"Rig, you'll temporarily take Meril's position. And you—" Shin's gaze fell on the young man who had been striking the attendant. The latter froze, his body rigid under the weight of Shin's eyes.
"You'll replace him," Shin said flatly, referring to the disgraced attendant. His tone left no room for refusal. "As for your sister… Hexion will compensate you and investigate this matter."
The young man stared in disbelief before quickly bowing. "Thank you, Boss!"
Shin didn't reply. He turned and walked away, the ember of his cigarette glowing like the last spark before a storm.
---
An hour earlier, under her father's subtle yet deliberate manipulation, Calin Ricci found herself heading to the place where Shin was said to be meeting his so-called "fiancée" to discuss their engagement.
Just the thought made her chest ache.
It was supposed to be her, she should have been the one planning an engagement with Shin Keir, not watching someone else take her place.
She hadn't even had time to prepare, forced to make do with whatever dress she could find. Still, as a member of the exclusive establishment, Calin had no trouble gaining entry.
Over the years, she'd done everything to stay close to Shin Keir, attending events he might appear at, joining circles connected to him, even becoming a member of this very club once she learned it was under Hexion's control.
Now, standing in front of the mirrored glass doors, she felt a mix of nerves and determination. Whatever happened tonight, she had to succeed.
Her phone buzzed.
[Find that person once you're there. He'll take care of the rest.]
Her father's message made her exhale in relief.
Sure enough, as soon as she arrived, an attendant welcomed her warmly and led her toward the private restaurant wing.
"Miss Ricci," the attendant said politely, "you can wait here for now, your associate hasn't arrived yet. Or would you prefer to go to the reserved upper room directly?"
Hearing the words reserved room, Calin blushed faintly, her imagination running wild. The thought of being alone with Shin in a private space doing that thing made her pulse race.
"I'll go there myself later," she said, regaining her composure. "Once you confirm the task is done. By the way, do you know who he's meeting tonight?"
The attendant nodded. "Master Keir arrived not long ago. Not long after, a young lady was escorted inside. She's listed as a VIP, if I'm not mistaken, she's his arranged fiancée."
Calin's expression froze. Her hands clenched into trembling fists.
When the attendant mentioned the woman's name, her eyes widened in disbelief. She bit her lower lip so hard she tasted blood.
After a brief exchange, the attendant excused himself, leaving Calin to stumble toward the restroom. Tears welled in her eyes as a burning frustration rose in her chest.
No matter how much she tried, she couldn't understand why it wasn't her.
The old matriarch had said the clan elders made the decision. While her father's words echoed in her mind. How could Shin Keir, of all people, agree so easily?
There had to be another reason. Some hidden motive. Some conspiracy that forced his hand.
After some unknown time, she took a deep breath, splashing cold water on her face, reapplied her makeup, and forced a smile at her reflection. Her phone buzzed again, a message from the attendant:
[The drink's been served.]
Her hands shook. It was done.
Heart pounding, Calin hurried to the private suite. Once inside, she stripped out of her dress and changed into her most alluring lingerie, checking herself in the mirror again and again until she felt somewhat satisfied. Then, still restless, she decided to take a quick shower, just in case.
---
Meanwhile, in another VIP room, Shin Keir set down his wine glass.
The moment the liquid touched his tongue, he knew something was off.
A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes as he lowered his gaze, careful not to let Yeri notice. A faint, bitter scent lingered, something unnatural.
Just then, the door opened. The attendant entered, followed by Tiffany's group, who came to make trouble.
Shin almost laughed, gradually feeling a burning heat. To think someone dared to drug him in his own establishment.
Before hearing about what happened to Yeri, he had already planned to root out certain branches of Hexion that had grown too arrogant. Now, they'd given him an even better excuse.
In his organization, there was no such thing as wild grass. Everything had to be trimmed before it got out of hand.
If not for his regenerative demon ability, the drug might have worked. Worst of all, he could have lost control, perhaps even force himself to Yeri.
The thought alone made his blood boil. His gaze turned razor-sharp, enough to make Young Master Lin, who had just realized the "escort" was Shin Keir's fiancée, break out in cold sweat.
---
At present, Secretary Yun had already moved swiftly under Shin's earlier command. Within an hour, he uncovered the plot's framework.
Four low-ranking Hexion members had been captured. The trail led to a private suite upstairs, booked precisely two hours before Shin arrived.
"This was clearly premeditated," Secretary Yun reported. "Someone reserved that room in advance and coordinated with internal staff."
"They talked?" Shin asked, his tone low and calm.
"They did," Secretary Yun confirmed. "But I doubt this was all Miss Ricci's doing."
The Riccis might be powerful in society, but the mafia is another world entirely. Even nobles tread carefully around it. Betrayal here means forfeiting your life, not just in Hexion, but in every organization of its kind. It's an unwritten rule since the beginning.
When the door slammed open, Calin expecting someone to drag Shin Keir inside, was stunned to see men in black suits instead. Their cold, menacing expressions made her pulse quicken.
"Who are you people?!" she demanded. "Barging in here, don't you know who I am?!"
Her words earned no response. Unfazed, the men seized her by the arms and shoved a cloth into her mouth before she could scream.
Calin, who had never been treated like this in her entire life, was too shocked to resist. Humiliation burned through her skin as fear gripped her.
Could it be… Shin Keir found out?
They forced her to kneel. Dressed in nothing but thin, lacy lingerie, she trembled, partly from cold, but mostly from the thought of Shin seeing her like this.
Not long after, the sound of measured footsteps filled the room.
When Calin lifted her head, the man who had occupied her thoughts day and night appeared at the doorway.
Her eyes instantly filled with tears. Fear enveloped her, but she quickly replaced it with a pitiful expression, wide, trembling eyes, a quivering lip, hoping to appear wronged and fragile.
Secretary Yun, standing beside Shin, looked almost speechless. He knew exactly who Calin Ricci was. Every time Shin had asked him to investigate Sergei Ricci or the Ricci family's business affairs, her name inevitably appeared: spoiled, temperamental, and self-indulgent.
Worse, her private life was notoriously messy. For someone who claimed to love Shin Keir and wanted to marry him, she seemed to spend an awful lot of time indulging in carnal desires and fleeting relationships.
Even if Yeri Zhi had never entered the picture, Secretary Yun knew it still wouldn't have been Calin Ricci's turn.
But even with that knowledge, he hadn't expected this. Drugging the boss? Truly insane.
Shin stood in front of her, silent. His gaze was cold, detached, like he was looking at a piece of furniture, not a human being.
Calin waited for him to say something, anything, but his silence stretched unbearably.
Then another man entered. Without a word, he pulled the gag from her mouth and forced a pill past her lips.
Calin's eyes went wide in horror, muffled gasps escaping as she struggled, but the men held her still until she swallowed. Only then did they release her.
She coughed violently, clutching her throat and collapsing onto the floor.
Before she could even demand an explanation, four battered men were thrown into the room looking badly bruised, bloody, barely conscious.
Calin froze when she recognized one of them, the same attendant she had spoken to earlier. Realization struck her like lightning.
Shin found out.
She'd never seen this side of Shin Keir before. The handsome, imposing man she adored had transformed into something terrifyingly heartless.
The man who had given her the pill stepped forward. "Is she the one who ordered you to spike the Boss's wine?"
The attendant glanced at Calin, then nodded.
Her heart stopped.
What?! Didn't Father say these people were trustworthy?
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" she shouted, scrambling for composure. "I just came here to unwind!"
"Miss Ricci need not waste her breath," Secretary Yun said impassively. "This is the modern era, need I explain what CCTV mean? Besides, we already have proof of your father's transaction with this attendant."
Calin froze. The words sank in like shards of ice. Fear overtook every trace of defiance.
Then came the horror of realization, Shin Keir would never look at her the same way again.
Abandoning all pretense, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Shin's leg, sobbing.
"Brother Shin, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I just love you so much I lost my head!" Her voice cracked. "It was my father who made me do this! I swear, it was him! And those rumors about you, it wasn't me, it was my mother! I didn't know anything about it!"
Secretary Yun blinked in disbelief. She was clinging to Shin like a madwoman, and no one had even processed how she'd crawled so fast.
"Brother Shin, please!" Calin sobbed hysterically. "I've loved you for years! How could I ever harm you? If it weren't for my mother, you wouldn't have been engaged to anyone, right? Please believe me! It's not my fault! I'm innocent! Please...let me stay by your side! I'll do anything!"
Secretary Yun swallowed hard. This woman's lost her mind. Does she want to experience what flying into a wall feels like?
Seeing Shin's expression darken, the others immediately stepped forward to pry her off.
This time, Calin released him, not by choice, but because she finally realized what the pill she had swallowed was for. It had begun to take effect.
A burning heat spread through her body, making her gasp in horror as her skin flushed.
"You…" She looked up at Shin, trembling. "Brother Shin… how could you… how could you be so cruel to me?!"
Shin remained indifferent. If you do something despicable, then you should be prepared to face retaliation.