Having achieved his purpose and returned the plot to its rightful owner, Shin turned to leave.
Calin struggled to chase him but was held back by Shin's men.
"Brother Shin, you can't do this to me! You can't! If you just need someone to fill the role of your fiancée, I am willing! I don't believe you agreed to an engagement of your own accord!" Calin shrieked.
But Shin didn't even look back. Worse still, he didn't spare her a single word, treating her as if she weren't even worth his contempt.
Secretary Yun followed behind Shin Keir. Having known his boss for years, he was surprised that Shin Keir would leave it at that and not order anything further. His confusion was answered soon enough.
"How's the Ricci business doing lately?" Shin asked.
Secretary Yun blinked, then answered briskly. "Although Sergei Ricci has some flaws, he has reliable connections and the company is holding up. KGG's investments in several of their major projects are still in effect."
Shin smiled, lazy and unreadable. "Ah. Why didn't I know about that?"
Secretary Yun opened his mouth, how could Shin Keir possibly be unaware? Large investments usually required his approval. Then Secretary Yun realized the implication.
Drugging Shin Keir hadn't only involved Calin Ricci; it involved Master Ricci as well. What could be crueller than dragging the proud Ricci family from its pedestal? Targeting the very source of their arrogance?
Understanding Shin's intent, Secretary Yun nodded firmly. "Understood, Boss."
Shin Keir said nothing more; his meaning was clear.
Secretary Yun's perception was correct: once KGG withdrew its investments, the Riccis' company would be crippled.
---
Right after Shin left, Calin had no time to dwell on despair, her current condition was far more urgent.
Trapped among lowlifes, with the drug starting to take hold, she pictured the worst if she lost control. Calin wasn't foolish. Taking advantage of the chaos as others dragged away the four traitors, she snatched her phone and bolted for the bathroom.
Two men banged on the door, but the place had a solid build; the door wouldn't be easy to break.
As they tried to kick it in again, one man's phone rang. He frowned, listened to the instruction, then exchanged glances with the others and ordered everyone to leave.
Calin crawled into the bathtub and turned on the tap, trembling as cold water soaked her and fought the drug's effects. Her heart pounded, her hands shook, and her hair clung to her face but she had no time to lose. She fumbled for her phone and called.
It rang for a while before a cold, annoyed voice answered. "What do you want?"
"Brother, help me! Send someone, no, send a doctor and more people!" Calin cried, her words a frantic jumble.
Sergei chuckled. "Ah, I heard from Dad. Did you succeed?"
"Shut up. Since you know, do something. Or I'll tell Dad you've been transferring company assets behind his back!" Calin snapped.
Silence fell. Sergei's tone shifted; the amusement dropped out of it. "Is that all you have to say? You really think Father didn't notice?" he said at last. "You sure know how to plead. Give me something worth my time."
The room tilted. Calin's head spun. She clenched her teeth, refusing to argue. "Fine. Hurry up or do I come back and make you regret it?"
Sergei muttered curses, then, after a beat, told her to stay put.
Calin sank to the bathtub, the cold water running over her as the drug's heat and the adrenaline warred in her veins.
---
Already seated in the car, Secretary Yun glanced at Shin Keir through the rearview mirror. He had reviewed the CCTV footage and heard the reports, it was an exceptionally strong drug.
But since Shin Keir hadn't requested an antidote or called for a physician, it could only mean two things: either he hadn't drunk the wine, or he had only taken a sip.
"Boss, are you alright? Do you need treatment?" Secretary Yun asked cautiously.
Shin's gaze remained fixed outside the window as he replied calmly, "I didn't drink it."
After all, he couldn't exactly say he'd used his demon ability.
Secretary Yun said nothing more, his respect for Shin deepening. Truly, his boss was incredible to detect something was wrong with the wine before anyone else did. After all, no one would have expected a plot to unfold within an establishment owned by Shin Keir himself.
But another thought nagged at him. People were truly unpredictable, no matter how much they benefited from Hexion, there were always some who crossed the line, driven by insatiable greed and the urge to betray.
"Boss, I still think those traitors got off easy for betraying Hexion," Secretary Yun muttered.
He couldn't fathom what kind of benefits the Riccis had offered to make them turn against their own organization.
Shin smirked faintly, rolled down the window, and lit a cigarette.
First, there was that fool, Hadi Keir. Then came the public feud between Yeri and Lucia, sending a mafia dog like Rogue to target Yeri. And now this, using Calin Ricci's plot as both shield and distraction.
He had to admit, it was almost a perfect play. Sly and vicious.
Had he not been aware, he would have directed all his fury and retaliation solely at the Ricci family.
Not that Calin and Master Ricci were completely innocent, but someone was clearly taking advantage of them, using their hands as both bullet and shield to strike at him.
He had time, plenty of it.
Let the person behind all this think himself clever, bask in his illusion of control, and believe he's the master of the game.
Shin's gaze darkened further, a glint of cold calculation flickering in his eyes.
"Once Tristan is back, let him handle this matter," Shin said flatly.
Secretary Yun nodded immediately. He knew that tone, Shin Keir had already decided to sit back and watch the chessboard move.
And he also knew Tristan Felan preferred dealing with Hexion's dirtier affairs rather than corporate ones.
Just the thought of Tristan smiling as he read the report made Secretary Yun's spine prickle. There was also a time he thought Tristan Felan was the opposite of Shin Keir, gentle, charming, and polite.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
If Shin was a tyrant, Tristan was a sadist who wore silk gloves and a smile while twisting the knife. Perhaps even more ruthless in managing unruly subordinates.
---
The next day, Yeri went about her usual routine.
She'd be back at school tomorrow, so she spent the morning reviewing her lessons and sorting her notes.
She expected Shin to show up again, to sneak in and fall asleep beside her like last time but he didn't.
For some reason, that bothered her more than she cared to admit. Was she overthinking? Did he plan to actually live in that penthouse now?
Either way, her day remained quiet.
The same couldn't be said for Tiffany and Marco.
When Marco woke up after fainting from fright, he immediately got into a fight with Young Master Lin.
The latter, furious after learning his membership had been revoked, lashed out at the two. His position in the family was already precarious because of sibling rivalries; if his father learned that he not only failed to secure Hexion's favor but also offended Shin Keir, his chances of becoming the next heir were effectively dead.
Meanwhile, Marco and Tiffany were tearing each other apart, accusing, shouting, throwing things.
Yeri, of course, didn't lift a finger.
Just as she expected, she didn't need to get her hands dirty. Knowing she was engaged to Shin Keir was revenge enough. That truth alone would gnaw at their hearts, a nightmare that would replay every minute, over and over again.
---
Elsewhere, someone woke up to a much worse morning than either Marco or Tiffany.
Sergei Ricci opened his eyes, groggy and confused.
He vaguely remembered rushing to the establishment with a few men, not to start trouble, but to negotiate for his deranged sister's sake.
Hearing her frantic voice earlier, he'd assumed she'd been caught. He'd expected resistance; after what Calin had done, they'd be lucky not to get shot on sight. But to his surprise, Shin Keir wasn't even there. The attendant simply told him where to find Calin.
So he went, bracing for the worst.
And then… everything went black.
He stared at the ceiling, then looked down at himself and realized he was naked. He fumbled to the side and, in horror, saw another naked body next to him.
Sergei's pupils shrank, leaping up so fast he tangled himself in the sheets and crashed onto the floor.
He didn't care. He didn't feel pain.
He just stared in absolute horror at the naked woman on the bed.
Panic and nausea crashed over him. What happened?
Why was Calin, his sister, sleeping next to him, naked?
The thought was unbearable. Terror, disgust, and a thousand frantic questions clogged his mind.
Sergei's face drained of all color. His brain short-circuited. Every cell in his body screamed denial.
The horrifying possibility that something had happened between him and his sister sent his mind into shutdown.
At that moment, Shin was in his office, buried in contracts and papers.
Morning sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, catching on the edge of his pen. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air: calm, clean, efficient.
Then his phone rang. He picked it up without looking at the screen and when the call connected, Sergei's enraged, unhinged voice exploded into the quiet.
"SHIN KEIR, YOU F***ING LUNATIC—!"
Sergie could barely breathe. His hands trembled violently as panic clawed up his throat. "You actually made me sleep with my sister! You crazy bastard, I'm going to kill you!"
Shin "..."
Sergei's guttural, incoherent accusations and curses rattled the line. "How could you?! I know you're a psycho, but what did I ever do to you?! Why would you drag me into this—this insanity?!"
Silence stretched, thick, oppressive, and deliberate.
Somewhere in that silence, the sound of paper being turned could be faintly heard.