CHAPTER 176: CHAPTER 175. MORE MOLE IS BETTER FOR ANY UNDERGROUND OPERATION

"B-b-bodycam?!"

The idol widened his eyes, pressing himself against the backrest of the couch as if he wanted to run away from Sarah--or rather, the cold-looking bodyguard behind her. He clutched Amber’s arm in confusion and anxiety, but the older woman just sighed.

"So, you want him to record the place and the people going there?" Amber asked Sarah, who gave her a finger gun in confirmation. "Would it be safe? Won’t the people holding the event find out?"

"Don’t worry about it, we have something fairly undetectable--just let us take care of the clothes you’ll wear that day," Sarah replied, humming to Hajin to get the idol’s size from the staff. "Anyway, they wouldn’t think about frisking the regulars--you’re basically a regular, right? Everyone over there has careers to protect, so none would even think of recording it."

The idol’s eyes started to shake. He had thought he was only there to provide information, not actively participating in this whatever operation. He looked at Amber again, and thankfully, her noona had the same concern.

"What about his career, then?" Amber frowned. "You said you won’t harm him!"

"It’s a bodycam, Eonni; his face won’t get recorded unless he stands in front of a mirror," Sarah rolled her eyes. "Besides, we’ll edit the footage first to make sure anything pointing to his identity gets erased."

"But what if something goes wrong? He’ll be there alone feeling like he’s in the middle of the enemy," Amber frowned, still holding the idol’s hand tightly.

Sarah arched her brow, wondering if this one was not just a boyfoy after all. "Then we just need to send someone else so he won’t be alone," she shrugged. "Are you allowed to bring other people?"

"Uhh...only if they are a public figure," the idol replied. "I need to ask them first. I was also brought by the senior in my agency."

"So, fellow celebrities?" Sarah tapped her lips in contemplation.

She didn’t really have anyone she knew in showbiz, but she did know a few people with secrets she could exploit. Should she really do that, though? Blackmailing?

When she was in deep thought, Hajin tapped her shoulder lightly and leaned down to show her his phone screen. While she was busy wondering, Hajin had been texting their magic tree general manager who seemed to know anyone from any kind of place.

And yes, he had someone in the showbiz who could come to guard--and watch--the idol.

Sarah started to wonder how far and wide Sol had planted his people. Or was it Yonghwa who planted these people and Sol was the one who was tasked to manage them?

"Alright--we have someone, so just wait for that person to contact you," Sarah shifted her gaze back to the idol and smiled. The sweet kind, to ease the nervous boy. "That person will also set the bodycam and help you run away if needed, so you don’t need to worry."

Of course, being told not to worry didn’t mean he would stop worrying instantly. "R-really?"

"Of course," Sarah shrugged. "I told Eonni you won’t be harmed, after all. That is--" Sarah leaned forward and smiled coldly in warning, "--as long as you keep your words and stop using."

"I--I promise! I promise!" the idol nodded quickly, gaze to the floor as if he didn’t want to meet Sarah’s eyes.

He glanced at Amber, who had also scolded him and looked at him in disappointment when she found out. Amber was nowhere as fierce as her little sister, however, and while Amber was his sponsor, the idol felt more afraid of Sarah.

He wasn’t used to someone looking at him without an ounce of admiration and affection--at least for his face--and it scared him.

The idol swallowed hard and Amber narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why are you...so good at this?"

"Hmm?"

"Planning stuff like this and...how do you even know someone in showbiz who is willing to do this or provide a bodycam?"

Oh--it seemed like Sarah had been showing too much of her true self to Amber. She leaned back and replied nonchalantly. "Don’t you remember where my puppy used to work?"

"...Aegis?" Amber gasped inwardly. That visual always made her forget that Hajin was a legit bodyguard with an incredible resume.

Maybe because Sarah also treated the man like a lover boy instead of a skilled bodyguard.

"He knows a lot of useful people, you know~" Sarah held the bodyguard’s hand, who brought it to his lips and kissed her hand like a knight to his princess.

Perhaps he was.

Oh, whatever. "Just make sure Andrew is safe and sound," Amber clicked her tongue. A small worry crept into her mind, wondering if the mad dog would be unleashed on her one day, but she shook it off. "Anyway, we have a bigger trouble, I think."

"Oh?"

"You told me to take Mason to the exhibition, but I don’t see how I can convince him," Amber said. "Do you think he’d like going to a place where there are people more superior than him in his current situation?"

While Mason’s outside contact was limited, there was no way he didn’t know about the public perception of him. The public might not know exactly what he looked like, but the people invited to the grand opening would--which meant he would get the whispers and the humiliating stare.

Sarah, however, replied nonchalantly. "What if you tell him I will be there?"

"What? Wait..." Amber paused, stroking her upper arm in contemplation. She had no idea whether Mason was still harboring feelings for Sarah, but...at the very least, he would be angry, right? Knowing Mason, he would get obsessed over a strong emotion like that. "Hmm...maybe it’ll work."

"Just tell him my puppy won’t be there," Sarah snickered. "He might be reluctant to come if he’s not confident."

"Hmm..." Amber tilted her head slightly. "Will you be there for real, though?"

Sarah shrugged. "Who knows?"

* * *

"What if that bastard refused to go?" Hajin asked after they left the back room to get into the department store itself, which was situated in a tower.

"Well...just make the chairman see the real father--especially if the first wife is also there--should be enough," Sarah shrugged. "The one making the article will be someone under Mirae anyway, so we can just go ahead with the ’speculation’."

And the rest would be done by the public through the internet, which had a strange power of twisting and blowing things out of proportion.

"But of course, it would be nicer if all the actors came together," Sarah said.

"Or we can just kidnap him and dump him at the exhibitions," Hajin muttered lowly.

Sarah laughed and glanced at the grumbling puppy. "Are you sure you can stop at just dumping him?"

"Definitely not."

Sarah chuckled as they stopped in front of the elevator and pressed the button. "Be patient, Puppy."

Hajin sighed and hugged his princess from behind, taking advantage of the empty hallway. Nuzzling the girl’s neck, he whispered childishly. "Distract me, then."

Sarah rolled her eyes, but still patted the man’s cheek in indulgence. "You become too spoiled these days."

"Well, I’m just a puppy."

Sarah couldn’t help but think that Hajin became like this because he watched how the idol was clinging to Amber earlier. Did he want to act like that too? Despite being way older?

Cute.

Sarah turned her head and kissed the man softly. "There."

Hajin tilted his head. "Just that?"

"Whoa...this greedy brat," Sarah slapped the arms circling her waist. "You used to think a kiss was enough for anything."

"A kiss was enough for a bodyguard," Hajin whispered as the elevator door dinged open. "But not a lover."

"Cheeky," Sarah pulled the bodyguard inside the empty elevator and kissed the chuckling man and he pushed the button to close the elevator door. After a short, but more intimate kiss, Sarah leaned back and glanced at the directory panel above the door. "Hmm...since we’re here anyway, should we shop a little bit?"

Hajin replied by choosing a floor number by himself. "I do think we need some winter supplies."

"You said it like we’re going on a journey or something," Sarah scoffed.

"You left your winter clothing in the annex, you know."

"...Oops?"

Hajin chuckled and joined Sarah to lean against the back of the elevator, offering his hand to her. "It’s a date, isn’t it?"

Sarah held the offered hand with a smile, no longer feeling it was weird or embarrassing even while she was not acting. Looking at her reflection in the metallic wall, relaxed and at ease as if they were truly there for a date, Sarah felt rather surprised.

A weird feeling; slightly uncomfortable as if she wasn’t deserving of it, and yet...also good.

"Let’s go somewhere far and calm once this is over," Sarah said quietly, calmly, with a serene tone that was almost as rare as her genuine laughter.

Hajin arched his brow, holding her hand tighter. "Vacation? Or for living?"

Sarah smiled. "Both?"

Hajin leaned down and kissed his princess’s lips, a bit harder than earlier. "Both, it is," he whispered and nuzzled the chuckling girl, when the elevator door opened and he paused, brow arching. "Hmm?"

Sarah glanced at the door curiously, and immediately understood Hajin’s reaction. "Oh?" her head tilted as Hajin’s arm settled on her waist protectively.

For in front of the elevator door was an equally surprised Jeong Mina.

The third wife, upon realizing it was Sarah, stiffened. Standing by herself, she looked like she was battling the urge to just leave. But leaving meant she was avoiding Sarah--or worse, running away from her.

Perhaps because of that, her eyes hardened and she stepped inside the metal box with the girl who spewed venom whenever she was near.

"My, my...whatever you’re doing here, Madam?" Sarah asked while leaning back, arms crossing in a mix of amusement and curiosity. The ’madam’ went out without any entourage? How interesting. "Oh, you’re still the madam, right? At least for now?"

"It’s none of your business," the third wife said curtly.

Well, well...even losing her sickly sweet speech? Made Sarah want to poke her more.

"Oh, are you here for the group’s new event launch?" she snapped her fingers. "Should I tell Eonni that you’re here? Maybe she could give you some free stuff."

The third wife clenched her jaw, and Sarah could feel her anger even though they didn’t see each other’s faces. But in her usual style, the third wife took a deep breath and replied calmly. "How silly. Naturally, I will buy with my own money to support my daughter."

"But she’s not your daughter, though?" Sarah snickered. "Besides...do you still have money?"

The third wife turned her head to look at Sarah with a glare. "More than you."

Sarah laughed, the crisp sound came together with the elevator door’s sound. "I doubt it."

"Money is not only available in cash, kid."

Sarah shrugged as he walked past the third wife, "Who said it is?"

Even as they got out and walked forward, Sarah could still feel the harsh glare against her back, until the door closed. She scoffed and laughed coldly while holding Hajin’s hand.

"Hmm...what do you think she has, J?"

"Something she won’t have anymore in a while?"

"Good boy."