CHAPTER 169: CHAPTER 168. PLANNING ANOTHER HARVEST

"Anything happened over there?" Sarah asked her little spy at the mansion.

It was dinner time at the main house and Vivian was having it with the chairman over there. Honey accompanied her, so Mari was left alone in the annex--a perfect moment for a regular report.

[Oh, it had become so tense, Miss!] Mari whispered into the phone, sounding more excited than worried. [It’s like a battlefield over there!]

"Is that so?" Sarah tapped her smiling lips while leaning back on her new massage chair. "Tell me everything about everyone."

In an energetic whisper, Mari began to tell Sarah about how tense and awkward the occasional dining time was. How everyone didn’t seem to have much appetite except for the pregnant lady blessed by the absence of morning sickness. The chairman, especially, could only stomach a little bit of food--which reminded Sarah that the old man also didn’t eat much during their lunch.

But then again, it would be hard to savor food when all that stressful stuff was happening.

Mari continued her report by telling Sarah that Mason was basically in house arrest. Well, he had been since he assaulted Sarah, but after he crashed out on Denise’s assistant, the chairman locked him up in his quarters, fired all of his assistants, and changed all of his bodyguards. The bodyguards turned into jailers who kept him from getting out.

[He’s allowed to move around the house, but the bodyguards have to follow him everywhere] Mari said. [They’ll drag him back whenever he gets too close to the fence]

Sarah rolled her eyes, wondering how long would the old man keep Mason there. Until Amber became the official heiress? Why didn’t he just make her, then?

"I should hasten the art gallery plan," Sarah muttered.

Mason was no longer useful to her, but seeing him still living nicely in that mansion was irritating. She wanted the man to break down the way she did, losing everything and crawling in fear for his life.

For that, she didn’t mind being called a villainess.

Mari continued her story with how the first wife had been coming often, begging the chairman to see her son. The little lamb had witnessed one of those sessions herself and said that the chairman was looking at the first wife like she was a piece of garbage. Still, he didn’t reject her at the gate, perhaps because she was still Amber’s and Axton’s mother.

As for Axton, the guy suddenly felt content staying in his ’exile’ after what happened to Mason, leaving Amber fending for herself in the mansion. Well...Amber should be capable enough of holding her ground in the main house against the others. She had ’befriended’ Vivian to some extent, and the younger kids had no real authorities around the house--much less the company.

"And what about that woman’s side?" Sarah asked.

[Youngest Young Miss was being busy with her college, it seems] Mari told her. [As for Young Master Jasper...]

Mari sighed into the call and seemed uncomfortable continuing, which was enough for Sarah to guess that Jasper didn’t stop doing what Sarah told him to stop doing. He was probably in need of therapy and rehabilitation, which his scheming mother clearly did not provide.

Too busy scheming and flirting with her brother-in-law, perhaps.

"Hmm..." Sarah turned off the massage chair and stood up, walking around the living room to ponder the situation in the main house. "So the chairman had been ignoring the third wife? He never called her or anything?"

[No, Miss. That’s why the others had been saying the divorce might be soon] Mari said with a giggle, before clasping her mouth with a gasp. Scandalous.

Sarah stroked her lips in ponder. She had thought the chairman would confront Jeong Mina as soon as possible, but it seemed like he was being careful. He was probably trying to investigate it first and collect the evidence.

[Oh, but Honey Eonni said the chairman seemed to send some of the security staff to tail the madam] Mari added.

"I see..."

As expected. The chairman probably avoided early confrontation to make sure they didn’t have the chance to clean any. Probably trying to catch the third wife or his brother meeting those people from Daesung.

Sarah hoped those two were stupid enough to let the chairman catch them in the act.

"Seems like Honey keeps a good relationship with the security people?" Sarah smiled. She wouldn’t be able to get that kind of intel unless it was from the security team member--perhaps even from the chief.

Mari clasped her hands excitedly. [She is, Miss! Very charming, that Eonni!]

"Well, that’s her specialty," Sarah chuckled. She was probably consoling the security team--or the chief especially--who got scolded and punished for the leak. "I was worried you two might get suspected for the CCTV leak, but it doesn’t seem so."

[Humm...what did Eonni say again? Stupid men think pretty and delicate women can’t do anything...or something like that]

Sarah laughed and Mari giggled in response. "Still, be careful."

[Yes, Miss!]

Sarah ended the call and threw the phone to Hajin, who caught it and charged the battery. "Do you think the chairman will catch them in the act soon?"

"I don’t know, but it’d be best to detonate all the bombs at the same time, so we need to get the others rolling too," Sarah leaned against the window and contemplated while looking at the yellowing leaves outside. It reminded her of the scenery on a certain hill, which had been covered by sheets of black screen. "Let’s start by pressuring the construction."

* * *

"Morning!" Sarah strolled through the front door office cheerfully like always the next day, bringing some snacks as usual.

"Good morning, Miss."

The reception, however, was less enthusiastic than usual. They stood up and smiled at her still, but no one flocked to her--or Hajin who brought the shopping bag. Sarah knew it wasn’t because they fell out of favor with her or because they grew bored with her gifts, however.

It was because they couldn’t show their joy too clearly this time.

"Good work, good work~" Sarah waved her hands to let them sit down and pretend to work again, before her eyes shifted to the man standing in front of the hallway. "Oh? You’re here already, Uncle? How rare."

It was rare for the CEO to spend his time outside his office--especially nowadays. No wonder the employees were acting guarded and kept exchanging glances with each other. The CEO was also acting fidgety, which made everyone even more nervous.

"Uhh...yeah," the CEO’s small eyes darted around, as if avoiding Sarah--even though it was clear that he was waiting for her. "Hmm..."

Sarah tilted her head. "What’s wrong, Uncle?"

"That’s..." the CEO glanced at the hallway, stepping back into the path so Sarah had to walk further to talk to him. He spoke in a hushed tone once Sarah was close enough, carefully making sure the other employees didn’t hear him. "I’d like to talk to you, Young Miss," he glanced at Hajin briefly before adding. "Alone."

Hajin, who had a sharp hearing, narrowed his eyes at the CEO, making the older man flinch and averting his gaze, scooting away from the intimidating bodyguard.

"Oh, my...it seems serious?" Sarah said in a sympathetic tone. She beckoned Hajin to get closer and pulled the man in for a light kiss. "Don’t worry about me, Puppy. Be a dear and get me a spiced sweet potato latte, mm?"

Hajin grumbled--not really an act--before bowing slightly. "As you wish, Master."

The CEO exhaled in relief when Hajin turned around and actually left the premises while Sarah waved at him. With a smile, she led the CEO to her office, as if she were the one who owned the company. Sunny was even waiting and bowing in front of her office since she had just finished making coffee for her, so it felt like Sunny was her secretary instead of the CEO’s.

"So, what is it? You look very troubled, Uncle," Sarah asked while throwing her purse on the couch and sitting behind the desk. "Something happened at home?"

"Oh, no--just..." the CEO frowned slightly as he looked at the couch. It seemed like he preferred to sit there so it wouldn’t feel like he was beneath Sarah, but...what could he do? He begrudingly took a seat in front of the desk like a guest--or an employee. "Well...actually, yes."

The one who needed help didn’t have much choice, indeed. Sarah gasped lightly and leaned forward, as if concerned about the CEO. "What happened?"

"Young Miss..." even after sitting down in front of her, the CEO still looked like he didn’t want to speak; like he wouldn’t do this if he had another option. He waited until Sunny left the room before continuing. "Young Miss...you said you can...help me...if I have trouble...didn’t you?"

"Uh-huh," Sarah nodded.

"Then...can you help me?" the CEO asked quietly, as if worried someone might eavesdrop.

Sarah smiled sweetly. "What can I help you with, Uncle?"

"Uhh...I..." the CEO fidgeted in his chair, fingers fiddling atop the desk. "I need...I need money, Young Miss."

Sarah widened her eyes, exclaiming in panic. "Oh, no! Is the company in trouble? Are we in the red?!"

"No, no, no--" the CEO shook his head quickly, hands raised to stop Sarah from raising her voice. "It’s not the company, Miss--it’s me, I’m the one who needs the money."

Well...the company also needed some, to be honest. It was barely floating above the red line. But it seemed like the CEO was in a worse place.

"You, Uncle?" Sarah tilted her head. "Whatever for?"

"Well...uh..." his gaze shifted again. "Just that...I put my house as collateral for a loan, and..."

"And it’s due soon?" Sarah arched her brow.

"Yes, Miss..." the CEO put on a pitiful expression. "I’m going to lose my house if I can’t pay next month. My family..."

"Oh, no..." Sarah gasped, clasping her mouth in shock. The CEO looked at her with a hopeful gaze, only to deflate when she followed with a sweet smile and a dry tone. "But I can’t help you with that."

"...what?!"