CHAPTER 132: SOMEONE ELSE

"Calin," he said at last, carefully, "forget about my big bro. It won’t work. Not because of your looks or status. It’s because... he already has someone in his heart."

The words dropped like a bomb. Calin froze, staring at him in shock.

"For your own sake, don’t waste your time," Saeki continued, his voice firm. "I know him better than anyone. Once he sets his heart on someone, he’s serious. There’s no turning him."

"Impossible," Calin whispered, her voice trembling. "If he really had someone... why haven’t I ever heard of her? You’re lying. You’re saying this just so I’ll stay tied to your company, aren’t you?"

Saeki reeled. A capitalist he might be, but he had never resorted to such low tricks to trap people in contracts.

Before he could explain, Calin had already turned on her heel and stormed away, her elegant ponytail swishing with uncharacteristic fury.

Saeki watched her retreating figure, unsettled. Calin was always kind, elegant, the perfect young lady. But now...

Perhaps the matter of love truly made people lose themselves.

---

Calin’s mood had been sour ever since her conversation with Saeki.

She was polite enough to smile at people during the golf event, but behind her angelic mask her thoughts churned endlessly. Every sip of tea tasted bland, every laugh she forced felt hollow.

She couldn’t stop replaying Saeki’s words: "Big bro already has someone in his heart."

Someone else? Who?

The idea gnawed at her like a worm in an apple.

She tried to distract herself, but then she noticed a stir at the entrance. Elder Madam Keir had arrived, Eleanor trailing behind her like a shadow.

Instantly, the two women were surrounded by people, flatterers, opportunists, and curious busybodies eager to curry favor.

The men had mostly gone outdoors to watch the matches, leaving the women to enjoy tea and delicate desserts indoors. When Calin saw Elder Madam Keir slip away for a walk, she seized her chance.

"Elder Madam Keir, why are you here by yourself?" Calin asked sweetly, quickening her steps to catch up.

The old matriarch turned, her expression softening at once. "Ah, Calin." She smiled warmly. "Look at you, beautiful as always. No need for formalities, child. Just call me Grandma."

Calin let out a coquettish laugh and slipped her arm through the old woman’s as though she were still a little girl. "Okay, Grandma, I won’t be polite. I missed you so much. There’s been so many projects lately that I couldn’t visit. I hope you don’t mind."

Elder Madam Keir put on a mock sulk. "Hmph. Even for a few hours, you can’t visit me? I’m old, my sons and grandsons rarely visit me, and now even you’re abandoning me."

"I’m sorry," Calin said softly, coaxing her with practiced charm. "I’ll make more time from now on."

The two strolled together, chatting about trivial things until Calin, finally steered the topic toward what she really wanted.

"Grandma, have you been to Brother Shin’s villa lately? How is he doing?"

At once, the old matriarch’s smile soured. Her steps slowed, and her voice sharpened with disdain.

"Hmph. What about that troublesome, unfilial boy? He doesn’t care about this old woman, so why should I care about him?"

Calin shook her head lightly, refusing to take the words at face value. "Grandma, I think Brother Shin just doesn’t know how to express himself. Managing a conglomerate isn’t easy. Even my father rarely smiles, he often looks like the world owes him everything whenever I see him."

The old woman scoffed. "I never liked that boy. Always rude, sharp-tongued. Now he’s even worse. It’s all Allister’s fault, if he had trained Hadi or Hiro instead of blatantly favoring his son, the company might have reached greater heights by now."

Calin’s smile stayed frozen, but disgust flickered deep in her eyes.

Hadi Keir as CEO? What a joke.

The old matriarch clearly had no grasp of business, but Calin kept her expression respectful. She needed the old woman’s favor, however ignorant her views.

So she leaned in closer and tried another approach. "Maybe Brother Shin will calm down once he’s settled. In fact, my mother has been asking about the arranged engagement between us..."

Elder Madam Keir paused. If she could secure a marriage between Calin and Shin, persuade Shin to hand over the pink diamond ring, and convince Calin to "gift" it back to her...why, it would solve everything.

"Right," the old woman muttered. "Neither of you are getting any younger. Maybe you can handle that demon."

Her eyes gleamed with a new plan. Shin might be unruly, but he was still a Keir. And Keirs followed the clan’s rules.

If she gathered the other elders and forged a marriage alliance with the Riccis, there would be nothing even that demon could do.

"Calin, have you truly decided?" Elder Madam Keir asked, pretending to sound concerned. "I really do like you as a granddaughter-in-law. But don’t forget, I don’t just have one grandson. There’s also Tristan."

Calin’s smile nearly cracked. Tristan? That womanizer with his never-ending list of conquests? Absolutely not.

She steadied herself quickly. "Grandma, you know my heart belongs to Brother Shin."

"Very well," the old matriarch said. "But first, let’s arrange a blind date for the two of you before my ungrateful son finds another random girl to throw at that demon."

Calin froze. "Uncle Allister is also setting up blind dates for Brother Shin?"

The old woman snorted. "Don’t worry about it. Just some random girl from some random family. Honestly, I don’t know what he was thinking. Must be desperate for a grandchild... Didn’t I already tell you? Shin is hard to handle. That demon even beat Hadi half-dead."

Calin’s eyes widened. It was Shin who beat Hadi? She tucked the information away. But more importantly,

"Grandma, who was the girl Uncle Allister chose?" she pressed.

The old matriarch waved a dismissive hand. "Well, I could be wrong. She came as a guest last night when I went to Shin’s villa."

Calin’s pulse quickened. She actually set foot in Shin’s villa? And he allowed it?

"I mean her name," Calin said firmly.

The old woman squinted, trying to recall. "I clearly remember it was... Eren Jean? No, maybe Miss Shane? Or was it Miss Zayne? Anyway, I told you, just some random girl. She was rude too."

Calin’s face remained calm, but her mind spun furiously.

She had never heard of any of those surnames in their upper circle. And yet, this "random girl" had been inside Shin’s villa. The old matriarch might not realize it, but this was serious. Shin Keir did not allow just anyone into his private space.

So it wasn’t just Yeri Zhi she had to be wary of. There was another girl.

"Calin, don’t trouble yourself with irrelevant people," the old woman said lightly.

"But Grandma," Calin insisted, lowering her lashes to hide her sharp gaze, "there must be a reason Uncle Allister chose her, right?"

"It doesn’t matter." Elder Madam Keir waved her off. "I already told him. I won’t accept any other granddaughter-in-law but you. We’ll find another time to discuss your engagement."

Just then, Eleanor was approaching, walking quickly. She had gone to look for the old matriarch, but what she overheard as she approached halted her mid-step.

"Engagement? Who’s getting married into our family, Mother?"

The old matriarch stiffened. She had completely forgotten she’d brought this lunatic with her. "It’s nothing."

But Eleanor was surprisingly clear-headed in moments like these and, unfortunately, she had very sharp hearing. Her eyes narrowed.

"You clearly said she’s your granddaughter-in-law."

The atmosphere shifted at once, tension crackling in the air.

Seeing Elder Madam Keir struggling to pacify Eleanor, Calin’s patience snapped.

She knew Eleanor was mentally unstable, but in her opinion that wasn’t an excuse to be this willful. She was still Madam Keir yet she acted like a child throwing tantrums.

And Elder Madam Keir? There was no need to reason with others when she was supposed to be the highest authority.

Straightening her back, Calin decided she wouldn’t hide her feelings for Shin anymore. At the same time, her disdain toward Eleanor only deepened. Lifting her chin, she spoke with a proud smile.

"Madam Keir, I believe you’re already acquainted with my family. Grandma and I were actually talking about my engagement with Brother Shin."

Eleanor blinked, tilting her head as if she hadn’t heard correctly. "Shin... mine and Alister’s son, Shin?"

The way she phrased it sounded oddly strange, but Calin brushed it aside. She gave a confident nod.

"That’s right. Grandma believes no one could be a better match for Brother Shin than me. In fact, if you don’t mind, can I call you Mom? But of course, if you don’t like it, I’ll call you Auntie instead."

Eleanor just stared at her, lips moving as she muttered to herself.

"Engagement... Shin... take him from me..."

Elder Madam Keir instantly sensed danger and hurriedly gestured at her daughter-in-law. "Eleanor, why don’t you go back and join the others? Have some tea, yes? Forget what you just heard."

But it was too late.

Eleanor’s eyes sharpened as she turned to Calin.

"You want to take my son from me? My husband is mine, my son is mine! No one can take them away from me!"

Calin almost rolled her eyes. She had heard about Eleanor’s instability, but witnessing it firsthand, she wondered why this woman wasn’t in an asylum yet.

"It’s just an engagement," Elder Madam Keir tried to reason, though her own voice wavered. "Don’t talk nonsense. Your family will remain the same, and Shin will always be your son."

But Eleanor only grew more agitated, shaking her head furiously.

"No! You want to steal my son! Never!" She pointed directly at Calin, her voice rising into a shriek.

"You’re not allowed to take him, he’s mine! I only have one son, and you can’t take him away from me!"

"Eleanor, behave yourself!" Elder Madam Keir snapped, her composure breaking as she glanced around nervously. "This isn’t the place. If you continue, I’ll tell Alister to teach you a lesson!"

But Eleanor was beyond reasoning. She stomped her foot like a child throwing a fit. "But it’s her fault! Who do you think you are? I don’t agree! My son is mine, you can’t take him! I don’t like you! You’re ugly and mean!"

Calin: "..."