On the other end, Yeri sounded utterly unbothered.
"I think your father is the one clinging to the company despite having no real ability," Yeri replied lazily. "Venice, instead of daydreaming all day, I suggest you go to the hospital if you're feeling unwell."
She paused, then added lightly, "Take it as advice from me. After all, as you said, I'm the best at getting sick."
Hearing Yeri's infuriatingly nonchalant tone, Venice shrieked, "What do you mean by daydreaming? Do you dare say your father hasn't touched a single cent of the company? Your endless mountain of medical bills, where do you think the money for your treatment comes from?"
"Without evidence, you know I could sue you," Yeri replied coolly. "Or are you so certain you're untouchable now, just because of the father of your baby?"
Venice froze.
A spike of panic shot through her as she scrambled to recall whether she had ever revealed who was responsible for her pregnancy.
"What does my boyfriend have to do with you?" she snapped.
Yeri chuckled softly. "I thought you'd be the least likely to follow in your mother's footsteps, considering you witnessed every step of what she went through. Looks like I underestimated the power of bloodlines. Like mother, like daughter."
Venice's face drained of color. She didn't need to ask further. Yeri already knew who the father was.
Naturally, although her relationship with Hadi had elevated her status and granted her financial freedom, it didn't change the fact that her position was still disgraceful.
Just like her mother's, it couldn't be exposed to the light.
She had planned to coax Hadi into speeding up his divorce. Once that was settled, she would finally reveal everything to Yeri and savor her reaction. But now that Yeri already knew, shame curdled into resentment, then exploded into pure hatred.
"So what?!" Venice screamed, clutching the phone as if she could claw through it. "You think you're so great? You were just lucky to be born into a wealthy family! With your body always halfway into a coffin, you'd have died the moment you were born otherwise! Your parents are pathetic fools, doting on a useless bitch like you! Do you hear me? You're nothing without the Zhi family so what are you even proud of?!"
On the other end, Yeri quietly set her phone down the moment Venice began shrieking.
After a brief pause, she picked it up again.
"Well, since you're so capable, why didn't you set your sights on Brother Shin instead? He's single. If you succeeded, you could finally trample me under your feet."
Brother Shin?
The words echoed in Venice's mind before a mocking glint flashed across her eyes.
"Yeri Zhi, I think you're the one daydreaming," Venice sneered. "Even if he's single, who would dare offend a man like that? One has to stay alive first to enjoy any benefits later."
Her tone dripped with scorn. "If it were so easy to climb into his bed, why do you think none of those elite socialites have succeeded? Calling him so intimately, do you really think you can take advantage of Jj's friendship with him? You're incredibly naive."
Yeri fell silent.
That silence only fueled Venice's imagination. Suddenly, her expression shifted, as if she had uncovered some grand scheme.
"Hahaha!" Venice laughed sharply. "Yeri, you really have too much confidence in that face of yours. You dare look down on me for relying on a man, but you're no better! Stop pretending to be innocent all day. Your filthy thoughts are practically seeping through the phone. You actually have your eyes on Shin Keir? What a complete pipe dream!"
Yeri replied calmly, "There's nothing wrong with two single people in a mutual relationship relying on each other."
Venice rolled her eyes, convinced Yeri was delusional.
Still, another thought crept in, sly and opportunistic. Wasn't this a blade she could wield without legal consequences?
If she could use Shin Keir's hand to deal with Yeri, it would be even better if he crushed the entire Zhi family along the way.
"Fine, whatever you say," Venice drawled. "I won't compete with you over Shin Keir. After all, I'm already pregnant. If you have the guts, go ahead and seduce him. While you're at it, send my regards to his fiancée."
Yeri raised an eyebrow. Venice clearly assumed she was secretly working on Shin Keir behind that fiancée's back.
"Oh. Okay," Yeri replied blandly. Then, as if remembering something trivial, she added, "By the way, aren't you going to ask how I found out about your boyfriend?"
"What does it matter?" Venice's tone hardened. "It's not like you can do anything to him. You'd better keep your schemes to yourself. If you dare harm him, I'll fight you to the death."
Yeri was momentarily impressed. She almost sounded like a mother protecting her cub.
"I saw the two of you leaving a hotel not long ago," Yeri said lightly. "Anyway, don't be so careless about flaunting your relationship. I've heard his wife isn't an easy person to deal with."
Before Venice could respond, Yeri ended the call.
She had briefly considered baiting Venice into some kind of deal, especially after hearing how confidently Venice dismissed the idea that Shin Keir would ever spare her a glance.
In the end, she decided against it. Just consider it her pity for someone marching straight toward her own doom.
Shin Keir had mentioned that divorce did not exist in the Keir family. That meant Venice's dream of marrying into the Keirs was nothing more than a lie fed to her by a man skilled at dangling promises.
Besides, the way Hadi Keir's gaze had lingered on her back in the hospital. It had been no different from Leo Nafplion's.
A man like that never lacked women, and when dealing with such a man, Yeri had no doubt his wife would be just as difficult. Venice better brace herself.
---
Just as Yeri returned to the penthouse, her phone rang. It was her mother.
She was told that police officers had come to the house looking for her and she also asked whether anyone had gone to her school.
Only then did she find out that Tiffany had been arrested as the primary suspect in what happened to Rita.
During the interrogation, Tiffany denied all the other bullying accusations. The only one she admitted to was the incident involving Yeri, insisting that it had already been settled long ago and was no longer relevant.
Even so, Tiffany hadn't forgotten to smear her.
She pushed the blame onto Yeri, claiming that Yeri had seduced Marco Fabian and caused the rift in their relationship.
Yeri genuinely wanted to rush to the police station and crack Tiffany's skull open.
After Marco had been exposed so thoroughly at the wedding, did Tiffany's feelings for him really remain unchanged?
"Damn," Yeri muttered to herself. "This level of blind love… I really hope it never finds me."
Scrolling through social media, she saw that Marco and Tiffany's wedding was still trending, fiercely competing with their rapidly unfolding personal scandals.
It appeared that Marco was also headed for prison with more and more women had stepped forward, condemning him for his organized orgies and abuse.
One comment read:
"These wealthy people are seriously unhinged. I thought the Nafplions were already peak elite insanity, but here's a new contender. Is there some kind of upper-class scumbag competition with a ridiculous prize?"
"Two young people who thought they were above the law. Proof that money and education can't buy morals."
"If the mafia gets involved, they'll probably be acquitted," someone added.
A reply quickly followed: "So what if they're connected to the mafia? Their victims aren't. That means it doesn't fall under mafia jurisdiction."
Shin arrived and noticed her absorbed in her phone and asked quietly, "Did your parents call you?"
Yeri looked up and nodded. "If they need me to give a statement, I can."
"Don't bother," Shin said calmly. "The lawyer who handled your case back then will take care of it."
Yeri immediately thought of that imposing lawyer. Nathaniel Armour.
Looking at her daze expression, Shin sat beside her and kissed her cheek.
Yeri "..."
Meeting Shin's gaze, she couldn't help asking, "If I were a bully, would you still like me?"
Shin "..."
"Or," she continued, blinking innocently, "let's say I had a very wild private life, with many partners. Would you still marry me?"
Shin raised an eyebrow. "You want to put yourself in the shoes of those two?"
Yeri nodded slowly. She wasn't asking out of guilt, but curiosity.
Was Tiffany a rare specimen… or were people like her far more common than anyone liked to admit?
Shin looked at her with clear amusement.
"People operate on different brainwaves. Don't waste your time on unworthy ones. But if you're really curious…" He paused deliberately. "I'd still marry you."
Yeri stared at him as if she had just discovered a new continent.
Was he also a rare species like Tiffany? Is he even hearing himself?
Why? Why?!
Then Shin smiled, meaningful in a way that made her instincts twitch.
"Bullying is a serious crime," he continued calmly. "But if you met the victims' families' demands, and considering your medical history, plus the fact that you were a minor at the time…I could arrange house arrest instead of prison."
He paused again, eyes glinting. "As for your wild private life… I could just break your legs."
Yeri "..."
How could he say that without blinking?
Without realizing it, she subtly scooted farther away from him.
He must be joking. Right?
Then why did it sound as though he was merely waiting for her to cause trouble so he'd finally have a reason to keep her confined?
"It's a good thing I'm not that kind of person," Yeri said, her smile twitching. "Lucky for you."
Shin hummed softly. "Lucky you met me by coincidence. Otherwise, that cockroach you were dancing with back then would already be five feet under."
His last words were spoken so lightly, they were almost swallowed by the air.