"I just arrived a couple of hours ago. I was about to fall asleep when your dog barged into my room and jumped on me," Shin explained.
Yeri blinked.
Come to think of it, when she had brought Carpet there yesterday, she barely saw that fat dog.
The moment they arrived, he had dashed out like an explorer setting off on an expedition.
"He was wet, by the way," Shin continued calmly. "I came to tell you he must've fallen into the pond."
Yeri's expression stiffened.
So that explained why he was shirtless.
She suddenly remembered the time she herself had fallen into that same pond when she first came to the villa.
Looking at Shin's teasing gaze and tone, she could almost hear the unspoken words.
Like owner, like dog.
"How could you assume it was the pond and not the pool?" Yeri immediately sounded defensive. "Carpet loves swimming. He must've gone for a backstroke in your pool."
Shin chuckled softly.
"The pool is empty due to scheduled cleaning. It won't be filled until later."
Yeri had nothing left to argue.
"…Anyway," she muttered under her breath, "you're the one who suddenly appeared on my livestream. It's not my fault."
"I've said before," Shin replied leisurely, "you have no obligation to explain yourself to the public. I'll handle those issues."
He paused before adding lightly, "But how are you going to compensate me?"
"Compensate what?" Yeri eyed him warily.
"Carpet causing trouble."
Yeri gave him a once-over, firmly reminding herself not to stare at his pectoral muscles.
"Did he scratch you or something?"
"No," Shin said. "But he woke me up."
Yeri stared at him.
The level of pettiness was astonishing.
Still, remembering how he had probably spent the entire night dealing with the storm of negative news, she decided not to match his pettiness.
"Well… what do you want?" she asked, blinking.
Shin leaned back slightly. "Back then we didn't get to eat at that upscale seafood restaurant," he said. "Want to go in the next few days?"
Right. Instead of seafood, they had ended up dodging bullets.
Yeri thought about it for a moment before nodding thoughtfully.
Shin looked satisfied.
Now that their relationship was publicly known, there was no need for him to cover himself from head to toe just to go out with her or be mindful of paparazzi.
---
Apart from the old matriarch, Venice had also been admitted to the hospital after the engagement banquet due to a sudden, inexplicable headache.
Just as she was drowning in frustration over the cruel reality that Yeri had become engaged to the nation's most coveted bachelor and richest man, Shin Keir, she woke up to exhilarating news.
Yeri was being condemned across the internet. Famous but hated.
Looking at the so-called "black materials" circulating online about Yeri, Venice burst out laughing without restraint.
Linda, naturally, could not have been happier. Meanwhile, Nolan had begun pulling every connection he had, hoping to take advantage of the chaos to push Klaus out of the CEO position once again.
Venice quickly called Hadi and not long after, he arrived at the hospital carrying a fruit basket.
"Brother Hadi," she greeted sweetly.
"How are you feeling?" Hadi asked.
When he noticed there was no one else in the room, he frowned.
"Your mother isn't here? Who's looking after you?"
Venice shyly waved her hand. "It's fine. Mom's exhausted, so I told her to go back and rest."
Hadi nodded. Soon after, his attention drifted back to his phone.
Seeing him busy, Venice pouted slightly.
"By the way, why didn't you tell me my cousin got engaged to Shin Keir?" she asked. "Don't you know how mean she was to me? She taunted me before the engagement and even mocked me during the banquet."
Hadi snorted.
"I didn't know either," he said dismissively. "And I don't care about matters related to that bastard."
Listening to him continue talking, Venice gradually pieced together what he was implying.
So Shin Keir was really nothing more than an illegitimate son. While Master Keir had unfairly handed the CEO position to Shin when it rightfully should have gone to Hadi.
By the time Hadi finished speaking, Venice felt both aggrieved and frustrated. Without hesitation, she fully believed his version of the story.
She could not help but feel that they were truly destined for each other.
She had to deal with Yeri, while Hadi had to endure Shin's tyranny.
"What about your wife? How is she helping you?" Venice asked softly.
The moment Serenity came to mind, Hadi's expression darkened.
Thinking of that poisonous woman only made him angrier, as if he had been deeply wronged. He cursed her without restraint.
Seeing the obvious disgust Hadi felt toward his wife, Venice almost could not hide the delight bubbling inside her.
She had worked carefully to extinguish every bit of affection he might still have for Serenity, and now it seemed she had succeeded.
She reached out and hugged him, speaking in a comforting tone.
"If it were me you married," she murmured, "I would do anything to help you. I would always stand on your side, no matter what."
Hadi looked at her for a moment before gripping her chin, lifting her face slightly.
"Then why did you come into my life so late?" he said quietly, his gaze softening.
Venice blushed, her heart pounding wildly as he leaned down and kissed her.
"This is the hospital…" she whispered coyly, though she made no move to pull away when his hand wandered.
"So what?" Hadi replied in a hoarse voice. "I didn't arrange a private room for you just to sleep all day."
He pushed her gently onto the bed.
Venice had no intention of stopping him. After all, this was exactly what she wanted.
The bed creaked softly as the two shifted across it.
But not long after, Venice suddenly let out a terrified scream.
Something felt wrong.
She felt warmth spreading beneath her, and when she looked down, she saw blood.
"Brother Hadi! Call the doctor!" she cried in panic, trembling all over as a sharp pain twisted through her belly. "Our baby! The baby mustn't be in danger!"
Hadi quickly got off the bed, clearly startled. Yet as he looked at the blood, a faint trace of disgust flashed across his face.
He hurriedly checked himself, making sure none of it had gotten on his clothes.
Soon, the doctor arrived and after a thorough examination, he assured them that the baby was safe.
However, he did not hold back when reminding them sternly about the risks of engaging in such activity during the early stages of pregnancy.
He had seen far too many similar cases, there was no need for him to guess what the two had been doing earlier.
Venice's face burned crimson as she lowered her head in embarrassment, lightly tugging at Hadi's sleeve.
But Hadi only looked impatient.
After the doctor left, he glanced at his watch.
"I have to go back to work," he said briefly.
Venice did not notice the impatience in his tone. Instead, she assumed he must simply be overwhelmed with work.
The thought made her feel even more indignant.
Shin Keir was enjoying all the benefits while others had to work tirelessly. And if Yeri married Shin Keir, wouldn't she also benefit indirectly?
Before Venice could ask him to stay for a few more minutes, Hadi had already walked out of the room.
As he stepped into the corridor, he covered his nose slightly, clearly bothered by the unpleasant mix of disinfectant and the lingering smell of blood.
Left alone again, Venice picked up her phone.
She scrolled through social media, thoroughly enjoying the sight of countless netizens roasting Yeri.
Not long after, both Tristan and Zoren posted statements on their official accounts.
[ Tristan:
If you like me, then you should know my type. 😉 ]
[ Zoren:
When a guest is harassed at my own party, not to mention she's my good friend's fiancée, do you expect me to turn a blind eye? ]
These posts quickly went trending.
Soon after, the legal firm representing Yeri Zhi and Shin Keir released several documents to the public.
Among them were Yeri's medical records. They confirmed that although she had indeed been sickly in the past, it was nowhere near the level where she required constant blood transfusions. The records were also issued by the renowned Neri Hospital, making their authenticity difficult to question.
The so-called "suspicious photos" of Yeri with various men were also clarified.
Footage from the auction where Yeri had attended with Shin Keir was released, showing the full scene. It clearly proved she had not been secretly meeting those men alone, as the rumors suggested.
Even the unedited video of Marco Fabian's earlier confession was uploaded.
With all these materials circulating online, many rational netizens began to comment that something about the accusations against Yeri felt suspicious.
After all, none of the original photos were actually obscene.
As for the more scandalous photos and short clips that had appeared later, it was officially confirmed that they had been generated using AI.
Legal notices had already begun flying toward the accounts responsible.
Fans of Tristan and the others also jumped in to repost the clarifications, actively fighting anyone who continued slandering their "hubby." Some even publicly apologized to Yeri.
After all, the women Tristan had been linked to in the past all shared some trait: They were mature and working women, sometimes even older than Tristan himself. Which was the complete opposite of Yeri.
Seeing the tide slowly turning, Venice felt a wave of indignation rise inside her.
Naturally, it had to be Shin Keir's doing.
What angered her even more was that Yeri had gained an enormous number of followers from the incident.
Even the livestream Yeri had done an hour earlier had not caused much backlash. Instead, there were many positive comments, with netizens eagerly sharing screenshots of Shin Keir's unexpected "cameo."
Venice clicked on one of those screenshots.
"...."
For a brief moment, she unconsciously swallowed.
Venice quickly snapped out of it, only one thought remained in her mind. She could not let Yeri clear her name.
Especially now that she had become Hadi's woman. She had to show loyalty if she wanted to gain more of his trust and affection.
After making some quick preparations, Venice opened her own account.
Then she started a livestream.