Her eyes blazed with fury, face blotchy and twisted in rage.
One of the officers nearby stiffened but remained composed. "Ma'am, we're currently investigating. We understand you're upset—"
"That's not good enough!" Linda snapped, cutting him off. Her gaze swung sharply to Yeri, finger jabbing like a blade. "You jinx! If Venice hadn't come to see you, this wouldn't have happened! It was just once—just one visit. Why did it have to end like this?! If you hadn't dragged her into this—!"
"What did you just say?" Madam Zhi's voice cracked through the tension like a whip. She stood up abruptly, placing herself between Linda and Yeri.
"You think anyone wanted this to happen? You think the victims invited this upon themselves?" she said icily, her voice low but dangerous. "Your daughter isn't the only one who got hurt. Look around you...others are suffering too. Some even lost loved ones. Should everyone who invited someone out that night be blamed as well?"
Realizing the situation had devolved into a personal family conflict, the officers quietly stepped away, deciding not to interfere.
Linda flinched at the sharpness of Madam Zhi's words. It was rare to see her lose composure; she was usually composed, gentle, and gracious. That only made the impact hit harder.
"Auntie," Yeri said quietly, her throat dry and voice hoarse. Her whole body ached with fatigue, but she wouldn't stay silent while someone unfairly threw blame her way. "I wasn't the one who invited Venice out that night, it was her decision. Also… I'm sorry about Uncle Nolan."
Linda's expression stiffened. The implication was clear: Venice must have told Yeri something about their family circumstances.
"Linda Ryung," Madam Zhi said sharply, her voice trembling with restrained rage, "watch what you say. If you dare try to put the blame on my daughter again, I'll sue you. This isn't the time to be pointing fingers. We should be comforting one another and praying for those still fighting for their lives, not throwing around accusations like a tantrum."
The entire room went quiet. From behind drawn curtains and half-closed blinds, subtle glances flicked their way. The air was thick with judgment.
Linda opened her mouth as if to defend herself, but no words came out. Instead, the weight of her own resentment, her crumbling relationship with Nolan, her fear of losing her only child, pushed her into acting impulsively.
But truth be told, she couldn't afford to sever ties with the Zhi family entirely.
Frustrated and humiliated, she turned on her heel and stormed back to Venice's bedside, yanking the curtain shut behind her with a sharp snap.
"Mom, don't take it to heart," Yeri murmured. "She's just upset about Uncle Nolan."
Madam Zhi looked mildly surprised. "Who told you about that?"
Yeri simply turned her head toward where Venice was resting behind the curtain.
Madam Zhi sighed and gently squeezed her daughter's hand. "Still, that doesn't excuse her behavior. She's not a child anymore, lashing out at others and blaming the wrong person in grief is petty and pathetic."
An hour passed. Just as Yeri began to drift off to sleep again, the curtain rustled and a familiar figure stepped in. Her father had finally arrived.
He looked exhausted with his suit slightly wrinkled, dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, he had been working non-stop, juggling the company's affairs and now this unexpected crisis.
It was obvious the situation had taken a toll on him both physically and mentally.
"How was it?" Madam Zhi asked softly, patting his arm and gesturing for him to sit.
Father Zhi took the seat between Yeri and Jj's beds. "We've arranged for them to be transferred to Neri Medical Hospital in a few days. The paperwork is being expedited."
Madam Zhi nodded and was just about to ask if he'd eaten when, suddenly, Linda threw back the curtain and dramatically staggered toward them.
"Klaus! Look at my daughter! She's suffering!" she cried out, throwing herself against him. "She woke up earlier and panicked, and I—I couldn't do anything as her mother! If only I could take her pain away..."
Yeri cracked one eye open and immediately regretted it. The secondhand embarrassment was strong.
She watched as Linda suddenly turned boneless as she thrown herself to her Dad like a tragic heroine.
Even Madam Zhi was too stunned to react, standing frozen with a blank expression.
Linda clung to Klaus's arm, sobbing and lamenting how hard her life was, going on about how maybe this was heaven's punishment for falling in love with the wrong man and having no one to depend on.
But frankly, Linda was too old for this type of pitiful act and it showed. Instead of appearing fragile, it just looked…disgusting.
If anyone was the complete opposite of a man easily swayed by beauty or dramatics, it was Father Zhi. He was the most morally upright man Yeri had ever known.
Even if he were single, he'd never fall for these kinds of beauty traps or seduction, and certainly not from his brother's ex-partner.
Madam Zhi, raised with impeccable manners and social grace, looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't find words strong enough for Linda's shamelessness.
Klaus Zhi slowly stood and stepped away from Linda's grip. His face was calm, but his words were like ice. "Madam Ryung, please have some self-respect. My daughter is watching. Don't set such a poor example. And if nothing else, show some respect to my wife."
Linda froze, tears forgotten.
But how could someone like her, someone who had spent her entire life relying on men understand the concept of shame?
"Klaus, that's not what I meant—I was just emotional. I didn't mean it," she stammered, lifting her sleeve with practiced subtlety to reveal bruises along her arms. "I tried calling Nolan over and over to tell him what happened to Venice, but he... he didn't even respond..."
Yeri: "…"
Madam Zhi simply shook her head, sighing deeply. "It's a good thing the two of you never married. Venice is old enough now. There's no need to argue about custody or anything else. Just focus on being there for her."
But Linda took the comment as an insult. Her eyes narrowed and she hissed, "Zenia, you must feel so smug, don't you? Pretending to care while kicking others when they're down. Just how black-hearted are you?"
Madam Zhi blinked, honestly confused. Wasn't it a blessing not to be married to someone like Nolan?
She remembered Nolan's ex-wife, how, after their divorce, she partied for days straight like she'd been released from prison, before moving abroad.
"Enough," Klaus said firmly. "This is a hospital. I've already arranged for all three children to be transferred to Neri Medical. Also, need I remind you again to address me and my wife properly?"
Linda opened her mouth again but then stopped cold. Neri Medical was the top hospital in the country. Lavish, prestigious… and expensive.
Suddenly, keeping her temper seemed more profitable. Taking a step back isn't necessarily a sign of defeat.
Shooting one last glare at Madam Zhi, she stomped back to Venice's bedside and flung the curtain aside, disappearing behind it.
She seethed with bitterness. In her youth, she had been far more beautiful than Zenia. Her only mistake was choosing Nolan Zhi instead of Klaus Zhi.
---
Meanwhile, in a dim corner of an abandoned factory, Lucia Hera looked like a ghost of her former self. Gone was the glamorous socialite; now she was disheveled, dirty, and barely recognizable.
Calin chuckled coldly as she approached. It had only been a few days, but Lucia looked like she was on the brink of death.
Yanking the duct tape off her mouth, Calin asked, "Do you want to get out of here?"
Lucia didn't answer. She just trembled, terrified of the unknown woman in front of her.
"The world's changed while you were stuck here," Calin continued. "Those foolish netizens you thought would worship you? They know now. They've seen through your lies. You're just another cheap liar chasing attention."
Lucia wasn't shocked but she was still afraid. Without any way to explain or defend herself, her reputation must already be in ruins.
"Oh, and by the way...you've been summoned to court. Bold of you, really. Picking a fight with KGG? Did you think they'd just let it go because you're insignificant?"
"What… what do you want from me?" Lucia whispered, barely audible.
Calin dragged a chair over and sat, but wrinkled her nose slightly at the smell. No surprise, Lucia hadn't seen a shower in days.
"Do you know who you pissed off?" Calin asked after a moment.
Lucia's eyes lit with a spark of hope. Maybe if she apologized sincerely, they'd let her go.
Calin held up a photo, the same one she had shown Lucia once before. "This is the café server you falsely accused of injuring you. The one you tried to smear."
Lucia nodded slowly, like a guilty puppy.
Calin sneered. "Well, guess...she's not just some server. Her name is Yeri Zhi. Daughter of the CEO of Zhi Corporation."
Lucia's whole body went stiff as the realization struck her.
It all made sense now—the staff's strange behavior, the fear in their eyes, the way she was treated. That server hadn't just been some random girl.
She had tried to destroy the daughter of one of the most century old elite families in the country.
"She… she sent you?" Lucia whispered, trembling.
She had mocked, harassed, and even livestreamed her hatred toward Yeri. She paid trolls to smear her name. She dragged Zhi Corporation into a scandal for nothing more than petty pride and attention.
She didn't just offend Yeri. She declared war on the entire Zhi family.
"I've been wondering," Calin said with mock curiosity. "Why were you so obsessed with taking Yeri Zhi down?"
Perhaps it was hunger or the repeated threat of death having been stuck to that old abandoned factory that Lucia was psychologically stimulated.
Lucia, now fearing for her life, blurted everything. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! If I had known who she really was, I never would've dared! I was just jealous! I was mad that CEO Keir fired me in front of her… and I blamed her. I lost everything because of that moment. It wasn't fair!"
Calin's smile slowly faded. Her expression turned icy.
"What did you just say?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.
Just then, a notification popped up on her phone—the surveillance footage she had requested had finally arrived.