Burning The House Of Cards: taking revenge on my billionaire family
Chapter 34 - 33. No Party Is Complete Without A Support

Chapter 34: Chapter 33. No Party Is Complete Without A Support

There are people who seem to never change from their younger days. Austin Choo was one of those. It was easy for Sarah to recognize him even if it had been more than a decade--for her anyway--since she saw him.

For as long as Sarah could remember, Austin always had neatly slicked-back black hair, even when he was in high school. He wore his uniform like an office worker--neat in the morning, and unraveled in the afternoon with a loose tie and folded sleeve--and Sarah had an inkling that Austin was copying his mentor, Yonghwa’s offshore account manager. It made the other kids mock him for being a wannabe adult, but he did face the mockery like one: scoffing and shaking his head as if he was looking at silly children, before ignoring them completely.

If he wasn’t a direct scholarship student from Steel Star whom Song Yonghwa himself escorted on his first day, the kid would have been bullied so much.

Well...at least he really looked the part in the end.

As for Sarah, well...

"Isn’t it weird calling me that when I look like this now?" she tilted her head.

"What do you know?" Austin scoffed while taking off his shoes and wore the slipper Hajin reluctantly prepared. "Those who were acting like goody two shoes during school were the ones wilding after graduation."

Sarah chuckled and shook the man’s hand. He really did not change from his school days, perhaps because he was already sure of himself and knew what he wanted to do in the future.

Unlike Sarah.

"Let’s talk inside--"

Hajin cleared his throat loudly and gestured at the dining table. "Your dinner is ready, Master."

That ’master’ was so thick that no one could miss the intention behind it. Sarah could only sigh seeing Hajin tapping the dining table softly to urge her.

Well...at least it was better than his mischievous streak earlier.

"You don’t mind talking over there, do you?"

Austin shrugged. "Hey, I’m just a worker."

It felt a bit weird seeing someone from her past that looked and felt exactly like how she remembered, while she herself had changed so much. On the other hand, she was relieved that Austin was just Austin. He nonchalantly followed her to the small dining table containing only one portion of dinner.

Sarah narrowed her eyes after sitting down, looking at her bodyguard who did nothing but prepare her utensils. "Do you not have anything to serve our guests, J?"

"I didn’t know we’d have company, Master," the sulky man smiled charmingly, like a naughty puppy seeking attention.

"We have snacks and drinks, J."

Hajin pursed his lips at his master’s glaring eyes and clicked his tongue softly like a petulant child, refusing to move.

"Haa..." Sarah exhaled heavily. It was cute, but also embarrassing and burdensome.

"Ahahahaha!" Austin, however, thought it was all amusing while clapping and laughing in his seat, which got the pair of master and bodyguard raised their brows. "Oh, you really are exactly as Sir Hwa told me!"

Hajin narrowed his eyes inquisitively.

"That’s why I came after enjoying my dinner downstairs," Austin smirked, almost smugly. "But I do appreciate some nice latte, though--you have hazelnut or something back there?"

"I’m not sure," the grey eyes squinting even more.

Another laughter came out shortly. "Don’t worry; she’s not my type," Austin said lightly while waving his hand dismissively in the air.

"Why are we talking about this?" Sarah frowned.

Hajin also frowned. "Whyever not?"

"Which one is it?!" Sarah snapped, flabbergasted at the unreasonable man.

"Oh, this is fun!" Austin laughed even louder. "Anyway, my type has a whole different physiology than her, so rest assured."

"Hmm..."

Sarah held back from throwing her spoon at her bodyguard, hissing in warning. "The drink, J."

"As you wish, Master."

At last, the man was willing to move and serve their guest. Or rather, partner.

"I thought he was a mad dog," Austin chuckled. "Turned out he’s just a clingy puppy."

"I can show you the mad dog if you want," Hajin returned quickly with a canned coffee and a glass--no hazelnut syrup--as if he didn’t want to leave his master alone with another man at the same table.

"Woo~" Austin gave a fake shudder at those menacing grey eyes. "So scaweey~"

The corner of the cold eyes twitched, and Austin’s cheeky lips raised into a smirk.

"Why? Are you going to hit me?" he arched his brow teasingly while opening his canned coffee. "I’m impertinent to your master’s plan, you know?"

The grey eyes twitched again and Hajin turned around to face his master instead, focusing on Sarah’s unmoving spoon. "Please start your dinner before it gets cold, Master."

Sarah arched her brow as the bodyguard walked away from the dining table, lips pursing slightly.

"Oh, you’re finished?" Austin curled his lips, swaying his coffee in amusement before sipping the cold liquid. "I’m having fun watching you two."

She could say the same about those two. Sarah lifted the glass of water instead of her spoon and smiled behind the rim. It was kind of fun seeing Hajin lost in the battle of wit, perhaps because she was usually the one losing to him.

Hmm...she should learn how to control this beast. Even if she held the leash, Hajin had been pulling her around like an overexcited border collie.

"Don’t mind me and have your meal," Austin told Sarah and looked around the base camp while enjoying his canned coffee. "Anyway, are we going to meet here every time?"

"Mostly," Sarah nodded while mixing her bibimbap. "It’s either here or Helios. We can never, ever be seen meeting each other."

"Hmm..." Austin leaned back to contemplate while swirling his glass. "So you want me to move in the open."

Sarah smiled; it was always nice talking to smart people. "Please take care of my offshore account that Helios made and create an investment company."

"This includes the other gifts that Sir Hwa gave you?" Austin turned his head to the side, where a locked briefcase could be seen on the couch.

It would be familiar to Austin because it was a briefcase specifically made by Steel Star. Safely stored inside were the shell companies Yonghwa provided and a detailed instruction Sarah had made while waiting for the bodyguard audition.

"Yep--J," Sarah tilted her head, and Hajin took the locked briefcase, handing it over to their new asset handler after unlocking it. "There’s a list of all the shares I still have and what to do with them. Around half will have to be sold during the specific time range I wrote down there; use the money from that to short-sell on the company I listed on the third page."

Austin read the instruction manual with a raised brow. It was so detailed that he wondered if Sarah could see the future or something--because he didn’t think even insider information could provide this much.

"And the other half?" the eyes behind the glasses narrowed.

"There’s a need for them later," Sarah replied simply, which got the man frowned in deep thought. She smiled and asked. "Why?"

Austin twisted his lips slightly, showing his confusion. "Just...it’s not how we usually do things."

"I know," Sarah said calmly, wiping her mouth with the napkin Hajin promptly provided. "But you are my instrument until spring, Austin. All you have to do is follow my direction."

Austin looked at the pair of gleaming obsidian, sharper and deeper than he remembered in high school. "Alright, alright--" he raised his hands in defeat. "Sir Hwa already told me that much, so I’ll do just that."

"Good," Sarah nodded with her standard smile; the one she used for transactions.

"Ooh...you look like your student council self again, Miss Diamond," Austin winked, prompting Sarah to chuckle.

"I guess old habits die hard..."

"It’s not anything bad," the financier shrugged and put the instruction down. "So--you want me to create an investment firm first, don’t you? And gained a reputation through the short-sell here?"

"Since the capital came from abroad, we should build an image first over here," Sarah nodded.

"And who do you want me to approach using that reputation?" Austin stroked his chin curiously.

"Shareholders," Sarah smiled dryly, with a cold glint in her eyes. "HS Group’s shareholders."

* * *

Austin left the room soon after to treat his impending jet lag, much to Hajin’s delight. He even cleaned the table while humming, making Sarah shake her head in a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"I’m sorry I couldn’t prepare something better, Master..." Hajin sighed while taking the dishes to the sink. "There’s only instant stuff in the pantry."

Sarah paused to glance at the dishes she just emptied because they were delicious, wondering what kind of standard this man upheld. It got her curious about the kind of food he could provide with extensive ingredients.

"Make a list of groceries and hand it to the house manager to fill the annex’s kitchen," Sarah said. "I’m sick of the main house’s food--they only make stuff according to that woman’s taste."

Hajin could hear the clear loathing in Sarah’s voice, which surprised him. Even while calling it revenge, Sarah usually kept her emotions in check, making it seem like she was talking about business rather than personal vendetta.

But then again, her hatred for this woman was understandable. It was the kind of betrayal that no one could recover from.

"How are they actually like?" Hajin asked curiously while bringing over a dessert plate.

He had spent a few days in the mansion, but he had never seen the family. Most new employees never did, unless they were tasked to clean the family members’ rooms, drive them around, or guard them.

He had heard about them through the other employee, and of course, he had Sarah’s drunken babble saved in his hand. But hearing about it was not the same as experiencing their presence directly.

"You’ll know soon," Sarah stabbed the coconut pudding in front of her while squinting her eyes coldly. "We’ll have the monthly dinner tomorrow."