At that moment, Shin was in the middle of a meeting when his father's name flashed across his phone.
He rejected the call and quickly sent back a curt reply: In a meeting.
A moment later, a message appeared.
[ It's okay. In case you don't know, Yeri is in the hospital and her condition doesn't look good. Mrs. Neri's looking after her and said it's some kind of relapse. Visit her whenever you can. ]
Shin didn't even read the entire message, his chair scraped loudly against the floor as he shot to his feet, startling everyone in the room.
The air turned tense; His executives exchanged worried glances, assuming their CEO was displeased with their report.
Expression unreadable, Shin turned to Secretary Yun. "Take over. I have something urgent to deal with."
Secretary Yun only gave a respectful nod, not daring to ask further.
Shin left the conference room in swift strides. In his office, he snatched his car keys from the desk, but before he could head out, the assistant secretary rushed in, looking nervous.
"CEO Keir," the assistant said, bowing slightly, "someone came to see you. She's waiting in the client lounge."
Shin's brows knit together. "Who?" He didn't recall Secretary Yun mentioning any appointment.
The assistant swallowed hard. "A woman named, Calin Ricci."
Shin's steps halted. His sharp gaze bore into the trembling assistant, who shrank under the weight of his displeasure.
"You let someone past security without a valid reason and appointment?" Shin's voice was like ice.
Terrified, the assistant rushed to defend himself. "It was the reception! They insisted it would be inappropriate to turn her away. I—"
But Shin had no time to scold him further. Without another word, he strode off.
The assistant exhaled shakily, only to feel a surge of anger. He snatched up the nearby telephone and barked at the reception. "Didn't you say the CEO knows Miss Ricci? I almost lost my job today because of you idiots!"
On the other end, a woman's voice asked nervously, "Why, what did the CEO say?"
"He asked how I could let someone inside without business appointment!" the assistant snapped. "You told me he'd probably fire us if we treated her rudely, but it's the opposite! If you drag me into this trouble again, you'll regret it."
He slammed the phone down and stormed toward the waiting lounge reserved for VIP clients.
Inside, Calin looked up expectantly when the door opened. Disappointment flickered across her face when she saw not Shin but the assistant.
The man forced a polite smile. "I'm sorry, Miss Ricci. The CEO had to leave for an urgent matter."
Calin raised a brow. "Where did he go? When will he be back?"
The assistant shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know."
She glanced down at the lunchbox in her hands, disappointment flickering in her eyes.
She had planned to impress Shin today with a warm gesture of care, a steaming chicken soup she claimed to have made.
In truth, it came from a Michelin-starred restaurant, but Shin wouldn't have noticed the difference. To her, the thought was what mattered.
Masking her disappointment, Calin smiled faintly and asked, "Then perhaps you could tell me his schedule?"
But the assistant remained tight-lipped, politely deflecting every question. Eventually, she had no choice but to leave.
As soon as she was gone, the assistant exhaled a shaky breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He regretted ever listening to the office gossip. There had been recent rumours, not only in the company but in society that CEO Keir was favouring Calin Ricci.
Yet from the bone-piercing glare Shin Keir had given him earlier, the man now knew the truth: those rumours were nothing but dangerous nonsense.
---
In the parking lot, Calin slid into the driver's seat just as her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, Saeki Jie.
"Brother Saeki?" she answered.
His stern voice filled the car. "Calin, what have you been doing lately? Have you seen the trending topics about you?"
Calin rolled her eyes, unbothered. "The company can handle it. They're just harmless photos. I haven't done anything wrong, why should I worry?"
"This won't stop if you keep provoking big bro," Saeki warned. "I told you before, he already has someone in his heart. I may not know him best, but I know one thing: he won't retaliate against the woman he truly cares for."
Calin's grip tightened on the wheel. His words triggered a sharp flare of anger.
"That's only because he misunderstood me! He thinks I have ulterior motives, but I don't!"
On the other end, Saeki fell silent, stunned by her conviction. Where did her confidence come from?
His thoughts wandered, did Yeri also offended his big bro at first, before he realized his feelings?
Before he could speak, Calin hung up on him.
---
Calin drove home in a foul mood. The moment she stepped inside, Madam Ricci rushed to her.
"Well? Did you see him? Did you talk to him?"
Calin muttered sulkily, "He left in a hurry for business matters."
Madam Ricci's face darkened. "That's it? Do the Keirs think we're unworthy of their time? Something so serious happened, yet they don't even show remorse!"
"Brother Shin doesn't care about that old hag and his crazy stepmother," Calin retorted.
"This isn't about whether he cares or not!" Madam Ricci snapped. "Again and again, the Keirs make a mockery of us. That bastard Shin Keir never once gave your father or me any face. I don't understand what you see in him. Why do you chase after him when he never even looks at you properly?"
The bitter reality of those words pierced Calin like knives. First Saeki, now her mother, must everyone throw his rejection in her face?
Madam Ricci continued sharply, "There are plenty of eligible men among the noble families. Saeki Jie, for example, you're in the same industry. Or the Song family's son—"
"Shut up!" Calin exploded, hurling a vase to the floor. "What do you know? That crazy witch Eleanor managed to marry Uncle Allister, why can't I do the same? You're my mother, yet instead of helping me, you spend all day shopping, going to spas, wasting time at skincare clinics!"
Madam Ricci froze, wide-eyed and hurt. "Calin… I can't believe this is how you see me. Everything I've done, I did because I care for you! I only want the best for you. You deserve a man who treats you as a treasure, not someone who ignores you. I don't understand why you're obsessed with him when you used to dislike him!"
Calin let out a bitter laugh. "And are you happy, Mother? You married Dad for a family alliance, didn't you?"
Madam Ricci faltered, looking away. Her voice grew faint. "Love can be cultivated after marriage."
"Love?" Calin sneered. Was her mother blind to her father's affairs, the young women he visited at those shady places, did she think she was blind and deaf to their constant arguments?
No. She refused to take the same path as her mother. Love can only be attained if she's with the man she loves.
"I'll only marry the man I love and that's Brother Shin. Don't you dare try to match me with anyone else for your own benefit." With that, she stormed off to her room.
Moments later, the sound of objects shattering echoed from behind her locked door.
Madam Ricci clutched her chest and sank onto the couch, tears spilling.
This is all because of that bastard Shin Keir! If only he treated her daughter with kindness, she wouldn't be like this!
Her grief twisted into rage. Not only had that vile Eleanor Keir hurt her daughter, but none of the Keirs had come forward to apologise. Now Calin was once again being torn apart by gossip, and Madam Ricci refused to believe Shin Keir had no hand in it.
Her sobs slowly stilled, replaced by a simmering fire in her eyes. With clenched fists, Madam Ricci made up her mind.
She would not let this go.
---
On his way to the hospital, Shin called his father to confirm whether Yeri had really been admitted to the Neri hospital.
Master Keir explained that he had only found out by chance, as he was originally visiting his mother, Elder Madam Keir.
After the call, Shin drove recklessly, almost running several red lights. His chest tightened with unease.
Why was Yeri suddenly hospitalized?
He hadn't assigned anyone to watch her, after all, she should have been safe at her own home.
By the time he reached the hospital, his chest was burning with unease. He tried calling Zahn Neri for details, but the line was busy.
"Madam Zhi," Shin greeted politely when he saw Yeri's mother in the ward. He gave a small nod toward Lianna as well.
Seeing Yeri lying pale and motionless on the bed, almost as if in a coma, Shin felt a sharp grip around his heart.
"Young Master Keir, I need to take these papers to the lab," Madam Zhi said softly, before stepping out with the documents.
That left only Shin and Lianna in the room. She shifted uncomfortably, sensing he might want to be alone with Yeri.
"Uhm… I'll leave for now. I'll come back later to visit Yeri. I have something urgent to handle," she murmured. Her voice was timid, yet her steps were determined.
In truth, Lianna did have an important matter to face. Having decided to divorce Zahn, she needed to find a capable lawyer.
Shin gave her a curt nod.
But as Lianna walked past him, Shin suddenly sensed something, something faint but familiar. His hand shot out instinctively and closed around her wrist.
Lianna froze, startled. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
It was faint, but unmistakable. He was certain of it.
Shin felt it, a demon's presence lingered in her. Ordinary demons would have missed it, but he was no ordinary or a mere low-ranking demon, he had once been the emperor of the demon realm.