Chapter 26. Restoring Order (2)

Translator: Lili

“Crazy bastard.”

The moment Sera stepped out of the dining room, she wiped every trace of the act she had put on.

Pretending to be clueless while stuffing her face and making inane conversation just to gauge Lee Rowoon’s reaction had been an utterly frustrating experience.

After treating her like filth that night, now he suddenly wanted to ask if she was okay?

The second he had uttered those words, she had nearly dumped her soup over his head. Someone who had stood by and let her be humiliated had no right to ask such a thing.

Even so, Sera had deliberately feigned weakness. Vulnerability was always an effective way to lower someone’s guard and lull them into complacency.

‘If you’re that grateful, next time, die somewhere out of sight. Or just shut up and live like you’re already dead.’

Lee Rowoon’s past words echoed in her mind.

Staying out of sight? That was impossible. As long as she remained in Sungwon, there was no cutting him out of her life.

It was miserable, having to coexist with someone she despised. But the unfortunate truth was that she was the one who needed him. He didn’t need her, but she needed him—that much, she understood perfectly.

If her relationship with him continued to deteriorate, her fate was already decided: she would be cast out of Sungwon with nothing. If she was unlucky, she might even meet her death, just like in the original story.

To avoid the worst-case scenario, she had to find a way to improve her standing with Lee Rowoon. Groveling hadn’t worked, so she had tried a different approach—and thankfully, it had yielded some results.

Ironically, Lee Rowoon seemed to harbor a faint sense of guilt and pity toward her. 

‘If it were me, I wouldn’t care what happened to him… but surprisingly, he has a soft spot.’

If there was an emotional crack in Lee Rowoon that she could exploit, there was no reason not to.

‘Let’s see how long you can keep ignoring me.’

With a glint in her eyes, Sera climbed the stairs with steady steps—as if she had never been limping in the first place.

***

“Everyone, gather up.”

Returning to work after her brief medical leave, the first thing Sera did was call a team meeting.

The employees showed no effort to hide their indifference. This wasn’t the first time she had tried to exert authority in some meaningless display of power.

Of course, it had always ended in her humiliation. A useless team leader had no real power over a team of competent employees.

Today will be no different.

With bored expressions, they took their seats—only to have their expectations shattered by Sera’s next words.

“I’ve realized this can’t continue. Not only do you exclude your own team leader from work, but you don’t even recognize that it’s wrong.”

“…”

“From now on, I’ll be restoring order. If you have a problem with that, feel free to leave.”

Her newfound intensity sent a ripple of unease through the room. Then, in a voice tinged with amusement, she added,

“What’s wrong? Funny to you? Do I look like an idiot digging my own grave again? If you think my words are just empty noise like before… well, I can only pity your lack of judgment.”

The expressions of the employees who had actively ostracized her began to shift.

Sera carefully observed their reactions before pulling out her phone and making a call.

“Mr. Baek.”

At the mention of Secretary Baek—the most influential figure in Sungwon after the chairman—everyone stiffened.

Sera smiled as she continued,

“Has the hiring process for the experienced recruits been decided? You know I trust your judgment. That’s why I leave all the important matters to you.”

— Uh… is that so?

From the other end of the line, Secretary Baek’s voice carried nothing but confusion and bewilderment. And with good reason. There had never been any emotional closeness between them.