurted out, panic creeping back into his voice. "I was fired from the company! Who's going to fix that now?"
Hiro glanced at him, a faint, almost amused curve tugging at his lips.
"Think bigger," his voice lowered, turning sharper. "If the blame for her condition falls on Shin, then his situation becomes even worse. Public pressure, criticism… all of it piling up. And when a CEO's reputation collapses, it becomes very easy to question whether he's still fit to lead."
Hadi's breathing stilled, his fear slowly mixing with something else, understanding.
Sure enough, they didn't waste even a single day and the news broke.
Elder Madam Keir had suffered a heart attack and fallen into a coma.
And almost immediately, the narrative was steered. Paid marketing accounts surged like a coordinated tide, their posts flooding every corner of the internet, all pointing in the same direction.
Shin Keir.
According to them, the old matriarch had always opposed Yeri as Shin's fiancée. Yet Shin had insisted, causing her constant stress and worry, slowly wearing down her already fragile health.
This time, even Allister Keir did not escape. Old accusations resurfaced, now sharpened and amplified, his treatment of his wife, his repeated infidelity.
People began to claim that the long-term strain he placed on Eleanor had also affected the old matriarch, leaving her health vulnerable long before this incident.
One allegation fed another, like cracks spreading across glass until it seemed the entire Keir family might shatter.
—
Despite all the accusations and hostility thrown her way, Yeri continued going to school as if nothing had changed.
At least, on the surface.
The whispers followed her, the stares lingered longer than before. Some curious, some mocking, and some openly hostile.
Still, she said nothing.
When she entered the restroom, the world briefly quieted.
Then the door slammed open.
A group of girls walked in, their presence loud, deliberate. Their eyes locked onto Yeri instantly, filled with mockery and malice.
"Well, well," one of them sneered, folding her arms. "Did you really think that with Loki following you around, you're safe to show off that mistress face of yours?"
Another girl let out a short laugh. "What are you going to do now? Your dog can't protect you in the restroom, right?"
Laughter rippled through the group, thin and cruel.
"No wonder Tiffany always hated this bitch," someone added, tilting her head. "Turns out she really is that disgusting."
They spoke freely, as if Yeri wasn't even there.
Listening, Yeri realise some of them didn't even know her personally. Their resentment came from something trivial: boys who once admired Yeri, boys who had been rejected, boys whose bruised egos had somehow become her fault.
And now, they were "standing up" for them.
Yeri let out a quiet sigh, intending to leave. But of course they shifted, blocking her path.
"How about this?" the lead girl said, her tone syrupy with mock kindness as she patted Yeri's cheek. "Slap yourself a few times, kneel down, and say, 'I'm sorry, I'm a bitch.' Do that, and we might let you out."
"That's too easy," another girl scoffed. "Why don't we just beat her up? Maybe she'll finally grow a conscience."
Their laughter clattered against the tiled walls.
Yeri's patience thinned, about to speak but the lead girl cut in again, eyes glinting with something uglier.
"Come to think of it… your older brother, Jj, is in college, right? I've seen him around. He comes here to visit you sometimes."
"Yeah," another chimed in with a grin. "He's really handsome. Totally my type."
"Haha~ then you'll have competition. I know someone who likes him too."
The chatter spiraled, careless and loud.
Then the lead girl tilted her head, as if struck by a delightful thought.
"Actually… forget it. Don't you guys know? He and Yeri aren't even biological siblings. Who knows… maybe he's into her too."
Yeri's gaze turned cold.
She looked straight at the girl. "What do you mean?"
"What? Did I hit a nerve? What's that word again…" the lead girl pretended to think, tapping her chin. "Ah~ incest."
Slap!
For a split second, everything froze.
The lead girl's smile wiped clean off her face. Shock flickered then rage surged in, twisting her expression as her hand shot out to grab Yeri.
But before she could, Yeri stepped back, raising her phone like it's an indestructible shield.
The lead girl sneered, shaking off the shock.
"Damn bitch. I was being nice, but since you don't appreciate it, let's see if Shin Keir still wants you with a pig face- "
Her voice died mid-sentence because the black screen changed.
A man appeared.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Shin stared at the screen, a group of unfamiliar girls?
He hadn't expected a video call, and certainly not her initiating but where is she?
"Yeri?"
Only then did Yeri tilt the phone toward herself. Her expression was calm, almost gentle but her eyes remained locked on the girls in front of her, who now stood frozen like statues carved from poor decisions.
"It's lunchtime," Yeri said softly, her voice suddenly sweet. "I thought I'd check if you've eaten."
Shin raised an eyebrow. Since when did she do this? Still, he played along.
"Not yet," he replied. "I can just ask Secretary Yun to grab something later. Rather than worrying about me…my baby should eat properly. Don't let yourself go hungry."
Yeri almost choked, her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
Did he realise something?
"Brother Shin is always so good to me," she said, forcing a coy smile that nearly cracked at the edges.
Then she angled the camera back toward the girls. "I'm just hanging out with classmates."
The group stiffened instantly, some girls instinctively covered their faces. Others stood awkwardly, their earlier arrogance evaporating into thin air.
The lead girl's expression twisted, but even she didn't dare move recklessly now.
"Kyaaaah! It's really him!" One girl suddenly exclaimed and waved. "H-hello, Young Master Keir! I'm your fan! You're so handsome!"
Shin's gaze lingered on them for a second before he replied calmly, "Is that so? Then please take good care of my fiancée. She can be a bit careless. I worry about her."
"I talked to Shin Keir!" the girl squealed, bouncing in place as if she'd just been blessed by the heavens. "Don't worry! I'll definitely take care of her!"
"I'm really good at fighting!" the lead girl blurted, shoving someone aside to get closer to the camera. "I can protect her from bullies!"
The irony hung thick in the air, as if she wasn't that person minutes ago who wanted to hit Yeri.
Shin called Yeri out and she smoothly turned the camera back to herself.
"Don't forget our dinner date tonight," Shin said. "Do you want me to pick you up from school, or will you head home first?"
Yeri didn't hesitate, pouting and sounding spoiled. "Why not both? Pick me up, then wait while I get ready."
As she spoke, she walked forward.
The girls parted instantly, some still waving at the screen even after she had already passed them.
"Alright," Shin replied. "I'll be there."
Once she stepped outside, Yeri lowered her voice and quickly explained what had happened.
Since everyone already knows about them, she might as well not hold back.
On the other end, Shin's tone cooled. "I'll call the school. This needs to be handled properly."
"No need," Yeri said, "They're just carried away, maybe following the tide."
After Tiffany's expulsion, she hadn't been bullied again until today. That alone told her this wasn't deep-rooted hatred, just out of impulse or perhaps instigation.
But if others can influence them, then she can do the same.
There was no need to turn an entire school into enemies if it could be avoided.
After the call ended, she didn't know that Shin had still contacted the school.
And by the end of the day, Teachers repeated reminders about bullying in every class, their tone unusually firm.
Yeri noticed the boy who once followed her around with starry eyes now turned sour, seemingly surprised to see her intact and unscathed.
"Was it you?" Yeri asked plainly.
The boy flinched as if struck before darting away.
—
After school, her phone buzzed.
A message from Shin.
[ I'm at the back gate. ]
When Yeri stepped outside, a rotten egg hit the ground just a short distance from her feet, bursting into a foul mess.
Only then did she notice a small crowd, gathered low and restless, like something waiting to erupt.
The moment they saw her, it was as if a switch flipped and insults flew.
"Yeri, why don't you just drop dead?! I curse you, die a horrible death!"
Their words came sharp, ugly, desperate to wound.
But none of them could get close because between them and Yeri stood a wall of bodyguards.
Anything thrown never reached her.
Yeri crossed her arms. Then, with perfect, deliberate exaggeration she rolled her eyes.
Seeing her remain untouched and thriving must have been utterly infuriating for them.
An umbrella opened above her in a smooth motion, shielding her from whatever else might come raining down.
Shin Keir stepped out of the car, untouched by the chaos, as if he existed on a different frequency altogether.
He walked toward her without hesitation, and guided her toward the car.
"Shin Keir, don't you feel ashamed?! Are you blind? You pushed your own grandmother into a coma!"
"Shin Keir, I'm so disappointed in you. How could you run a company if you can't even see through Yeri's schemes?"
"Yeri, be as smug as you like. Relying on your looks, did you really think you could keep Shin Keir forever? Delusional bitch!"
Moments later, their car pulled away, and the police arrived to arrest the troublemakers.
After all, this kind of public disturbance clearly fell under police jurisdiction.
Some attempted to slip away, others outright fled, but the bodyguards moved like an iron net snapping shut, intercepting every escape.