Dangers of a Saint || Ryeji

1

People often thought that being rich meant having a life that everyone could ever dream of. The entire luxury parade—cars that were worth more than their own life, parties thrown in yachts, mansions that could house a dozen families. The whole typical ordeal. Being rich meant one could afford anything. As long as their cards weren't being declined, rich people could get just about anything they put their mind into. Happiness wasn't much of a problem for them.

However, that wasn't the case for Ryujin.

It was a cold September night but it wasn't actually easy to notice when you're living in a mansion that was supported with a perfect heating system while lying on a California king-sized mattress surrounded with thick duvets and quality comforters that always seemed to feel like the warmth coming from a fireplace at a comfortable distance. Ryujin was laughing as she was talking to Chaeryeong Marshall, her best friend for five years, through Facetime when her father suddenly barged in her room, furious and visibly upset about something she did. She didn't even have the time to drop the call with Chaeryeong.

Ryujin wasn't sure about it this time because she knew she paid every housekeeper a generous amount to keep their mouths shut when she came home crawling, smelling like vodka and sweat a few nights ago. She knew they wouldn't tell on her, aware of the chaos it would bring if the news reached her father.

It was something Ryujin expected the least to come out of her father's mouth. There was a scandal that was spread about her, conveniently in time just when their family business was in a tight situation, and it was obvious that it was edited to further ruin their reputation. Among the four of them, Ryujin was an easy target since she was more often seen in public than the rest of her siblings. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about it, thinking that it was better to take the fall instead of them.

"You have to believe me when I tell you that isn't me!" Ryujin said, the vein on her neck showing as her anger rose from the pits of her chest. "They didn't even get my hair right!"

They were arguing for God knew how long and Ryujin was almost certain that one more second and she would be storming out of their house and never coming back but she was also apparently smarter than that. Ryujin knew she wouldn't be able to since her father would probably just track her down and effortlessly send her back home no matter how far she went. She felt powerless. It was always like that with her father.

Her father who didn't believe in her, her father who couldn't see all the efforts that she made to be the perfect daughter that he had always dreamed of, her father who couldn't see anyone right besides himself. Sure, what they all had was because of him. He was the reason why his children were given the privilege of wealth, why they were given a pass for almost everything because they had his last name, but even then, he couldn't be the father that they needed.

Marcel Saint Laurent.

"It might be fake but you're still the reason for our family's embarrassment. You just had to ruin everything!"

"Marcel," Katsumi said, placing a firm hand on her husband's chest as she tried to stop him from causing any more damage. "It's not her fault."

Katsumi Miyazaki was Marcel's second wife. After going through a divorce with Lydia Kingston, Ryujin's mother, Marcel went on a cruise where he met Katsumi.

"I don't care!" Marcel yelled, his nostrils flaring.

His voice was so loud that it bounced off the walls of the mansion from Ryujin's room. It only took a few seconds before the door flew open, revealing a young man with chestnut-colored eyes and light brown hair.

"Dad, what's going on?" he asked, thick eyebrows furrowed.

"Good. You're here," Marcel said as calmly as he could, although his mouth was still slightly shaking. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure, and turned back his attention to him. "Chan, call your grandmother, Elizabeth, and tell her that your younger sister's coming tomorrow. From now on she's living with her."