Burning The House Of Cards: taking revenge on my billionaire family
Chapter 63 - 62. Those Left Behind

Chapter 63: Chapter 62. Those Left Behind

"Morning, Uncle!"

Sarah sauntered into the secretarial office like she was visiting her friend’s place to play, greeting the old man sitting at the head table. Ignoring the stares of the other employees, she walked toward the old man who stood up in response. Immediately, all the other employees stood up too.

"It’s past afternoon, Young Miss."

The Chief Secretary looked at Sarah with stern, dissatisfied eyes. He also glanced sharply at Hajin, definitely over what he ’overheard’ during the call earlier.

But knowing she wouldn’t be sent away gave Sarah leeway to act brazen, so she just smiled cheekily. "Well, I just woke up not long ago, so it’s still morning for me."

The old man closed his eyes for a second and sighed, before gesturing toward a small conference room on the side while taking a folder from his desk with him. "Over here, please."

Sarah entered the small conference room with Hajin in tow. She could see the disapproving look on the old man’s face, but what could he do? Hajin wasn’t just a bodyguard--he was a personal assistant, a secretary, a housekeeper, a driver, and everything else Sarah needed. All in a budget of one--even though his pay was twice the regular fare.

The family’s financier was probably the only one who was happy about Hajin’s existence.

Without asking or waiting for permission, Sarah took a seat on a chair that Hajin pulled, crossing her legs and tapping her fingers on the table. "So, what do you want me to do, Uncle?"

Sarah thought the old man would show more displeasure, but he just put on an expressionless face. She forgot that he had to deal with her siblings already, so he was probably immune to rude brats at this point.

"Now that you’re properly graduated, the Chairman feels it’s time for you to do something for yourself," the Chief Secretary said dryly, strictly in a business tone.

Which only made Sarah want to be even cheekier.

"I’m doing something for myself," she shrugged, swiveling her chair playfully. "Like having fun."

"Something more worthwhile, Young Miss," the man said without missing a beat, like he had been hearing such words countless times. Perhaps he had. "It’s time you contributed to the company."

Sarah pursed her lips, replying reluctantly. "You’re telling me to work?"

"All of your older siblings do that after they graduate, Young Miss."

"Hmm...I guess so," Sarah tilted her head, appearing to contemplate. "But you’re not going to give me something hard, right? Wait--" she straightened her head and looked at the old man with narrowed eyes. "You’re not going to put me in the middle of nowhere, right?"

For a second there, the old man looked like he wanted very much to do so. But even the useless Axton got positioned in the capital--at least until his impending transfer.

"Of course not, Young Miss," the Chief Secretary flashed a cold smile--which told Sarah he was already fed up. "It’s still in the city, an affiliation of ours."

He handed the folder to Sarah, but Hajin took it instead, opening it before presenting it politely to his master. Sarah took the folder while giggling, relishing the way the corner of the old man’s eye twitched.

"Humm...oh! I’m the COO? So I don’t really need to work much," she laughed after flash-reading the folder.

"Well, we’ll appreciate it if you do some work," the chief secretary smiled.

Sarah chuckled. "I’ll try, but...I wonder who chose this company?" she tilted her head, glancing at the old man’s cold eyes while handing the folder back to her bodyguard. "Is it you?"

"No, it’s Director Seo."

"Oh! Uncle Joseph!" Sarah clasped her hands, nodding in excitement. "Mm, mm--if it’s him, he must have chosen something good for me."

Unlike the chief secretary, Director Seo Joseph was Sarah’s real uncle--or rather, her great-uncle. He was the previous chairman’s cousin, the son of the founder’s much younger sister. He was too young to be in her grandfather’s generation, but was also too old to be with her father’s generation.

This awkward position made him a passive player in the family, since he couldn’t really fit in with any group during family gatherings. But this was what made him able to stay neutral and go about his own business without involving himself in factions and politics.

At least, the possibility of this company being used to screw her lessened.

"Do I have to go right away?" Sarah asked.

"No, you can go next week."

"Mm, ’kay," Sarah nodded in satisfaction before snapping her fingers. "Oh, can I ask one thing?"

The chief secretary narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"

"Can you give me a list of our shareholders?" Sarah asked in a light tone, with an underlying giggle. "Now that I’m given a company, I should know where I might be able to receive some help, right?"

The old man squinted his eyes--not in suspicion, but in a worry that the girl would embarrass herself and, in turn, the group. "I don’t advise you to disturb the board of directors, Young Miss."

"Oh, come on! I just want to ask them to promote some projects," Sarah pursed her lips. "Isn’t it better to ask people with stakes in our group? What if I ask people who are on our competitor’s side by mistake?"

Sarah didn’t just say this. She remembered Axton doing exactly this in her previous timeline, and when she checked, the man did exactly the same in this timeline as well. It was two years ago, and the memory of having to calm the angry shareholders must still be fresh in the old man’s head.

As expected, he sighed at the painful recollection and nodded. "Very well."

"Thanks, Uncle!" Sarah grinned and clapped before jumping to her feet. "That’s all, right? I can go back, now?"

"You can go see the Chairman for a--"

"Alright--that’s it then!" she cut the old man in clear rejection while walking to the conference room door that Hajin timely opened for her. "Bye-bye, Uncle!"

She actually waved and walked out nonchalantly. The employees stood up again to see her off, and she made time to wink at a male employee who was blatantly staring at her.

Hajin watched the back of his master with cold eyes. Thankfully, he could manage to hold back until they were alone in a hallway before leaning down to whisper. "In front of my face?"

"Why? Do you want me to do it behind your back?" Sarah glanced up, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

"I’d prefer if you didn’t do it at all," Hajin twisted his lips, which only made Sarah laugh in response.

"How unreasonable, puppy. I’m a promiscuous bitch."

"Haa..." Hajin chuckled in both amusement and exasperation. Even in that situation, his master was still adorable. "But, do you really think it’s a good company, Master?"

Sarah glanced around to make sure there was no CCTV or eavesdropping people before replying. "I don’t know," she tapped the folder in Hajin’s hand, looking at it with uncertainty. "From this alone, it doesn’t look bad--or rather, it doesn’t look like anything."

It was a small company that acted more like a broker for subcontractors, looking for projects that the small to medium companies within the group could participate in. Technically, the company was under the group, but has yet to be officially affiliated. It wasn’t public, and the group owned forty-nine percent of the shares.

"Even if it goes under in the future, they can just cut it off without people knowing. On the other hand, if it goes well, they can say it is thanks to the CEO--even if it’s my work," Sarah said.

"Hmm..."

"It’s a perfect place to put me, who they think might or might not have potential," she elaborated so Hajin could understand. "There won’t be much harm if I mess up, or much benefit if I succeed. It’s located in the city, but nowhere near the center--almost like a shed near the main house."

Hajin stroked his chin as he tried to digest the explanation. "So they want to keep you in a place where they can watch you without giving you any attention."

"Good boy," Sarah patted the man’s chest with the back of her hand, smirking. "Well...I don’t know if it’s made to suppress me or benefit me, though."

"What do you mean?"

"I might be placed there to get used to things in a slightly calmer place," Sarah shrugged.

"Why do you think so?"

Sarah stopped, sighing after three seconds of silence.

"Of all people, Uncle Joseph was the one who used to treat me with genuine kindness," she said quietly, with a layer of softness that betrayed her clenched fists. "He’s the only one who helped me with my mother’s funeral."

Unfortunately, he had an urgent business trip right before the funeral, so he couldn’t accompany his grand-niece at the time of grief. When Sarah left for her studies, he was still in the middle of heated negotiations abroad.

That kindness, despite him being passive to her challenging life most of the time, was what made Sarah agree to send her former assistant, Ethan, to work there.

Talking about Ethan, she hadn’t told him about her new numbers...

"Master?" Hajin called out to her when Sarah stood still for almost a minute, lost in thought.

"Well...I hope he hasn’t changed," Sarah shook her head and resumed walking. "I’ll understand if he’s disappointed in how I turned out, though."

She let out a chuckle--perhaps she had been worried about their reaction, which was why she purposefully never contacted them after she returned.

"Oh, well..." she shrugged. "It’s better for us not to interact too much, anyway."

Otherwise, she might not be able to bear the guilt once their life was affected by her revenge.

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