Palazzo Archon rose like a fortress on the edge of the hills, its marble walls gleaming beneath the cold silver light of the moon.
The sprawling estate was more than an exclusive community, it was a kingdom reserved for those who carried the Keir bloodline and its allied clans.
Security was tighter than a national border. Armed guards patrolled in steady shifts, surveillance cameras blinked from every corner, and the gates themselves looked strong enough to hold back an army.
Shin’s car rolled through the massive archway, his presence recognized at once. The guards straightened and saluted; none dared stop him.
Inside, the community breathed quiet wealth. Villas lined the cobbled roads, each one glowing with understated elegance, the kind of luxury that whispered power without needing to flaunt it.
At the center stood the council hall. Its towering pillars and intricately carved doors gave it the aura of a temple rather than a meeting chamber.
But tonight, the air inside was not reverent. It was heavy with politics.
The elders were already gathered. Men and women in dark formal attire sat in rows, their faces sharp and grim. Whispers of discontent drifted like smoke between them.
"Finally decided to show up," one elder muttered as Shin entered, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"Better late than hiding altogether," another sneered.
Shin ignored them, his stride steady and unhurried as he moved to the long obsidian table. His face remained unreadable, carved in stone.
At the head of the table sat the presiding elder, Elder Madam Keir’s brother-in-law, the younger brother of her late husband.
He tapped his cane against the floor, and silence fell without a word spoken.
Clan matters were discussed first, and even Shin’s brutal beating of Hadi surfaced. When the reason behind it was revealed, only a few dared to criticize him for going too far.
"Shall we continue with Hadi’s punishment?" the head elder asked. "The clan may vote to disown him."
Elder Madam Keir shifted uneasily, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Isn’t that excessive? Shin has already retaliated, and Hadi is still hospitalized. Besides... he transferred all his company shares to Shin."
"Let him stay," Shin replied coolly.
Elder Madam Keir’s eyes widened like marbles.
Since when had Shin turned merciful? Did he eat something strange before coming here?
In truth, Shin allowed Hadi to remain for his own reasons. Better to keep a mad dog fenced inside than let it run wild outside. And the attempt on his life, he knew Hadi lacked both the courage and the connections.
Someone else had used him and those hired mercenaries as a rehearsal. An enemy that thorough and cautious had left no trace for him to follow.
Still, Shin wasn’t worried. If they came, they could come straight at him.
But the old matriarch, blind to his reasoning, mistook it as the demon having a rare flicker of conscience.
The head elder and several others nodded. Hadi was a nuisance, but easier to control if kept close.
"You’ve stirred up quite the storm lately," the head elder said, eyes narrowing on Shin. "Your name is being dragged across the public stage. How is the company faring?"
"As usual," Shin answered flatly.
Elder Madam Keir scoffed. "Thanks to me doing damage control. But some people don’t seem to appreciate it."
Shin’s lips curved into a thin smirk, his indifference sharper than any insult. "If public opinion alone can topple this family, then perhaps the Keirs were never as strong as you believed."
A hush blanketed the hall. His audacity made several elders shift uncomfortably.
Elder Madam Keir gripped her cane until her knuckles turned white. "You see? This is what I have to deal with almost everyday!" she burst out. "Unfilial! Disrespectful! If he won’t even respect me, then what use are we elders to this clan?"
The head elder ignored her tantrum. "Have you found the ones behind this mess?"
Elder Madam Keir swallowed her fury, falling silent.
Shin slid a folder across the table. As its contents spread through the room, the name Ricci carried on the murmurs.
No one could deny where it began: Eleanor Keir and Calin Ricci embarrassing themselves with a cat fight.
"Why is Eleanor still in the main house?" the head elder demanded. "Why keep her as if she were some pet?"
Elder Madam Keir stiffened, hiding her desperation behind talk of family reputation. But this time, few took her side. Eleanor was unstable, and dangerous if provoked.
In the end, the decision was made: Eleanor would be moved to a private institution run by the clan.
"What if rumors spread? That we’re mistreating her? That she’s insane?" Elder Madam Keir protested. "She has to be seen in public sometimes to avoid any speculations!"
The head elder dismissed her with a cold wave of his hand. "We owe no explanation to outsiders. Whether she is seen or not is none of their business."
Elder Madam Keir bit back her words, humiliated and anxious.
When that matter closed, the discussion turned at once to Shin’s engagement.
The matriarch, eager to change the subject, latched onto it like a lifeline. She scolded Shin for refusing Calin Ricci, calling him cold and rude, accusing him of upsetting Madam Ricci herself.
This time, many elders sided with her. Calin’s background and status were appealing.
"Calin aside, Madam Ricci went too far slandering Shin. What if the rift between families remains, even if this engagement proceeds?" one elder asked.
"Have you considered other candidates? Calin is in the entertainment industry. Her reputation may be good, but her career is... unsuitable. Would she quit once married?"
"We should find a proper lady, untainted by such industries," another agreed.
"Why outsiders at all? There are plenty of young women in our extended branches. Safer to keep blood within. Look at Eleanor, who could’ve predicted her madness?"
"What era do you think this is?" another argued. "There’s nothing wrong with Calin’s career. She’s educated, accomplished, and from a prominent family."
"Exactly. And she clearly cares for Shin. Once she marries in, she will follow our rules not the Ricci."
Elder Madam Keir eagerly nodded, pushing Calin like a prized product.
But another voice countered, sharp as steel: "I’ve looked into it. The Ricci business is crumbling. What can Calin bring besides her reputation? It’s the Riccis who need us to fill their financial gaps, not the other way around."
The debate split the room. Half supported Calin. The rest proposed other candidates, each with their own interests disguised as loyalty to the clan.
Through it all, Shin sat silent, as if the discussion concerned someone else entirely. He knew exactly why these relics cared who he married.
At last, Elder Madam Keir declared triumphantly, "Then it’s settled. Shin will be engaged to Calin. Madam Ricci only acted on impulse. Calin is a good girl, she didn’t even resent Eleanor after everything."
The decision seemed sealed by majority favor.
But then Shin laughed. A low, mocking sound that echoed across the chamber.
Elder Madam Keir’s glare could have burned holes through stone. "What’s so funny? Do you still dare resist? You exist where you are because of us elders. It is your duty and responsibility to obey the clan’s decision!"
"Shin, this is for your own good," another elder tried to reason. "Women can be deceptive, dangerous. As men, it’s natural to be tempted. We old people know the danger of beauty traps and consider our advice as protecting you and keeping you from going astray while you represent the clan."
"There’s no need to explain," another waved dismissively. "Shin knows this already. He is a Keir."
Marriage, to them, was not love but alliance. Times might change, people’s opinions and views differ but the laws of their society did not.
With all kinds of nonsense uttered, Shin did not argue. He only placed a document on the table.
The head elder opened it, gradually his eyes widened. "One hundred seventy-two billion?"
Elder Madam Keir craned her neck to peek. Unlike him, her composure cracked.
"Negotiations worth one hundred seventy-two billion? What is this?! Something the company secured?"
Shock rippled across the room. Even the Keirs, wealthy as they were, knew this was no small number. If the deal succeeded, their worth could climb into the trillions.
The head elder looked at Shin with rare pride. "KGG secured an international project? Impressive. A deal of this scale is worth celebrating."
The elder frowned. "What do you mean by almost?" Fresh chapters posted on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍
"The negotiation is at its peak," Shin replied, leaning back, eyes glinting with quiet defiance.
The head elder nodded, convinced. "Then it’s as good as sealed. You’ve done well. I trust you’ll win it."
Shin chuckled, low and amused. "Depends on my mood."
The words fell like stones into water, ripples of unease spreading through the hall.
The elders froze, stunned by the audacity of what he had just implied.
"Who I marry is not for any of you to decide." Shin’s voice cut through the chamber, cold and precise. His sharp gaze swept across the elders, each glance as heavy as a blade. "Our relationship hasn’t reached the point where you can dictate what I want. It’s a give-and-take arrangement. I run the company, and in return, each of you gets your share. Isn’t that right?"
The room erupted instantly. Murmurs swelled into a tide, elders breaking into small clusters of whispers.
Some faces twisted with outrage at his audacity, others flickered with reluctant admiration for his unflinching stance.
"Careful, Shin," one elder finally growled, his voice low but laced with warning. "You’re already walking a thin line. Defy us too openly, and you may find the ground pulled out from under you."
Shin leaned back in his chair, lips curving into a faint, mocking smile. A soft chuckle slipped past him, quiet yet scornful.
Thin line or not, he had never been the kind of man to tremble under threats. If anything, danger was where he felt most alive.