It was said that she collapsed after the jury read the verdict.
The second was that Hadi Keir had been disowned by the Keir family.
The official statement from the Keir legal team explained that, despite their heavy hearts and great reluctance, severing ties with Hadi Keir was not a decision made on a whim. It came only after careful consideration of multiple factors. These included his years of infidelity during his marriage, which violated the family's long established values, the atrocities he committed while employed at KGG that harmed fellow employees, and his recent actions with his friends while under the influence of alcohol, which caused emotional distress to Shin Keir's fiancée, Yeri Zhi.
As the statement became public, many netizens praised the Keir family for refusing to side with Hadi despite their blood ties, commending them for choosing fairness and standing by what they believed was right.
However, others criticized the decision as excessively cruel and cold blooded. They argued that the Keirs could have simply let Hadi serve a few years in prison to learn his lesson instead of completely disowning him.
At the same time, some people turned their attention to Zahn Neri, accusing him of heartlessly sending his own mother to prison. They argued that, although she had made serious mistakes at the company, she was still his elderly mother.
These issues quickly ignited fierce debates online, dividing public opinion into two opposing camps.
One topic, in particular, began trending once again: the Bryce Gate incident. Bryce had also once been a member of the Keir family before being heartlessly cast out as a child.
It was clear that someone was deliberately steering public opinion.
More and more people began questioning the truth behind Bryce Gate's expulsion from the Keir family.
Was he really disowned simply because he did not share the Keir bloodline?
Even if that were true, he had grown up within the Keir household and had been raised and nurtured by the family. How could they bring themselves to cast him aside so heartlessly?
Some brain dead netizens and Yeri's haters immediately blamed her for causing discord within the Keir family, accusing her of seducing Hadi, claiming that was why he had set his sights on her.
However, their comments did not last long. One after another, legal notices for defamation arrived at their doorsteps. The loudest voices quickly vanished, deleting their posts.
----
Yeri paid little attention to the online uproar.
It was already the third day of their class vacation. They had gone skiing, tried ice fishing, sampled local delicacies, and checked off nearly every famous activity the destination had to offer.
Over the past few days, however, Nina had noticed that Yeri often drifted into thought and seemed unusually absent minded.
Unable to hold back any longer, she finally asked, "Is something bothering you? You can tell me if you don't mind."
"Hm? Nothing." Yeri blinked in confusion. "I'm just not a fan of cold weather."
Nina sighed and crossed her arms. "I'm your best friend. Did you really think I wouldn't notice something's off? Earlier you were so distracted I thought you were about to eat the dessert wrapper."
Yeri awkwardly scratched her nose.
After a long moment of silence, she finally admitted what had been weighing on her mind. She told Nina about the huge fight she'd had with Shin Keir because of a childhood friend.
"So..." Yeri hesitated before asking quietly, "Do you think I overreacted? Was I actually at fault? Am I really giving my friend the wrong idea just because I didn't completely push him away?"
"Nn..."
This time, it was Nina's turn to fall silent.
She hummed and mumbled to herself, unable to come up with any useful advice.
Yeri rolled her eyes, she should have known better.
Nina had never even dated anyone. How could she possibly give relationship advice?
"Young Master Keir is just jealous," Nina finally concluded.
"So that's a valid excuse to imply I'm flirting with someone?" she asked. "I never arranged or accepted a date with him. I've never accepted any gifts from him. We don't even chat or call each other."
"He actually said that?" Nina asked in surprise.
Yeri shot her an annoyed look.
"No," she admitted. "But he definitely implied it."
Nina became speechless once again, absentmindedly scratching her head.
"Forget it." Yeri let out a weary sigh and flopped onto the bed. "Thanks for listening anyway."
"See? At least you got it off your chest." Nina nodded, thoroughly convinced she had been helpful. "Well... he's a CEO. Maybe he's just used to having everyone's attention solely focused on him."
Yeri thought it wasn't impossible.
But if that were true... Did that mean she would have to keep compromising whenever this issue came up?
"So, if someday you dated someone who wasn't Levi, and that person asked you to cut off your friendship with him, would you do it?" Yeri asked.
Nina froze as though she had just been asked an earth shattering question, one even harder than solving a complicated math equation.
Her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally muttered, "...What do you mean, 'dated someone who isn't Levi'?"
A meaningful smile spread across Yeri's face before she simply turned her back to her.
Nina immediately pointed at her in annoyance. "Yeri Zhi! Explain yourself! I think you said that on purpose so I'd be just as bothered as you are!"
Yeri laughed before teasing, "If you don't care, then why is it bothering you?"
"Is that so?" Nina sneered, and without another word, she lunged at Yeri.
The two playfully wrestled, neither willing to surrender.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
When Yeri opened it, several of their classmates were standing outside.
"Guys," one of the boys said excitedly, "Loki found an Arctic wildlife tour about an hour and a half from here. We can see polar bears! Want to come?"
Nina and Yeri exchanged glances.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Nina asked cautiously.
"Don't be such a worrywart," another classmate chimed in. "It's completely safe. We'll either be riding those tundra buggies or going on an expedition ship."
Yeri "..."
Loki really had found a way to entertain himself by seeing polar bears, just as he'd said he would.
"It's only the third day," Daisy added eagerly. "How often do we get the chance to see real polar bears? We're already here, so why not?"
"Well, I'll go if Yeri goes," Nina declared.
Immediately, everyone turned to Yeri with hopeful expressions.
"Come on, Yeri! You missed all the previous school trips. Let's make the most of this one!"
Seeing their enthusiasm, Yeri shrugged with a smile. "Alright. I'm in."
----
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Yeri, Shin was meeting Master Zhi in a private restaurant.
The leaked contract had not only stirred public opinion online, but had also deeply affected Master Zhi.
As both a father and a seasoned businessman, he naturally viewed the matter more seriously than most.
Years of experience had taught him one principle: if something seemed too good to be true, it deserved careful scrutiny.
Shin didn't object.
Instead, he calmly handed over the original contract.
Compared to the version Calin had leaked, this one contained several additional pages outlining detailed terms and conditions.
"I understand why Yeri felt uncomfortable and insecure," Shin said evenly. "Especially since the Keir family does not recognize divorce. That's why I drafted this agreement."
Master Zhi carefully read every page.
Yeri had already mentioned the contract to him before, and he had found the idea reasonable. After all, Hadi Keir was the perfect example. Despite being disowned by the family, there had never been any clarification regarding the status of his marriage.
After finishing the document, Master Zhi looked up at Shin.
"Thank you for considering my daughter's feelings." His gaze was as sharp as a detective's, carefully studying every subtle expression on the young man's face.
Even after reading the contract himself, he still found it difficult to believe that Shin Keir was willing to go this far.
Yet the man sitting across from him did not appear to be someone foolish enough to hand over his entire fortune out of blind affection.
Instead, he exuded the confidence of someone who knew exactly what he was doing. Every step, every word, and perhaps even every single clause in the contract had been meticulously calculated.
Master Keir asked questions from time to time, and Shin answered with calm, straightforward honesty.
Just then, his phone buzzed and he casually glanced at the screen.
[ How disappointing. I was waiting for you to figure out what else I have besides your leaked contract.]
Shin's eyes immediately narrowed as he stared at the message from an unknown number.
He had already ordered a full investigation into the source of the leak. His people had concluded that it had not originated from his side, leaving Yeri's copy as the only likely possibility.
However, Yeri had been certain that her copy remained safely stored where she had left it.
He had been expecting more results over the next few days, but it seemed the person behind this couldn't wait.
Deciding not to respond, Shin slipped his phone back into his pocket.
After parting ways with Master Zhi, however, his phone buzzed again.
[I got it from your fiancée. Now, guess what else I have. Documents? Chats? Photos... Maybe even nudes?]
Shin stared at the screen for a long moment as his thoughts clicked together like the gears of a finely tuned clock.
Then his expression darkened with murderous intent.
Bryce Gate.
The fake bomb at the hospital, it was the only time Bryce had managed to get close enough to Yeri.
Shin clearly remembered Yeri mentioning that Bryce had stolen her phone while imprisoning her in the hospital room, preventing her from calling for help.
She must have either forgotten about that incident or she had simply never connected the dots.
--
Inside the federal prison, a correctional officer stopped outside Bryce's solitary cell.
"You have a visitor."
Bryce didn't even bother taking his eyes off the ceiling. "Who?"
"Shin Keir." The officer's expression was complicated.
A slow smile spread across Bryce's face before widening into a grin.
Because of the severity of his crimes, Bryce wasn't housed with the general prison population. Instead, he was confined to a solitary cell under constant surveillance.
Escorted by heavily armed officers, he was brought to the visitors' room.
The moment he sat down across from Shin, he smiled brightly.
"Little brother, it's been a while." He leaned back comfortably. "Are you disappointed that I don't look like I'm suffering?"
"What else do you have?" Shin asked, his face completely unreadable.
Bryce's grin widened.