Before Zahn could order the manager to open the door with a keycard, Lianna's voice came again, calm but laced with steel.
"Doctor Neri, don't be unprofessional. I can't afford your attention. No one would dare call you a scumbag to your face, but for someone like me, even being seen talking to you could be a death sentence. Have a bit of conscience and leave me alone."
Zahn gritted his teeth, every word she said slicing through the remnants of his pride. "Lianna," he said hoarsely, "you are my wife."
For a moment, she said nothing. Only the faint hum of the hallway lights filled the silence.
Zahn's jaw tightened as her calm refusal cut through the door like a blade. The restraint he'd held onto all evening finally snapped.
"Enough of this nonsense," he muttered, signaling to the trembling hotel manager.
The man hesitated. "S-sir, I'm afraid we can't—"
Zahn shot him a look that could freeze blood. "Swipe it."
With shaking hands, the manager pressed the master keycard to the lock. The door clicked. Zahn pushed it open.
The lights inside were dim, a small lamp casting a soft, warm glow over the cluttered bed. Papers and folders lay scattered across the blanket, a chaotic reflection of the woman standing by the far wall.
Lianna looked pale but composed, arms loosely crossed as if bracing for a storm she already expected.
"Breaking in now?" she said quietly. "You've really gone downhill, Doctor Neri."
"Don't test me, Lianna." Zahn stepped inside and shut the door. The click of the latch sounded like a verdict.
"Test you?" Her laugh was low and humorless. "I wouldn't dare. I already failed your tests years ago, remember?"
Zahn inhaled deeply, trying to steady himself. His coat still smelled faintly of antiseptic, but the calm doctor's mask he wore every day was gone. "You think walking out like this solves anything? You're making a spectacle of both of us."
"I'm saving myself," she said simply.
"And leaving our son? Our family—"
"Your family," she cut in sharply. "Not mine."
Zahn clenched his fists. "I'm not your enemy, Lianna."
"I could say the same for you. Since the day I married you, how have you treated me?" Her voice trembled not with fear, but exhaustion.
"You don't understand," Zahn said tightly. "You can't just leave and expect me to stand by—"
"What exactly don't I understand?" Lianna cut him off, her tone sharp, bitter. "Let me guess, you have no excuse for how you treated me all these years, because you were never there."
Zahn flinched, his composure cracking.
She let out a dry chuckle. "Look at you… one rejection and you're already falling apart. How do you think I felt all these years?"
His hands and feet turned cold. But what unsettled him most wasn't her words, it was her eyes. They no longer held even a trace of tenderness or warmth, only exhaustion and quiet resolve.
He remembered what she'd said while packing her things, 'I don't love you anymore.'
At the time, he'd dismissed it as an outburst. Now, hearing it again in her silence, it cut deeper than ever.
For a moment, the air between them was thick, charged with the weight of years unspoken.
Finally, Zahn exhaled, trying to keep his voice calm. "What did Shin Keir offer you?"
Lianna blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"You went to him for help, didn't you?" he pressed, stepping closer. "That man's dangerous, Lianna. I don't know what you're thinking, but he's not the solution to whatever you're trying to prove."
Her lips parted, then closed again. Trying to prove? Did he still think this was about pride? About attention?
"Zahn Neri," she said quietly, "do you really believe I can't live without you? What I discussed with Shin Keir is none of your business."
Something flickered in his eyes; hurt, disbelief, denial. "You'd rather trust him than fix this between us? Have you forgotten we have a son?"
"Enough!" she snapped, exasperated. "I told you before, just because we have a child doesn't mean we have to stay in this marriage. And let me make this clear, I will definitely get a divorce."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Zahn's shoulders slumped slightly, the anger cooling into quiet defeat. "You're not thinking clearly. If you go through with this divorce, it'll destroy everything we've built."
She stepped closer until their eyes met. "We? There was never a we, Zahn. There was only you, your career, your reputation, and of course, the precious Neri family."
For a moment, Zahn just stared at her, lost, almost hollow.
Then a knock sounded at the door.
Zahn opened it to find several men in black suits waiting outside. They bowed slightly. "Young Master."
He hesitated for a moment, then without looking back at Lianna, said coldly, "Take my wife home. This place isn't safe for the young mistress of the Neri family."
Lianna's eyes widened in disbelief, her earlier confidence twisting into panic. "Zahn Neri, are you sick? Forcing someone counts as abduction!"
But Zahn didn't answer. He turned and walked out the door, leaving her shouting after him.
---
Later that night
Yeri's suspicion from a few days ago was finally confirmed when she saw Shin entering the room across from hers.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
Shin paused and turned to her. "It's late. You should rest. Or would you rather share a room?"
Yeri blinked, speechless. She wanted to argue but remembered the penthouse belonged to him.
So… they were really cohabiting now?
"No. Goodnight!" she muttered, about to shut her door then remembered Carpet.
The fluffy dog trotted over, tail wagging happily. He stopped between the two doors, looked back and forth, then, betrayal of betrayals chose to walk into Shin's room.
Yeri: "…"
Ungrateful dog! Maybe it was time to turn him into an actual carpet!
Shin frowned. He didn't exactly dislike Carpet, but the thought of sleeping with a dog made his OCD twitch.
"Can you take him?" he asked flatly.
Rolling her eyes, Yeri fetched a snack from her room. Without a word, Carpet immediately dashed to her side.
"You shouldn't always bribe him with food," Shin said mildly. "He'll get overweight."
"What do you know?" Yeri muttered, sulking.
She still couldn't understand why her dog was so attached to Shin Keir. Sure, if Carpet were a female, it would make some sense. But he wasn't.
Do dogs have male friendships?
Could it be that even a dog couldn't resist Shin Keir's pheromones?
"Are you curious why Carpet likes me so much?" Shin asked with a teasing smile.
Yeri glared at him and slammed her door shut.
Shin: "…"
---
Around 2 a.m., Shin was still working on his laptop when his phone rang. Tristan's name flashed on the screen.
"Yo! I'm finally back. Pick me up?" came Tristan's cheerful voice.
Shin frowned, glancing at the time. "Wrong number," he deadpanned, about to hang up.
"Shin, I can't be caught by paparazzi. Just this once, pick me up!"
Shin sighed. Was this a prank? If Tristan didn't want to be seen, why not take a private plane and let Hexion handle it?
But the number was real.
"What kind of mess did you get into this time? There's a private terminal—"
"Okay, see you in an hour!" Tristan interrupted and hung up.
Shin groaned. He debated ignoring it, then snapped his laptop shut and grabbed his coat.
As he passed Yeri's door, he hesitated.
Carpet's ears perked up at the sound. When Shin opened the door slightly, the dog almost wagged his tail but one sharp glare from Shin froze him in place.
Shin quietly tucked the blanket around the sleeping Yeri, fixed the mess Carpet made, then left without a sound.
Down in the parking lot, his phone rang again.
Zahn Neri.
Shin's brow darkened. Why did everyone suddenly need him tonight?
He ignored it, but the call persisted. Finally, he answered. "Zahn Neri, are you sick? I'm not a doctor, but you, take care of yourself."
There was a pause.
That made it twice tonight someone had asked if he was sick.
Then Zahn's weary voice: "Since you're still awake, come over."
"I can't. Tristan wants me to pick him up at the airport."
"Perfect. Bring him along," Zahn chuckled weakly.
Shin frowned. He sounded drunk.
Moments later, another call came in. Shin groaned and answered without looking.
"Big bro! Still awake? Let's hang out!" Saeki's voice chirped.
Shin was about to scold him, but instead mentioned the bar Zahn was at.
By the time he reached the airport's private terminal, the city was drenched in soft mist. His black car idled at the curb, headlights cutting through the fog.
Tristan appeared not long after, casually dressed and wearing sunglasses despite the hour.
"Hey! You really came," he grinned, tossing his luggage into the backseat instead of the trunk.
Shin gave him a flat look. "What did you mean when you said you couldn't be seen by paparazzi?"
"Aw, don't rush me," Tristan said, rummaging through his backpack. "I brought you something!" He handed Shin a small paper bag with a proud smile. "Premium coffee beans from Salt Island. Worth more than your car's paint job."
Without reacting, Shin tossed him the car keys and moved to the passenger seat.
"Can't you drive just for tonight? I'm exhausted," Tristan complained, slipping into the driver's seat.
"Have your premium coffee beans if you're tired," Shin replied, expressionless.
Tristan chuckled, scratching his nose in defeat. "Really unreasonable," he muttered, starting the engine.
The car sped along the nearly empty highway, city lights flashing by like faint stars. While driving, Tristan talked non-stop about the dimensional rift he'd found, the trouble he ran into, and how it almost refused to close.
"Oh, and by the way," he added with a mischievous grin, "I got into a fight with someone while I was there."
Shin glanced at him, brow raised.
Tristan's smile widened, a glint of amusement in his eyes.