Before the tension could escalate further, a hotel security staff member approached, whispering something to his colleague. The man frowned, then stepped forward.
"We've reviewed the hallway CCTV footage," he said, loud enough for the room to hear. "There was… nothing. No man in a black coat. No one entered this room except Miss Zhi."
Venice's jaw dropped. "That's impossible!" she shouted. "I saw him! Tall, black coat, tennis hat—he walked right into this suite! You're telling me your cameras missed that?!"
The staff maintained a professional tone, but his brows were furrowed. "We checked all available angles. The only movement we saw was Miss Zhi returning to her suite after the banquet, and the dog being walked briefly by, I believe her mother. No man in black. No unauthorized entry."
Madam Zhi nodded, confirming she was the one who let Carpet in.
"I want to see it myself!" Venice shrieked, completely losing her composure. "I'm not blind—I know what I saw!"
Yeri crossed her arms, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's not too late to have your eyes check or maybe the ghost of your guilt is making you hallucinate."
"Yeri!" Linda barked, glaring at her.
"Mom, stop," Venice hissed, seething. "There's no way—someone erased the footage. That's the only explanation!"
Linda faltered, turning to look at her daughter, who was now flushed and trembling. "Venice, maybe you were just tired… it was late…"
"No! I saw him!" Venice insisted, breath quickening. Her voice cracked. "I saw him!"
But her voice echoed into silence as every pair of eyes settled on her—some suspicious, some confused, others just annoyed.
Madam Zhi turned to the security staff. "Thank you. We've taken enough of your time. Please escort these people out of my daughter's room."
Venice's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're just going to let her get away with this?!"
But her voice was drowned out as the hotel manager stepped in, gently guiding her toward the door.
As the door finally clicked shut, Yeri sat down on the couch with a sigh and whispered to herself, "What a lunatic."
Carpet, now curled up at her feet, gave a soft snore in reply.
Yeri truly didn't understand where Venice's hostility came from.
As far as she could remember, every encounter with her cousin had been laced with thinly veiled malice—as if Yeri had stolen something deeply important from her, or worse, as if she were the source of all Venice's miseries.
But Yeri had never done anything to her. Never spread rumors, never even talked about Venice's situation to anyone. In fact, she barely talked about Venice at all.
Even Nina—her best friend who knew almost everything—only knew that Venice was a distant relative they didn't get along with.
Yeri never thought Venice was worth the emotional investment.
Letting out a long sigh, Yeri stood up and tied her robe tighter. Her head still ached, her thoughts muddled. She just wanted to crawl back into bed. After all, it was barely past 3 a.m.
But then she heard it.
A faint rustle—coming from the balcony.
Yeri froze, mid-step. Her breath caught in her chest.
Slowly, she turned toward the sound. Barefoot, she crossed the room and reached for the balcony curtain, her fingers trembling slightly.
She pulled it aside—
And stopped cold.
There, standing as if he belonged to the night itself, was a tall man in a black coat and a tennis hat. Calm. Composed. Leaning casually against the railing, like he had all the time in the world to admire the moonlight.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Eyes wide, heart thudding painfully in her chest, Yeri stared at the stranger.
No. Not a stranger.
Venice wasn't lying?
"Who are you?!" she yelled, stumbling back in panic.
Unfortunately for her, the suite's soundproofing was top-tier. Not even a full-on karaoke party or a barking dog could breach those walls. Her voice bounced off polished floors and marble walls, heard only by the three of them:
The man, herself and Carpet, her golden retriever, perked up and happily trotted over to the intruder, tail wagging like he'd found a long-lost friend.
"Can't even recognize me?" the man asked, voice low, smooth—and maddeningly familiar.
That voice—
Yeri blinked rapidly. Her hand flew up, finger pointed in disbelief. "You—you… how?!"
The man chuckled. Calmly, he took off his hat and leaned against the railing like he had every right to be there.
"Why are you here?" she snapped, her fury bubbling over the shock.
Is he changing careers now? A party crasher by day, a burglar by night?
Could it be, this was his secret hobby? He seemed to be very adept at intruding. First, he broke into her dorm. Now, her hotel suite?
The more she got to know him, the more unsettling he became. A part of her began to wonder—if one day he decided to kill her in her own home, she might never see it coming.
But Shin remained unfazed, smirking slightly. "This suite has a secret door," he said casually. "It's connected to mine. I couldn't open it from the other side, so I came here."
He said it so casually, as if discussing the weather.
Yeri's jaw dropped. Naturally he couldn't open it because this side is currently occupied.
Why is he being irrational?!
"A secret door?! What kind of sketchy hotel is this?"
How was this legal? What if he'd been a criminal? She could've died in her sleep—peacefully murdered with no clue how it happened!
"It was a courtesy upgrade," Shin replied smoothly. "The suite you originally booked wasn't this one. I told them to upgrade you."
In truth, Shin owned the hotel—though it was managed by Hexion. The luxury suites were specifically designed for high-profile individuals or those operating in the shadows with hidden agendas. Still, he saw no reason to explain any of that to Yeri.
Her eyes widened. "You—what?"
Could it be that he actually owned this hotel? She had always thought the Keir Global Group focused on technology and international trade. When did they branch out into hospitality?
Then again, that wasn't the most important part.
What mattered was that Shin Keir had known all along her debut banquet would be held here—and he had tampered with her hotel room.
Shin didn't reply. He only smiled.
That maddening, mysterious smile of his.
Yeri took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
She glanced at Carpet—this furry little traitor was even more infuriating!
Carpet plopped himself loyally beside Shin, tail sweeping the tiles like he'd found his new best friend.
She really wanted to throw a slipper at these two.
But instead, silence stretched between them.
He didn't say anything either—just stared. Silent. Steady. His gaze intense, almost hypnotic. As if he were trying to memorize every detail of her—her expressions, her robe, her bare feet, the flush of anger on her cheeks.
But something was off.
There was something strange in his eyes. It felt like… he was seeing someone else.
Someone from a memory.
Yeri finally broke the silence, folding her arms tightly. "What do you want?"
"Come closer," he said.
It wasn't a request. It was a command—low, hoarse, and demanding.
She squinted at him. "No."
Carpet, however, didn't seem to share her sentiment. The golden retriever was now sitting loyally beside Shin, happily thumping his tail against the tiles.
Yeri glared at her furry companion, already thinking of shaving him bald. Just earlier, at the banquet, this dog was cautious. What changed?
Don't know what Shin Keir did but this dog was so easily bribed, it's embarrassing.
Her mother had always said Carpet would probably follow a thief if the thief had warm hands and a good smile.
Apparently, she was right.
Meanwhile, Shin just watched her—wordless, yet intense.
Seeing her in that red silk robe stirred something in him. Something hauntingly familiar.
The image overlapped with a scene from his dream—the woman in red.
Except for her hair, it was almost identical.
Otherwise…
He shook his head slightly, trying to dispel the haunting sensation.
This wasn't how he planned the night. He couldn't sleep. Something restless in him had driven him there—and then, before he could stop himself, he found his way to her room and saw her—curled up, fast asleep, breathing softly.
He didn't touch her.
He'd just sat on the chair beside her bed like a lunatic, watching her.
Then the service phone rang.
Afraid it would wake her—he answered it. That's when he realized someone had seen him enter. Security would be on their way.
So, he slipped back into the secret door. No one ever knew he'd been there.
"Why didn't you let me explain?" Shin asked, looking at her with bone piercing gaze.
Yeri blinked, confused—then realized. He was still hung up on their breakup.
"Does it even matter?" she snapped. "Why don't you go focus on your fia—"
Her words cut off abruptly.
Shin had moved.
In just a few strides, he crossed the room and stood right in front of her.
Panic flared. She backed away instinctively—until her back hit the cold wall.
Trapped.
He leaned in, his arms on either side of her, caging her in.
"I don't have a fiancée. No girlfriend. No hidden wife. No arranged marriage. Nothing." His voice was firm, sharp with emotion. "If you don't believe me—then tell me what I have to do to prove it."
Yeri's brain blanked.
His words. His closeness. His breathing—
It was too much. This man is not good for her health.
She cleared her throat, trying to push him away. "C-could you back off a little?"
"I don't want to," Shin murmured, leaning even closer.
Yeri glared at him, but her eyes betrayed her. They flicked to his lips, back to his eyes—and she knew she was losing control of the situation.
Is it just her or was he...seducing her?
Annoyed and flustered, she met his gaze head-on, trying to pierce through his unreadable expression. "Why? Are you doing this out of guilt? Or—"
"Yeri Zhi," Shin cut her off, voice low and rough. He had a feeling he would be driven mad if he let her continue. "You want to know why?"
She blinked.
"It's because I like you," he said simply without any ambiguous or honey glaze words. "That's it. There's no other reason."
Yeri stared at him, stunned.
Mouth open. Eyes wide. Completely dumbfounded.
What...?
Who was this person again?
At this situation, most women would probably think they'd just struck gold but Yeri felt like she'd been struck by lightning.
And she wasn't sure if she'd ever recover.