Investigating his daughter

Jj replied with a plain, almost lazy "No."

He stared at his screen for a moment, fingers hesitating above the keyboard. Last night's brief conversation with Father Zhi replayed in his mind.

A part of him wanted to ask Shin Keir if he was truly serious about dating his sister. Was it genuine? Was this just another short-lived CEO amusement?

But he stopped himself.

That kind of question shouldn't be asked over text. It needed to be in person where he could read Shin Keir's expression, his tone, his intent. Maybe if they ever met again under more casual circumstances.

---

Meanwhile, on the other end, Shin Keir stared at Jj's short reply without any visible reaction. He didn't push further.

His phone buzzed again with another call. One of dozens since last night. Members of the clan, board executives, external partners...they all wanted the same thing: answers, reassurances, or perhaps a scapegoat.

But Shin had already taken steps. His team had reviewed the legal angles, drafted a public relations strategy, and prepped an official statement.

All that remained was timing.

Sipping from his cup of black coffee, he leaned back in his chair, unmoved by the chaos swirling outside.

Across from him, Father Keir, stern, silver-haired, and ever-composed broke the silence.

"Those people slandering the company online… were they really former employees?"

His voice lacked concern, merely curiosity.

"Hmm." Shin didn't bother lifting his gaze. "Let them be arrogant for a little while."

Father Keir grunted in mild approval. He never doubted his son's judgment. Shin might be ruthless, even feared within the industry, but he was never frivolous. He didn't fire employees without reason and certainly not out of boredom or personal spite.

Suddenly, a shrill voice echoed down the marble hallway, bouncing off the tall ceilings.

It got louder.

And louder.

A voice laced with blame, bitterness, and self-righteousness.

Both of them knew who it was.

Elder Madam Keir stormed into the dining area like an angry witch wrapped in pearls. Her dramatic entrance needed no announcement.

"What is happening with the company?! Why aren't you doing anything?!" she barked, jabbing a finger toward Shin. "Are you trying to ruin our family's decades of reputation, you ungrateful brat?!"

Father Keir's expression soured instantly. "Mother, what nonsense are you spouting at this hour?"

"Nonsense?!" she screeched. "So many people are accusing the company of unjust treatment, abuse, inhumane working conditions! This isn't just a few disgruntled employees, this is hundreds! Do you know how dangerous this is? Do you understand how much trust we've lost? Investors are panicking! Shareholders are complaining! And all they see is you sitting there like you have no clue what's going on!"

Shin didn't respond.

He remained still, gaze fixed on his coffee like it held the secrets of the universe.

But in truth, his mind wandered.

He thought about that table, the very one in front of him. A couple of times, Yeri had been seated there beside him, poking curiously at the Keir household's over-the-top breakfast spread. The room had felt warmer then. Familiar and somehow lively.

Now?

Just black coffee with two men in silence. And an angry relic circling them like a curse.

"Are you even listening?!" Elder Madam Keir's voice rose another octave. "This wouldn't have happened if you just let Hadi return to the main branch! He's competent! Unlike you!"

At that, Father Keir's patience snapped.

He stood up sharply, his chair scraping against the floor.

"Hadi?" he scoffed. "That useless boy? Have you ever reviewed his work record even once? He can't even manage his own expenses, let alone a division! And you expect him to clean up corporate messes?"

Elder Madam Keir faltered, visibly taken aback. Her mouth opened and closed without sound, like a stunned fish out of water.

"Last year alone, Shin brought in more deals, partnerships, and international acclaim than the company has seen in a decade," Father Keir continued, voice steely. "Yet you never once acknowledged that. But now, the moment a minor issue arises, you rush in here with daggers drawn."

He rarely raised his voice but today was an exception.

Ever since he had stepped down and passed the company to Shin, he'd kept his distance. The world whispered he'd become a recluse, but the truth was simple, he trusted his son.

What he didn't anticipate was the depth of his mother's resentment toward Shin.

She never praised. Never supported. But rather always criticizing, always finding fault.

"If you can't say anything of value, the least you can do is not come here," he said flatly.

Elder Madam Keir gasped as though her very own son wanted her life.

"Allister Keir! I am your mother! How dare you say that to me?! Are you hearing yourself?!"

Shin finally looked up from his coffee, as if snapping out of a daydream. He stared at the scene of two grown adults, one fuming, the other fed up. He blinked once, twice, then stood up without a word.

Typical. Just another ordinary day.

To him, Elder Madam Keir was little more than a buzzing mosquito—loud, annoying, and utterly harmless.

As he walked past her, she grabbed his arm in a last attempt to reign him back.

"Where do you think you're going? You haven't answered a single thing! You're just walking away?!"

Shin paused and glanced down at her hand.

"Old hag," he said coolly, "you've been spitting poison into my coffee all morning. If I stay a minute longer, I might actually get sick."

She blinked, confused. "Poison?"

But he was already brushing off her hand and walking away.

"What did you call me?! You—you're just like your father! No respect! Both of you are disgraceful!"

Shin ignored the hysterical old woman. It wouldn't be long with her grand finale, it was always the same: moral coercion, dramatics, and pretending to fall sick from heartbreak.

This wasn't the first time. It wouldn't be the last.

Elder Madam Keir's voice reverberated throughout the villa. "Is it wrong for me to care about the company?! Or do you both belittle me just because I'm a woman who 'knows nothing about business'? Hah! You ungrateful son! I bet you're just waiting for this mother of yours to die in misery! Why am I so sad… My heart… it hurts…!"

---

By the time he reached his private study, Butler Hong was already waiting, having closed the door behind him for privacy.

The elderly butler leaned in slightly and spoke in a low voice.

"An informant from Hexion just sent word. Master Zhi just dispatched a few people to look into Miss Zhi's situation at school not just academics, but the people she interacts with, where she goes after hours, and her extracurricular activities."

Shin's lips curved into a small, knowing smirk.

Of course. Master Zhi was living up to expectations.

He had already suspected Master Zhi would take swift and quiet action. A man as methodical and shrewd as him wouldn't brush aside that brief surveillance clip.

No, perhaps his suspicions began the moment he dared to show up at Yeri's debut banquet.

"Do you want us to intercept?" Butler Hong asked, his tone cautious. "Or should we take steps to conceal the nature of your relationship with the young lady?"

Still smirking like a fox, Shin shook his head.

"He's her father," he said with a light shrug, voice deceptively mild. "Let him do what fathers do."

After all… could it be that the day he officially met his future father-in-law was finally drawing near?

"Young Master," Butler Hong said, pretending to sigh in concern, "you look suspiciously evil right now. Whatever scheme you're concocting, this old man doubts he can stop you."

Shin gave a low chuckle, amused by the old man's theatrics.

"Better than you stealing my clothes," he shot back casually.

Butler Hong winced.

That incident was partly his fault.

The young lady had fallen down the gazebo, but that was only because his plan had been too "advanced," scaring her. Shin called it sabotage.

"Ahem." Butler Hong cleared his throat, adjusting his posture. "I was improvising, Young Master."

"You were meddling," Shin corrected, his grin widening.

Clearly in a good mood, Shin glanced at the sleek black folder on his desk.

His people had been efficient and in just a short amount of time, he had everything he needed on Marco Fabian and Tiffany Rhian, two names that had recently caught his attention for all the wrong reasons.

At the same time, this also confirmed that several prominent families with eligible sons had begun reaching out to the Zhi family. Some had even dared to approach Yeri herself, trying to angle for an arranged engagement.

No wonder Marco Fabian had the gall to confess to her in public.

But Shin wasn't worried.

After all, Master Zhi wasn't easy to deal with, he wasn't the kind of man who could be charmed or pressured into pawning off his daughter for social or corporate gains.

---

Meanwhile, in another part of the city far from luxury villas and well-lit skyscrapers, Lucia Hera was experiencing a different kind of reality.

Despite the growing demands of netizens for her to make a statement, Lucia remained silent.

Not because she didn't want to speak up.

But because… she couldn't.

In an abandoned factory on the outskirts of a quiet suburban area, a dim, flickering light barely illuminated the cold concrete walls. The building smelled of rust, mildew, and dust.

Lucia sat slumped in a metal chair, wrists bound tightly with nylon rope. Her silk pajamas, once dainty and designer-labeled, were now wrinkled and dirt-smudged. Her perfectly curled hair was a messy halo around her flushed, tear-streaked face.

Confusion, exhaustion, and fear mixed in her wide eyes.

She had no idea where she was or why.