Leaving the stunned crowd behind, Yeri slipped her arm around Shin's and walked away looking completely satisfied.
"Why didn't you call me when you were in trouble?" Shin asked once they were inside the hotel room.
"I thought you were in airplane mode. Besides, I could've just asked my dad to contact someone from Hexion. You didn't have to deal with it yourself."
"No. Call me directly. I'm your husband. I should be your emergency contact."
Yeri chuckled as she removed her clothes to take a bath. "Fiancé correction. And it's not really an emergency."
Shin ignored her correction, his attention shifting toward her body. "Need any help?"
Yeri "..."
"Do I look like I'm trying to seduce you?" she sneered, tossing her muddy shoes toward his feet. "Anyway, you had your bachelor's party. How was it?"
Shin's smirk immediately vanished.
"Uninteresting."
Yeri raised an eyebrow.
She had expected at least a few details, but judging by his expression, he sounded like he'd rather discuss the weather than the party.
-
Later that night, Shin received the report regarding the hotel.
Not only had the people running it been using Hexion's name to threaten locals and commit crimes, but they had also been sabotaging competitors and businesses that refused to comply with them. They even hired people to impersonate Hexion members.
Moreover, some foreign guests, including people like Yeri's group, had experienced harassment as well. Worst of all, several guests, particularly women who had booked rooms at the hotel, had been reported missing.
The investigation also uncovered evidence that the hotel had deleted or altered records showing that these guests had ever stayed there.
There was little doubt about what might have happened to them.
Shin's expression turned dangerous.
For such a remote area, the location was indeed an ideal place for people to carry out crimes while remaining hidden from the public eye. There was also a strong possibility that some local authorities had been involved or had deliberately turned a blind eye.
"Send all this information to the higher-ups, not the local authorities in this town," Shin ordered. "I also want every business and organization supported by Hexion, whether through financial aid or other means, to be investigated internally. That includes all affiliated organizations."
If something like this was happening at that hotel, there was always a possibility that similar things were happening elsewhere.
After the assistant left, Shin sent a message to Tristan and the other executives within Hexion, instructing them to investigate and handle the organizations under their respective jurisdictions.
-
Meanwhile, Lizzy's wedding reception became the talk of the town.
Not because of Lizzy or the yellow-haired guy, but because Yeri and Shin's unexpected appearance had completely stolen the spotlight, even without them being there.
"What the hell are you still sobbing for? Are you trying to invite bad luck?!" the yellow-haired guy snarled, no longer bothering to coax her.
Lizzy ignored him.
She couldn't understand how everything had become so unfair.
Back then, everyone had celebrated her as the only student from their town who had made it to the city and attended a wealthy school. She had hoped that going there would change her life too.
Instead, the boys she dated were either playing with her or pretending to be wealthy second-generation heirs.
When she finally decided to return to her hometown, she had even gone as far as scheming her way into marrying someone she disliked simply because his family was well-off.
She had believed she had finally succeeded.
Yet Yeri's sudden appearance had felt like a slap in the face, reducing what Lizzy considered years of hard work and success to nothing more than a joke.
Just as she continued wiping away her tears, there was a sudden knock at the door.
Before anyone could respond, the door was forcefully opened.
The yellow-haired guy, thinking it was finally time to consummate his marriage, barely had time to react before several men grabbed him and dragged him outside like a rag.
With curious neighbors gathering to see what was happening, he was told to start running.
"Who are you people?! Don't you know who I am?!"
One of the men pulled out his phone and started recording.
Behind him stood the neighbor the yellow-haired guy had never gotten along with, holding his dog.
"I heard you wanted to borrow my dog?" the neighbor asked.
The yellow-haired guy stared at the pit bull growling beside him.
Slowly, understanding dawned on his face.
"This is a crime!" Lizzy exclaimed, realizing what was about to happen. "He only said that as a joke!"
The neighbor glanced at the group of men.
After receiving a signal from them, he let go of the dog.
In truth, he had long since had enough of the yellow-haired guy's constant troublemaking in town. Not to mention, several of his previous dogs had been harmed by the yellow-haired guy's group.
It wouldn't be wrong to say he had quite a grudge against them.
The dog seemed to know exactly who it was supposed to chase.
It excitedly sprinted toward the yellow-haired guy, who immediately ran for his life.
The neighbors burst into an uproar as he fled, leaving nothing behind but a trail of panic and humiliation.
-
When Yeri woke up, Shin handed her a tablet.
On it were videos of the yellow-haired guy being chased by a dog, his clothes thoroughly tattered, particularly around the back, as he desperately tried to climb over a wall.
Another video showed the man who had promised a thousand kowtows actually doing them while counting each one.
As for the guy who had promised to make out with a cow, that was obviously impossible. The livestreaming platform had blocked such content.
Even so, he had apparently livestreamed himself confessing his love to a cow while wearing only his underwear.
That alone was enough to make him infamous.
"Don't dirty your eyes with such filthy nonsense," Shin said.
Yeri laughed as she watched the videos, especially when she started reading the netizens' comments.
As for Lizzy's parents, they were already overwhelmed by angry villagers after rumors spread that an entire year's worth of the village's income would supposedly be given away as a wedding gift to people completely unrelated to them.
A day after Yeri and the others left the town, news broke that the hotel had been shut down and that its numerous crimes had been uncovered.
The revelations enraged the public.
Hexion's swift action further reinforced its reputation for dealing with organizations operating under its name.
Day by day, more cases surfaced.
-
Wedding rehearsal~
"What's going on with the plane?" Shin asked, checking his watch.
Tristan also glanced at his watch and shrugged. "They said there's just a minor issue with the permit, but it should be resolved in a few minutes. We should still make it in time for your wedding rehearsal."
Shin "..."
Days before the wedding, an urgent matter involving Hexion's affiliated businesses had suddenly come up, so they had traveled to a neighboring country the day before yesterday.
Shin had expected the issue to be resolved much sooner, but it had ended up taking several hours longer than anticipated.
"Are you worried Yeri will think you're not taking this seriously? Or that you've had a change of heart?" Tristan teased.
Shin looked displeased. "I don't like it when things don't go according to my timetable."
"Did you call Yeri? Or do you want me to contact the wedding coordinator about the delay?" Tristan asked.
"Why can't you resolve this yourself? I'll never understand," Shin muttered in complaint.
Tristan raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. It was a deal that could cost us hundreds of millions without you."
Shin looked at him as if he were talking nonsense.
"Humans gotta do what humans gotta do. It's the same in the demon realm. We conquer there, and here, we do it the human way. Same shit, different method," Tristan explained.
-
At the wedding venue, Yeri had just arrived for the rehearsal, wearing a white lace dress from a luxury brand's new couture collection.
With her wedding approaching, countless brands, particularly high-end ones, had reached out to her for collaborations.
At first, Yeri had refused. However, since she was signed with Saeki's company, he had given her some good and reasonable advice. After giving it some thought, she realized there was nothing wrong with accepting a few collaborations, especially from reputable brands.
"Why are you wearing that necklace? Aren't you supposed to endorse that famous jewelry company?" her mother asked.
Yeri smiled and raised her wrist. "The agreement is only for their bracelet. Since I'm basically a walking endorser now, why can't I promote my mom's jewelry boutique too?"
Mother Zhi smiled thoughtfully.
She owned a jewelry boutique. Although it wasn't as well-known or massive as the major global jewelry companies, it was still a business that had been passed down from her grandfather's generation.
"Miss Zhi, you're here! How about CEO Keir? Did he come with you? I can't see him." The wedding planner hurried over, looking extremely busy.
"No, but he's on his way. His flight just got delayed," Yeri explained.
The wedding planner sighed in relief. "Anyway, this is only the rehearsal."
From a distance, Elder Madam Keir could be heard telling Xati not to run around.
Master Keir and Yeri's father were chatting in a corner, with Ellis soon coming over to join them.
Lianna was carrying Sean, who was asleep on her shoulder, while Zahn looked increasingly displeased as Saeki continued blabbering beside him, apparently having no intention of going away.
Yeri walked over to Nina and Levi's side and immediately noticed that Nina seemed unusually nervous.
"What's the matter with you?" she asked.
"Am I not allowed to feel nervous?" Nina said. "Your groomsmen and bridesmaids are all from first-tier and noble families, and I'm your maid of honor. What if I make a mistake?"
Yeri laughed lightly.
"Isn't that why we're having a rehearsal?" She then turned to Levi. "I'm more concerned about you, Levi. Aren't you jealous that Nina is walking down the aisle with Brother Tristan as the best man?"
Levi blinked. "It's fine. Actually, Nina, can you ask him something about Tartarus?"
Nina immediately glared at him. "You want to use me to ask about that game? And what do you mean by 'fine'? Are you implying that I'm unattractive enough that someone like Tristan Felan would never look at me? Or do you just care more about your game than me?"
Levi "..."
He had only said a few words. How had she already managed to throw an entire page at him?