"What are you doing? Why did you hang up? It was that child... Prince Xati." Yeri stared at him in disbelief. "Is he here because he still remembers me as his mother?"
"Yeri Zhi!"
Shin's raised voice made her flinch.
She looked at him in confusion, unable to understand what had provoked such a strong reaction.
"Keep this in mind. You're only eighteen. You have a family, a status, and a reputation to protect. So what if he was related to you in your previous life?"
His gaze sharpened. "You're not actually thinking of acknowledging him as your son, are you? That abomination came here for no other reason than to stir up trouble. You should stay as far away from him as possible."
Yeri was left speechless, her brows knitted together.
She genuinely couldn't understand why he had suddenly become so agitated.
"...Did you just call him an abomination? Why are you being so mean to a child? At the very least, I remember him saving me from Calin Ricci so why should I stay away from him?"
"Just do as I say. That brat dislikes me, so don't be too naive and believe whatever nonsense he comes up with," Shin said sternly.
There it was again. No explanation, just a command, as if she were incapable of distinguishing right from wrong.
"Why does he dislike you? As far as I remember, I have no grievance with that child. Don't you think it's unreasonable to expect me to ignore him just because the two of you don't get along?" Yeri insisted, snatching her phone back.
However, Shin's expression remained unchanged, perhaps even worse, as though he were forcing himself to stay calm. The veins along his neck bulged from the restraint.
"You know we could easily resolve this if you just told me what needs to be said, right?" she continued.
"It's not the right time yet," he muttered.
Yeri finally snapped, frustration rushed to her head, feeling as though they were going around in circles.
At that moment, her phone rang. She intended to ignore it, too absorbed in her silent staring contest with him.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" Shin asked.
"Not really," she gritted out.
"It's annoying. Just answer it."
She shot him a fierce glare, about to reject the call, when she noticed it was from her mother. After a brief hesitation, she reluctantly answered.
Before she could even say hello, Mother Zhi's frantic voice came through, speaking so quickly she could barely make out the words.
"Mom, can you slow down? What happened? Who got into an accident?" Yeri frowned.
Gradually, her expression changed. She looked back at Shin Keir in shock, and even after the call ended, this time, she was the one reluctant to reveal what it had been about.
Sensing that something serious had happened, Shin's expression softened. He pulled her onto his lap and asked gently, "What's wrong?"
Yeri didn't resist.
Letting out a deep sigh, she said, "Mom said Venice got hit by a car. Your cousin, Hadi Keir, was with her. According to the witnesses, the two were fighting. It got out of hand, and they both ended up in the middle of the road."
"How are they now?" Shin asked indifferently.
Yeri swallowed, "Your cousin died on the spot, while Venice is in critical condition and still in the ER."
Hadi Keir died?
Shin had to admit he hadn't expected that. After all, as the old saying went, bad people didn't die easily.
In fact, Hadi's escape from Hexion hadn't been luck at all but intentional. After Hadi was expelled from the Keir clan, Shin no longer saw any reason to keep him imprisoned. Living without the Keirs' wealth and protection would be a far crueler punishment than any prison cell.
"The police are already investigating, but..." Yeri paused.
No matter what, Hadi was still a Keir. What if...
"But?" Shin prompted.
"Mom's worried the Keirs, your uncle's family, might hold the Zhis responsible. You know... blame his death on us."
Shin merely scoffed.
"If it was an accident, then it was an accident. Besides, your family had nothing to do with your cousin, right? Naturally, I won't let anyone blindly pin the blame on you."
"You don't feel bad that he's gone? I mean, he's still your cousin."
"Have you forgotten that I'm a demon?" Shin said with an amused smile. "The life and death of humans don't mean much to me. Besides, don't you think he reaped what he sowed? If he didn't die from running his mouth, he would've died at the hands of one of his women."
Yeri fell silent.
Indeed, unlike her, who had fully integrated into the human world, it wasn't the same for Shin. Not to mention, he still possessed all of his demon powers.
Wait- didn't she still have a little of hers too? The thought immediately excited her.
"When I awakened, I could still use a few minor abilities. Let me see if I..."
"Stop." Shin cut her off immediately. "What happened every time you used them before? Do I need to remind you?"
Yeri: "..."
Looking at the black veins still visible beneath her skin, anyone who saw her would probably have a heart attack, thinking she was some kind of monster.
"It's not fair. If I remember correctly, I used to be that strong. I was an empress that most demons were wary of."
Shin simply pinched her nose, a habit of his whenever he found her especially adorable.
"Shin Keir, just because you don't want to talk about it doesn't mean I'll forget it. Just so you know." She abruptly stood up.
Remembering that she was still angry with him, she considered ignoring him altogether.
But a knock on the door reminded them both that it was time to leave the hotel.
---
Back in Sin City, news of Hadi's death had already exploded across major news outlets and social media platforms.
With his recent expulsion from the Keir clan, his notoriety from countless scandals, Venice's rise to fame as "Yeri's cousin," their publicized messy relationship, the miscarriage that had drawn public sympathy, and her livestreams exposing him after their breakup, the two had become the center of an endless stream of online drama.
This unexpected tragedy only added fuel to the fire, and every corner of the internet had something to say.
"Hadi Keir is dead? Is this for real? Wasn't he just expelled from the Keirs?"
"Is this another Leo Nafplion case? It just proves these losers are nothing without the protection of their wealthy families. They say it was an accident, but I highly doubt it."
Since the accident happened in public, with numerous witnesses and several people recording the scene, videos quickly spread online, making the story even more sensational.
Although Hadi had been a scumbag, there were still many who mourned his death. They argued that, despite being a womanizer, he didn't deserve to die in such a tragic manner.
Others stood firmly on Venice's side, sympathizing with how unfortunate her life had become after getting entangled with Hadi. She had suffered a miscarriage, her reputation had been ruined, and now she was fighting for her life in the emergency room.
Before long, netizens began linking the accident to Calin Ricci, speculating that Hadi must have confronted Venice because of the livestreams she had made exposing him.
Unsurprisingly, Yeri's haters also seized the opportunity to drag her into the controversy. Countless comments speculated that Yeri had both the motive and influence to orchestrate everything, citing Hadi's previous attempt to assault her and Venice's constant online attacks against her.
The most outrageous theory accused the Zhi family, particularly Master Zhi, of using Venice to eliminate Hadi Keir, only for Venice to get caught in the plan herself.
Some conspiracy theorists even claimed Hadi must have known something about Shin's mother's death because his father was Ellis Keir, making him a loose end that had to be silenced.
"This has to be investigated! I saw one of the bystander's videos, and Hadi looked furious, like he genuinely intended to kill Venice. But why? I have a feeling the recent fake news about Calin and Yeri's deaths is somehow connected to this!"
"What is going on between the Keir and Zhi families? Is there some long-hidden grudge between them? Shin Keir, stop staying offline and say something!"
"There's so much conspiracy surrounding this that my head is starting to spin. First, how did Venice and Hadi even get acquainted? Two women from the Zhi family, both cousins, and then Shin and Hadi, also cousins from the Keir family. Is all of this really just a coincidence? And what role does Calin Ricci play? She rushed all the way to the Arctic to see Yeri. Was she really trying to kill her? Then, not long after, Hadi confronted Venice. What exactly are the Zhis hiding?"
As discussions online grew increasingly heated, insiders who had learned about Shin and Yeri's return flight were already gathering at the airport.
The moment the chartered plane landed, reporters surged forward, ignoring the airport security officers shouting at them to stay back.
Yeri's classmates, who had just entered the arrival hall while dragging their suitcases, were instantly surrounded, their expressions filled with shock and confusion.
The reporters who recognized Nina as one of Yeri's closest friends immediately shoved microphones toward her.
Nina was about to answer when she was pushed from all directions by the frenzied crowd. Her patience was wearing dangerously thin, and she was only moments away from using her martial arts to clear a path when a tall figure stepped in front of her.
"What are you all harassing a bunch of students for?" Loki shouted, planting his hands on his hips.
"Isn't she Yeri Zhi's best friend? We have a few questions for her!"
"Surely you already know Hadi is dead and Venice is still fighting for her life. How can Yeri be so nonchalant about all of this?"
"And why do you think she's being nonchalant?" Nina asked, genuinely puzzled as she peeked past Loki's shoulder.
Yeri wasn't even in Sin City when the accident happened. Why was she the one being hounded instead?
"A person has died! You're students from a prestigious university. Don't you feel any guilt?" another reporter demanded, trying to emotionally corner them.
"Who died? Did I kill someone?" Loki blurted out, utterly puzzled as to why these weirdos had rushed out of nowhere just to make him feel guilty.
The reporter nearly choked, convinced Loki was mocking him.