CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 123. ALLY IS MORE USEFUL THAN FRIEND

One gloomy morning, when rain was predicted to last throughout the day as a goodbye to summer days, Amber walked with firm steps full of determination, eyes focused on the restricted chairman’s office.

"I would like to see my father," Amber told the woman at the chairman’s office reception desk.

The receptionist bowed deeply. "I’m sorry, Miss, but the chairman is away."

So much for her determination.

Amber clicked her tongue. "Where?"

The one who answered wasn’t the receptionist girl, but the Chief Secretary coming out of the chairman’s office. "We can’t say, Miss."

He’s at his mistress’s place, isn’t he? Amber almost rolled her eyes at the answer. It was midday and the Chief Secretary was at the office. If the chairman were gone for a business trip, the Chief Secretary would have come with him instead of staying back.

"When will he be back?" she exercised her patient and managed to hide her annoyance.

She understood now why Mason always pretended to be courteous outside; all was to curate the image of a proper successor candidate.

But the reply almost burned her patience to the ground.

"We don’t know, Miss."

Amber narrowed her eyes. Were they trying to dupe her? But the receptionist looked totally clueless, and there was no reason for the Chief Secretary to lie. He could just tell her to come back tomorrow or something rather than telling her he had no idea.

Was there trouble brewing between his father and his current mistress? Did the third wife make trouble again?

Well, Amber could also return tomorrow--except she couldn’t. She had to board a flight soon for a meeting abroad for a final agreement with a brand, a project she had been investing her time in lately. It was a brand Sarah told her about, and she even gave her a number of the brand’s representative--all for the so-called achievement to propel her into a proper heiress.

From the look of it, it didn’t seem like the chairman was going to return home that night either, so Amber could only see him once she returned--which was right before the next family dinner. Sure, it was fine to wait, but she wanted his father to know before the family dinner, while his current heir still acted like he had lost his mind.

She glanced at the sealed folder in her hand. Ahh...too bad. She wanted to tell the chairman herself.

"Fine," she let out a sigh. "In that case, please give this to my father."

Amber gave a signal to her attendant, who stepped forward and handed a sealed folder to the Chief Secretary. The folder itself was plain, making it hard to know the content.

"This is...?"

"Just give it to him," Amber said, looking at the Chief Secretary sharply. "Make sure my father reads this promptly, okay? It concerns the future of our Group," she continued, making sure she looked as serious and as fierce as possible. "Then."

"Yes," the Chief Secretary bowed his head. "Good day, Miss."

Amber turned back and walked away, but she could catch a glimpse of the Chief Secretary’s curious eyes, fixated on the mysterious folder. Amber pretended to ignore it as she left the company premises, heading out for a comfortable lunch before her flight.

Watching the raindrops on the car window, Amber fetched her phone and pressed the number she frequently called these days--not something she ever imagined doing before summer, honestly.

"I’ve done it," she said right away after the call was picked up, forgoing any hellos.

[Mngh?] a drowsy voice could be heard on the other side, and Amber furrowed her brows.

It was almost noon already and the girl still hadn’t gotten out of bed? Amber heard the bed creaking next and a mumbling sound of a man’s voice. She rolled her eyes in exasperation, but also rather understood why Sarah was still on her bed at eleven.

Whatever; it was good that the girl was as lazy and as disinterested in anything else as ever.

Ignoring whether Sarah was listening to her or not, Amber continued. "I told Father about that matter--well, I didn’t exactly see him, but I gave the documents to Chief Park," she paused slightly when she heard a rustling sound, because it seemed like Sarah finally focused on the call. "I was about to tell Father about how he sees you too, but I can’t do that since I didn’t see him."

[I see...] the reply was less drowsy this time. [Why did you leave the document, though? You can just wait{

"I have to go seal the deal with that brand, remember?" Amber clicked her tongue. "Besides, it doesn’t matter. If it disappears, I can just give him the new one; if someone takes a peek and it’s spreading, that would be nice too, don’t you think?"

[Oh! You’re so clever, Eonni!]

"Who do you think I am?" Amber scoffed--but she did feel rather proud of the scheme. "Anyway, you’re sure about the brand, right?"

[Shouldn’t your attendants tell you about it already?] Sarah laughed on the other side. [I’m sure they’ve already done their investigation]

Amber pursed her lips. Well, that was true. She wasn’t stupid like her twin; she would check this kind of stuff first before diving into it to avoid scams. She might not have done much for the group before, but at least she didn’t bring loss like Axton.

Still, there would always be a sense of anxiety before the real thing.

"Fine," Amber snorted. "It’s just so weird that you give me this for free."

Sarah laughed. [Why would I do something so troublesome like working? Even now I’m just playing games and watching movies in my office--and rolling around in bed] she giggled lightly, and then scolding someone off the phone, telling her puppy to get her something to drink before getting back to the phone. [Anyway, I just got a bit close with that person during some parties--I don’t even remember which one. It won’t be useful in my hand; you’re more suited for this kind of thing, don’t you think, Eonni?]

What a flatterer--Amber scoffed, but that didn’t stop her from feeling good. "Well, you’re right about that."

[But, Eonni...it’s not free, okay?] Sarah corrected.

[Remember, you agreed to do this to get rid of Mason. That guy is getting creepier, you know? I really hate it]

"That’s why I told you not to provoke him."

[Tehe?]

Amber clicked her tongue. "I’m going to talk to Father right away after I return. He might call you after that, so be ready."

[Okaaay!] the voice was strangely both lazy and cheerful at the same time. [Good luck. Eonnie! Fighting!]

"Don’t act cute."

Sarah ended the call just like that, and Amber stared at her phone with an arched brow for a while. She couldn’t really tell whether she could like this girl or not.

"Haa..."

Hearing the sigh, the attendant at the front looked back. "Are you really going to do what she tells you, Miss?"

"Don’t be absurd," Amber scoffed. "I’m not doing what she told me to do; I’m just taking advantage of what she has."

In fact, just as Sarah told her, they were just using each other. The girl unexpectedly had good connections through her partying around, and as long as she maintained her connection to Mirae Group, it would be worth cozying up to her.

"Our agreement is only about getting rid of Mason, which is only advantageous for me too," Amber said. "Once I become the heiress, I don’t need her anymore. We can get rid of her, then."

"Understood," the attendant nodded and returned her gaze to the front.

Well, she said that, but as she looked at Amber’s face in the rear-view mirror, the young miss didn’t look nearly as irked as she claimed to be.

* * *

Hajin placed the glass of water and the freshly brewed coffee on the nightstand before climbing the bed again and snuggling against Sarah’s back. "Why did you do that, Princess?"

"Mm?"

"That company you told her about..." Hajin leaned his head on her inked shoulder, lips against the whip’s hilt. "It really is profitable, right? Why do you give her that advantage?"

Indeed, it was a brand that was on the rise since last year. Most of those kinds of brands would get stagnant after two or three years, but this particular brand was still climbing high even right before Sarah’s death. She also had some shares there that were managed by Austin. Naturally, Hajin felt it was a loss to give something that good to Amber.

"Because she needs real achievement," Sarah shrugged. "And..."

Hajin tilted his head. "And?"

Sarah fiddles with the handle of her mug. "Well...I guess...it’s some kind of reward?"

"More like a way out, isn’t it?" Hajin whispered.

"Mm..."

Sarah had told Amber not to sign the contract under the group’s sales division, but her own department store’s. It was the company that was given to Amber, and more like an affiliate. In the case of the group’s destruction, Amber would be able to separate the company if she were clever enough.

"Ha-ah," Hajin sighed, rubbing Sarah’s arm with his stubble. "What a soft-hearted princess, you are."

"Shut up!" Sarah grumbled and pushed the man away from her ticklish skin.

Hajin chuckled and moved up to kiss her temple instead. "Is it because she seemed to worry about you before?"

"I don’t know..." Sarah frowned slightly, biting the inside of her cheek. "But she heeded my warning and stopped playing around with young celebrities, so...I thought she was a bit redeemable. Maybe."

"Even after all she did to you?"

Sarah shrugged. "If she goes against me or returns to her old ways, I can just destroy her again."