Burning The House Of Cards: taking revenge on my billionaire family
Chapter 87 - 86. Warm Day For A Snake

Chapter 87: Chapter 86. Warm Day For A Snake

Sarah started her day with irritation. Not even Hajin’s delicious souffle pancake could lift her mood.

"Why does he keep calling me?" she grumbled with a deep frown as Hajin drove their car to the golf course. "He has five other children who are more than willing to grovel for him."

"Perhaps that’s why?" Hajin shrugged. "He used to have you being all obedient and willing to seek his praise, so perhaps he starts to miss it."

"Then he should have shown interest while I was still being all obedient and willing!"

Sarah crossed her arms and curled in the back seat, lips twisting in displeasure. As much as she wanted to pretend that her family was no longer affecting her, the chairman and the third wife left such a deep scar that she couldn’t just stitch it up. Maybe they weren’t the ones who killed her mother directly, but their betrayal for sure led to her death.

Even if it didn’t...just the betrayal itself was enough for Sarah to destroy everything they ever had.

"He wouldn’t be alone there," Sarah clicked her tongue again. "I don’t know who will be there, but I know it’ll be annoying."

She was already getting criticized widely when she was still a ’good’ girl, so Sarah couldn’t imagine what kind of scolding and sneering she would get. She thought she could avoid those damn executives by being all hopeless and useless, but what could she do if the chairman was the one who called?

She could reject her father’s summons all she liked once her intention was revealed--but not before.

"At least he didn’t tell you right before," Hajin said, trying to see the tiny light beneath the strewn straw.

Well, he was right. The chairman had been calling her to go immediately before, but for this, he actually had the decency to tell her the night before. Not that it made things better, but...

At least she didn’t feel worse. And...

Sarah glanced at the black hair behind the driver’s seat and slowly got up. "At least he didn’t tell you to stay behind."

Hajin smiled; no one was happier about this one little fact than him. If it came down to it, other than that monthly dinner, he had never been in the presence of the chairman again. He wondered how much he had to hold back later, considering it was the man who threatened his master using his employment status.

What a hateful old man.

Hajin announced his intention with "They will have to peel me off you today, Master."

"Cheeky."

Sarah said that, but it lacked her previous irritation. Perhaps all of that was just her trying to deny her attraction to this man. But, well...she couldn’t deny the comforting effect Hajin’s presence had on her.

She didn’t know, however, how much that protection she would need the moment she stepped onto the golf course.

"The chairman and Director Seo are already waiting for you, Young Miss."

One of the secretaries came to greet and led them to the course, and Sarah almost stopped in her tracks. Thankfully, the secretary was already turning around to walk ahead as a guide, so he couldn’t see how the blood was sucked out of her face.

"You have to keep walking," Hajin whispered behind her ear, holding her slightly trembling hand and squeezing it.

Thanks to that, Sarah managed to move her feet--with just a slight stumble once. She still looked a little dazed, however.

"Just hold on to me, Master."

Sarah did not reject the offer, and to make it look more natural, she circled the bodyguard’s sturdy arm, hugging it close to her body as if they were lovers. Hajin had to hold back from grinning, and reminded himself that he shouldn’t look like he was enjoying it.

Well...it wasn’t so hard to do it after feeling the girl’s trembling hand and gripping fingers as they got closer and closer to where the chairman and the director were.

Her two enemies, standing side by side and enjoying life.

"The Young Miss is here," the secretary who fetched her announced.

The old men turned their heads, and the chairman immediately furrowed his brows. He looked at his daughter in displease, as if she was doing something inappropriate.

Rich, coming from someone who wasn’t even allowed to have any female secretaries to avoid sexual harassment cases.

Didn’t prevent him from seeking the prettiest little thing to play around with, however. At least it wouldn’t break company laws and wouldn’t subject the group to legal trouble.

Shame. Sarah would have sent someone for a honeypot mission if she could.

Shame, indeed. But seeing that expression made her blood boil, and her fighting spirit got triggered. She leaned her head on Hajin’s shoulder and smiled cheekily.

"It’s been a while since I went golfing, but what’s wrong with your face, Chairman?" she said, almost like a giggle, but with a challenging gaze in her eyes.

"Your action is rather inappropriate, don’t you think?" the chairman narrowed his eyes and glanced at the bodyguard in his daughter’s arms.

Tacitly, Hajin lowered his head in a bow, timely hiding his own displeasure. The cheek of this old man, criticizing his daughter for having a ’lover’ while being known in the circle to collect mistresses.

"Me? Why?" the same thought was also in Sarah’s mind, as the corner of her lips raised in a sneer. "I’m learning from you."

She had been showing her displeasure to her father openly--especially about his infidelity--so there was no need to play coy about it. On the bright side, it also gave her enough spirit to face her other nemesis.

"It’s been a while, Uncle Joe! I haven’t been able to see you ever since I returned," she smiled brightly, imagining the day she could gauge out those soft eyes and erase the benign smile.

Like a lurking snake under the sun, Director Seo curled his eyes and laughed joyfully. "Oh, you’ve grown so much, Seul-ah--oh, I guess you’ve preffered your English name, now?"

The corner of Sarah’s eyes twitched slightly. Ah...so perfect. He did not say she was changing, attributing it to growing up as if it were a natural phase. He even used her preffered name before she asked him to, like the good uncle he always had been. Perfectly cordial, without being overly coddling.

Just like the man Sarah always remembered as the kindest and warmest.

Truly, if she hadn’t found out about him from Ethan, she would never have felt suspicious at all. Even Hajin was stiffening, not only from silent rage, but also surprise.

Because, how could someone smile that softly, with genuine kindness in their eyes, after doing such a vile thing to someone else?

"Yes, Uncle. You have to call me that from now on, okay?" Sarah replied brightly.

After all, there was no way she would let that man call her by the name that her mother gave her.

"Of course, if my niece says so," Joseph said with a calm smile. "How’s the company?"

"Ah, right!" Sarah patted Hajin’s arm in place of clapping. "You’re the one who set that place up for me, right?"

"I just gave the chairman a recommendation," the old man shook his head and raised his palms. "I thought it would be good for you to start somewhere small since you just came back from your studies," he explained. "And I thought you’d like the calm vibe--you don’t like noisy places too much, right?"

Sarah laughed in agreement. "Oh, you know me so well, Uncle!"

Perhaps, even too much. Down to her schedule and her weakness.

At least for the old her.

"Do you enjoy it?" Joseph asked. "Working, I mean."

He must have known that there was nothing for Sarah to do there--for all she knew, he was the one to tell the CEO that all she had to do was sign whatever the CEO sent to her. She wondered what that question was for--a test?

"Eh," Sarah shrugged. "It’s only been a week, and all I do is sign stuff," she glanced at the frowning chief secretary on the side and added with a giggle. "Oh--and reading some proposals!"

"Yeah, no need to take it too seriously," the chairman while pointing toward the course with the stick in his hand, prompting everyone to move. "Just do enough to justify your allowance. You’ll stop once you get married anyway."

Sarah gripped Hajin’s arm tighter, almost chortled incredulously. When she was still an obedient child with enough intelligence, she was shaped to be a tool for helping the heir from the shadow. When she wasn’t useful for that anymore, she was a tool for marriage--preferably with someone who would benefit the family.

Was that why the chairman looked displeased with her apparent infatuation with her bodyguard?

Yeah. In the end, she was just a tool in the eyes of the family.

"Marriage?" Director Seo widened his eyes. His kind-looking eyes flicked over, finally looking at the handsome man in Sarah’s arms. "What’s this about marriage? Is there something I don’t know?"

"She had a blind date the other day," the chairman said, glancing at Sarah with a meaningful gaze. "You said you’ll see the man again, didn’t you? How is it going?"

Ah--was this the real reason behind the golfing invitation?

"We’re busy people, Chairman, not high school teenagers that go on a date every week," Sarah rolled her eyes. "And I was just agreeing to see him again--it’s not like I have to settle my egg in one basket."

She leaned her head on Hajin again, and even made a show of stroking his arm. With a smirk, she added to her father.

"You know, Chairman--just like you."

Director Seo arched his brow and the corner of the chairman’s eyes twitched at that jab. He already knew by this point, however, that refuting it would only make Sarah snap even more.

"So, you won’t be seeing him anytime soon?" the chairman asked. "I was just wondering if you’ll go to Mirae’s founding party as his plus one."

"Oh," Sarah smiled deeply behind her giggle. "Who knows?"

Looking at it like this...she felt like she should make a big mess on the day of the party.