The emotion he had long mistaken for disdain finally revealed itself for what it truly was.
Envy.
Envy that Shin Keir could act without being shackled by moral indoctrination disguised as upbringing.
Envy that he could move in his own interest without being crushed by the weight of family reputation.
Zahn exhaled slowly, the truth settling uncomfortably in his chest.
For the first time, he was forced to confront not just his mother's sins but his own.
"Shin Keir… I really don't like you," Zahn said at last, a self-deprecating smile tugging weakly at his lips.
Shin offered no response. He simply looked back at him, expression unreadable.
"I want to speak with Lianna," Zahn muttered.
"You can discuss it with her or her lawyer," Shin replied calmly. "I've already assigned legal counsel to her."
As he spoke, he pulled out another file and placed it on the table.
Zahn let out a quiet chuckle, laced with bitterness. "So in the end, I have to choose between my wife and the company, is that it?"
Shin's eyes darkened. Annoyance flickered across his features, clearly displeased by Zahn's tone, as if this predicament had been imposed upon him.
"Have you lost your mind? Was I the one who taught you how to treat your wife? Was I the one who ordered your mother to commit these crimes?" Shin said coldly, his voice sharpening. "And even if you chose your wife, have you ever asked what she wants? Don't make it sound like I'm the one forcing your hand."
Zahn swallowed hard, his gaze drifting toward the window.
Outside, the city buzzed with life, indifferent, relentless.
He knew he had no right to blame Shin Keir.
In fact, given Shin's ruthless reputation, he could have withdrawn all Keir investments from the Neri Medical Group without warning or submitted the evidence directly to the courts, leaving Zahn completely unprepared.
This private meeting alone was already an act of consideration.
"Before you drown yourself in self-pity," Shin said flatly, gesturing toward the second file, "take a look."
Zahn opened it absentmindedly.
Photographs of his mother with a man spilled across the pages, intimate, unmistakable. Alongside them were chat records, dates, times, exchanges that left no room for doubt.
Zahn's father had passed away more than a decade ago. If his mother had sought companionship again, it wouldn't have been unforgivable.
But the man in those photographs was no stranger.
Xavier Song. The eldest son of the Song family, 33 years old.
Zahn's breath hitched violently.
Shock, fury, humiliation, and horror surged all at once, overwhelming his body. His vision darkened, and he suddenly lurched forward, vomiting blood onto the floor.
Shin frowned. Invisible dark mist curled around Zahn, slipping into his body to forcibly stabilize his condition, soothing his chaotic internal state.
Zahn, too consumed by the shock to notice, slumped back weakly in his chair.
Truthfully, Shin had anticipated this reaction.
Not only had Zahn discovered that his mother was involved with a man young enough to be her son, but that man belonged to the Song family, a long-standing rival to the Keirs, Neris, and Jies alike.
The Songs had always been schemers, masters of underhanded tactics. And it was clear, they had somehow found their opening.
The illegal asset transfers and complex banking maneuvers traced a deliberately convoluted path, but Shin had already followed the trail to its end.
Every route led to the same place.
Lake Wrath City.
The stronghold of the Song family. The city where their influence was absolute.
"I only found out about this after a thorough investigation," Shin added calmly. "Your wife isn't aware of it."
But Zahn did not respond, looking as though his soul had already left his body, his eyes vacant as they remained fixed on the photographs scattered across the table.
---
By the time Yeri and Nina exited the shopping mall, night had fully settled in. Shopping bags hung from their arms while Carpet trailed behind them obediently, tail swaying like an overgrown child tagging along.
"The traffic's going to be terrible," Yeri said. "Ride with me. I'll have them take you back."
Nina nodded without hesitation. Calling her family chauffeur would take time, and the taxi queue stretched endlessly into the distance.
Inside the car, the two chatted casually, exchanging gossip to pass the time.
Yeri mentioned the strange black spider-vein patterns she'd noticed on her body before, but no matter how closely Nina stared, there was no trace of anything unusual on Yeri's skin.
"I still can't believe your cousin is pregnant," Nina said. "Doesn't she want to finish college first?"
Yeri shrugged. Her mind drifted briefly to the Bentley she'd seen earlier and Venice's smug expression announcing her pregnancy, as though she were about to ascend into the heavens.
Suddenly the car braked sharply.
Both girls lurched forward, caught completely off guard.
Thankfully, their seatbelts were fastened.
Carpet, sprawled lazily on the floor, barely reacted, only lifting his head for a brief moment before settling again.
"What happened?!" Nina exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest.
"I'm sorry," the driver said quickly, visibly shaken. "The truck in the other lane swerved unexpectedly-"
Before he could finish, a loud crash echoed behind them.
The truck slammed violently into a large tree lining the roadside.
Yeri twisted in her seat, staring through the rear window. For a split second, her mind flashed back to another car, another night with bullets tearing through the darkness as she rode beside Shin Keir.
"Should we call an ambulance? Or the police?" Nina muttered, already pulling out her phone.
The driver unbuckled his seatbelt, preparing to step out and check on the truck.
"Don't," Yeri said sharply.
Her voice startled both of them.
She didn't know why but a chill crept up her spine. A sense of déjà vu pressed heavily against her chest.
Her gaze swept across the road. Left. Right. Behind. There were no other cars, just them.
And the truck, was it coincidence? The timing? The location?
"Drive," Yeri said quietly.
The driver hesitated, turning to look at her.
"Drive!" she shouted.
Startled, he immediately stepped on the accelerator.
Nina stared at her in disbelief. "Yz… what about the truck driver?"
Yeri didn't answer. Her attention snapped to the rearview mirror.
Headlights appeared behind them approaching fast.
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, briefly convinced she had overreacted.
Then a violent impact slammed into the back of their car.
The world jolted as metal screeched.
Nina screamed as the car lurched forward again. Carpet barked sharply, no longer lazy as he scrambled onto the backseat.
Yeri bit down hard on her lip from the sudden impact. A metallic taste flooded her mouth, but she ignored it, her narrowed gaze locked on the car behind them.
"This road's a shortcut to several industrial factories," the driver said tensely as he accelerated. "It's usually empty at night."
"Who is this lunatic?!" Nina shouted, craning her neck to look back.
Yeri's chest tightened. Nina and Carpet were both with her, and their family driver- no matter how skilled was no Shin Keir, who could maneuver through chaos without breaking a sweat.
She pulled out her phone, fingers trembling as she tried to call Shin Keir.
Before the call could connect, the pursuing car surged forward, slamming hard into their side.
Yeri's phone slipped from her grasp and fell somewhere near her feet.
The car rammed them again and glass exploded outward as the window on Nina's side shattered.
Nina screamed, ducking instinctively as shards scattered across the seat.
Just as the car behind prepared to strike again, another vehicle came barreling in from the rear and smashed into the attacker's car, forcing it to swerve violently.
A third car pulled up alongside them, the window rolled down.
"You alright, classmates?" Loki grinned, bright and carefree, as if they were meeting on campus instead of in the middle of a high-speed chase.
Nina "..."
Yeri "..."
"Damn it, Loki Shaun!" Nina snapped furiously, pointing out the window. "Who did you offend this time, huh?! Why are we getting dragged into your mess?!"
Yeri's thoughts flickered uneasily. Clearly, it's them who are being chased… right? But she figured Nina was just panicking and using Loki as an outlet.
The car behind was still pursuing them so Loki waved cheerfully and slowed his car, deliberately positioning himself to block the attacker.
They traveled a fair distance before the chaos behind them reduced to distant headlights, Loki's car and the pursuer locked together farther back.
Nina continued muttering angrily under her breath.
Yeri leaned down, patting around frantically for her phone, but Carpet paced anxiously, whining and shifting, making it hard to reach anything on the floor.
Just when her fingers finally brushed against the cold surface of her phone,
Bang!
Another car slammed into them.
This time, the impact sent their vehicle crashing into the roadside railing. The world spun and the car flipped.
Yeri felt her body thrown violently sideways, her head slamming against the interior as pain exploded through her skull, then everything went black.
---
When she came to, muffled voices drifted into her ears.
Her vision was obscured by strands of hair plastered to her face, sticky with warmth. Blood trickled slowly from her forehead, sliding down her temple.
Yeri blinked, forcing herself to focus. She tried to move, pain flared and she couldn't.
Only then did she realize she was tied to a chair. Thick rope bit into her wrists and ankles, the coarse fibers unforgiving against her skin.
Her breathing slowed as she forced herself to stay calm. She lifted her head as much as she could, scanning her surroundings.
Not far from her, Nina was bound to another chair, her head slumped to the side, still unconscious. The driver was the same, restrained and unmoving.
Relief flickered briefly, at least they were alive.
Then her gaze shifted to the corner.
The golden retriever lay there with a rope looped around his neck. His once clean, fluffy fur was matted with dust and dirt, his bright coat dulled and tangled. One of his hind legs was twisted awkwardly beneath him.
When he noticed she was awake, his ears perked up.
He whimpered softly, tail wagging despite everything, his body wriggling with effort as he tried to move toward her only to falter, limping.
Yeri's heart sank, followed swiftly by a surge of rage so sharp to whoever had done this.