The receptionists apologized profusely, their voices trembling as they bowed repeatedly, fear etched across their faces.
But Tristan had no interest in their panic.
"Room number," he said flatly.
Almost instantly, one of them stepped forward and led the way.
The speed of their compliance only confirmed his suspicion, someone had been paid to stall.
The corridor was eerily quiet.
Tristan didn't hesitate and swiped the keycard.
Inside, Vanessa shrieked, startled, clutching at herself as she stood there in nothing but her undergarments.
However, her exaggerated panic quickly dissolved into disbelief and confusion the moment she realized it was Tristan, as if they were far from the people she had 'expected to come barging in.'
Tristan's gaze swept across the room once, unimpressed.
Then, with a faint curl of sarcasm, he said, "Even if Zahn Neri is a renowned doctor… in his current state, I doubt he's capable of performing any miracles with you."
It took Vanessa a second then her face flushed, a mix of embarrassment and anger as she hurriedly grabbed a bathrobe and wrapped it tightly around herself.
"What are you people doing?!" she snapped.
Tristan tilted his head slightly. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
Vanessa "...."
Tristan's gaze shifted past her.
Zahn lay on the bed, unconscious, breathing steady. Shirtless but otherwise untouched.
The men following Tristan moved immediately, lifting Zahn carefully and taking him away.
At that moment, Tristan's phone buzzed.
"There are indeed media personnel outside," Erika reported. "They said they were tipped off, told there'd be a shocking scandal tonight."
"Handle them." Tristan commanded.
"Yes, they won't be coming up," Erika continued. "We've already intercepted them."
The call ended and the door closed again.
Now only Tristan and Vanessa remained.
Vanessa took a cautious step back, her guard rising.
"There's nothing wrong here," she said, trying to steady her voice. "Brother Zahn's already divorced, what's the issue?"
Tristan raised an eyebrow and unhurriedly stepped forward, hands still in his pockets.
"But that's not what you planned, is it?" he said lightly. "You wouldn't mind the public seeing you like that once they barged in? You're willing to go this far just to make it look convincing?"
Tristan smirked. "I have to admit… I admire the boldness."
Vanessa's eyes widened.
He knew!
Then her gaze flickered instinctively toward the door.
"No one's coming," Tristan caught it immediately. "Your audience and accomplices has already been escorted out."
The last thread of her confidence snapped as she turned, ready to run.
Tristan moved faster, his arm came down, blocking her path, pinning her lightly against the wall.
"Not very resourceful, are we?" he murmured, edged with quiet mockery. "This little scheme of yours… feels familiar. Inspired, perhaps from the story of Lianna Neri."
Vanessa stiffened.
"Though," Tristan added, "at least she was framed. You… chose this. Taking advantage of a drunk man to trap him? That's a crime."
Vanessa's breath hitched.
She had dealt with men before but standing this close to Tristan Felan, caught in such a compromising position was troubling.
Her heartbeat quickened, heat creeping up her neck despite herself.
So this was the infamous Tristan Felan. Sure enough, his presence was something far more unsettling beneath the surface.
"The difference is that Zahn loved Lianna." He leaned in slightly, "He wasn't against marrying her then, but what do you think he'll do when he wakes up and realizes it was you?"
Vanessa swallowed, her throat felt dry.
Tristan's gaze locked onto hers, unyielding. "How well, do you really know Zahn Neri?"
Vanessa bit her lip, hesitating, before her demeanor shifted as though she had finally made up her mind.
"Fine. Since you already know, I admit that I went too far…" she said, lifting a finger to trace lightly along Tristan's chest.
"But am I really in the wrong? There are so many women out there taking chances. I was just momentarily tempted, seeing him in such a vulnerable state. I thought he was forced to marry his wife… that I could easily come between them. But it turns out he actually has feelings for her."
A faint, amused smile curved Tristan's lips.
When he made no move to stop her wandering hand, her confidence swelled. She slipped her arms around his neck, drawing closer.
"I don't think you're the type who cares about a woman's first time," she murmured. "I wonder… what does Tristan Felan taste like?"
Tristan let out a low chuckle, leaning in to whisper by her ear. "I don't think your man would agree with that idea… Mrs. Xavier Song."
The words struck like a bucket of ice water.
Vanessa went rigid. The smug confidence she wore like armor shattered instantly, draining from her face as she stared at him, pale and shaken.
"W-what are you talking about?" she stammered, forcing down the surge of panic.
"Or should I say… his ex-wife?" Tristan added calmly.
".…"
Tristan tilted her chin upward, not allowing her to look away.
"The two of you had a whirlwind meeting abroad and rushed into marriage. But the Song family, deeply rooted in politics, never truly accepted you. So, to prove your loyalty, you went along with Xavier Song's scheme. He seduced Madam Neri, and in case she investigated, you two divorced to eliminate any complications."
Vanessa's lips trembled.
"But you see, you're not the only one skilled at gauging men, I could do the same with women...wanna hear what I think?" Tristan continued smoothly.
"Just as the Songs were dissatisfied with you, you felt the same toward them. You felt cheated. After all, in terms of wealth, the Songs couldn't even reach half of the Neri family's worth. Then you heard about Zahn and Lianna's marriage story..."
"So when Xavier proposed a divorce and asked you to seduce Zahn Neri, you agreed not out of love or blind devotion for him, but because you had no intention of remarrying him. What you really wanted was to become Mrs. Neri."
Vanessa's eyes reddened as she shook her head frantically. "That's not it…"
Tristan paid no mind to her denial.
"Unfortunately, Zahn Neri isn't like the men you've dealt with before. Cold, stern, work-driven. In short, he was hard to discern. When you realized he wouldn't be easy, you kept your options open. That's why you never truly cut ties with Xavier Song. He was using you… but you were using him just the same, weighing which side could elevate you further."
He paused, voice turning almost conversational.
"And just as you were about to lean toward Xavier, news of the divorce reignited your hopes. If you had succeeded tonight, you would've revealed everything to Zahn Neri, perhaps claiming you were coerced, playing the victim to gain his trust and sympathy. After all, you hold plenty of Xavier Song's secrets. Betraying him would be effortless so long as you had the Neri family backing you."
Vanessa shoved him back, though he merely took a casual step away, unfazed.
"You're making all of this up!" she shouted. "Is this how you plan to pin these ridiculous lies on me to protect Zahn Neri?"
Tristan gave a small shrug, his expression unreadable. "But is it really a lie?"
"Do you have proof?" Vanessa pressed. "You just said it yourself, it's only your point of view."
Tristan gave a small nod, almost agreeable. "You're right. I don't have anything to support my claims."
Relief flickered across Vanessa's face, a fragile thing just beginning to bloom only for Tristan to crushed it.
"But my opinion doesn't really matter to someone like Madam Neri, knowing you're Xavier Song's ex-wife, yet the two of you are still in contact… I wonder what she'd think." His gaze sharpened, almost amused. "If I'm not mistaken, she believes you're merely an employee under Xavier Song. Isn't that right?"
".…"
Silence swallowed her whole.
By the time Vanessa managed to pull herself back together, Tristan was already gone, leaving behind nothing but the echo of his words and the quiet unraveling of her composure.
Anxiety coiled tight in her chest. Without hesitation, she grabbed her phone and called Xavier Song.
---
The next day, it was already noon when Zahn woke.
His head throbbed as if someone had been forging iron inside his skull all night, heavy, dull, relentless.
He groaned, clutching his forehead as he forced himself upright.
"Honestly, if I didn't know you," a voice drawled lazily, "I'd never guess you were Zahn Neri."
Zahn frowned, following the voice.
Tristan stood by the balcony, a cigarette between his fingers, smoke curling lazily into the air as his gaze rested on him.
Only then did Zahn finally take in his surroundings.
"Heard you gave your villa to your ex-wife so taking you there wasn't exactly an option." Tristan added, strolling in. "Water? Coffee? Hangover soup?"
Zahn said nothing, dragging himself to the bathroom instead.
When he came out, he was once again composed, clean, sharp, every inch the man people recognized. Only the faint tension in his eyes betrayed the storm underneath.
Tristan was in the living room, already working on his laptop.
"How did I get here?" Zahn asked, taking a seat across from him.
"Found you in a hotel with a woman," Tristan replied, fingers still moving across the keyboard. "Saved you from further disgrace."
Zahn frowned slightly, dismissing it as one of Tristan's usual dry jokes.
A maid entered quietly, placing a tray of coffee and tea on the table.
Zahn barely spared it a glance. "Where did you put your liquor?"
That made Tristan pause, slowly, he looked up.
"Your hospital is drowning in legal lawsuits," he said flatly, "and this is your solution? Or do you think Lianna will come back to you if you switch careers and become a patient instead?"
At the mention of Lianna, Zahn stilled.
For a moment, he looked distant again, like someone slipping beneath the surface of their own thoughts.
Tristan exhaled softly, as if abandoning the idea of reasoning with him altogether. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he turned the laptop around.
"Before you crawl back into a bottle," he said, "at least take a look at today's trending news."
Zahn ignored the jab, his gaze settled on the screen, unfocused at first.
Then the video began to play, suddenly, the fog shattered.
Fragments of last night surged back.
The bar, the noise, the suffocating weight in his chest.