Amidst Tiffany's refusal to accept reality, Young Master Lin had finally snapped out of his shock.
Every word he had said earlier, about "a fly clinging to the back of an ox," about punishing Shin Keir's fiancée under mafia code, now rang in his ears like a death sentence.
What had he done?
Without caring about his so-called friends anymore, Young Master Lin quickly bowed his head. "Young Master Keir, I was blind! I didn't realize the truth right in front of me. I trusted the wrong people and spouted nonsense!"
"Not long ago you said you trusted your judgment. Now you're changing your mind?" Shin's voice was calm but cutting. "It's really hard to believe people these days."
At that, Young Master Lin's face turned deathly pale. He didn't dare to lift his head.
"Yeah, he's really two-faced," Yeri added lightly. "At the hallway earlier, he was acting all arrogant. The attendant even told me that if I did well with this Young Master, I'd be rewarded handsomely. I wonder what Young Master Lin expected me to do?"
Her words made the situation worse. Young Master Lin felt his legs tremble as he bowed even lower, almost kneeling yet his pride barely stopped him.
Shin's expression darkened further. If looks could kill, everyone in front of him would have died several times over.
"Young Master Lin wanted to steal my fiancée?" Shin's tone was cold, sinister, like a demon on the verge of carnage.
Young Master Lin shook his head violently, bowing again and again.
"M–misunderstanding! J–just a misunderstanding! It was Marco! He's the one who asked me for help! I trusted the wrong people! Had I known, I would never dare, not even in my next lifetime!"
Marco, suddenly dragged into the spotlight, flinched. Until now, he had just been staring at Yeri as if seeing her for the first time.
In truth, like Tiffany, he couldn't believe nor accept that Yeri was Shin Keir's fiancée.
How could she be?
When he first decided to pursue her, it was because his parents encouraged it. The Zhi Corporation had no heir, and its daughter was said to be a weak girl with no business sense. If he married her, they told him, the company would naturally fall into his hands.
It sounded too easy, like plucking a ripe fruit while passing by.
But upon meeting Yeri in person, he became more determined. Not only was she beautiful, but her aloofness ignited his desire even more.
A frail girl no family wanted as a daughter-in-law, he had truly believed he was doing her a favor.
When she rejected him and dumped him at the dorm without feeling flustered, his pride burned, but so did his twisted curiosity.
Marco had always been the kind of man who desired what he couldn't have, the more Yeri refused him, the more obsessed he became.
Unfortunately, things began to crumble. Tiffany discovered his relationship with her friends, and suddenly, his family started facing business troubles.
Still, manipulating a fool like Tiffany Rhian was easy. A few sweet words, and she would wag her tail like an obedient dog.
His plan was simple: marry a woman he could easily control. That's why he agreed to the engagement. Even if the Rhian family's business wasn't ideal nowadays, there were still benefits.
But seeing Yeri tonight reignited everything. He had thought he could force her to submit, ruin her reputation, and make her his mistress.
After all, women were simple, weren't they? Once their reputation was in your hands, they'd obey.
At least, that's what he believed, until now.
Because the old, pot belly "sugar daddy" they mocked Yeri for having… was actually Shin Keir.
No wonder she had always looked at him as if he were beneath her. She hadn't been pretending; she had already caught a man far beyond their reach.
Still, Marco wasn't ready to give up. A sudden thought crossed his mind as he grasped for any shred of dignity left.
"Young Master Keir," he began, voice trembling but forcedly calm, "I admit I once held affection for Yeri. I admired her confidence and strength despite her frail condition. But that's all in the past. I'm already engaged now, and I love my fiancée."
Tiffany, who had been a sobbing mess seconds ago, suddenly looked at him as if hearing a wedding vow, touched and hopeful.
Marco pressed on. "The only reason I stopped Yeri from meeting her companion earlier was because I thought she was being taken advantage of. As her senior at school, I didn't want her to go down that path. I swear, I never knew she was your fiancée. In fact, when I confessed to her at school, she rejected me saying she already had a boyfriend. That boyfriend even came and turned violent to me and my friends."
"You confessed to her?!" Tiffany's shriek shattered the air.
Just as she was about to bask in his declaration of love, it was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.
Back then, she wasn't at school when the rumors spread, and she had fought tooth and nail with anyone who claimed it was true.
"It's all in the past," Marco hissed irritably. "Didn't we agree to forget about it?"
But Tiffany, instead of attacking Marco, turned her fury toward Yeri. If Shin Keir weren't there, she would've already pounced.
"Young Master Keir," she spat, "you should think carefully before getting engaged to such a promiscuous woman. Who knows how many relationships she's had or still has behind your back? With your power, you can easily investigate her."
Yeri blinked, pretending to be cornered, while Tiffany's smug expression returned.
Even Marco relaxed slightly. If Shin Keir's anger wasn't directed at him, that was already a victory.
"Violent?" Shin repeated, his voice low. "Her boyfriend...was he dressed all in black? Wearing a mask?"
Marco nodded instinctively, remembering the night that masked man had humiliated him.
And then he froze.
The room fell dead silent except for the violent pounding of his heart.
How… how did Shin Keir know?
Could it be-
"Confessing to my girlfriend in public and pressuring her morally," Shin said coldly, "you should be grateful it happened on school grounds."
Young Master Lin, who had just started to feel safe, immediately broke into a cold sweat again.
So the "escort" they mocked wasn't there for any shameful reason, she was simply on a date with Shin Keir. And not a casual one, either; perhaps they'd been together long enough for him to call her fiancée.
Meanwhile, Marco, this fool, had not only repeatedly harrassed his fiancée but offended Shin Keir himself.
And he, the other fool… had blindly defended him.
He felt the world collapse around him. Death might have been kinder. If his family found out of the mess he got into...it's all over.
Just as he was ready to grovel in apology, willing to do anything to appease the two, he heard a dull thud beside him.
To his disbelief, Marco was lying on the ground, completely passed out.
Everyone froze, including Shin. He'd encountered all kinds of pathetic and cowardly people before, but someone fainting without even being hit or openly threatened? That was a first.
Tiffany screamed, shaking Marco frantically as if he'd died.
Yeri: "…"
Is he seriously faking it?
No, judging by that pale face and tightly shut eyes, he was truly out cold.
Yeri glanced at Shin, stunned. Could he really make someone faint without lifting a finger?
...Okay, impressive. She liked him even more.
"What are you thinking?" Shin narrowed his eyes. She wasn't sympathizing with that coward, was she?
"Can you ask them to leave now?" Yeri smiled sweetly. "I'm not done with my dessert."
At a wave of Shin's hand, the attendant understood immediately.
Young Master Lin and the rest were ushered out in silence. He wanted to protest, but more people from Hexion came and they were even more terrifying than anger.
Tiffany, still in denial, clung to Marco as they were dragged away.
When the door finally shut, Yeri exhaled in relief, though Shin still looked stormy.
He must've thought she was being soft-hearted, but that couldn't be farther from the truth.
First, their parents might return any minute, and she didn't want to drag them into the mess.
But more importantly—
"He said they were engaged," Yeri said softly, a gentle smile curving her lips. "I want them to get married. Without any other complications."
Her eyes, however, glinted with something far from gentle.
Now Marco knew he had offended Shin Keir. But if Tiffany was in the same situation, that scumbag would definitely break off the engagement without a second thought.
No. She couldn't allow that.
Shin immediately understood. He knew this succubus side of her well, it seems her personality hadn't changed entirely.
"Alright. If you want, I can arrange for the Rhian family's company to recover some of their losses," Shin suggested, just enough to keep Marco Fabian from getting suspicious.
Seeing that Shin understood her intentions, Yeri's eyes lit up. It seemed that, in this matter, the two of them shared the same wavelength.
After all, what could be more terrifying than a beating?
Psychological torment. The constant dread that tragedy would strike, without knowing when or how.
Not to mention, Tiffany had always prided herself on being above her. But after tonight, the sight of Yeri doing so well must be a nightmare that would haunt Tiffany endlessly, her greatest despair.
And Marco? The guy who thought she was beneath him, who believed she should be grateful for the attention he'd once given her, but as it turned out he'd been the clown all along.
Yeri didn't even need to think about it; the fact that he fainted must've been a massive blow to his ego.