Burning The House Of Cards: taking revenge on my billionaire family
Chapter 52 - 51. Cracking A Glass House

Chapter 52: Chapter 51. Cracking A Glass House

[How could you?!]

The first wife’s voice resounded through the car during Mason’s journey back to the mansion. She had demanded to meet face to face, but Mason refused by saying he was busy.

[How could you do that to your brother?!]

Mason rolled his eyes, annoyance plastered over his face. This was why he didn’t want to see his mother--he would have to control his expression if he did, and Mason was already irritated enough as it was.

After seeing that kiss Sarah gave the bodyguard--however brief it was--and thinking about what Sarah and Daniel might have done inside the Circle’s private room, Mason was filled with rage. Axton should be grateful he still had self-control and merely slapped his brother twice.

It was one thing to let Sarah sleep around with random foreigners; it wasn’t as if she would take them seriously as a lover, and the family would never let it happen. It was annoying, but Mason could still tolerate the bodyguard to some extent, for the same reason: they were nothing but peasants.

But this?

As if it wasn’t enough that they were planning to throw Sarah to people from their circle, they even gave Sarah a chance for Sarah to be with Kang Daniel. Fuck!

And yeah, while Axton was denying it at first, he finally confessed after Mason pressured him hard enough--as usual.

And to think that coward immediately ran to their mother...

What a pathetic excuse of a manchild.

I should throw that brat somewhere obscure once I become vice-chairman--Mason thought while clicking his tongue.

[Mason!]

"Don’t exaggerate, Mother," Mason replied coldly. "I only demoted his position in the company a little bit and told him to stay put at home."

[You’re essentially putting him under house arrest!] her scream was overlapping with another shout in the background, obviously from a protesting Axton. [Why do you have to do that? He did nothing wrong!]

Mason sighed in annoyance. Of course, his useless brother could do nothing wrong, since their mother never had any expectation of being broken.

Fucking spoiled child who never have to suffer. Fuck. Just recalling all kinds of stupid things Axton had done only furthered his annoyance. At least Amber knew how to take care of herself and put importance on her image. But her twin...

Such a useless prick!

"It doesn’t matter, Mother. Do you think I care about such a meager trick?" Mason clicked his tongue.

He wouldn’t care even if Axton killed someone--Mason could throw that waste of space in jail for all he cared.

But he got to touch the one thing he shouldn’t touch. Bullying Sarah was whatever--it was good, actually, because Mason could secretly act like a shining knight. But throwing her to a group of local vultures was unacceptable.

But of course, he couldn’t use that kind of reason openly.

[Then why?!]

"Because other people don’t think so!" Mason roared and kicked the front seat in irritation. "Fucking Kang Daniel doesn’t think so!"

[W-what?]

Fucking stupid! Fucking foolish mother and son who could never use their brain!

But then again, if she could use her brain, she wouldn’t get swayed by a much younger man who clearly only wanted her money and asked for a divorce. Fucking useless woman! She should have just stayed and had affairs like normal people!

Look what she did now--two more wives and even more children threatening his position, and she dared to blame him for everything?!

Mason took a deep breath as the call had turned silent. He could hear his mother stuttering breath and Axton grumbling, and he had to do some breathing exercises to keep his emotions in check.

"Mother, you have to see it from a broader perspective," Mason sighed, speaking in a more empathetic tone. "If I don’t punish him first, the board of directors would question it once the rumor spreads, and they’ll demand something even harsher than a mere demotion."

He still had no idea what Kang Daniel’s deal was; wasn’t sure why the men took it that far. But that was exactly why he couldn’t take any risk.

Fulfilling Seul-ah’s request was his main objective, but he also had to do it for his position in the family.

Fortunately, his mother seemed to agree.

[Urk...]

"And what’s so bad about staying home?" Mason scoffed. "It’s better for him to stay put for now until the rumor dies down and Kang Daniel no longer points fingers."

There was another silence from the phone, which Mason very much welcomed. He was already feeling irritated and exhausted the whole day, so this nonsense set him on edge even more.

While leaning back to relax his shoulder, he could hear a quiet, suppressed protest on the other side. Axton was probably still feeling like he got treated unfairly, because all he did was ’bullying’ a girl they hated.

Even nearing his thirties, the man didn’t seem like he could think outside of his very small, very narrow, very constricted bubble.

Thankfully, Mason didn’t have to sacrifice his vocal cords anymore.

[Haa...I understand] his mother finally spoke in resignation. [But...you’re not only doing this to your brother, right?]

Mason scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

His mother’s voice turned stiffer in a mix of concern and warning. [You know she won’t just take it, right?]

"Who do you think I am, Mother?" Mason rolled his eyes. He looked outside the window with cold eyes and spoke in an even colder tone. "I should show them who has power in the family."

[Right--Yes, that’s true] his mother’s voice turned bright and filled with excitement, as if she hadn’t just been screaming at him a few minutes ago. [As expected of my son!]

She started to ramble on and on about what an excellent son he was, and Mason just let her speak without listening. It was just the usual stuff, but if he cut her off, she would throw a tantrum, and Mason would have to pacify her for days.

After who knew how long, the call finally ended after Mason told his mother to either keep Axton in her penthouse or tell him to return to the mansion and keep himself inside for at least a month.

"Phew..." Mason clicked his tongue, too tired to even curse out loud. "These hags are such exhausting women."

* * *

"Why do you prefer the first son to do the punishment, Master?" Hajin asked while serving Sarah her dinner in their base camp. "Can’t we punish them ourselves?"

"Don’t be foolish," Sarah replied with a sigh. "All we could get from doing that now is suspicion. We can get away this time because of Daniel sharing the link."

Hajin pressed his lips, holding back his annoyance because it was true.

"It doesn’t matter who punishes them as long as they are getting punished--they won’t be able to escape in the end anyway," Sarah continued. "But if I asked the chairman, who never cared about this kind of thing before, they would think he favors me."

"Ah..."

Hajin nodded, finally understanding his master’s choice. The family had already thought Sarah had regained his favor because her old assets were returned to her, so they had to avoid anything that would make people think she was back to her old status.

"Now--" Sarah raised her chopsticks at Hajin. "What would the other thinks if the one punishing them is the first son?"

Hajin tilted his head in contemplation. "Hmm...he would avoid making himself look like he’s on your side, right? Perhaps..." he paused and squinted his eyes to muse. "He’d brought up...Kang Daniel?"

Sarah snapped her fingers. "I told him Daniel knew about those two’s involvement, so he would use it as justification."

"I see..."

"And now, think about how they would feel, receiving punishment from him."

The Chairman never cared about them, so what use was his scolding? He had always been a cold, scary figure without a shred of affection. But Mason?

"The second son will feel betrayed," Hajin arched his brow. "Even if the first wife could be convinced, he would still feel betrayed by his older brother. And the third son...will probably throw a tantrum."

"Including their mothers," Sarah smirked, hitting her glass with her spoon, watching the rippling water inside. "It’ll be fun, don’t you think?"

Hajin chuckled. Ah...his master was truly pretty when she acted like this. "But...do you think he will really do that? Punishing them?"

"Do you think he’ll pass up a chance to act like the head of the house?" Sarah snickered. "He loves feeling powerful, and..."

"...and?"

Sarah had laid the necessary bait at the office earlier, although she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

"And...he cares about this family’s reputation even more than the Chairman," Sarah shrugged.

That wasn’t either too. If Lee Hyuk cared about reputation, he wouldn’t be so shamelessly having dates with his affairs in the open. Mason, on the other hand, managed his image carefully. That was why he still married the girl his mother chose and put on all kinds of masks in public.

"Well...the crack between the first wife’s faction is guaranteed anyway, but..." Sarah leaned back, looking at the city lights from the window with a subtle smile. "I wonder how harsh the clash with that woman will be."