Burning The House Of Cards: taking revenge on my billionaire family
Chapter 40 - 39. No Conscience For The Wicked

Chapter 40: Chapter 39. No Conscience For The Wicked

Once again, Sarah found herself waking up with an alluring alarm that gave her a start.

"Can you stop waking me up like that?" Sarah groaned as she pushed the man away.

It was getting more dangerous for her heart than annoying. That, in itself, was annoying.

"Hmm..." Hajin tilted his head, putting on an innocent face. "But you didn’t wake up when I called you from afar, Master."

"Ugh--"

He didn’t lie. Perhaps Hajin didn’t put enough effort into screaming out Sarah’s name from the edge of the bed, but Sarah was also a deep sleeper--a weird trait for someone so plagued with nightmares.

And yet, that was how it was. The nightmares were like a quagmire with a sole mission to tie her up and drag her down. Sometimes, Sarah even wondered if she would end up swimming in a nightmare to her death.

Never waking up again, found with a screaming face in her sleep.

Even the alarm couldn’t help, since she couldn’t hear it in her sleep. Another reason why she kept on missing her classes at university. Who knew that she would get a man too dangerous for one’s heart as an alarm?

"You have to get used to it, Master." Hajin laughed cheerfully, clearly had no intention to change his method. "Oh, you can look forward to breakfast."

Sarah waved her hand at the retreating bodyguard, whose light steps were almost soundless even on a hard surface. Hmm...did he intentionally make sounds while working in the kitchen before?

Tilting her head in wonder, Sarah stretched out her upper body, feeling lighter than the day before. Oh...perhaps she should spew out spite more often; it seemed to be effective medicine for her stress.

But the better medicine, evidently, was the imperial meal her talented bodyguard prepared for her. As if paying back for only being able to cook ramyeon last night, Hajin filled the table with all kinds of homemade food that must have taken hours to prepare.

Once again, Sarah questioned how long this man had slept regularly.

But those hours of work was reflected well in the food Sarah ate for breakfast. Damn...what had she been eating all this time? Moreover...why hadn’t this man used the skill to open a restaurant yet?

A lot of chefs would probably cry knowing those hands were used for violence instead.

"Something wrong, Master?" Hajin tilted his head.

"...you’re so weird," Sarah shook her head.

Of all paths this man could choose...

"I’ll take that as compliments," Hajin whistled cheerfully while mixing a sweet morning coffee for himself as usual.

Well...it was, in a way. She had only eaten the man’s cooking several times, but Sarah already knew it would be hard for her to get awed by restaurant food anymore. Between the fabulous breakfast and a relatively nicer sleep, it was almost a perfect morning for Sarah.

Almost.

If only the house manager had not come to the annex, summoning her on behalf of her father.

"The Chairman wishes for your presence," the old man said dryly, adding quickly while glancing at Hajin. "Alone."

Naturally, the loyal dog tensed up. "Master--"

"It’s fine," Sarah swallowed her sigh and stood up.

No matter how defiant she wanted to be, she still needed access to HS Group’s shareholder list--which she couldn’t have if the chairman kicked her out of anger. Besides...she wanted to know what her supposed ’father’ thought about her actions last night.

She turned toward the frowning bodyguard and smiled, tracing her fingers along the dark shirt and pulling the choker so they were flush against each other. Hajin held her waist reflexively--happily--even though he knew it was just an act in front of the house manager.

"Go request stuff for our annex and prepare the car afterward," she said, in a low voice that sounded like nothing but flirtatious. "I want to go away right after this."

Hajin had to remind himself that he shouldn’t look happy about these advances--because he was supposed to be uncomfortable. What a difficult task when his master called the place our annex. He pressed his lips in an attempt to refrain himself from smiling while nodding stiffly. "Understood, Master."

"Good boy," Sarah patted the man’s cheek and brushed the stiffening lips with her thumb before turning around and walking away with the frowning house manager.

That being said, the old man did not say anything to her. She remembered how much he nagged her for every little thing in the past, from the way she walked to the way she dressed. Even to that day, Sarah had no idea whether the old man did it to nurture her, or simply because he enjoyed nagging motherless children.

Who cares? It was good for Sarah that she didn’t have to feel sorry for anyone in that house.

Following the unfriendly house manager, Sarah arrived at the chairman’s office. Rather than facing him on the desk or the couch, however, she was brought to an adjacent room where the chairman was having his private, lavish breakfast, attended by the housekeeper and three more assistants.

Such a weird household, having breakfast alone when he had a legal wife and children living in the same house. Must have been a headache for the cooks.

"You called me?" Sarah did not bother with greetings.

Lee Hyuk looked up from his coffee and gestured at the chair before him. "Have some breakfast."

Sarah smiled bitterly. How many times did she wish she could have a meal with his father in the past? How many times did she wish for a simple audience, for her father to look her way?

"Already have," Sarah replied nonchalantly, although she did take a seat. Why would she tire herself out by standing, anyway? The chairman looked at her with a raised brow, and she simply smiled contentedly. "I have an excellent, talented bodyguard."

"Is that so?"

"Won’t you at least have a drink, Young Miss?" the housekeeper, the house manager’s partner, smiled at her with a cup in her hand. "I prepared your favorite citron tea."

Sarah sneered in response. "Who said so?"

"Yes?" the housekeeper tilted her head.

"Who said it’s my favorite?"

"Umm..."

"It’s a drink the executive directors told me to like because they thought it’d make me look elegant and cultured," Sarah scoffed. And she should know it--she was there when they drilled etiquette lessons and whatnot. "I never liked sour and citrusy stuff."

"Ah..."

Sarah rolled her eyes at the soft exclamation without any emotions behind it. Perhaps that was the condition to work in this house: discarding emotions and conscience.

"It’s not like you ever bother to see that, don’t you?" Sarah sneered.

"Well..."

"Yes. So let’s not waste time on useless glib, Chairman."

She turned her gaze to her father, with eyes devoid of warmth, much less respect. The corner of the chairman’s eyes twitched, but he managed to reply lightly. "I see you are still spiky."

"Are you calling me to criticize me?" Sarah tilted her head.

"Do you not think your actions are worthy of criticism?"

"No?" Sarah smiled mockingly. "What’s wrong with pouring water on a thieving fox?"

"Seul-ah."

"I told you to call me Sarah," the smile on her lips dropped into a cold hiss. The grit and fury in her tone carried to freeze the movement of the assistants behind the chairman. "It’s a name my mother gave me. You don’t have the liberty to use it."

"Hmm..."

The assistants exchanged glances before lowering their heads, wondering if they should be there to witness this spiteful conversation. Sarah leaned back and crossed her arms, staring at her father with a defiant look as if challenging the chairman for a reaction.

Sighing, the chairman asked with no particular emotion behind his words. "So I take it you won’t apologize to Mina?"

"You can order me to do it, and I shall see you as a senile old man," Sarah shrugged.

"Young Miss..."

"Who asks you to open your mouth?" Sarah snapped at the housekeeper, glaring viciously.

The chairman waved his hand, telling the housekeeper to back down. "My apologies," she stepped back while bowing politely.

"I don’t care what that fox does, but if she thinks she can even spell the R in my mother’s name, then she’s a deranged hag." Sarah let the venom pooling in her heart for the past twenty years drip from every syllable coming out between her lips. "Tell her to keep her audacity for your mistress."

Lee Hyuk widened his eyes slightly because the poison was clearly directed not only at his current wife but also at him. Strangely, he didn’t feel angry about it. Instead, a chuckle came out of his mouth as he returned the vicious glare with an amused gaze.

The fuck? Sarah couldn’t help but curse inside her head. Half of the reason she said those things, even though she didn’t want to be kicked out just yet, was indeed to bait a reaction out of her father--something other than indifference. But...she never thought he would react as if she were merely in her rebellious phase or something.

"You hear that?" the chairman glanced at the housekeeper. "You can convey that to her as it is."

The housekeeper glanced at Sarah’s cold eyes before bowing her head. "Very well, Chairman."

Lee Hyuk turned his gaze back to his daughter, still with that amused twinkle in his eyes. "I had heard that you’ve changed," his thin lips curled up slightly. "I can see that now."

"Is that so?" Sarah, in turn, replied unamusedly. "I’m surprised you know me enough to recognize the change."

The chairman raised his brow, and Sarah tilted her head with a dull gaze in her eyes.

"Did you even know my birthday?"

Cards with printed birthday wishes one could find easily on the internet, sent by the secretariat office.

"Or the day my mother died?"

An empty funeral house and even emptier columbarium.

"Do you even know the date of my return?"

The black eyes, devoid of light, were a projection of her numbing heart after years of neglect. It was so cold and lifeless that the chairman couldn’t offer any excuses, merely listening in silence.

"I thought so," Sarah stood up, shedding even her anger with a dry tone. "I don’t think we have anything more to talk about. It’s not like we ever have anything to talk about."

She had been working hard to be acknowledged, to hear even a simple line of fake praise. No...not even a praise. She would have been happy even if it were a scolding.

But she had met the group’s executives more often than she saw her father.

"You’re right," the chairman sighed. "Can’t we change that from now on?"

Sarah halted and turned to look at her father. Even until her death, there was still a part of her who wished for his acknowledgment. The little girl who yearned for his affection. A daughter who prayed for just a second of a warm glance.

Looking at the sunlight reflecting on his father’s eyes, Sarah smiled softly and replied with utmost firmness. "No."

Even if she had determined to act, she couldn’t sell her soul that much. For her, this man, who was supposed to be her father, was just as hateful as the best friend who stabbed her mother in the front, back, and sides. He was as guilty of her mother’s miserable life.

"Young Miss," the house manager, who was surprisingly still there, held her back near the door.

"What?"

"Here is the card for your old account," the old man said, taking out a rectangular black colored card on a small tray. "Now that you’re back, you can have your old stuff again. We’ll also provide a new car of your choosing if you’d like, and you’ll receive an allowance as much as the other Young Misses."

Sarah stared coldly at the card. "As always," she snickered, looking back at her expressionless father. "Everything can be solved with money, huh?"

The chairman leaned back on his chair and tilted his head. "What a weird question, child. We are conglomerates."

Sarah smirked; thank you for making it easy for me. It was nice knowing she didn’t have to leave any conscience in her path of destruction. "Well, since you’re oh so generous, I’ll squander it nicely."

She snatched the card and left the room without saying anything. Twirling the card while hurling out all kinds of curses inside her mind, Sarah slowed down when he saw the dashing figure right outside the hall.

"Master..."

At Hajin’s worried gaze, Sarah threw the card to him. "Let’s go."

Staring at the card, Hajin asked while observing his master’s reaction. "Where should I take you?"

"Shopping," Sarah gnashed her teeth in a mix of a smirk and a snarl. "Let’s splurge this family’s money."