Almost instantly, Madam Keir’s eyes turned bloodshot, her breathing became erratic and heavy.

"Mom, let’s take a photo together?" Bryce suggested smoothly into the microphone.

But before anyone could react, Madam Keir suddenly tore her hand away from Bryce and leapt off the stage, shocking the entire banquet hall.

"You can’t!" she screamed hysterically. "You can’t take my son away from me!"

She lunged directly toward Yeri.

Jj had already anticipated something like this, and immediately stepped in front of Yeri protectively.

However, before he could even react further, several bodyguards suddenly rushed forward, accusing him of trying to harm Madam Keir before forcefully tackling him to the ground.

Yeri took a step back, but Anri suddenly burst through the crowd, screaming at the bodyguards not to touch Jj.

In her panic, she accidentally shoved Yeri.

Yeri felt a sharp tug on her hair and winced at the pain shooting through her scalp as Madam Keir grabbed her viciously.

The guests gasped, yet none dared interfere knowing Madam Keir was unstable.

"Don’t you know who I am? I told you to let go of him!" Anri shouted, practically jumping up and down in agitation.

However, the bodyguards had underestimated Jj. The moment he saw Yeri being hurt, he stopped holding back and fought back as well.

Unlike Madam Keir, Yeri was slender and lacked the strength to fight her head-on. But seizing an opening, she raised her hand and slapped Madam Keir across the face.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

No one could believe Yeri had actually dared to slap Madam Keir. Even Madam Keir herself and Calin froze in disbelief.

Madam Keir pointed at Yeri furiously. "You little vixen who seduced my son! You’re not allowed to steal him from me! Shin is mine!"

Yeri ignored her. Calmly, she removed the pin tying up her hair and let her long wavy locks cascade down her shoulders.

Just as Madam Keir was about to lunge at her again, Saeki finally pushed through the crowd and intervened alongside Jj.

"Madam Keir, you need to calm down," Saeki said firmly before turning to Bryce with visible anger. "And what exactly do you think you’re doing just standing there? You know she’s mentally unstable, yet you still brought her here. Are you intentionally trying to ruin Madam Keir’s reputation?"

Bryce frowned darkly, but before he could respond, Master Keir finally emerged from the crowd.

His expression was so cold and oppressive that the guests instinctively parted before him like waves retreating from a storm.

Apart from Shin Keir, his father was also someone no one in Sin City dared to offend.

"Yeri just slapped his wife. She’s really in trouble now."

"Exactly. She’s already this domineering before even entering the Keir household. Still, Madam Keir isn’t in her right mind. As the younger and more sensible one, Yeri shouldn’t have fought back."

"I saw her reels with Shin Keir before. He must’ve spoiled her rotten for her to act this boldly."

As whispers spread through the crowd, Madam Keir spotted Allister and immediately broke free from Saeki’s grip before rushing into Master Keir’s arms.

"Husband, that bad girl bullied me!" she cried aggrievedly, pointing at Yeri. "She’s trying to steal our son! I won’t allow it! I don’t agree!"

Master Keir stood there with an overwhelming aura of authority. Unlike most men his age, he looked as though he were only in his mid-thirties.

Many socialites secretly harbored dangerous thoughts whenever they looked at him, especially now that Madam Keir was no longer entirely sane.

Then his cold gaze shifted toward Bryce Gate.

"Bryce Gate," Master Keir said icily, "who gave you permission to take her out of the sanatorium without my knowledge? She may be your mother, but she is in no condition to socialize. Bringing her to an occasion like this will only worsen her state."

Bryce reacted immediately, forcing a mixture of grievance, anger, and remorse onto his face.

"Dad... no, Master Keir, I didn’t mean any harm. Visiting her recently made me realize how unfilial I’ve been all these years. Since she kept wanting to see Shin, I only wanted to fulfill her wish."

The guests instantly noticed Bryce’s struggle to keep his distance while still revealing traces of pain.

After all, regardless of what happened later, Master Keir had once been the father Bryce grew up acknowledging before the truth about their lack of blood relation came out.

"Poor Bryce. It must’ve been traumatizing finding out the father you grew up with wasn’t actually your biological father."

"I still don’t understand everything that happened back then, but Bryce was just a child too. Why did the Keirs have to send him abroad?"

Master Keir merely stared at Bryce coldly, fully aware of the calculations running through the younger man’s mind. Bryce was cleverly using both the situation and his own mother to gain the sympathy of the guests.

It wasn’t that Bryce truly cared. To him, even his own mother was merely a convenient pawn to exploit.

As Master Keir looked at Bryce, he recalled the conversation he once had with Shin.

He had asked whether Bryce had ever apologized or shown even the slightest regret for what he had done.

But Shin had only replied coldly: "Not everyone is capable of regret. And not everyone deserves forgiveness."

Master Keir already knew about Bryce’s crimes abroad. A man like him would never truly feel remorse.

After a long moment of silence, just as everyone assumed he would reprimand Yeri, Master Keir instead gestured toward the bodyguards who had just arrived, ordering them to take Madam Keir away.

"I don’t want to go! I want that little vixen to stay away from my son!" Madam Keir screamed hysterically as she desperately clung to Allister. "You’re my husband! You have to listen to me! It’s for Shin’s own good!"

Bryce immediately stepped forward as well, pretending to be a distressed son trying to protect his mother.

"Master Keir, I don’t think this is entirely Auntie’s fault," Calin said anxiously, biting her lip. "If Yeri had shown a little more respect, Auntie wouldn’t have been so agitated."

Master Keir glanced at her, disappointment evident in his eyes.

"Calin, I came here today because your father was once a close friend of mine," he said coldly. "But you’ve known for a long time that Eleanor is mentally unstable, yet you still chose to go along with Bryce. I can’t say I’m not disappointed."

Calin flinched, she wanted to explain herself, but Master Keir had already shifted his attention toward Yeri.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his tone noticeably gentler. "Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Yeri shook her head while Jj supported her carefully.

Earlier, when Madam Keir had lunged at her, she had twisted her ankle in the chaos.

"It’s not that serious," Yeri replied softly. "I just need a cold compress once I get home."

Master Keir frowned immediately. "You should still go to the hospital and have it checked properly."

Seeing the genuine concern in Master Keir’s expression, the guests once again began whispering among themselves.

Earlier, many had assumed Yeri would be thoroughly humiliated tonight, yet not only had Master Keir failed to scold her, he was openly showing concern for her in front of everyone.

In the end, the farce only truly came to a close after Madam Keir was forcibly escorted away.

Bryce narrowed his eyes slightly.

He had originally planned to use this opportunity to move on to the next stage of his scheme and confront the man who had once been his father in front of everyone.

But suddenly, the lights in the banquet hall dimmed.

The massive LED screen flickered before switching to an international news broadcast.

A female reporter’s voice echoed throughout the hall as images of police raids, handcuffed suspects, underground warehouses, and confidential documents flashed rapidly across the screen.

The report was about the recent crackdown in a certain country involving illegal business operations, organized crime syndicates, and the influential people connected to them.

The banquet hall instantly erupted into chaos as guests exchanged alarmed glances and hushed whispers.

"Did the staff make a mistake?"

"Why are they playing international crime news at an engagement banquet?"

"What exactly is going on?"

Amid the growing confusion, Bryce’s expression changed drastically for the first time tonight. The composure he had carefully maintained cracked apart as he grabbed the nearest staff member by the arm. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Turn it off!" he barked harshly. "Shut the screen off right now!"

But it was already too late. The video continued to play across the massive LED screen, detailing the elaborate network of high-profile individuals and corporations involved in illegal operations.

On the surface, the companies appeared legitimate and influential, yet according to the investigation, they were merely fronts hiding darker dealings underneath.

Then two company names appeared on the screen.

The report further stated that the CEO, Bryce Gate himself, had allegedly fled the country and arrived in Caelum that very day.

The lights abruptly returned.

For a split second, the entire banquet hall became deathly silent.

The guests wore expressions of disbelief, shock, suspicion, and fear. Some who hadn’t fully understood the report looked around in confusion, hoping the people beside them could explain what had just happened. Others simply found the accusations too outrageous to believe.

But Bryce felt as though the walls around him were collapsing inward. The floor beneath his feet seemed to crack apart as panic and suffocating anxiety clawed into him.

"This is complete nonsense!" Bryce suddenly shouted, forcing himself to sound calm. "Yes, there’s been chaos in the country I came from lately, but that’s exactly why they’re targeting influential companies like mine. They’re desperate for control and validation. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was orchestrated by my business rivals and enemies!"

Calin, who had been enjoying the spectacle earlier, now felt her blood run cold.

If Bryce truly became entangled in accusations involving organized crime and illegal operations, there was no way she wouldn’t be dragged down alongside him.

"Is that so?"

A deep magnetic voice suddenly echoed through the silent banquet hall.

The crowd instinctively turned toward the entrance.

Shin had arrived.

He was still wearing the same clothes from when he met Bryce at the airport earlier.

But what truly terrified the guests was not Shin himself. Behind him stood uniformed police officers, federal detectives, and even representatives from the Mafia Association.

The oppressive sight alone was enough to make the atmosphere plummet to freezing point.