But Shin moved faster. In a clean, effortless shift, he shielded Yeri with his tall frame.
The drink spilled onto his thigh instead.
The room went dead silent.
The woman's face drained of color. She stood frozen, trembling.
Yeri quickly grabbed a tissue and patted Shin's wet pants. "Are you alright? Maybe we should head back?"
The entire group of women stiffened as Shin finally lifted his gaze, sharp, lethal, utterly unapproachable.
Calin felt a chill shiver down her spine. That was the Shin Keir she feared. The man whose single sentence could destroy a family.
Tristan exhaled slowly, then gestured toward the door. "It's late. See you all another time."
The models exchanged panicked looks, hurt and confusion twisting their faces.
The girl who caused it finally snapped out of her stupor and began bowing repeatedly, stammering apologies.
Calin's ex, already drunk, lost his temper. He grabbed the girl by the back of her head, slamming her down onto the floor so hard her forehead began bleeding.
"Shin! How do we punish this bitch?!"
Four girls shrieked and bolted out of the room, heels clicking in frantic rhythm.
Shin's gaze sliced through the man like a blade. "Who asked you to act on my behalf?"
Calin's ex flinched as if struck. He opened his mouth, but no words came.
Before the situation spiraled further, Shin pulled Yeri close, guiding her toward the door. Yeri frowned as she passed the sobbing girl still kneeling, blood trickling down her face.
Just then, the girl suddenly lunged forward, desperately reaching out to cling to Shin's leg.
But Shin, who moved as if he had eyes on every side of his body shifted effortlessly.
Her hands clutched nothing but air.
Even so, she cried pitifully, her voice trembling like a flower losing its last petal. "Y-Young Master Keir, I really didn't mean it! Please let me make it up to you! You can do whatever you want with me!"
Yeri: "…"
Seconds ago she had felt a tiny spark of pity for the girl who'd been slammed to the floor.
But what is wrong with her?
This was self-degradation at a level Yeri couldn't comprehend.
Is it worth courting trouble for a man's attention?
Shin, on the other hand, would've walked away given Yeri was unharmed, so the matter was over.
But then he caught the girl's expression, her eyes flickered with pure hostility toward Yeri.
And his expression darkened, his aura sharpening like hell fire bursting across the room.
Some people just couldn't wait to seek their own demise.
Without warning, Shin slammed a bottle of liquor against the edge of the table, glass shattered, and the sharp scent of alcohol spilled into the room.
Expression indifferent, he tipped the broken bottle and poured it over the girl's head.
Liquor drenched her hair, her face, soaking down her trembling shoulders.
The room went still.
The influencer clinging to Saeki let out a small whimper and hid behind him, shaking like a leaf.
Calin, despite the chaos, felt a twisted spark of satisfaction spark in her chest.
Yeri was one thing but seeing another woman humiliated for daring to reach for Shin Keir? It fed her warped hope.
The girl sat frozen in shock, slumped on the floor.
Truthfully, she had been a die-hard admirer of Shin Keir. Every day she imagined scenarios with him, imagined what it would be like to meet him. And tonight, finally seeing him up close… How could she let the chance slip? Even if she had to beg, embarrass herself, if it meant he'd give her a chance…
Returning the liquor she had intentionally spilled onto him, he let the bottle drop from his hand with cold nonchalance and continued walking out with Yeri.
Still, the girl refused to give up.
"Y-Young Master Keir—!"
Before she could crawl forward again, Calin's ex exploded in anger.
"Are you fuckin' crazy?!" he snarled, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her backward.
The girl screamed, reaching out toward Shin and crying for help like he was her lifeline.
Tristan understood. She wasn't just bold, she was one of those obsessive fans. The type who blurred reality into delusion.
He immediately called out the bodyguards outside, "Get her out. Now."
By this time, Shin and Yeri had already left the lounge entirely.
Calin, who couldn't show her resentment toward Yeri, redirected it toward the crying girl.
While everyone was distracted and shouting, she subtly stepped on the girl's hand, twisting her heel down with deliberate cruelty.
The girl shrieked. No one noticed where the extra pain came from.
As she was dragged out, Calin couldn't resist muttering under her breath, her tone dripping with spite. She hinted suggestively that "the girl" had gotten off far too easily after causing such a mess and daring to offend Shin Keir.
Tristan didn't even bother responding. He didn't need to. Anyone who caused trouble for Shin was automatically barred from every establishment under Hexion.
"Where the hell did you even contract these girls?" Tristan snapped at Saeki, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This isn't your first time inviting them. You know better."
Someone with Saeki's connections, who regularly invited girls, would never make such a careless mistake.
Random women were dangerous. Especially in their circle, where even a rumor could spiral into a scandal or a lawsuit.
Saeki paled, realizing just how badly the situation had gone off the rails.
Someone must have accepted a bribe to let that girl in along with the others. Saeki was about to call and tear into the contact person when his phone vibrated.
A message from Shin. Just one symbol:
[ - ]
Saeki clutched his chest dramatically, looking like an old man about to suffer a heart attack.
That minus sign wasn't simple punctuation, it meant Shin was deducting investment from his company again.
The last time Saeki tried to "help" by sending women to Shin under the guise of giving him experience, he ended up beaten to a pulp. And the next morning, Shin casually deducted several million from his funding as if swatting away an annoying fly.
The influencer still clinging to Saeki shrieked in panic, shaking him like a wet shirt she was trying to dry, but Tristan barely spared them a glance. He simply tossed his jacket over his shoulder and strolled out of the private room without the slightest concern.
1 a.m. was early for him, too early for sleep. But he could just call one of his girlfriends and stay at her place.
Even the others knew Saeki was being dramatic. They ignored his theatrical misery, too busy lamenting that Shin had left early and ruined whatever schemes or intentions they had been quietly cooking up.
As Tristan walked out, the Eldest Young Master Lin approached Saeki.
"Saeki, could you give me Yeri's contact number? Maybe she can talk to Shin about the Lin collaboration."
At that, Saeki, who had been pretending he needed an ambulance, miraculously recovered.
Right! Yeri could talk to Shin for him too! Why didn't he think of that earlier?!
His eyes brightened like a man discovering salvation.
---
Parking Lot
Calin caught up with Tristan just as he was answering a call.
"Going home?" she asked softly, tilting her head with practiced gentleness.
Tristan glanced at her, then spoke into the phone, "Hold on for a second."
He faced Calin with a polite smile.
"Calin, I know what you want. But you and I both know I'm not that person." His voice was mild, almost warm, but the meaning was sharp. "If I were you, I wouldn't waste time. Get engaged soon. Or better yet… married."
Calin went pale.
Tristan was being considerate because she's a woman. He could have torn her apart verbally if he wanted. He knew her schemes. He knew her recent attempt to drug Shin Keir. He just chose not to humiliate her openly.
"Fortunately for you," he continued, "Shin doesn't use the media to retaliate. Nor does he care about your existence. But even if he doesn't lift a finger, you and your family have already offended enough people. Don't wait until the only options left can't even protect your reputation."
He went back to his call and walked off, leaving her standing there frozen.
His words weighed down on her chest like wet sand.
The "options" he mentioned were the powerful men who still adored her, still held her as the nation's goddess, still competed for her attention.
But…
What happens when they discover she isn't who they thought she was? Who will protect her?
"Calin?"
She flinched and turned.
It was her ex, the one who mocked her earlier.
"Here to mock me again?" she asked coldly.
He looked at her with a complicated expression, hurt, longing, and anger all tangled together.
Despite everything, he clearly still had lingering feelings.
So Calin slipped on her familiar, gentle smile, her voice soft and alluring.
"I'm tired," she murmured. "Can you give me a ride?"
He hesitated only a moment before nodding.
---
Penthouse
Meanwhile, Shin and Yeri finally arrived back at the penthouse.
Maybe it was the chaos earlier. Or the lack of karaoke, but Yeri didn't feel sleepy at all.
"Good thing you were with me," Shin suddenly said, sounding almost aggrieved. "Otherwise, I would've been badly bullied."
Yeri couldn't stop rolling her eyes.
What nonsense.
Does he think she's blind?
Who in their right mind would bully him? She herself didn't even dare.
She was just about to thank him for shielding her from the spilled wine earlier but with how he was acting now, it felt unnecessary.
Shin's gaze slid over to her, deep and penetrating.
"Do you think I went too far earlier?" he asked.
Yeri shook her head. He only returned the wine to the girl, though he poured an entire bottle onto her instead of spilling it.
"She started it," Yeri shrugged.
Shin's lips curved, pleased. He then pulled her into his arms, his voice dropping to a low, sinful murmur against her ear.
"Help me change?"
Yeri's eyes narrowed. "…Are you drunk?"
His speech was clear. His steps were steady. He drove home without issue. So no… he was definitely not drunk.
Which only meant one thing.
He was seducing her again.