Hajin never invaded Sarah’s ti when she was in the bath before. Of course, unless Sarah told him to, he had no intention of breaching her trust like that, especially after what happened last night.
But Hajin knew how much ti Sarah would spend on her bath. He knew she didn’t like her water lukewarm, so she would get up and head to the shower after the tub water lost a bit of temperature. And yet, even after a while had passed and the water should have turned tepid, Hajin didn’t hear any movent from the bathroom. No shower, no clattering, no footstep--nothing.
If he hadn’t seen Sarah enter the bathroom with his own eyes, he would have thought it was empty.
With concern, Hajin knocked on the bathroom door. "Master?"
He did not receive a reply and called her twice more. When she still did not respond, Hajin beca anxious and, after battling the consequences for two seconds, opened the unlocked door.
It turned out to be the best decision he ever made.
What he saw was his master under the calm water. There was no bubble, and she looked like she was sleeping underwater. Like she had fallen asleep in the middle and slid down under the waterline.
Hajin felt his heart stopped beating at that mont.
Hajin had no idea how long Sarah had spent like that, but the fact that she didn’t co out despite the lukewarm water told him it was quite long. His imdiate reflex, naturally, was to grab the girl and yank her out of the water.
Sarah gasped and panted heavily once she resurfaced forcefully, lips parted to accommodate the protesting lung. From how pale her cheek and how blue her lips were, Hajin didn’t think his fear was unwarranted.
As the black eyes were blown wide, Hajin pulled her out completely of the water and drained the tub. He couldn’t care about her reaction or any consequences now, just wrapping the large towel over her and carrying her to the small bench in the walk-in closet. Thankfully, Sarah did not appear to be angry about Hajin barging in while she was naked, perhaps because the man only looked genuinely concerned and nothing more.
But she also looked too calm for soone who, essentially, was almost drowning in a bathtub.
Hajin narrowed his eyes and asked with a restrained suspicion. "How many tis has this happened?"
The reply was dry and detached. "I didn’t die."
"Master--"
"Silence!" Sarah hissed and glared in agitation. She bit her lips and turned her head away, gripping the towel tightly. "Get out."
Hajin clenched his jaw; the place where Sarah slapped him earlier throbbed suddenly. But he exhaled slowly and left the closet after gently draping the bathrobe over her shoulder.
Alone in the bedroom, Hajin gripped the small table where he was preparing Sarah’s breakfast that the hotel sent. He closed his eyes tightly at the weight settling in his heart. The nightmares Sarah had driven away suddenly rushed back at that mont.
It was clear from her words that it wasn’t the first ti Sarah had almost drowned in the tub. He knew the girl had a screwed-up danger awareness from her stunt in the mountain, but he didn’t think it would be this ssed up.
Hajin thought Sarah was reckless because she was fearless, but...
What if that recklessness ca from a lack of self-preservation? Because she didn’t think her life was precious?
Must...must he lose another one for that sa reason?
Hajin clutched the edge of the table as he felt his legs weaken and crouched. The deep breath he took felt like needles stabbing his lungs joyfully--at least for a minute or so.
But he gritted his teeth and stood up, gaze hardened in determination.
No. He would not let Sarah slip away like his mother. He knew now, so he should be able to do sothing about it. At least, he should be able to try.
His determination to act as usual and bring the energy back to their routine, however, was t with the tall wall that was Sarah herself. She ca out of the closet dressed in the new clothes that Daniel provided the night before, and sat on the breakfast table, eating silently.
There was no comnt about the food, no snide remark about Hajin’s sweet morning coffee, nor a request to eat together. Not that he expected Sarah to be all cheery and back at her usual self, but the silence and the expressionless face she had while eating her al as if it was tasteless made it feel like he was a waiter in a private restaurant.
Sighing inwardly, Hajin opted to check her condition for now. "Master, how is your condition?"
"It’s fine," a reply ca, but it ca with a tone that Sarah would probably use if Hajin talked to her on that first fight night.
"Should we go to the hospital to check again?"
Sarah scowled and slamd her fork to the table. "Are you crazy? I shouldn’t--"
She paused and exhaled slowly while leaning back, closing her eyes in contemplation.
"Hmm...perhaps I should go," she muttered after a minute, and Hajin sighed quietly in relief--at least, until he heard what she said next. "...to Mason’s office."
"...pardon?" Hajin widened his eyes incredulously.
"This is not bad," Sarah tapped the armrest with her fingers as she contemplated further, ignoring the frowning bodyguard in front of her. "I can use this to drive a wedge between them even more."
"Master--"
"Yeah..." Sarah nodded to herself. She was thinking of hiding the incident to avoid embarrassing herself, but why would she? She was a victim, and if she could weaponize it, she should. "Asking Mason to punish those two would be interesting."
"Master..."
"Or should I tell the Chairman instead?" Sarah narrowed her eyes and mused while drinking her plain black coffee. "Hmm...no--he probably won’t do anything much. It won’t affect Axton as much as when Mason’s the one doing it."
Hajin clenched his jaw. "Master, I don’t think this is--"
The black eyes flicked at him coldly. "I’m not asking for your opinion, J."
Hajin exhaled heavily and bowed his head, muttering quietly. "I’m sorry."
The rest of the breakfast was done in another silence, and they left the hotel right after, using the secret path that Daniel always used. Sarah straightened her back and smiled cooly, nonchalantly as she talked about nothing with Daniel on their way out, acting as if nothing happened--which Daniel graciously responded by pretending nothing had transpired.
At least for now.
Daniel looked relieved that Sarah didn’t seem to be too distraught or bla him for it, but...Hajin could see that everything was an act.
He was familiar with it; the mask that Sarah put on when she was acting in front of others. It didn’t matter if she only used it in front of Daniel, but...it hurt when she used that face during breakfast, in front of Hajin. The dull eyes, barely used facial muscles, and calculated movent were the walls she erected while facing the people outside of her circle.
People she couldn’t fully trust. People she would distance herself from in the future.
And to see those walls built against him, to see the bridge they had just stacked crumbling down into a deep ravine...
It hurt. It was frustrating.
And it dawned on him: ah...this was what it felt to be treated as a re tool--sothing that Sarah had never done to him before.
But what could he do? His tongue went numb at the sheer weight of his own guilt. Hajin had no idea how much Sarah rembered from last night, but...
Hajin knew he was just as guilty as those people for falling into temptation. And this was his punishnt.
* * *
"They did what?!"
Mason looked at Sarah with wide, flabbergasted eyes. When Sarah asked if she could visit him in his office, he was elated at first--especially because she told that nuisance of a bodyguard to stay outside. He had planned to keep Sarah there and took her to a nice, fancy dinner.
He had no idea that the first thing she did was vent her anger at what Axton had orchestrated in the Circle last night, which boiled his blood. Mason might have told his n to nudge Sarah in a bad direction, but never would he thought of pushing her to be...to be gang-raped.
He pressed his temple, recalling the report he heard from soone attending the Circle last night. Sarah attending with Axton and Jasper was sothing he already knew before they even arrived, but the only thing he heard after that was that Sarah apparently knew and spent the night with Kang Daniel.
"If it wasn’t for Daniel, I would have been stuck with those bastards!" Sarah crossed her arms and scowled at the instigator’s blood brother.
And fuck--they made her fall into Kang Daniel’s arms even?! If their father heard of this--or worse, the executives--they might suggest them to take it further, since Daniel was the most eligible bachelor in the country at this mont.
"But...are you sure it was them?" Mason walked closer to Sarah, who refused to sit down. "Perhaps those people were just--"
"It’s them!" Sarah scowled, slamming her fist on the armrest. "Daniel checked it for and he said those three were talking to Axton and Jasper!"
Of course, that did not necessarily prove the two’s involvent, so Sarah threw a fastball.
"Are you saying you don’t believe ?" she bit her trembling lips, throwing an accusatory gaze with a sprinkle of pain at Mason.
"No, no--of course, not!" Mason quickly rectified himself, holding the girl’s clenching fists while at it. "Of course, Oppa believe you, Seul--Sarah."
"Hmph!"
Mason smiled helplessly--the girl could be difficult, but she did look adorable while doing it, so it was hard for him to get offended. Phew...he should try to make her eker and more obedience soti soon.
"But...you’re okay, aren’t you? What happened with...Daniel...afterward?" he asked carefully.
Sarah pressed her lips and turned her face away, replying in a defiant tone. "I’m not telling you."
Mason clenched his jaw, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes for a second before Sarah looked at him again. Imdiately, he put on the usual kind, understanding face the public knew him for.
"But...you do believe , right? Oppa?" Sarah asked quietly, almost sounding like pleading.
"Of course," Mason smiled and stroked the girl’s hand gently. "I’m always on your side...Sarah."
Sarah let out a slight giggle that made Mason giddy with delight. He was about to take advantage of the mood to have Sarah stay for a luncheon, but his secretary ca inside and disturbed him.
"Sir--"
"What is it?!" Mason snapped, and the secretary almost stepped back in fright.
He was the one working for Mason the longest, however, so he had built an immunity sowhat. The man walked toward Mason briskly with a tablet in his hand, showing his boss rather important breaking news.
"I think you should see this, Sir..." the secretary added in a cautious whisper. "Executive Director Kang sent this to all of the Circle mbers."
Mason arched his brow--and so did Sarah, who overheard it. His eyes slowly widened while reading the articles on the tablet, and at the end of it, he shifted his gaze to Sarah.
"Is this your doing?" Mason showed the tablet to the curious Sarah.
There, were articles showing news about a car accident, with three familiar faces and nas listed as victims.
The three n who drugged her last night.
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