Pierce humbly knelt before Kaze. Everybody was lost for words. The deputy chief of the police force may not have the prestige of a prominent family, but he was not easily manipulated either. The impossible just happened before their eyes. Kaze was so unruly despite his lack of powerful connections. “Thud!” Kaze kicked Pierce away. Without looking at him, he said, “Get lost.” “Come on.” Pierce wiped the blood off his mouth as his men helped him up. They scrambled out of there right away. By now, Lyon stared at Kaze cautiously. He had to admit that he had once again underestimated Kaze. Lyon was not foolish. Pierce must have seen something in Kaze or at least know who he was. Pierce’s attitude changed completely. Lyon drew a deep breath and asked solemnly, “I won’t ask again, Kaze. Are you going to let Mr. Glitter go?” His form of address shifted from “boy” to using Kaze’s name.Lyon’s approach toward Kaze shifted multiple times. Kaze’s behavior was shocki
“Oh? And who is this VIP?” Raising a brow, Kaze looked at Lyon with intrigue. He found it interesting. The Glitters were indeed a prestigious family with an extensive network. They kept sending people his way. Pierce, the deputy chief, came first, and now a VIP was on their way to the premises. However, Kaze was not bothered by the supposed VIP. He would knock all of them back. Today, Kaze was determined to hit the dignity out of Leigh. Sensing Kaze’s unconcerned demeanor, Lyon said with a smirk, “You’ll wipe that smirk off your face soon, Kaze.“The individual who is nearly here might not be some heavyweight to the Glitters. “But the individual is someone huge in a small city like Lilyrose.” Lyon got a call from Pierce, who had left a moment ago. Pierce said that he contacted an individual after leaving who could potentially get Leigh out of the situation. The person lived in another villa in the area. His name was Trent Fuller. Lyon knew who he was from the
“And you are?” Trent’s courteous behavior toward Lyon stemmed from either his kind words or the possible influence of the Glitters.Lyon said, “I am Lyon Hicks, an aide to the Glitters.” “Ah, Mr. Hicks.” Trent nodded and uttered, “I heard the heir of the Glitters has met with some problems. As a neighbor, I thought I should lend a hand. “This is my grandson, Pete Fuller. Come and say hello, Pete.” Trent told the young man in the back to greet Lyon.His act of kindness was to pave the way for his grandson. Trent was old. Yet, he was out and about to earn favors for the sake of his grandson. Reading Trent’s mind, Lyon praised patiently, “You have a fine grandson. He’s around Mr. Glitter’s age. I’m sure they will be best friends.” Though overjoyed, Trent said humbly, “Mr. Glitter is blue blood. Pete wouldn’t dream about being friends with Mr. Glitter. “He’ll be more than happy just to learn a thing or two from Mr. Glitter.“I wonder where Mr. Glitter is now.” Trent
“The new mayor of Lilyrose will show the old guy the utmost respect?” Kaze looked at Trent with a pretentious smile. “Oh, really? Who is he? I know nothing about him.” He found Pete’s statement hilarious because he was the new mayor. “You’re cocky, young man. Who are you?” Trent grimaced. Pierce called Trent for two reasons. In a way, this was his way of apologizing to the Glitters and making up for walking away when Kaze scared him. He also wanted Trent to find out who Kaze was. Hence, Pierce left out the information that Kaze might be the new mayor. Heck, he did not even let Trent know anything about Kaze. Trent knew nothing about Kaze. Lyon said angrily, “You’re the son-in-law of the Quints, Kaze. You were lucky to be the chairman of Shangrila Group thanks to your wife’s help. “I don’t know how you managed to seek Johnson’s favor. So you have a friend in high places. “Do you think you’re untouchable? “I’ll be honest with you. Your connections and social stat
Everybody there was stunned. Um… It was bad enough that Kaze kept testing Trent’s patience. Now, he was reprimanding Trent as if he stood on higher ground. The young man, who was no more than 30 years old, was just a boy before Trent’s presence. The nerve of Kaze. Where did he find the courage to take jabs at the former mayor? The crowd was speechless. It was clear to them that Kaze did not know how to read the room. Trent smirked in rage. “I have walked this earth longer than you, young man. Who are you to tell me off?“I was the mayor of the city for twenty years, and the people love me. “The only thing I heard about you is your reputation as a mooching son-in-law of the Quints.“I don’t know why you think it’s appropriate for you to give me a dressing down.” Trent’s tone was flat. He had never met such an arrogant prick. Kaze smiled callously. “It’s just a nice reminder. “It’s your business whether you want to take my advice. “Don’t keep bringing up the
Apart from Kaze and Draco, everybody else in the villa pricked up their ears. They wanted to know Johnson’s response. Maybe Trent’s stern tone pressured Johnson for an answer. The latter did not keep the crowd waiting for long. Johnson replied eagerly, “Why do you ask, Trent?“No, I’m not his friend in high places.” The urgency in his tone gave the impression of his keenness to dissociate from Kaze. Mocking gazes fell on Kaze. “Yesterday’s news?” “Now you know the extent of Mr. Fuller’s influence. Your friend dropped you without hesitation.”“Who do you think you are to be rude to Mr. Fuller? You’re asking for it.” “Mr. Fuller can crush you without lifting a finger.” Lyon and members of the Four Ocean Commerce Guild were left frustrated since Kaze’s arrival. Finally, Trent broke the cycle. They attacked Kaze with taunts and jeers to blow off steam. Trent turned to Kaze and said callously, “What do you have to say for yourself?” He expected to see Kaze turnin
“What? You can’t?” Johnson’s response stirred an uproar. “Why? Kaze is just the son-in-law of the Quints. Yet, Mayor Brooks defied his teacher for him. Did I hear that right?” “Johnson didn’t punish Kaze for upsetting Mr. Glitter in his name and disrespecting Mr. Fuller. What is he thinking?” No one could figure out why Johnson would do such a thing. Kaze was just a loser who took his wife’s last name. Given Johnson’s steady rise in politics, he could just say the word to make Kaze pay. Even Trent could not wrap his head around it. No one expected Johnson’s shocking response. After reeling in from the shock, Trent blew up. “What’s the meaning of this, Johnson? “You can’t even handle a trivial matter. I can’t believe you were the mayor.” On the other end of the line, Johnson said patiently, “Anything to do with Mr. Lee is out of my hands, Trent. “I’d advise you to stay out of it too. “If you are not deeply involved, you can apologize to Mr. Lee. I believe Mr. L
“Johnson just hung up on you. Shouldn’t you learn your lesson by now, old man?” Kaze shook his head. Despite his age, Trent was stubborn and refused to admit he was wrong. “Hmph! Do you think I care about Johnson?” Trent said curtly, “He was only the mayor for a couple of years. He didn’t even get the hang of the job yet. “I’ll show you whose voice carries weight on the council.” Trent stubbornly thought Johnson was Kaze’s friend in high places. Johnson’s statement about not getting in Kaze’s business was just his way of washing his hands of the matter and humiliating Trent. Kaze was not powerful and well-connected as Johnson hinted. Otherwise, Kaze would not marry into an upper-middle-class family and take his wife’s last name. “I can say the word and make the Quints the public enemy, boy,” Trent threatened grimacingly. He would not let the matter go until Kaze yielded to him. Kaze furrowed his brows. He was disinterested in going around in circles with Trent.
Dwight gave some suggestions. “But I’m worried about being a nuisance to your family.” Kaze remained hesitant, torn between decisions. “No, you won’t. I usually live alone. They stay somewhere else. They barely visit. I’ll just let them know not to visit for now,” Dwight replied. Dwight figured out what was in it for him. He could not let Kaze leave. “I don’t want to put your family in an awkward position.”Kaze was still considering the matter. “Relax. They don’t live with me anyway. The room I have for you is tidy. No one has stayed there before.“I’ll hire some help to freshen up the place. I can guarantee you an experience no less than at the hotel.” Dwight spoke with great confidence. “We should finish our food and doggie-bag the rest. I’ll take you to my place.” Dwight was ready to get things going. Kaze took the offer and nodded. “I’ll be in your care then.” Kaze was glad that his plan went through. Dwight had no idea that he got played. Nevertheless,
“I’m new to the place, so I don’t know much. Can you show me around when you’re available?” “No problem, but I usually have some stuff to take care of. I can’t be there 24/7. “Why don’t you propose to the branch that you want me to be your guide and attendant?” Dwight suggested. There was no telling whether Kaze would accept his proposal, but it was an opportunity to prove himself. He was never involved in the core operation. Often enough, he was the branch members’ punching bag. Though Dwight was aware that he was not good enough for the big stuff, he still wanted to succeed. Kaze was the trusted aide of the Butterworth Branch chief. He was in Westeros for a reason. By joining Kaze, Dwight would come across the major players. Kaze saw through Dwight’s plans. “Sure. I’ll do that.” Kaze did not mind the request. “Great. I’ll let them know on your behalf. I’ll be responsible for your needs while in the city.” Dwight was overjoyed at the opportunity. “So you live
“You must be rich. I often see rich people picking tabs for everybody. Talk about extravagance.” The tension in the air was lifted when Kaze offered to pay for everything. “I’m not. Consider it an apology,” Kaze explained, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. He did not see the point of continuing the conversation. Dwight’s angry screams came from outside. “What the hell is this? I only ordered a bunch of stuff. Why am I being charged an exorbitant amount?“What do you mean my friend is paying for everybody? That’s throwing money away,” Dwight said while storming his way over. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t do this, Mr. Lee.” Dwight did not approve of this type of generosity. “You rubbed them the wrong way. It was only right to apologize. Besides, it’s not a lot of money.” Kaze looked at the bill and handed a bank card to Dwight. “It’s my treat.” The consumption was barely a dent in Kaze’s savings. The meal did not cost more than his us
Kaze observed as the jeep took off further off course, past the towering buildings to a run-down neighborhood. “This is where I usually reside. My home is not too far away, but I think you might have trouble adapting to this place.” Dwight did not forget to book Kaze a hotel. Kaze could not possibly stay with him. The hotel was around the area anyway. “Didn’t you say that you haven’t tried the local cuisine? I’ll take you out for a bite. “The barbecue ribs here are to die for. We’ve got the dry-rubbed and saucy kind.” Dwight parked the car and hopped out right away. Opposite the parking lot was not the cleanest food joint. Looking in from the outside, Kaze realized that the place was packed. Kaze understood that the restaurant must be known for some kind of dish. The customers were from all walks of life, so the food must be great. “There’s not much to see here, but the food is tasty. If you don’t mind, we can order something inside.” Kaze was not particularly con
Dwight was surprised and curious as to who Kaze really was. From what he gathered, Kaze was a confidante of the Butterworth Branch chief. The purpose of Kaze’s visit was to learn and share. Dwight worked on the fringes, so his access to information was limited. Nevertheless, he got the feeling that Kaze was just an ordinary guy just like him. The only difference was that Kaze was lucky to rub shoulders with important people. Dwight did not get chances like that. “Who are the most influential people in the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Kaze asked in the car. Dwight was taken aback by the question. Still, he had an answer to that. “So you don’t know much about the situation?” Dwight suddenly felt important. “Well, I’m new to the city. I will be running into them soon, so I need to make sure I get my facts right,” Kaze said humbly. This was Dwight’s shot, and he needed to present his best. “Relax, Kaze. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Dwight would reveal some info
Kaze glanced at the flowers. There was a card for well-wishes too.Curious, Kaze reached out to read the card. It was written, “To my eternal lover and sweetheart.” Dwight grabbed Kaze’s bag. Since the sign in his hand was getting in the way, Dwight tossed the placard in the trash can. As Dwight turned his head back, he saw Kaze reading the card that came with the flowers. He tried to stop Kaze, but it was too late. Dwight had not attended to a guest of high importance before. The task was assigned to him at the last minute. In the past, Dwight was usually on the sidelines, never getting close to major matters. He would always get the small, insignificant jobs. Dwight often bought drinks for his superiors to build connections. However, he had always been kept out of the loop. Now that an opportunity had fallen onto his lap, Dwight was not about to let it slip. He wanted to show what he could do. When Dwight arrived at the airport for the pick-up, most people car
The incident did not sit well with Kaze, so he left them out to dry. After much searching, Kaze came across a café. Kaze bought a cup of coffee. Cupping the drink between his hands, Kaze sipped slowly. Many passengers swarmed the arrival hall in the airport, dragging along their luggage or pulling out their phones to get a pick-up. They all had a destination, a place they had to be in a rush. Intrigued, Kaze followed the crowd out. Kaze turned on his phone, and a text message from his airport pick-up came in. He glanced at the message, curious about who the person was. Nevertheless, Kaze trusted that the Westeros Branch members would not set him up out in the open. At most, they would pull little stunts to mess with him. Kaze was not the type to sweat the small stuff. However, he would not tolerate any extreme behavior. He had been keeping a low profile back in Butterworth, keeping the limelight off him. The purpose was to handle Jet without unnecessary complicati
“Alright. I will work hard to be the manager of the Northborn Group. You need to show me the ropes and teach me about management.” Leah looked at Katie with a smile. She believed Katie had not lost her mind. Katie simply had her memory mixed up. “You need to keep your people in line and reward those who deserve it. It all boils down to profits. “You need to work toward managing your people and working with rivals. You’ve got to keep the balance, and nobody loses out. “You need to build your own system when it comes to working together. Don’t be led around by the nose.” Hearing that Leah would start work soon, Katie imparted her knowledge. “Don’t worry too much about things. Joey is nice. You can go to her for help,” Katie said earnestly. Katie seemed to be herself at the moment. Leah wondered if Katie faked her insanity to escape the punishment. “What have become of you? Did they do something to you? “Did you really betray Kaze?” Leah whispered while leaning close
Leah kept working on her knowledge until late into the night. Just as she was about to hit the sack, she got a message from Snow. Learning was a hard enough process. The text message came out of the blue. Leah did not expect Snow to contact her at night. The message was strange as well. Leah could not understand why Snow would give her the address of a nursing home. Leah was determined to turn things around. She strived to become stronger instead of being a burden. She was grateful for Kaze’s help. At least, she had a job now. However, her gratitude was not extended to Snow. She believed Snow had gone too far. Snow left her feeling powerless. Leah did not think much about the message. She assumed that the text was not meant for her. Since Leah did not respond to the text, Snow put the matter aside and went to bed. Leah called Snow the next day. “Why did you send me an address?” Leah went straight to the question. She had been equipping herself with knowledge before