"Allister, there are many ways for a man to humiliate himself, but losing himself over a woman..." Ellis gloated. "The apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree."
Back then, Allister had been just as adamant about marrying no one but Celestine. Yet she had suddenly disappeared, and by the time he saw her again, he was already married to Eleanor.
Allister intended to ignore them, but the three men clearly had no intention of letting the matter rest.
After years of failed scheming, they had finally tasted what they believed was victory. Like monkeys that had successfully stolen a banana, they could hardly contain their excitement, already jumping up and down.
"Uncle, Shin is the head of the Keir family. He represents all of us. How could he possibly give away the clan's wealth to an outsider?" Hiro said from the side, sounding concerned but carrying an unmistakably accusatory undertone.
If anyone was being arrogant, it was Hadi. He had been running his mouth since earlier and seemed determined to make sure everyone heard his opinion.
"This is what happens when the position of heir is handed to a usurper. A prodigy?" Hadi scoffed. "Take a look at his character first. Absolutely heinous! He even went so far as to kick me out of the company. If anything, it's because he doesn't want me discovering whatever illegal network he's hiding within it. I suggest a full investigation."
He continued without pause.
"That Yeri is just as cunning. If anything, she should be tied up and dragged here for questioning. The family placed so much trust in Shin, and look what happened. The head of the clan betrayed the clan. Instead of discussing anything else, this meeting should focus on removing him from his throne."
"There is still no proof that the contract is real, so let's not celebrate too early." Allister's cold gaze swept across the three of them before settling on Hadi.
"As for my son's character, you're right. He certainly can't compare to you when it comes to claiming the top spot in scandal headlines."
Hadi's expression instantly darkened.
He hadn't expected that bitch Venice would not only manage to bail herself out but also start a livestream and publicly air all kinds of nonsense about him and Calin.
"Allister, I know how disappointed you must be feeling right now," Ellis said as they continued walking. "But I have to admit, this outcome was somewhat predictable. Shin has never had much experience with women. Now that he's fallen head over heels, he's lost his usual cleverness. Fortunately, the two of them aren't married yet. The family can still talk some sense into him."
Before Allister could respond, Hadi spoke again.
"Exactly! Someone needs to talk some sense into him. I'm almost certain the Zhi family has been planning this for years. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that Yeri ended up engaged to Shin?"
His voice grew increasingly indignant.
"And that bitch Venice? I wasn't even the one who approached her first. She came to me. I also remember seeing Yeri lurking outside my hospital room back then. She was probably waiting for Venice to deliver the good news. She must've been the one whispering ideas into Venice's ears the whole time!"
Hadi nodded to himself, utterly convinced by his own deduction.
In truth, this theory had come from Calin. During a phone call, she had mentioned finding the whole situation "suspicious," and Hadi had immediately accepted it as fact.
"Have you ever actually spoken to that woman?" Hiro asked, his impression of Yeri had always been simple: beautiful.
But this sudden turn of events made him realize she might be far more complicated than her appearance suggested. A rose with hidden thorns.
And strangely enough, that made him even more interested in her.
Hadi shook his head. "Venice hated her, but maybe that was all an act. Those two probably didn't want anyone discovering their conspiracy. I'm just glad I got rid of that crazy bitch."
He scoffed.
"But like Dad said, that bastard Shin has no experience with women. Who knows? He might've already fallen completely under her spell. Tsk. Pathetic."
The next second, Hadi nearly lost his balance when a hand suddenly seized his collar.
Master Keir, who stood nearly half a head taller than him, yanked him forward without warning.
"You've been bad-mouthing my son right in front of me, his father. Do you really think I'm deaf?"
Hadi's face immediately paled. "I... I was only telling the truth."
"Allister, the boy doesn't know any better," Ellis quickly interjected. "Don't take it seriously. He's just venting."
Master Keir slowly released Hadi's collar, his icy gaze shifted from Hadi to Ellis.
"Doesn't know any better?"
A faint, humorless smile appeared on his face.
"You're right. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?"
Ellis's expression instantly soured, hearing his own words thrown back at him was unpleasant enough.
More importantly, with Hadi's endless scandals involving women, his mediocre abilities, and his often questionable intelligence, Ellis had absolutely no desire to acknowledge how accurately that statement applied.
Just then, the door opened.
"What are all of you arguing about out here?"
One of the elders stepped outside, having clearly heard the commotion, especially Hadi's booming voice.
"Mind your manners and get inside."
Neither Allister nor Ellis said another word, only Hadi lingered behind, still muttering under his breath.
"Damn it. What's wrong with what I said? No matter how intelligent that bastard is, didn't he end up exactly like everyone else? Falling into a beauty trap."
The atmosphere inside the conference room was tense and chilly.
Most of the elders wore expressions of dissatisfaction, their displeasure evident as they exchanged glances with one another.
As usual, Ellis and his sons moved about enthusiastically, eager to ingratiate themselves with the older generation.
They greeted elders here and there, offering flattering words whenever the opportunity arose.
Meanwhile, Allister quietly took a seat at the side, showing no interest in participating.
"Since Shin and Tristan haven't arrived yet," one of the elders began, "we'll first discuss the matter concerning the Old Matriarch."
Ellis immediately adopted a solemn expression.
"Unfortunately, there has been no progress regarding Mother's condition. The doctors say there's no way of knowing when she'll wake from her coma."
The discussion soon shifted toward the Old Matriarch's assets.
At that point, Ellis could barely conceal the calculation in his eyes.
"She's only in a coma," Allister suddenly said with a sneer. "Why are we discussing her will?"
"Allister, don't misunderstand," Ellis replied smoothly. "This is merely a discussion regarding the will. Or are you worried Shin isn't included in it? After all, the two of them were never particularly close."
"Her will is none of my concern, nor my son's," Allister replied indifferently.
Despite Ellis and Hiro's repeated attempts to steer the conversation, the matter ultimately remained unresolved.
Every time they seemed to be making progress, Hadi would open his mouth and somehow derail the discussion entirely.
A true pig teammate.
Just then, the door quietly opened, and a woman stepped inside.
"Hah! Serenity, you lunatic. How dare you come here and cause trouble in a place like this?" Hadi immediately blurted out.
Serenity ignored him completely. She calmly greeted the elders one by one before taking a seat near the back of the room.
"Such vile language," one elder scolded. "Who exactly are you cursing? She's your wife. Naturally, she's a member of the Keir family."
Hadi's face instantly darkened.
"I apologize on his behalf," Ellis quickly said with a smile. "Young people these days simply have rather unusual ways of expressing their affection."
A sarcastic snort immediately escaped Allister.
While Serenity coldly smiled.
If their marriage could be described as affection, then wolves and sheep were lifelong companions.
As the discussion continued, the door opened once more.
This time, Shin entered.
Tristan followed close behind, casually tapping away on his phone as if he had wandered into the wrong meeting entirely.
The moment Hadi saw them, his eyes lit up. "Well, well- "
He had barely spoken two words before Ellis shot him a murderous glare.
Shin took a seat at the center of the table and casually glanced at his watch.
"What's with the sudden gathering?" he asked.
The oldest elder present, seated at the far end of the long conference table, spoke first.
"You've already seen the commotion online, haven't you? Then you should understand how alarming this situation is."
Shin glanced at the teacup that had already been prepared in front of him. Without interest, he pushed it aside.
"Alarming?" he repeated. "Based on what? The words of someone infamous for every kind of atrocity imaginable?"
"Just admit whether the contract is real or not," Ellis interjected.
"Shin, you're a smart man. This isn't about being provoked by someone like Calin. It's about the impact this could have on the family and the company."
The room immediately fell silent. Everyone's eyes turned toward Shin.
After a brief pause, he answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Hm. The contract does exist."
The room instantly erupted into chaos.
Voices overlapped as everyone began speaking at once.
Even Hadi, perhaps worried he wouldn't receive enough attention, abruptly stood up and pointed at Shin.
"You idiot! Have you lost your mind?" His voice echoed throughout the room. "Giving your assets to a woman? I thought you were smart, but this? It never would've occurred to me, not even when I'm drunk! How could you casually hand over the Keir family's wealth to an outsider?"
He swept his gaze across the room dramatically before announcing,
"Look at this! Look at the leader all of you worked so hard to cultivate! Years of effort, years of grooming a successor, only for him to hand the entire family's wealth to an outsider! If you ask me, this deserves punishment! No, forget punishment. He should be removed from his position for such stupidity!"
Suddenly, the room went silent.
Ellis's face turned bright red with embarrassment.
"Hadi, you- sit down!" he hissed through clenched teeth. "It's not your turn to speak. Have you completely forgotten the rules?"
The Head Elder's expression darkened as he fixed Hadi with a stern glare.
"Hadi, if you continue disrupting this meeting, I'll have security drag you out."
Hadi's eyes widened, looking around in disbelief.
Why was he the one being reprimanded?
He was clearly speaking on behalf of the family. Wasn't he?
To him, this felt like blatant favoritism.