Darcy nestled in Kaze’s embrace with a sweet smile. Kaze did not care who he faced off with. He would stand in front of Darcy in protection against anybody who picked on her. Kaze did not hesitate to attack even the heir of the Butterworth Queens. In contrast, Greg, who acted high and mighty before, became a coward. Conan’s face hung back from the impact. It took a while before he got a grip on himself. “Did you just hit me?” He remained in a daze as if the blow to his mind was far greater than the burning pain on his cheek. Kaze glanced at him callously. “What? Do you find it refreshing to get slapped for once? “I can hit you to your heart’s content if it suits you. “I don’t mind if you try your luck with other women. “But you’re playing with fire for hitting on my wife. “You have your family to thank for because you get to keep your arm.” His offhanded tone bore a hint of aggression. Greg, Lilian, and the others were shocked. They assumed the earlier as
“The very presence of a lowlife scum like you is an eyesore to Mr. Queen, Kaze. “The nerve of you to hit Mr. Queen.“You are getting yourself, your wife, and all of us in trouble. “My best advice to you is to get down on your knees to apologize and beg him for mercy.” Greg was back to his arrogant self. He talked as if he was in control and power. Lilian, Faye, and the others stepped in to give Kaze a piece of their mind. They were afraid Conan would lump them together with Kaze and take his anger out on them. Darcy looked worried. She could tell that Conan was furious. Greg was set straight when he challenged Conan’s authority. There was no telling what Conan would do to Kaze for hitting him. With that in mind, Darcy took a step forward and spoke in hushed tones, “Mr. Queen, my name is Darcy Quint. I am the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation. In a way, I work for the Queens.“Mathias and Ash have been nothing but kind to me. “My husband acted without thinki
“Woah! How dare you hit me in front of Mr. Queen, Kaze! Don’t you have any respect for him?” With blood trailing from his mouth, Greg got up from the ground and made a huge fuss. He was pissed. It was bad enough that Conan bruised his face. Now, Kaze, the son-in-law of the Quints, hurt him in the face too. His face was not for all to violate. Without looking at Greg, Kaze said curtly, “I told you to pray you never see the other side of me. “How does it feel now?” Going ballistic, Greg gritted his teeth and shouted, “You’re just walking to your doom, Lee. Mr. Queen will deal with you.” “Aren’t you insolent to harm another in front of me, Kaze?” Conan’s face fell. Kaze pulled a stunt while he was filled with rage. It was a blatant act of aggression in his eyes. “Insolent?” Kaze cocked his head back and grinned. “Tell me what isn’t considered insolent? “Is it this?” He raised his hand again. Smack!Conan dropped back a few steps, nearly hitting his head
Conan’s bloodthirsty statement scared everybody. No one imagined the situation to escalate further than it already had. Lives were at stake tonight. Greg, Lilian, and the others glared at Kaze resentfully. They wished they could finish him. The mooching loser would not stop testing Conan’s patience, and they were somehow dragged into it too. As pale as a sheet, Darcy clutched to Kaze. “Don’t be scared, babe.” Kaze took her hand and looked at Conan composedly. “Here’s your chance to take back what you said.” The crowd looked at Kaze in disbelief. He was a madman! Now was not the time to be full of himself in Conan’s presence. Kaze seemed oblivious to the fact that he was about to die. The crowd was speechless as Kaze played with fire at the cost of his life. “What if I don’t?” Conan smirked and hissed through clenched teeth. It was Kaze’s repeated blows to his face that drove him to murder. Kaze said indifferently, “You were born into privilege. You’re yo
At that point, Darcy had no choice but to seek help from Mathias.Although Mathias was cocky, he was a lot more mature and dependable. At least, he could stop Conan from killing and getting charged with murder. “Be safe, Kaze.” Darcy gritted her teeth and worriedly followed Greg and the others out of the bar. Kaze looked away and said to Conan indifferently, “You have some decency not to put my wife in a tough spot. “So I can show you a bit of mercy and spare your life.” Conan was taken aback at first, but he soon gnashed his teeth and smirked. “I thought you sent your wife away so she wouldn’t have to watch you beg for mercy on your knees. “I didn’t expect you to keep up with the tough guy act.” He looked at Kaze, shaking his head. It was hard to imagine that some people would risk their lives just to keep up with appearances. That was a real eye-opener for Conan. The bar was cleared out. Only Kaze and Conan’s people remained. Not wanting to waste his brea
“Smack!” The slapping sound echoed in the bar. Conan’s men and thug friends shuddered in fright. They tucked their heads in. They did not watch Mathias tell Conan off. It was a matter between family. Conan held his hand to his face for a while before pulling himself together. He flipped out and shouted, “What’s that about, Mathias? “You stopped me from getting even with my attacker, and now, you hit me.“Are you trying to make me cut ties with you?” Conan’s eyes went red. He had always been close with Mathias. The frequent backstabbing and fighting between wealthy family members did not exist in their family. When Conan lost fights as a child, Mathias would always stick up for him without hesitation. Today, Mathias laid a hand on him because of a moocher. Conan was on the verge of blowing up. “Smack!” Mathias responded with another slap. This time, he came down heavily and harder on Conan. “You can decide whether to cut ties.” Mathias said in a cold voi
Even the crowd thought Kaze was rather patient with Conan. If they were in Kaze’s shoes, they would slap the slave into place a long time ago. “Why? Why?” Lost in his world, Conan murmured to himself in a daze. He could not understand how Kaze became the master of the Queens. “Don’t ask why. All you need to know is that you’re the slave to Kaze.” Mathias then nodded at Kaze. “My family has spoiled Conan rotten, Kaze. He doesn’t know any better to get on your nerves. “I rushed here right after I got the call from Ms. Quint.“On behalf of my brother, I want to apologize to you. I hope you can spare him.” Mathias was horrified to learn from Darcy that Conan threatened to take Kaze’s life. He was filled with uneasiness and anxiety.For all he knew, Kaze could turn around and strike the Queens. That would be the downfall of the Queens. Only Mathias knew who Kaze really was. The Queens may be a well-established affluent family, but their wealth and influence could n
Conan went limp on the floor. He finally threw in the towel. Not only did Conan lose any ounce of defiance in him, but he felt relieved to escape death. He knew that Kaze could crush him easily. Conan only survived today because he did not make things difficult for Darcy. Getting on all fours, Conan crawled to kneel before Kaze. He bobbed his head and said, “Thank you for not killing me, Kaze. I am your slave from here on out.” He loved being a thug, but he was no fool. Mathias was the successor of the Butterworth Queens. He would need the approval of the family’s core members to submit to Kaze. The Queens would only do so if it benefited the family. He wanted to get into Kaze’s good graces. For once, Conan was not stubborn and apologized to Kaze. Mathias was relieved. “You? “You’re not quite there.”Kaze did not look at Conan and strode confidently ahead. Without looking back, he said, “Tell those people to let my wife go.” “Of course.” Mathias went st
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