Still, curiosity tugged. After hanging up, she searched again.
Of course, nothing truly disappeared online, numerous marketing accounts had already saved the photos.
Yeri studied them closely. The woman beside Shin… why did she look so familiar?
"Calin Ricci?" she whispered.
Recognition struck. She remembered the rude woman in the hospital elevator. And again, in Dr. Neri's office.
"So it was her…" Yeri muttered, the pieces clicking into place.
No wonder she had felt that strange familiarity while in the restroom, overhearing Calin speaking with Shin.
However, jealousy didn't stir in her. Instead, like the rest of the internet, she only felt a strange curiosity.
Whoever had snapped those photos deserved an award. Even with Shin's usual indifference, the angles made them appear close, intimately so.
At the same time, Yeri realized once again how dangerous the media could be. With some photograph, a suggestive caption, and a well-placed rumor, they could bend public perception however they pleased.
She was still lost in thought when her phone rang again.
Seeing the caller ID, she was surprised. It's been a while.
Mrs. Neri.
She answered quickly. At first, only the sound of rain filtered through, soft patters against the receiver, mixed with faint, uneven breathing.
"Hello? Sister Lianna?" Yeri asked cautiously.
Finally, a voice emerged: weak, hoarse, trembling.
"Yeri… I'm sorry. I know it's late. But… can I see you?"
---
In the heavy rain, Yeri asked her family driver to head to the place Lianna mentioned.
It was the downtown district, crowded with restaurants, cafés, and convenience stores.
They circled the area twice, but in the rain, it was hard to spot anyone.
Worse, Lianna could no longer be reached by phone.
Worried, Yeri grabbed an umbrella and told the driver to park.
"Miss, let me accompany you," the driver urged anxiously.
"No need. This is a busy area and it's not that late," Yeri said, quickly stepping out before he could insist.
She searched carefully, peeking through glass walls of cafés and restaurants. Just as she turned a corner, someone bumped into her, making her drop her phone.
The passerby immediately apologized and rushed off, the rain had everyone hurrying for shelter.
Yeri wasn't upset, but when she picked up her phone, it had already shut down from the water.
"Great," she muttered. Now she couldn't even contact Mrs. Neri herself.
Not giving up, Yeri crossed the street to search the other side. After passing the main road, she noticed a narrow lane and decided to try there.
Unlike the bustling street, this little nook felt quiet and tucked away, a place only locals would frequent. As she walked by, she noticed a lone figure sitting on a chair, back facing the street.
Yeri halted.
The woman was completely drenched. Oddly, the café was closed, yet she sat at its outdoor table without an umbrella.
Only when Yeri drew closer did recognition strike.
Stunned, she rushed forward and held her umbrella over her. "Sister Lianna?"
Who would have thought that the wife of one of the wealthiest families, a renowned surgeon's spouse is sitting there as if she had been cast out with nowhere to go?
Clearing her throat, Yeri waved a hand near Lianna's face. "Sister Lianna? Are you alright?"
Lianna blinked, as though snapping out of a daze. Looking up, she finally saw Yeri.
"Yeri?"
Yeri forced a smile, concern etched across her face. "You're soaked through. What if you catch a cold? Let's go back first?"
As if not hearing her, Lianna suddenly clung to Yeri's hand, gripping tightly. "Yeri, do you remember what you said to me last time we parted? That maybe… maybe you could help me if one day I chose a different path? Tell me, tell me how!"
Yeri nodded quickly. "Yes, I remember. But this isn't the right place."
Lianna gave a light, broken laugh. As Yeri crouched to meet her gaze, she noticed Lianna's red, swollen eyes. She must have been crying.
What had happened for her to fall into such a state?
Yeri knew Lianna was suffering from depression, but now… she wasn't just on the verge of a breakdown. She was already crumbling.
"I used to come here with friends back in high school and college…" Lianna murmured, staring at the closed café. "Unlike other places, this one wasn't aesthetic or famous, but I loved it here. Cozy, good coffee."
"It says they're closed for renovation. Once they reopen, let's check it out together . You can compare it with Café Zhillion," Yeri offered gently.
"Ah…" Lianna looked at her apologetically, realizing too late that Yeri was the daughter of that café empire. "Yeri, I didn't mean—"
"Don't worry about it," Yeri cut her off softly. "Everyone has their own preferences. Honestly, I also like other cafés aside from my family's."
Lianna nodded awkwardly.
The rain pelted harder, and Yeri knew they had to leave. She wanted badly to take her away, but Lianna showed no intention of moving.
Just then, her driver found them, looking as though he had run the whole district in panic.
Yeri exhaled in relief and asked him to bring the car over. Together, they helped Lianna into the backseat.
It was only then that Yeri realized Lianna was wearing a long gown, but the lower half of the dress had been torn apart.
Did she run out of a party or some kind of gathering?
Still, that wasn't the most pressing matter. Yeri had a strong feeling Lianna had been rained on for quite a while and was now delirious. That could explain her rambling, jumping from her past, to the present, then back again.
But what struck Yeri most was that, despite her confused state, Lianna never once mentioned her husband nor her family.
"Where to, miss?" the driver asked.
Yeri snapped back to reality and quickly thanked him for his help.
"Uhm…" She looked out the car window. The traffic outside was terrible, worsened by the heavy rain. If they tried to head home now, they would be stuck for hours. Lianna needed to change into dry clothes and have her fever treated first.
As if reading her mind, Lianna suddenly grabbed her arm, mumbling that she didn't want to go to the hospital, not even the Neri Medical Hospital.
Yeri bit her lip but reassured her. She had already made up her mind. She leaned forward and told the driver where to go.
The driver looked shocked but said nothing, simply adjusting the wheel and driving on.
At the entrance of Sin Melle Estate, Yeri lowered the rear car window and nervously greeted the security guard at the post.
"Could you please contact Butler Hong from Young Master Keir's villa? Tell him I'm Yeri Zhi," she said politely.
The guard signaled to his companion. Yeri expected they would be left waiting, but within a minute the guard returned with a smile and waved them through.
"Miss, you're amazing!" the driver blurted, his voice full of awe. "I never thought I'd get to step inside this place in my entire lifetime!"
Who didn't know the prestige of Sin Melle Estate?
"But, Miss, could you tell me the direction?" he asked sheepishly, scratching his head.
The estate stretched endlessly, with sweeping golf greens, rolling grasslands, and towering trees. It was so vast that the driver had no idea where to turn.
Yeri tried to recall the directions, but maybe it was the rain or maybe she just wasn't good with directions.
In any case, when they finally parked across from a massive villa, she knew immediately it wasn't Shin Keir's residence.
Before she could stop him, the driver had already gotten out and rung the doorbell.
Almost at once, a voice crackled through the intercom at the heavy gate. "Who?"
"Ahem!" The driver coughed nervously. "Good evening. Is this Young Master Keir's villa?"
"No. Who are you?"
The driver froze, completely at a loss. Yeri quickly called out to him, saying it wasn't the right place.
"Ah, my apologies! We came to the wrong house," the driver said, bowing toward the intercom before hurrying back to the car.
As he maneuvered to turn the car around, someone stepped out of the gate and tapped on Yeri's window.
She lowered it, about to apologize, when the person trailing behind the servant peeked out.
"Yeri Zhi!"
Before she could even process who it was, the man had darted to the passenger seat, slid in, and turned back to her with a grin.
"It really is you! Haha~ I thought Big Bro Tristan had gotten drunk again and stumbled into the wrong villa!"
Yeri's mouth twitched. So this was Saeki Jie's villa.
She recalled Butler Hong mentioning there were only four residents in the entire estate, and this man was one of them.
"I'm not looking for Brother Tristan's villa." she said.
Saeki waved a hand dismissively, still grinning. "Yeah, but it doesn't matter. He practically crashes at my place or at Big Bro Shin's all the time."
Although Tristan always seemed playful, Yeri hadn't expected him to be that carefree.
"I learned something new about Brother Tristan," she said with a polite smile.
Saeki froze, realizing he might've let slip something he shouldn't have. But before Yeri could press further, his gaze shifted to the woman beside her. "Who's that?"
It wasn't the right time to chat, so Yeri instead asked him for directions.
To her surprise, Saeki didn't just explain, he tagged along while guiding the driver himself.
As they neared Shin's villa, Butler Hong was already waiting outside. When the car finally halted, another figure stepped out as well.
Yeri froze. Master Keir?
Didn't Shin say his father was only here on vacation or something?
It didn't matter. How could she have forgotten about Shin's father entirely?
She had been so stressed over Lianna's condition that she'd simply chosen the safest place she could think of: Shin Keir's home.
After all, Lianna Neri wasn't anyone. The wife of a friend should be a friend too, right? Or at least an acquaintance?