Addicted to you-Chapter 48: Perfect scandal

For a moment, she stood there blankly, staring at the closed door. Her mind tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Then slowly, realization began to drip in—first like cold water, then like a flood.

She fumbled for her phone and called her mother.

Linda, who had just shut her eyes after their conversation, answered on the third ring with a groggy growl. "Venice, what now? Why don't you sleep?!"

"Mom!" Venice hissed, voice trembling with urgency. "A man just entered Yeri's room—I saw him with my own eyes! Tall, wearing a black coat and a hat. He looked suspicious. Do you what this means?! I'm standing right here!"

Linda frowned, rubbing her temples. "So what? Maybe she let him in. Why are you dragging me into this now?"

"You don't get it!" Venice cried, eyes still locked on Yeri's door like a hawk guarding prey. "Whether she let him in or he broke in—it doesn't matter! Either way, her reputation will be ruined!"

That got Linda's attention. She sat up, wide awake now. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying call her parents! Get them here, now! We'll expose her for the spoiled little liar she is. Let them see the truth about their precious daughter."

Venice hung up before her mother could object. Her fingers trembled with excitement. Her heart thundered like it might burst from her chest. She had been exhausted moments ago, but now it was like she had downed an entire barrel of espresso. Her blood sang.

This was it.

The perfect scandal.

The image of Yeri's tear-streaked face, caught red-handed with some man in her room at this hour—it made Venice's lips curl into a smile she couldn't suppress.

But she wasn't done.

To ensure no loose ends, Venice marched over to the front desk, adjusting her expression to one of sisterly concern. She lowered her voice and leaned in close to the staff member.

"Excuse me," she whispered. "I'm really worried. My... sister's not feeling well tonight, and just now, I saw a strange man go into her room. I'm scared he might hurt her. Could someone check on her? Please, just to be safe."

The concierge's eyes widened slightly, nodding as they took her name and room number. Promising to send security up immediately.

Venice walked away, heart hammering with the thrill of it all. She could already see the headlines, the horrified expressions of Yeri's parents, the whispers at future banquets, the invitations rescinded.

She returned to the hallway just in time to see the security staff heading toward the suite.

She held her breath.

The moment of reckoning was near.

Let that dead girl try to smile her way out of this one.

---

The hotel staff dialed the service phone inside Yeri's suite, their expressions tight with unease. A few feet away, Yeri's parents stood in their evening clothes, both wide awake and brimming with concern.

"Venice, are you absolutely sure about this?" Madam Zhi asked anxiously, gripping her phone as it rang for the third time. Her other hand trembled slightly, betraying the calmness she tried to maintain.

"Auntie, I'm sure," Venice replied, biting her lip, eyes wide in faux panic. "Why would I joke about something like this?"

"Miss," one of the hotel managers spoke up, trying to maintain professionalism while clearly irritated, "this is a five-star hotel. Our security is state-of-the-art. Even a highly trained thief wouldn't be able to just casually break into a guest room on the fiftieth floor."

Venice turned to him, feigning shock. "So... are you saying my cousin let the man in?"

Madam Zhi's gasp was immediate. "That's impossible! Why would my daughter allow anyone in at this hour? Unless—it was Jj!"

Venice resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead putting on a concerned, aggrieved look. "Auntie... Jj didn't stay here after the banquet. He went back to the school dorm. I'm really worried."

Just then, the security staff on the phone raised a hand.

"Hello? Miss Zhi?" he said into the receiver. "This is hotel security. Could you please open the door?"

For a beat, there was only silence.

Then, faint breathing. Shallow and rhythmic. But no voice.

Venice stepped forward, voice rising. "Why are we wasting time?! What if he runs away while we're standing here?!"

One of the security officers narrowed his eyes slightly at her, covered the mouth receiver with his palm and muttered. "Miss, this is the fiftieth floor. There's nowhere for him to go."

Still, with no response from inside and no movement detected beyond the door, the lead staff member exchanged a look with security, then finally nodded.

"We're going in."

He slid a copy of the master access card through the reader. A soft beep echoed, followed by the click of the unlocking mechanism. The door slowly creaked open.

The room was dim, the curtains fully drawn and the lights all off. A quiet hush fell over the group as they stepped inside cautiously.

Madam and Mister Zhi rushed ahead toward the bedroom in alarm.

"Yeri!" Madam Zhi cried.

They burst into her private room—only to find their daughter sound asleep on the bed, tucked beneath the blankets, one hand resting peacefully on a pillow. Her breathing was steady, undisturbed by the sudden invasion.

"Princess...?" Mister Zhi whispered.

Meanwhile, the others quickly fanned out. A security guard checked the closet. Another peeked into the bathroom.

Carpet, the golden retriever, gave a sleepy grunt from the balcony, tail twitching as he stirred from his nap.

Venice darted to the sliding glass door, yanked the curtains aside, and flung it open.

"Impossible," she whispered, her voice rising into hysteria. "This—this can't be right! I saw him! I swear I saw a man come in here!"

The guards shook their heads. No one else was here.

"Right!" Venice turned, her voice trembling with urgency. "The CCTV! You have to check the cameras! The hallway footage! You'll see him! Tall, black coat, tennis hat! I'm not lying!"

Linda looked out of it, rubbing her eyes, clearly exhausted and flustered from being dragged out again. But the moment she saw her daughter's wild expression and the panic coloring her face, her fatigue melted into something else—confusion and concern.

"Venice..." she said slowly, her brows drawing together. "What is going on with you?"

But Venice wasn't listening.

She paced around the room, muttering to herself, hands clenching and unclenching. Her earlier confidence had spiraled into frustration. Her heart pounded not with thrill now, but disbelief.

He was here. I'm not crazy. I saw him...

But there was no evidence. No man. No broken lock. Not even a hair out of place.

Except for Carpet—now trotting lazily toward Yeri's room—and the soft rise and fall of Yeri's chest as she slept peacefully—untouched by the drama outside her door.

One of the staff members pulled out a walkie-talkie. "We'll review the hallway footage now, ma'am. If anyone came to this floor tonight, we'll see it."

Venice barely nodded, her jaw clenched tight. She stood there rigid, like a statue in a storm.

But a cold knot was already beginning to form in her stomach.

What if the cameras showed... nothing?

What had she seen?

Or worse— What if someone had erased the evidence before they even got to it?

Carpet gave a soft bark and Yeri stirred.

Her brows furrowed as a dull throb echoed behind her eyes. She groaned quietly, shifting under the blankets. Voices—low and hurried—drifted in from beyond the bedroom. The bright overhead light flicked on just as she sat up.

"Ugh... my head..." she muttered, rubbing her temples. It felt like she'd had only a sip of liquor, but the hangover was sharper than expected.

Her mother immediately rushed to her side.

"Princess, are you alright?" Madam Zhi asked, brushing her hand gently across Yeri's forehead.

Yeri blinked slowly, eyes darting around in confusion. "This... isn't my room," she mumbled. "Where are we? Why are you here? Is it morning already?"

Father Zhi gave a soft sigh and patted her on the head. "There was a report that someone suspicious entered your room in the middle of the night. The hotel staff used a master key to enter after no one answered the phone."

Yeri stared at him for a moment, as if the words weren't registering.

"A man?" she repeated, voice still groggy. "What man?"

She rubbed her temples again, trying to chase away the fog in her head. "If someone came in, Carpet would've barked his head off."

At that, Madam Zhi's expression changed. She glanced at the golden retriever, who had now padded into the room, tail wagging, eyes half-lidded from sleep. He gave a big yawn and nudged Yeri's hand with his nose.

"...You're right," Madam Zhi murmured. "If there had been a stranger, Carpet would have reacted. But he's calm. Not a hint of alarm."

Father Zhi exchanged a quick look with one of the staff before stepping out to confirm. Moments later, he returned.

"They found Carpet asleep on the balcony. No signs of struggle, no barking heard on the cameras either."

Yeri threw off the blankets, stood up carefully, and slipped on a red silk robe. Her steps were slow, but her irritation was rising with each one.

The moment she stepped out of the bedroom and spotted Venice standing stiffly near the living room entrance, her eyes narrowed.

"Venice," she said coldly, "you really are something. Scheming all day and night without even sleeping—should I be taking lessons from you now?"

Venice's face twisted. "I—I saw someone go in! I wasn't lying!"

Before Yeri could respond, Linda stepped forward protectively. "Yeri, don't speak like that. Venice was only worried about you. What if something serious had actually happened?"

"Worried?" Madam Zhi snapped, stepping between the girls. "And what exactly was Venice doing here in the first place? Causing a scene and making outrageous accusations? That's not concern—it's sabotage!"

Linda's eyes narrowed. "Who knows where Yeri was hiding that man? She knew my daughter would try to help, so she lured her here and set a trap—just to make her a laughingstock!"

"Excuse me?!" Madam Zhi barked. "You're lucky I haven't sued you for defamation. Yeri did absolutely nothing wrong!"