Calin chased after Saeki Jie all the way to his office.
The moment the door closed behind them, the strength drained from her legs as though she had been holding herself together by sheer will alone.
Her eyes reddened almost instantly, tears pooling as she spoke, each word laced with grievance, fear, and carefully measured vulnerability.
"Do you know what they're saying about me?" Calin cried, her voice trembling as she sank onto the couch. "They twist everything I do. One scandal barely settles before another appears. I can't even breathe without it becoming news."
She buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking, the image of a tragic heroine pushed to the brink.
Saeki stood near his desk, rubbing his temple. He truly was troubled. The PR department was already drowning, every time they managed to suppress one rumor involving Calin, another exploded online with even greater force.
"I told you to stay offline," he said patiently. "The more you react, the worse it gets. The team is doing everything they can."
"But it's not enough," Calin interrupted, lifting her tear-streaked face. "I feel like I'm fighting this alone."
In truth, she wasn't particularly anxious about clearing the accusations. What she needed wasn't damage control, it was security. A backer.
A way out before everything collapsed.
And then, as she looked at Saeki standing there, calm, composed, undeniably powerful it suddenly dawned on her. Saeki Jie was also from a noble family. Just like her mother had said before. Why hadn't she considered him earlier? With her experience, hooking someone like Saeki Jie would be easy.
She rose unsteadily, as if overwhelmed, taking a step toward him. Saeki, thinking she was about to break down again, moved forward to hand her a tissue.
That was when Calin "accidentally" stumbled.
She fell straight into his arms. Saeki reacted on instinct, catching her before she hit the ground. Calin immediately clutched his suit, sobbing softly against his chest, her tears soaking into the fabric.
At first, Saeki wasn't bothered. He had sisters. Plenty of female friends. He had dated more than enough women to be unfazed by close contact. To him, this was simply another emotional breakdown.
But Calin didn't waste the opportunity. She slowly lifted her face, her lashes wet, lips trembling, her eyes searching his at an intimate distance, close enough that most men would have been swept up by the moment, leaning in without thinking.
Waiting... Her lips inviting. But nothing happened.
Saeki merely looked at her blankly.
Calin froze, feeling embarrassed and frustrated that he wasn't taking advantage of her.
After a brief pause, Saeki gently loosened her grip and stepped back. "Alright," he said calmly, clearing his throat. "I still have a meeting. For now, just stay offline and focus on your work."
He patted her shoulder in a reassuring but unmistakably distant gesture.
Calin stared at him, disbelief flickering through her expression. She wasn't about to let it end there as she clung to his arm again, pressing closer. "Brother Saeki, I really don't know what to do anymore…"
Despite his usual foolishness and lack of self-preservation, Saeki wasn't entirely clueless.
A sudden chill crept up his spine. Tristan's teasing words echoed in his mind that 'if Calin fails with me, she'll come to you next.'
His expression stiffened.
Calin had once attempted to drug Shin Keir. Combined with her current desperation, it became painfully clear that she was searching for anyone who could serve as her lifeline.
As Calin continued rubbing against his arm, Saeki pressed the intercom without hesitation.
"Come in," he said quickly.
The door opened, and his secretary stepped inside.
Saeki immediately stepped away from Calin, as if startled awake. "Like I said, I have a meeting," he said, almost sweating bullets. "I know things aren't easy for you right now, but I don't want the other artists thinking I'm favoring you."
He adjusted his suit, tone firm now. "From today onward, you don't need to come here personally. The assigned staff will handle your matters."
Calin shot the secretary a sharp, menacing glare, then turned back to Saeki, still hoping to plead, but he was already heading for the door, moving so quickly it was almost comical.
"I'll be late," he muttered. "Meeting." And then he was gone.
Calin "…."
What Calin didn't know was that despite Saeki Jie's reputation as a womanizer, second only to Tristan, he had one unbreakable rule: He never got involved with his own artists or employees.
And having quietly investigated Calin long ago, he was already well aware of her tangled relationships and dangerous habits. This time, her tears hadn't earned her a savior. They had only confirmed his worst suspicions.
Calin was so frustrated she could only stomp her foot against the floor, the sharp sound echoing uselessly through the empty office.
Just then, her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen and scoffed when she saw the sender, her father's assistant.
[Miss Ricci, the investigation report regarding Yeri Zhi has been sent to your email.]
Calin showed no excitement at all. After offending Shin Keir, even without Yeri in the picture, she doubted he would ever allow her anywhere near him again, still she called him.
"Is there anything outrageous? Something scandal-worthy about that bitch?" she asked coldly.
The assistant on the other end hesitated. "…There wasn't much about her childhood. She was frequently ill and had a very weak constitution. She also seemed to be quite popular at school—"
"Whatever," Calin cut him off, rolling her eyes. Useless, she thought. What kind of dirt was this supposed to be?
She was about to hang up when the assistant spoke again, his tone uncertain. "There was something strange, though…"
Calin paused. "What?" she snapped. "Hurry up and say it."
"The initial information suggested that Yeri Zhi and Shin Keir first met during her debut," the assistant said carefully. "However, there is evidence indicating they were acquainted before that."
Calin's expression twisted.
Although her hope of marrying Shin Keir was almost nonexistent now, this unexpected detail stirred her curiosity. "I don't have time to check my email," she said impatiently. "Just tell me what you know."
Left with no choice, the assistant began relaying everything he had uncovered.
---
That night, Yeri returned to the penthouse.
Since she had told the nanny to go home and take Carpet with her, the place felt unusually quiet. She glanced around, it seemed Shin Keir hadn't arrived yet either, nor the engagement planner he had mentioned.
Yeri let out a breath of relief. She changed out of her uniform and headed to the kitchen, grabbing a few snacks to hold her over.
It wasn't until a little past eight in the evening that Shin Keir finally returned.
"You didn't ask the nanny to come back?" he frowned, stopping short when he saw her seated at the table surrounded by opened ice cream tubs, cookies, and instant noodles.
…What kind of combination was this?
"Just because you're out of the hospital doesn't mean you can abuse your stomach," he said disapprovingly.
Yeri glanced at the table, genuinely puzzled. After eating noodles, wasn't it natural to balance things out with something sweet like ice cream?
"Didn't you say you had something important to tell me?" she asked, ignoring his look entirely.
"Let's eat first," Shin replied, pulling out his phone. "What do you want? I'll call the chef."
"I'm not hungry anymore," Yeri shook her head.
Shin paused, his fingers hovering over the screen. "That's fine. I'm not hungry either."
Yeri stared at him. Is he trying to make her feel guilty?
Seeing her expression darken, Shin chuckled softly. "That's not it. I don't usually eat dinner."
Yeri narrowed her eyes. Remembering the term 'Shin Keir physique,' she wondered if this was his secret to maintaining that body.
Still, she truly didn't want dinner. Noodles and ice cream were more than enough.
"Then don't blame me if you get hungry later," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
Shin merely smiled and gestured for her to follow him into the study.
She assumed he wanted to discuss the engagement until he handed her a document.
The moment she read the title, her palms grew damp.
"What is this?" Yeri asked, her voice tight.
"I believe your father has already shown this to you," Shin said casually. "Just sign it and the transfer will be official."
Of course she had seen it before. She had been so shocked back then that she had almost forgotten about it. After all, who in their right mind would transfer shares of a conglomerate to an outsider? Even if it was only three percent, it was still worth millions.
"Aren't you afraid," Yeri asked slowly, "that I'll change my mind after signing this and refuse to marry you?"
Shin looked at her as though she had just said something utterly absurd.
Instead of answering, he reached for another folder and placed it in front of her.
Yeri stared at it, a strange heaviness settling in her chest. For reasons she couldn't explain, she didn't want to know what was inside.
Still, after a moment of hesitation, she reached out and took it. Her fingers tightened around the folder. And whatever lay within, she knew, it would change things.
At first, Yeri felt relieved when she saw that it was about Zhi Corporation. She was just about to say that it had nothing to do with her when something in the folder caught her eye, her hands turned cold.
Yeri's eyes widened in disbelief. Even someone like her who knew next to nothing about business, understood exactly what those documents meant.
"What is this?" she asked, her voice tight.
"It's exactly what you think," Shin replied, meeting her gaze with grave calm. "Your uncle only needs a few more percentage points of Zhi Corporation's shares. Once he has them, he becomes the largest shareholder. And when that happens, he gains the right to call a board meeting."
Nolan Zhi, her Uncle, had been patient enough to plot this for years.