"Dear," Xavier began, his tone coaxing, "I understand you're upset, but Vanessa is still from a third-tier family. Her family also has a good relationship with yours. How could you possibly make her your personal maid?"
Madam Neri scoffed. "A favor should be repaid with equal value. And let's not forget, she schemed against my son in the first place."
Vanessa's fingers tightened against the floor.
She hadn't expected Madam Neri to be this cruel.
Before everything spiraled out of control, the old woman had treated her like a daughter, warm, even indulgent at times.
For a moment, the three of them simply stood there, locked in a silent standoff.
Vanessa noticed Xavier wasn't outright rejecting the idea of her serving Madam Neri.
Biting her lip, she suddenly stood and turned away, fleeing without another word.
She barely made it a few steps before colliding with someone.
Bryce Gate.
Vanessa gave a stiff nod, attempting to walk past him, her expression strained and aggrieved but Bryce reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"What?" she snapped, her voice sharp, brittle.
Bryce leaned in slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, something unreadable.
"Running away already?" he whispered near her ear. "That doesn't look like the Vanessa who's willing to ruin herself just to win. If you walk away now, you lose everything, and whatever game you've been so carefully playing."
Vanessa looked at him warily, surprise flickering across her face. It hadn't been long since this man had approached Xavier, so why was he acting as if he knew her?
Bryce only smiled, and tilted his head slightly, gesturing for her to follow.
Vanessa glanced back at the door she had just burst through, but see no signs of Xavier chasing after her.
After a brief hesitation, she turned and followed Bryce to his car.
From a distance, inside a parked vehicle, Xian lowered his camera slightly, his lens still pointed in their direction.
Another shot captured.
He exhaled, about to start the engine when suddenly, several men stepped in front of his car, blocking his path like a closing curtain.
Xian's grip on the steering wheel tightened, he didn't need to guess, his brother had found him.
---
A week later, the country's grandest annual event, the Economic Forum, unfolded like a stage set for power and ambition, where top business executives and policymakers gathered under one glittering roof.
For people like Shin Keir, it was just another routine appearance.
For others, it was a debut, a single step onto a chessboard where every move could define their future.
Yeri sat in the car beside him, dressed in a formal beige gown that carried quiet elegance.
In the passenger seat, Secretary Yun reviewed documents, occasionally briefing Shin on last-minute matters.
"Are you nervous?" Shin asked casually. "It's just a business gathering. Stay close and follow my lead."
Yeri shot him a glare.
Just a gathering, he says. To him, perhaps. To her, it felt nerve-wracking.
A socialite banquet was one thing, but this?
She hadn't wanted to come at first. But her father had insisted, this was an opportunity. If she didn't want to remain merely Shin Keir's accessory, she could stand as a representative of Zhi Corporation.
And after everything their company had gone through recently because of her, Yeri chose to come.
The car slowed to a stop.
The moment it did, flashes exploded like lightning. Cameras turned toward them in unison, hungry, relentless.
Shin stepped out first, composed as ever. Then he turned, extending his hand toward Yeri, steady and assured.
Secretary Yun continued briefing Shin as if the chaos were nothing more than background noise.
Yeri placed her hand in Shin, a polite smile formed on her lips as the cameras surged forward.
She had barely taken a step before microphones, cameras, and phones crowded her from every direction.
The questions came fast, overlapping, relentless:
"Miss Zhi, is your engagement to Shin Keir against the old matriarch? Is it true she opposed your relationship?"
"How did the two of you meet?"
"What's your response to the accusations circulating online?"
"Is it true there's conflict between you and Calin Ricci?"
Shin's expression darkened. Without hesitation, he stepped slightly in front of Yeri, shielding her from the storm. His bodyguards moved in swiftly, forming a human barricade that forced the media back just enough for air to exist again.
Yeri pressed her lips together.
Not because she had nothing to say but because these people didn't care about truth. They fed on spectacle, not substance.
Another reporter pushed forward. "Miss Zhi, what did you mean by rolling your eyes at the people camping outside your school gate?"
Yeri blinked.
Did they expect gratitude? A thank-you speech for harassment?
Before she could even process that absurdity, another phone was shoved in front of her face.
"Then who is this man?"
Yeri glanced at the screen and frowned.
The photo looked like from a convenience store. It was her and a tall figure in a mask and cap, identity concealed.
"…Wasn't this a long time ago?" she murmured, looking up at Shin. "Who took this photo?"
That day, Marco Fabian confessed and she rejected him. Then they exited through the back gate straight to the convenience store.
"Ignore it," Shin said flatly.
However, the reporters had already caught every word, their microphones hovering like vultures.
"So that was you, Shin Keir?!"
"This photo was taken just months after she turned eighteen, does that mean you were already together back then?!"
Nowadays, netizens had shifted their attention to the age gap between her and Shin, twisting it into something ugly, accusing her of being promiscuous at such a young age.
Shin's face remained unreadable, like a sea that hid dangerous depths.
Another car arrived.
Bryce Gate and Calin Ricci stepped out.
Instantly, the media split, torn between two flames.
Calin, radiant as ever, greeted the chaos with effortless charm. She waved brightly, her smile polished from years under the spotlight.
"Calin! Can you confirm if you dated Shin Keir before?"
She paused, glancing briefly at Bryce but the moment she heard Shin and Yeri were already present, her attention shifted completely.
"Brother Shin, Yeri- you're here." Calin smiled warmly, even leaning in to plant a light kiss on Yeri's cheek, as if they were the closest of friends.
The gesture caught Yeri off guard.
She had already told Shin before, those people spreading rumors might very well be connected to Calin.
After all, no photos of her had ever leaked during the auction incident. And then there was Venice, who had mentioned that it was Calin herself who claimed to be close to Shin Keir.
It was hard not to wonder if this friendliness was nothing more than a carefully crafted performance.
"This must be your fiancée," Bryce added as he followed after Calin, his gaze settling intently on Yeri. "I had some important matters to attend to at the time and wasn't able to attend your engagement banquet… pleased to meet you, Miss Zhi."
He extended his hand only for Shin to take it instead.
Their hands met midair, firm and unyielding, their gazes locking in a silent clash that went unnoticed by everyone else.
"Important matters or not, I don't recall inviting you to my engagement," Shin said coolly.
Bryce nodded with ease. "I was supposed to attend as Calin's companion. Though I understand why you wouldn't want me there."
Flashes erupted around them.
The four of them stood beneath the storm of cameras, each frame capturing something the public would later dissect like a puzzle.
Most couldn't quite grasp the meaning behind their exchange especially with security and bodyguards keeping the media at a controlled distance this time.
But it didn't matter, Calin and Yeri appearing together in the same frame was enough.
The ex-girlfriend and the current fiancée, side by side. And with Calin's easy smile and seemingly generous attitude, she would inevitably be painted as the magnanimous one, the woman who had already moved on, untouched by bitterness.
---
Inside, the event unfolded like a sprawling city of ambition.
Thousands of attendees filled the venue, with sections divided by industry, finance, technology, policy, and more, each buzzing with its own rhythm.
The moment Shin entered, people gravitated toward him almost instantly.
Yeri watched as he was surrounded, conversations forming like orbiting satellites.
It was a world she couldn't quite step into yet. So instead, she slipped away to a quieter corner, choosing observation over participation.
Following him around like a child afraid of losing her guardian was impossible.
She knew her parents were somewhere in the venue too but in a place this vast, they might as well have been in another world.
Beyond the clusters of powerful figures, smaller events unfolded: presentations, exhibitions, and showcases for young entrepreneurs and emerging businesses.
Yeri found herself pausing by a display where a group of robots performed synchronized movements, their mechanical precision oddly mesmerizing.
"Found you."
Calin's voice rang beside her just as she began to relax.
Yeri frowned slightly. She had already decided to keep her distance, but it seemed Calin had other plans.
"Brother Shin got caught by those old leaders, huh?" Calin said lightly, glancing around. "Same with Brother Bryce. His company's going public soon, and he's taking this opportunity to announce a partnership between our families. So… he's busy too."
"Actually," she continued, "there's an exclusive event upstairs for VIP tech executives. Want to take a look?"
Yeri forced a polite smile. "I'm alright. I was planning to check another area, my parents might be there."
But Calin didn't budge. Instead, two of her socialite friends approached, their gazes sweeping over Yeri with thinly veiled scrutiny.
"You're Young Master Keir's fiancée, right?" one of them said. "Shouldn't he have introduced you to his business partners by now?"
"Right," the other added, lips curling faintly. "KGG is massive. It must be overwhelming especially if you weren't part of his circle to begin with."
"It's fine," Yeri replied calmly. "Tech isn't really my area of interest anyway."
"Yeri's family runs that café chain," Calin chimed in smoothly. "Café Zhillion."
The two women exchanged glances again, unimpressed, almost dismissive as they muttered about never having visited any of its branches. Perhaps it simply wasn't high-end enough for their tastes.
Yeri didn't take offense. She only nodded slightly. "Everyone has their own preferences."
Calin's smile returned, bright and insistent.
"All the more reason to expand your horizons. Come on, it'll be interesting."
With her two companions already turning toward the elevators, Yeri found herself with little room to refuse. Reluctantly, she followed.