Amused, Shin said, "Let me guess where you heard this story. Bryce Gate?"
Calin was momentarily stunned, but her eyes immediately lit up.
"That's right. At the time, he was still Bryce Keir and was also at the villa when the fire happened. He told me it took him many years to uncover the truth. It's also the reason he decided to return to the country."
Shin remained indifferent. After all, he had witnessed everything unfold firsthand, not as Shin Keir, but as the Demon Emperor.
Originally, he couldn't have cared less about the matter, considering he wasn't the real Shin. However, since Bryce seemed so eager to attract his attention, and since he was now living as Shin Keir, he might as well seek justice for his 'biological mother.'
After a brief moment of thought, Shin picked up his phone and called Secretary Yun.
A few moments later, Secretary Yun entered the office. Seeing the smug look on Calin's face, he merely scoffed and ignored her.
"Tell our lawyer to add a new case against Bryce Gate," Shin said casually while flipping through a document.
Secretary Yun nodded. "What charge would that be, Boss?"
"Arson and the murder of Celestine, my biological mother." He spoke as though he were discussing someone else's affairs.
Secretary Yun froze, his eyes widening in shock.
Calin looked even more dumbfounded.
Quickly composing himself, Secretary Yun accepted the file Shin handed him. However, just as he was about to leave, Calin finally snapped out of her daze and rushed forward to stop him.
"Wait!"
She turned toward Shin.
"Brother Shin, I think you've misunderstood what I said. Bryce isn't the culprit. He's the witness! He's the one who uncovered the truth about the conspiracy between Uncle Ellis and Yeri's father!"
Seeing that Shin had no intention of explaining anything, Secretary Yun attempted to walk past her but Calin stretched out both arms, turning herself into a human barricade.
"Miss Ricci, this isn't a place for you to do whatever you want. Move aside," Secretary Yun said impatiently.
Calin refused to budge, her gaze remained fixed on Shin.
"Bryce was only eleven years old at the time. How can you be so heartless as to accuse him of such a heinous crime?" she asked, her voice trembling as though she were seeing Shin Keir for the first time.
"Being a child doesn't make someone incapable of committing a crime." Shin merely shrugged. "Besides, the only reason you believed him so easily is because his story involves Yeri. As long as it damages her, whether it's true or false doesn't really matter to you."
Calin flinched.
It felt as though Shin had seen straight through her heart and laid bare every ugly thought hidden inside.
Distracted by his words, Secretary Yun slipped past her and by the time she realized it, the door had already closed behind him.
Calin could only stomp her foot in frustration.
Part of her wanted to chase after Secretary Yun but a far greater part of her wanted to stay, to remain right there with Shin Keir.
"Do you need security to escort you out?" Shin asked coldly.
Calin bit her lip, looking deeply aggrieved.
She had come there full of confidence and arrogance, convinced she possessed information that could change everything. She had believed it would finally make Shin despise that vixen, Yeri.
Yet there had been no doubt in his eyes no horror, not even the slightest hint of panic.
Why?
Why was he so certain about Bryce?
As though a realization had suddenly struck her, she muttered, "You've already investigated Yeri. Everything about her, including her family and her past."
Shin merely looked at her, his patience wearing thinner with every passing second.
Forcing an ugly smile onto her face, Calin spoke again. Each word felt as though it were slicing into her own flesh.
"Is she really worth all of it? Your time? Your protection? Your attention?" Her voice trembled as she stared at him desperately. "...Your affection? Are you really staking your status, reputation, and wealth on something as fickle as feelings? People like you should only care about profit and efficiency. How can you say Yeri matters more than your own interests?"
Shin "...."
Indeed, humans were fickle by nature, and emotions were among the most unreliable things in existence.
Countless people had once been absolutely certain of their choices and feelings. Yet when their interests were threatened, when circumstances slipped beyond their control, when life battered them until they were forced to confront the consequences of their own decisions, love could easily transform into hatred, resentment, and betrayal.
But what made him not human? Such concerns simply did not apply to him.
Without another word, Shin pressed the button on his phone to summon security.
Seeing that he had no intention of answering her, as though she wasn't even worthy of an explanation or his opinion, something inside Calin finally snapped.
Truthfully, she had already been at the end of her rope when she barged into his office.
Countless lawsuits were hanging over her head.
The Ricci Corporation's assets had been frozen and were rapidly approaching bankruptcy.
Even SJ Entertainment wanted to terminate her contract.
Not to mention her engagement had failed.
So what she needed now wasn't merely money. She needed someone with overwhelming authority.
Someone capable of rescuing her from the mountain of legal troubles crushing her from every direction and erasing the scandals that had destroyed her reputation so she could start over with a clean slate.
Naturally, Shin Keir was the very person capable of accomplishing such a thing.
Especially now that there was strong evidence connecting her to the deaths of the servant mother and daughter.
She was only out on bail, and with Allen's lawsuit and numerous other cases still pending, only Shin Keir could save her.
"Shin Keir, you're blind!" Calin finally screamed, abandoning all restraint. "What does Yeri have that I don't?! Compared to her family, I'm obviously the better choice! I'm from a first-tier family! You know it! Everyone knows it! We were the perfect match in terms of status! So what if she's a little better at programming? I have my own achievements too! My image could've helped you in countless ways if I hadn't done those stupid things!"
Her voice grew increasingly hysterical.
"It was because of you! It's because I loved you too much that I ended up ruining myself!"
Calin let out a broken laugh before bursting into tears again.
"Yeri might be pretty, but aren't I more beautiful than her? Don't we even resemble each other? Why won't you give me a chance? Does she have something on you? Is she blackmailing you? Just tell me! I'll do anything for you!"
Shin "...."
The more indifferent he appeared, the more shattered Calin became.
She broke down completely, sobbing, screaming, and flailing her arms wildly.
The man she had yearned for.
The man on whom she had pinned her dreams, her ambitions, and her future.
Why couldn't he love her? What was wrong with her?
Secretary Yun, who had rushed over to deliver a report only to be greeted by the ramblings of a madwoman, found himself utterly speechless.
Talking about loving someone while simultaneously blaming him for all her issues...
This level of gaslighting was truly a high-level skill.
While Calin continued wailing about her misery, scolding Shin Keir, scolding Yeri for taking away what she believed was rightfully hers, and cursing the world who's supposed to revolve around her, Shin merely glanced at his phone, frowned, and prepared to leave.
Calin's gaze immediately locked onto him, her reddened eyes gleamed with intense emotions and desperate determination.
Without noticing anyone watching, she suddenly began tearing at her own clothes.
Secretary Yun's eyes widened in horror. Before he could stop her, Calin lunged toward Shin Keir, who had just picked up his coat.
However...
The next second, her body flew through the air like a rag doll.
She slammed heavily against the wall before collapsing unconscious onto the floor.
Secretary Yun "...."
Kicking someone might already be considered excessive, but attempting to force yourself onto someone and create grounds for a false accusation was even more excessive.
It had been years since he'd witnessed such a jaw-dropping scene.
The last time was at a banquet when a drunken socialite had thrown herself at his boss and had likewise been sent flying.
When security finally arrived, they froze in shock at the sight of an unconscious woman in torn clothing lying in the corner.
Then their fear quickly shifted elsewhere, someone had managed to bypass security and enter the president's office.
Secretary Yun immediately urged them to remove Calin from the premises.
Once they were alone, he immediately reported.
"The two security guards who helped Miss Ricci have already been dealt with. They're currently at HR collecting their final paychecks."
Secretary Yun continued. "One of them was newly hired, but both admitted they were tempted by the amount of money she offered. They also claimed Miss Ricci convinced them she was personally acquainted with you."
Shin couldn't care less.
Did they really need to be reminded of their job descriptions?
He simply nodded before striding toward the door, his attention remained fixed on his phone.
---
Back at the bar, Yeri felt her throat burning as alcohol was forcibly poured down it. She choked violently, some of the liquor spilled onto her clothes, soaking the front of her shirt.
"Yeri is so delicate. She can't even handle a few sips," one of the men mocked.
"Should we pour it into a glass instead?" the female college student whispered coquettishly to Hadi.
Hadi responded by pinching her waist, immediately making her blushed.
"You guys are being too rough," another person laughed. "You've already ruined her clothes. Now she needs to change."
"What? And who gets to help her change?"
A drunken voice immediately chimed in.
"Since I didn't bring a date, let me do the honors."
The group erupted into laughter.
Hadi's friends argued, joked, and shouted over one another, most of them already drunk and emboldened by numbers.
One man crouched down in front of Yeri, grinning lewdly as he reached toward her clothes.
At the same time, another person held her shoulders from behind whenever she tried to move away.
Yeri gritted her teeth, feeling her knees hurt from struggling while her throat felt like it was on fire.