Burning The House Of Cards: taking revenge on my billionaire family
Chapter 70 - 69. A Tray Of Solace

Chapter 70: Chapter 69. A Tray Of Solace

"You’re going to continue?"

The house manager actually looked surprised when he came the next day to ask Sarah about the blind date’s result--probably sent by the third wife. As someone who was there when Sarah made a mess inside the chairman’s study and created a trail of destruction all the way to the mansion’s side entrance, he was expecting Sarah to throw another tantrum after the blind date.

But...what? She said she might see the man again?

"Who said anything about continuing?" Sarah rolled her eyes. "I only said we agreed to have a second meeting."

Wasn’t that basically the same?

"We just agreed to meet and talk once again--doesn’t mean we agreed to make it official or anything, okay?"

Wasn’t that how relationships usually started? The house manager looked strangely at the grumbling girl who seemed to hate the fact that she actually didn’t mind the blind date after making such a ruckus about it. Was she feeling embarrassed, perhaps?

"Then, I shall report that everything went well," the house manager said.

Suddenly, something seemed to occur in the girl’s mind, and the black eyes twinkled. With a brighter expression, she looked at the house manager again.

"Right! You could say that," she was strangely bright about it. "Too bad about the vases, though."

The corner of the wrinkled eyes twitched. The memory of cleaning up all of the shattered pieces of ceramic and glass throughout the hallways from the second floor to the first still lingered in his mind, not to mention the shriek from the third wife.

Oh, how much she must be berating the staff, even if it wasn’t their fault. And yet, she was too proud to march to the annex and unleash her fury at the perpetrator, while fully knowing Sarah would either reject her summon or just destroy more of her precious thing.

Ironically, she was probably throwing more stuff in her quarters because of that, adding to the destruction.

Ah...the more things were breaking, the happier Sarah felt.

"But then again, all of them are tacky and ugly, so..." Sarah shrugged. "Good riddance?"

Sarah laughed merrily, with unmasked joy that derived from genuine sentiment without a shred of acting. Well...perhaps just a bit of exaggeration.

But the mirth was all conveyed with every crisp breath of laughter. Sarah made sure of that as she curled her eyes at the house manager. "You can report that too."

The house manager arched his brow, before hiding it with a bow and left afterward. From the kitchen island, Hajin glanced at his scoffing master and raised his own brow. "Were you venting?" he asked curiously.

Sarah tilted her head. Venting...perhaps she needed more outlet to let his anger go. Accumulating it inside her did help quell some guilt and made sure she did not stray from the whip of nemesis. But it also corroded her mind if she couldn’t manage it well, making her prone to mental offset.

Perhaps it was time for her to find another defense art studio. The gym just wasn’t enough since it was hard for her to imagine her enemies’ faces on the punching bag.

Still...

"It does make me feel better imagining her expression," she smiled deeply. "Besides..."

"Besides?"

"It might piss Mason off if he heard," Sarah shrugged. "It’ll be good if he clashed with that woman again."

"Hmm..."

At the lukewarm response, Sarah turned her head to look at the bodyguard. Even though it was only to take advantage of the man, Hajin was clearly still uncomfortable with the idea of Sarah having a ’date’.

"Maybe you’re the one who needs to vent," Sarah said. "How have you been doing anyway? The last time should be in that mountain, right?"

Sarah knew Hajin used violence to vent his emotions. That was why he joined the colosseum, and how he was so good in Aegis. Other needed to vent outside because of their work, but Hajin worked to vent.

That was no longer applicable when he started his contract with Sarah, however. All he had been doing was investigating ledgers and taking care of her.

Hajin lifted his head from the tray he had been busying himself with that afternoon and smiled. "You forgot about my breakfast journey, Master."

"Ah..."

Right. Sarah forgot about that one since it happened without her order and technically ’never’ happened.

"That being said," Hajin chuckled while bringing a tray of elaborately decorated madeleines to his master on the couch. "This is how I vent now."

Sarah arched her brow at the pretty-looking colorful yummies on the tray. "Cooking?"

"Serving you, actually, but yes," Hajin laughed softly. "It’s satisfying having a goal while cooking--having someone to imagine while doing the process. I must say it’s rather healing."

"Huh..."

Hajin’s words brought a sudden memory of her mother; how she would excitedly prepare a whole feast everytime Sarah visited her in her apartment, even though she knew Sarah could only take a small bite of each--since she had to watch her calorie intake. Still, her mother’s face would light up every time those small bites entered Sarah’s mouth, laughing softly with each praise.

Was that why? Did she imagine her daughter’s face every time she cooked, waiting for the moment they could eat together?

Sarah took a deep breath and took a madeleine, biting it eagerly. It was perfectly fluffy, with just the right sweetness for Sarah. Every flavor was made with Sarah’s favorite flavor, catered only to her preferences.

"It’s...a good way to vent," Sarah said, prompting a beautiful smile blooming in the bodyguard’s already charming face.

Hajin nudged the ottoman with his feet until it was in front of Sarah’s seat and sat there, looking straight into the girl’s surprised eyes. "But, Master...I can go with you this time, right?"

Oh, that--she was wondering why the cheeky man made a serious expression all of a sudden. This time, she nodded easily. "They only used that so I couldn’t refuse to go. Now that I’m willing, there’s no reason for them to keep you chained here."

And honestly, Sarah realized she felt anxious without Hajin there. She couldn’t trust any of the bodyguards sent to guard her, since they were no different than a watcher. Everything she did and said would be conveyed to someone else, and she couldn’t even relax inside the car.

It was the same as before she received her second life. The life of a doll, filled with anxiety. She couldn’t even fully become herself when she was with her assistants or her mothers, because she had to show them that she was fine and triumphant.

Compared to that...she had been living more carelessly. Well, not exactly careless, but...she could freely express herself in front of Hajin. He had seen her at her lowest, being all drunk and spilling secrets. What was the use of acting coy? He had seen her naked; he had seen her angry and crying and breaking down in panic; he was privy to the secrets no other people had ever heard--not even the ash of her mother.

So Sarah didn’t see the need for her to act like someone she wasn’t in front of him--after all, Hajin had already seen her real self. Perhaps even the side Sarah didn’t know she had.

And it was...liberating. Healing, even.

"You’ll come with me, and..." with her clean hand, she held the man’s jaw and stroked the high cheekbone with her thumb. "Your presence might rile up that man."

Hajin arched his brow. "Oh?"

"He loves himself so much that he won’t take it if someone seems superior," Sarah smirked. At least, he loved hearing his own voice. "But there’s no way he can beat you with appearance, so he’ll be competing with something else."

"Status and achievement," Hajin said, closing his eurs and leaning into the soft touch. It was something that made him feel inferior before, but since his master was caressing him, Hajin was content.

"He should spill more about the project and who he works with if he wants to brag, don’t you think?"

"I sure hope so," Hajin opened his eyes, frowning slightly. "He should at least pay that much to share a table with you."

"So greedy," the stroking hand moved up to flick the bodyguard’s forehead, sending the man back with a grin across his lips. "You’re already sharing a table with me every day."

Hajin tilted his head. "Isn’t that an appropriate payment for my service, Master?"

"How cheeky," Sarah pushed the ottoman further back with her foot. "Anyway, tell Austin to find out if that man--who was his name again, Henry?--ask Austin to see if that man’s company has any of HS’s shares."

"Any shares?" Hajin asked, his expression hot brighter knowing Sarah didn’t even bother to remember the man’s name well.

"It would be good if they had the core share in Heavenly Shine, but at this point, any affiliation shares can be useful," Sarah shrugged. "Everything is a part of the chain anyway."

"Alright," Hajin nodded and stood up, sending the ottoman back to where it was before. But he paused and turned around to look at Sarah with narrowed eyes, askinh cautiously. "So...you only see him again to take advantage of him, right?"

Sarah rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yes--are you satisfied now?"

"Mm~"

Again, Sarah rolled her eyes as her bodyguard replied with a hum and cheerfully made her a cup of tea. She stretched her arms and took another piece of madeleine. "That’s enough about this damn blind date," she said. Talking about it meant remembering those two hours of enduring endless talking, and it was already exhausting thinking about the second meeting.

"Then, what about your aunt?" and yet, Hajin brought up another exhausting topic. "What should I do with her offer?"

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