That night, Sean lay in bed, staring quietly at the warm glow of his bedside lamp.
A soft knock came before Zahn entered. Seeing his son still awake, he hesitated, then awkwardly sat on the edge of the bed.
"Not sleepy? Do you want me to read you a story?" Zahn asked gently.
Only now did he truly realize how little he had interacted with Sean over the years. Aside from attending his recent birthday party, he had been practically absent from the child's life, yet he still had the audacity to question Lianna's parenting over a simple allergy breakout back then.
"Tomorrow there will be new people coming to work here," Zahn continued carefully. "Also, Grandma won't be living here anymore. Don't worry, you'll have nannies to look—"
"Is Mommy not going to live here too?" Sean suddenly blurted.
Zahn forced a smile. "Do you miss your mommy? Of course she can live here. This is her home too."
Sean stared at him earnestly, his large eyes clear and shining.
"I don't want anyone but Mommy," he said softly. "But she doesn't like it here, so she doesn't have to stay. I'll just visit her at her new house."
Zahn froze, momentarily unable to respond.
Could it be…
"Sean… what do you mean Mommy doesn't like it here?"
Sean lowered his gaze to the lamp, the soft glow reflecting in his eyes.
"Mommy is always sad whenever she's home," he whispered. "I asked Grandma how to make Mommy happy… and she said if I tell Mommy to go away, she will be happy."
Zahn felt his blood surge violently, his jaw clenching so hard it hurt. He couldn't believe his own mother had corrupted even a child's mind.
No wonder Sean had thrown a tantrum and shouted those hurtful words at Lianna during his birthday party.
"But the big sister earlier said Mommy still loves me," Sean said suddenly, a shy glimmer of hope in his tone. "She said Mommy being sad doesn't mean she doesn't want me."
Zahn remained silent. Words felt stuck in his throat.
Sean then sat up, eyes bright with urgency.
"Daddy, I want to see Mommy. I want to tell her that Sean is sorry. I want to be her little lamp again!"
Zahn frowned. "Little lamp?"
Sean nodded eagerly. He reached toward the lamp and switched it off.
The room fell into darkness, lit only by the moon spilling through the floor-to-ceiling window.
Then he turned the lamp on again.
Even as a child, he understood its meaning. "See? Sean is Mommy's light. If I'm not with her, won't Mommy be scared of the dark? The big sister said Mommy thinks I'm her little lamp."
Zahn swallowed hard, forcing a smile, but an aching heaviness remained lodged in his chest.
In the end, all he could do was promise Sean that he would take him to see Lianna.
Yet Sean's innocent conviction ignited something in him, a stubborn, desperate resolve.
He could not divorce Lianna. Their son needed a mother. And he… he still needed her too, more than he dared admit.
He left the lamp on and only exited the room once Sean had fallen asleep.
---
Meanwhile, days passed quickly and the downfall of the Ricci family never left the headlines.
Master Ricci remained in the hospital. Though no longer in critical condition, his body was paralyzed from the waist down, and he now relied on a wheelchair.
Calin, however, had not visited him even once.
No matter how much he cursed her for being unfilial, Calin remained completely unmoved.
The one most affected was Madam Ricci. She had to attend to her husband daily and endure his worsening temper. Matters grew worse when random young women showed up, pretending to be devastated mistresses.
Of course, Madam Ricci wasn't having it. Every visit was a battlefield, the VIP ward often erupting into chaos with shouting and fights.
Even when Sergei came to report the company's dire situation, he received nothing but insults and humiliation from his father.
But above all, it was Calin who fueled a nonstop media frenzy, often trending online, headlining gossip forums every day.
After her refusal to get engaged to Tristan, the sudden collapse of the Ricci business truly frightened her.
Fortunately, at present, Calin herself wasn't terribly affected financially, she'd earned enough through the entertainment industry, and being under Saeki's protection meant her bad publicity was swiftly handled by the agency.
But none of that changed the painful reality: She was no longer the top socialite adored and feared by society.
The acquaintances and plastic friends who once tripped over themselves to please her were now avoiding her, others gloating.
The young masters who had once respected her were suddenly sending obscene, indecent proposals, acting as though their "help" was a favor she should be grateful for.
Naturally, how could Calin tolerate such treatment?
Infuriated and humiliated, Calin made a decision. She would chase Tristan again.
At least he was truly top-tier in looks, just like Shin Keir. And as her father once told her: he's also a Keir.
Naturally, this didn't escape the paparazzi. The two were frequently seen together, and soon, rumors of Calin being "one of Tristan's women" filled the media, constantly topping trending searches.
Tristan's infamous reputation only fueled the rumors swirling online. In truth, Calin was just stalking him.
Whenever she caught wind of his location, she would immediately appear, sometimes within minutes, blocking his path with a perfectly practiced smile and a desperate desire to "talk."
But the moment she saw a woman beside Tristan, whether a date, a colleague, or a literal waitress handing him coffee, Calin's pride and explosive personality simply could not tolerate it.
It was only a matter of time before she snapped.
And while she had considered going to Shin Keir to expose Tristan's conspiracy, she wasn't stupid. Without evidence, she'd be digging her own grave. She'd already offended Shin once, she didn't dare risk slipping again and alerting Tristan.
---
"You and Calin…" Saeki began cautiously, though his eyes were glowing like a gossip blogger on steroids.
Tristan ignored the look and drowned a glass of heavy alcohol like it was water. "Worry about yourself. She's still signed under your company. That woman is a ticking time bomb."
Saeki snorted. "What do you mean my problem? My talent's personal life isn't my company's business. I'm just curious, why is she suddenly so into you?"
Tristan looked at him as if he were hopeless. "Don't be jealous. You're definitely her next target."
Saeki immediately hugged himself dramatically, shivering.
Ever since he learned Calin once attempted to drug Shin Keir, Saeki had personally conducted an investigation out of morbid curiosity.
The results left him utterly speechless, Calin's tangled relationships, casual flings, "friends with benefits," short-term lovers… And yet she somehow kept a spotless public image as a "clever yet innocent socialite."
Even he was deceived.
Aside from that, Calin also had a long history of bullying employees, framing and sabotaging fellow artists' projects, and even inciting cyberbullying.
Saeki had been unaware of all this. As the CEO, he wasn't directly involved with every artist, and with so many under the company, it was impossible for him to personally oversee every conflict that arose.
Either way, he planned to warn Calin and have her compensate and apologize to everyone she had wronged.
Moreover, he also decided he would not renew her contract next year.
"Well, if you want," Saeki said magnanimously, "I can make all the rumors between you two disappear overnight. Doesn't even cost much. A favour for a friend."
"Why waste resources?" Tristan replied with a lazy smirk. "Don't you find this interesting?"
Saeki's eyes widened, and he immediately misunderstood.
"You- you're not actually falling for Calin, are you? I mean… if you ignore everything else, she is one of the most beautiful women out there."
Tristan gave him a long look, one that clearly said 'Do you need to get your head checked?'
Just then, the door to the VIP room opened and Shin and Yeri walked in.
"Big bro! Sister-in-law!" Saeki practically jumped out of his seat, greeting them like a puppy spotting its favorite humans. "What's the occasion? You actually brought sis-in-law!"
Yeri, dressed in an elegant velvet burgundy dress, smiled awkwardly. "You can just call me Yeri."
But Saeki was already talking over her, buzzing with gossip.
"Big bro, guess what?" he whispered loudly, loud enough to be heard by Tristan, his eyes sparkling. "Someone has fallen in love with Calin Ricci."
Tristan "..."
Shin glanced at Tristan expressionlessly.
Even he who never cared for social media or rumors had heard about the trending scandal lately, mostly because Secretary Yun was a walking news feed.
Still, Shin couldn't be bothered. Knowing Tristan, romance was the last thing that would ever happen.
Tristan was a demon general, and a high rank incubus. Asking him to stick with one woman, demon or human was like asking him to live off potatoes for a year.
His relationships were always simple: no drama, no obsession, no emotions.
Tristan never got into complicated or serious relationships. He avoided women who were unhinged, greedy, foolish, or insatiable and even more so the so-called "good girls," since he knew he would only end up disappointing them.
Instead, he dated women who shared his mindset and wavelength, those who were only interested in desire or mutual benefit. In return, he didn't mind helping them with their business or career. Nothing more, nothing less.
So rumors of him falling for Calin Ricci were ridiculous.
"A juice for Yeri?" Tristan asked as he casually handed Shin a glass of strong liquor.
Yeri nodded. "Do they have mango juice?"
Tristan winked and tapped a few orders on the touchscreen panel.
Moments later, a waiter arrived swiftly, placing drinks with perfect politeness before leaving without a sound.
Shin naturally took the seat beside Yeri and handed her the menu. "Do you want dessert?"
Yeri hesitated. She did want dessert, but it was late, and she was still pretending to be responsible. "Hmm… I'm not sure."
Shin's lips curved in a subtle smile, relieved that she seemed relaxed.
Earlier, back at the penthouse, she glared at him like she wanted to drill a hole through his forehead.
He could hardly blame her.
Because he insisted on holding their engagement banquet before graduation, Yeri had been drowning in studies while being dragged through venue inspections, dress fittings, guest-list arguments, and etiquette briefings. She was utterly exhausted.