Her pulse spiked.
The still air in the car turned suffocating. With trembling hands, she grabbed the file Sergei gave her and re-read it carefully this time, as if decoding some enemy playbook.
Her eyes caught a specific line:
Frequent Patient of Neri Medical Hospital. Attending Physician: Zahn Neri.
Her pupils shrank.
Zahn Neri?
Forget social status, even people with power and wealth couldn't casually get an appointment with him. Zahn Neri was known in elite circles not just for his medical brilliance, but for being reclusive, indifferent to flattery, and extremely selective with patients.
How the hell did someone like Yeri Zhi end up under his care?
Calin's fingers tightened around the folder.
Then, slowly… her lips parted into a sinister laugh.
It echoed in the enclosed space of her luxury car.
She had been so focused on protecting her crown, guarding her status, and fending off every woman who aimed for Shin Keir from above… that she forgot to look down.
She never once thought that someone beneath her—a "nobody" would dare slither into her world.
"No wonder nothing's going according to my plan," Calin muttered through gritted teeth, staring down at the folder in her lap. "I didn't notice a rat crawling up from the gutter…"
And now?
Now, that rat—shameless, delusional and audacious was climbing into Shin Keir's bed and eyeing the title she believed was hers by right. The position of Mrs. Keir wasn't just a label; it was the crown, the throne, the endgame of everything she'd built her life around.
And someone dared to challenge that?
---
School clinic~
When Yeri opened her eyes, it was already dark outside. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the dim light, and turned to check her watch, past 10 p.m.
"You're awake?" a calm, warm voice said.
Yeri turned her head. It was the clinic doctor, a tall, graceful woman in a white coat who looked more like a model than a school nurse. She smiled gently. "I was going to wake you in an hour if you didn't stir."
SC University often had students staying late for club activities, so the infirmary remained open until midnight. Lucky for her.
Yeri sat up slowly and returned a weak smile. "Thank you… I feel better."
But as soon as she spoke, she heard her own hoarse voice and winced. The burning pain was gone, but her body still felt unnaturally heavy, like the floor was pulling her down with invisible chains.
The doctor noticed her pallor and went to the cabinet. She returned with a cold medicine and a cooling pack. "Your cheek is still swollen," she said gently, handing them over. "Next time, don't get involved with bad crowds. You're not like most students, you have to take care of your health. Focus on your studies."
Yeri nodded, not bothering to explain. It wasn't worth justifying that she hadn't sought trouble but rather it had found her.
Outside the school building, the night air was crisp. Yeri walked slowly, pulling out her phone only to find it completely dead. Her original plan of returning to the classroom to get her power bank and charge had been derailed after Tiffany and her crew jumped her.
She sighed, dragging her feet toward the dormitory. As she neared, she noticed a small group of girls gathered by the lounge area, chatting in hushed but excited tones.
"Really? Who called the ambulance? Was it that bad?"
"I think so… but what made it worse was the teachers witnessing everything. You know school policy. They'll probably get suspended."
Yeri paused. Curious, she walked closer and politely interrupted, "Did something happen this afternoon?"
The girls turned, and one of them beamed. "Yeri! You haven't heard? Too bad you missed the show, it happened after class. Tiffany's group were caught fighting in the restroom."
"Seriously?" another girl said, shaking her head. "They tore each other apart. I thought those three were inseparable."
"You mean inseparably annoying," someone muttered. "They were always up to something, especially that foul-mouthed Tiffany. Always parading around like she's the queen bee."
"Totally. She once saw me open a love letter from my locker and accused me of writing it myself just to show off," said a petite girl, pouting indignantly.
Another chimed in, "She did that to me, too! My parents sent me a package here, and she thought it was from some secret admirer. She called me shameless in front of everyone...really crazy."
Yeri listened quietly, surprised. For the longest time, she thought she was Tiffany's sole target but clearly, the group had a pattern of jealousy and bullying.
She wasn't a one-time offender. She was a serial tormentor.
And most of the girls she targeted were either pretty, popular, or received even a sliver of male attention.
"It must've been over some guy again," one girl said, rolling her eyes. "That's the only time Tiffany gets that unhinged. Either a crush or a boyfriend's involved."
"Was it that bad they had to call an ambulance?" Yeri asked.
The petite girl nodded. "I went back to the classroom after my club meeting… I didn't see it directly, but the faculty staff were rushing over. I overheard someone say Cherry's face got slashed."
"What?!"
The others gasped in horror.
"Cherry?" Yeri blinked, trying to place the name. Was that backup mouth one or two?
"Seriously?! That's insane. Aren't they supposed to be friends?" another girl whispered, covering her mouth in shock. "How do you do that to a friend? Over a guy?! That's psychotic!"
Yeri didn't comment. She didn't have to.
This only confirmed Tiffany's earlier threat: she really had intended to disfigure her face.
And now, one of her own friends had become the unintended victim of that madness.
Back then, Yeri didn't see any sharp object in their hands, but it didn't matter. If that illusion hadn't worked...if she didn't have that ability, even briefly and considering her fragile health, she could have been the one in that ambulance, with her face slashed, lying on a hospital bed.
The thought sent a cold chill down her spine.
They wouldn't have stopped at bullying. Tiffany had genuinely meant to ruin her. For what? A scumbag boyfriend she didn't even know?
After listening for a while longer, Yeri politely excused herself from the group and headed to her dorm.
As soon as she stepped inside, her stomach grumbled in protest, reminding her she hadn't eaten dinner yet. She opened her fridge only to find it still packed with seafood meal boxes, but they were too heavy for a late-night meal.
Just then, her phone rang incessantly, buzzing loudly in the quiet room.
Without checking the caller ID, she answered with a weary, "Hello?"
"Yeri? What were you doing? I couldn't reach you at all. Did you block me again?"
Shin Keir's deep, commanding voice echoed through the receiver, filled with suspicion and just a tinge of frustration.
Yeri blinked, startled. Her phone had died earlier and she just turned it on while charging.
Although it had only been a few hours, why did he sound so unsettled? She couldn't help but wonder what kind of chaos he'd create if he couldn't contact her for an entire week.
"I... fell asleep after class," she replied vaguely.
There was a short pause on the line before Shin spoke again, his tone softening.
"Are you unwell? Why is your voice so hoarse?"
Yeri quickly cleared her throat. "Just a bit of a cold, nothing new. If I rest, I'll be fine by tomorrow."
"Then… can I climb your dorm again?" he asked casually, like a child asking for permission. "I need to give you something important."
Yeri, who had been dragging her feet from fatigue a moment ago, suddenly felt alert and wide awake. "Absolutely not, Young Master Keir, we've talked about this. Can't it wait until tomorrow? Or just send someone to deliver it."
"No, it's important. Don't worry, I won't get caught," Shin said confidently.
Yeri rolled her eyes and sneered internally. For someone as wealthy and influential as him, sneaking into a girl's dorm like some rebellious teenager was such a bizarre hobby.
"What's so important, anyway?" she sighed. "If you have time, just drop it at the back gate. I'll meet you there."
"I'm already here," Shin replied, completely unfazed. "Black Maybach."
Yeri nearly fell off the edge of her bed.
He'd been waiting?
Good thing she didn't pretend to be seriously sick, she thought. He'd probably be scaling the walls in full black gear by now.
"You… Aren't you a CEO? You can just ask your assistant or a delivery guy to do these things."
Shin chuckled lowly. "Don't be unreasonable. You're my girlfriend...how could I possibly ask someone else to do it? And besides, it's past business hours. Of course I have time."
He dared call her unreasonable? Was he not afraid of biting his own tongue? Yeri sighed inwardly.
For some reason, she was starting to get used to Shin Keir's nonsense. His absurdities no longer ruffled her as much as they used to.
Just turn a deaf ear. Don't get too sensitive about the whimsical words of a capitalist, she reminded herself.
"Alright, just give me ten minutes," she muttered and hung up.
She quickly changed into black loose pants and an oversized hoodie, slipping on her slippers before grabbing her power bank and heading out.
Since she was already on her way out, she figured she might as well swing by the convenience store and grab something light to eat, maybe a rice ball or some warm porridge. Her stomach was still complaining.
Just as she stepped out of the elevator, she spotted the same group of girls from earlier heading her way.
When they saw her, their eyes lit up like sparklers, giggling and whispering excitedly.