Gareth was scared stiff. He would not be pleased to survive Lilyrose, only to die in a car accident back in Sunrise City. Gareth held his head and flipped out. “Do you know how to drive, bastard?” “Someone planted a tire killer ahead, Master,” the disciple behind the wheel replied, cocking his head back. “It was intentional?” Gareth grimaced. “Get out of the car. We’ll walk.” Gareth opened the car door to walk past Lilyrose’s border. The group got out of the car and saw people swarming out of the woods on either side of the road. Up ahead, a lone truck stood across several lanes, blocking the way.The individuals slowly drew close. “Kaze!” Gareth scowled at the sight of the leader. Kaze would not leave him alone. A disciple swaggered forward and blocked Kaze’s way. He shouted menacingly, “Even after your defeat to Grandmaster Hornberg, you stopped him from leaving. Are you looking for trouble?” Gareth’s other disciples sneered at Kaze. They believed Kaze wa
Gareth took out the 5% share ownership contract from his hidden pocket and handed it to Kaze. Kaze grabbed the file for a look before putting it away. “The 5% shares were supposed to be mine. I can’t say that we’re even. “Besides, your life isn’t worth much. Just 5% shares in exchange for your life?” “Don’t push your luck, Kaze!” Gareth yelled angrily, “Do you think you’ve got me under your thumb? I have friends in the fighting world and the underworld. “My disciples will kill you at my cue.” Kaze smiled nonchalantly. “Well, don’t get them involved. You can just die instead of dragging anyone else along. What? Are they supposed to be buried with you?” Gareth looked Kaze in the eye. It never occurred to Gareth that Kaze could care less about his influence in the fighting and criminal communities. “Are you trying to drive me to desperation, Kaze?” Gareth suddenly turned to his disciples. “Get Lee, or we will all die!” The disciples were dumbfounded. Gareth could j
Gareth tried to reason with Kaze to put the whole thing behind them. Kaze snickered. “You’re right, Gareth. We can’t rely on people, so I don’t. I rely on myself. “At least I can count on myself. Do you think I will cast myself aside?” “What do you mean?” Gareth was stunned, but his eyes soon widened. “You’re the mayor.” “That’s right.” Kaze nodded. Gareth’s mind went blank. It explained why Kaze often did as he pleased. No wonder Kaze could boss Don, the police chief, around and shut down the hospital. It made sense why Caleb, Bernard, and others stood on Kaze’s side. Kaze was the top dog in Lilyrose. No one would punish him. No one could punish him. Upset, Gareth said sternly, “Being a mayor doesn’t give you a free pass to kill, Kaze. Who the hell are you?” Fear started to sink in for Gareth. Kaze was more than who he said he was. His position as the mayor was likely only the tip of the iceberg. However, Kaze did not satisfy his curiosity this time
Gareth was filled with dread the moment Kaze raised his hand. Despite his instinct to dodge, Gareth had to stay still. “Smack!” Kaze slapped Gareth in the face without hesitation. “Thud.” Gareth twirled a couple of times before falling back on his bottom. “Um…” Lying on the ground, Gareth’s disciples were stunned. Gareth’s two attacks left Kaze unscathed. The disciples could convince themselves that Kaze was simply thick-skinned. However, Kaze overpowered Gareth with a single blow. Gareth was supposed to be reputable in the fighting and criminal communities. Kaze took a step forward and said indifferently, “Get up.” “I was wrong, alright, Kaze?” Kaze struggled to get on his feet. “Smack!” Kaze whipped Gareth with another slap. Gareth crashed to the ground, his head dizzy and his lips cracked. “Smack!” “You abducted my wife.” “Smack!” “You made me lose to you, so I’d be too shameful to show my face around.” “Smack!” “You warned me to keep o
“Wham!” Kaze kicked Gareth to the ground. He took a napkin from Conan and wiped his hands. He said indifferently, “You’re off the hook today.” Since Gareth assumed Kaze would take his life, he was overjoyed by the news. “Thank you, Mr. Lee! Thank you, Mr. Lee! “Just ask if you need anything in the future!” Gareth got on his knees and kept his head down in gratitude. “Come on.” Kaze threw away the napkin and left with Conan and the others. Feeling grateful about the lucky escape, Gareth sat on the ground to compose himself and said, “Call the ones who are picking Nevan up. Get them to take us to Lilyrose’s private hospital.” Gareth did not want to return to Sunrise City when he was all beaten up. It would give his enemies a chance to challenge his authority. Since Kaze was not going to kill him anymore, Lilyrose was the safest place to be. A disciple pulled out his phone. Suddenly, two 7-seater MPVs headed in their direction. Several masked individuals hopp
Sieg put down his cutlery. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before replying indifferently, “Gareth is more useful dead than alive. “Gareth is more than a grandmaster. Killing him will spark a chain reaction.” “Is it really necessary to go through all the trouble just to deal with Kaze?” The beautiful woman was confused. Sieg grinned. “Framing Kaze is only part of the plan, not the goal. “With Gareth gone, we will see the shift in power dynamics in the city. “Now that I stirred things up, the ball is in the new mayor’s court to smooth things over. It’s time he comes out from hiding behind the scenes.” Sieg stayed discreet in the last few days. During the arrival of Mary Sue on Madam Hacks’ orders and Gareth, Sieg stayed on the sidelines and did not steal anyone’s thunder. The situation in Lilyrose was getting interesting. Mary Sue and Gareth failed miserably at the hands of Kaze. The new mayor, who never made a public appearance, intrigued Sieg. Sieg was curiou
Caleb and Lou frowned. The death of twenty-odd lives was hair-rising. The evidence suggested Kaze was the killer. Kaze read their expressions and said indifferently, “I did bring a few men and meet with Gareth, but I let him and his disciples go soon after. Someone else committed the murder.” “We are not suspecting you, Mr. Lee.” Caleb said with a wry smile, “But the evidence points to you. Word that you killed Gareth and his twenty-odd disciples somehow got out.” Kaze remained composed. He anticipated the setup the moment he learned of Gareth’s death. Someone was clearly fanning the flames to spread the rumors so quickly.Kaze told Don, “Carry on with the investigation. I doubt we can find the killer. Even if we can, we won’t get the evidence we need. Still, you need to show that you’re working on the case.” “Yes, sir.” Don nodded. Caleb said, “You need to be careful, Mr. Lee. Gareth’s death has reached Sunrise City, and the people there are not having it. “Th
Madam Hacks represented the Hacks family in Geranium City. Sieg acted in place of the Geranium Lyfes. Dakota was one of the few investors who would not leave Lilyrose. … Many authorities had their eyes on Lilyrose New City. Kaze was clear on the power dynamics at play. He kept his hands off the matter because the Lilyrose New City project was massive and needed investors. Securing funding from multiple authorities was unavoidable.Kaze was not against the Lyfes and Hackses dipping their fingers into the project. He would not exclude investors because of personal grudges. However, all that hinged on one condition. The investors should take their profits and stay out of trouble in Lilyrose. Kaze looked at Don. “Stick to investigating Gareth’s case. I’ll handle the rest. “Troubled times lie ahead of the city, but we can’t let Lilyrose fall into chaos. “Arrest anyone who disrupts the city’s order. No need to hold back just because they come from power. “I have
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
Snow could not believe her eyes. Katie suddenly went quiet and behaved like the CEO she was.However, Katie did not look like she was right in the mind earlier. “What’s going on? She seems to have gone insane.” Snow turned to the warden, still digesting the change. Katie had lost touch with reality before the Viper’s Den did anything to her. “How did this happen? She has been taking her meals. Just days earlier, she nagged about getting out because she was worried about her daughter. As usual, we didn’t respond to her requests.” The warden found the whole thing peculiar too. Just a few days ago, Katie demanded her release. Now, she kept to herself and abided by the rules. Out of the blue, Katie went nuts. Things had gotten complicated. Snow wanted to keep Katie behind bars due to her betrayal. However, Kaze decided against pursuing the matter for Leah’s sake. Katie would be let go soon enough, but she would lose her job at the Northborn Group. Katie’s presence woul
It was quiet in the office. Snow sorted the last bit of paperwork before picking her head up in exhaustion. Her initial plan was to delegate the tasks. However, Katie was controlling. Previously, she personally oversaw many matters. Snow could not distribute the responsibilities because the employees had no experience in handling them. They came to Snow for every tiny, little thing, and Snow really got her hands full. Despite her frustration, Snow could let things go as Katie was locked up. “I should pay her visit.” Snow decided to see Katie. Some things should not be left unsaid. Leah would be working for the Northborn Group soon, and the mother and daughter should meet to tie up loose ends. The truth would put Leah to shame, and her guilt would stop her from ever betraying Kaze. After a quick bite, Snow drove to the prison. Katie was furious when she was imprisoned. She was one step away from victory. She was so close to leaving Butterworth to head to Westeros
“Why do you want to sell the properties? Do you need money? Don’t you have some saved?” Joey had a good understanding of Leah’s finances since she ran all the paperwork. “My mother is being held, and I need money to ask favors. Maybe I can get her out.” Leah was not thinking much. Money could always be replaced, but not her mother’s freedom. “Don’t be silly. This is not the way to go.” Though Joey did not have the details, she observed that things were not as simple as Leah thought. Kaze was safe now, but the fact that Katie had betrayed Kaze and revealed his whereabouts remained unchanged. Katie had broken the Viper’s Den’s rules. Even if she got out, she would be a wreck. With Snow running the Northborn Group, Katie would remain a failure. Either way, Katie would not get away with it. Even if Leah offered all her assets, Katie’s situation would not change. It was a waste of money and resources for Leah to save her mother. Nothing would come out of it. “But I
“Give me an answer. Are you taking the job? If you are, you should sort out your affairs. Don’t bring your personal feelings to work.” Snow was not the type to go easy on fragile women. If Leah did not have what it took, she could be forced to leave the company. Nevertheless, Katie had left a lot of assets to Leah. Even without work, Leah could very well survive. The girl would have trouble keeping the wealth, seeing that she was without power or connections. If Leah had a job, she would have the resources to hold onto her assets. Leah had seen the best and worst of mankind. She was once the center of attention, and now, everybody avoided her. It dawned on Leah that it was over for Katie. If Leah could not even keep a job, she would lose everything. “I didn’t know things would happen.” Leah never thought that Katie was capable of stabbing Kaze and her in the back. The thought of betrayal put Leah in distress. Kaze was a great guy who helped Leah a lot. Feeling ete
Leah got dressed and was ready to leave, but she did not know who to turn to. She thought about going to her wealthy friends to see if they could uncover anything through their connections. However, Leah could not get a hold of them. It dawned on Leah that loyalty would fade when power was gone. Even though Katie was just missing, intel spread around Butterworth very quickly. These people must have found out and have chosen to stay away. Leah had always been treated like royalty. Nobody had ever avoided her like the plague. Nevertheless, she had not been in touch with these friends since her injury. Now, in her attempt to contact them, she could not reach them. “Why is this happening? My good friends have gone MIA, and I’m getting silence from those who have been trying to connect.” Sitting on the couch, Leah looked out the window in despair. She tried to seek help with her mother’s search, but her efforts were futile. She could do nothing for her mother. All al
“I have to work hard starting today. But before that, I have to get some sleep.” Snow remembered that Kaze punished her to get some sleep. He said her face looked tired and pale, signs of how hard she had been working. It felt great being cared for. It was because of his kindness, Snow fell for Kaze uncontrollably. Yet she understood not all things were meant to be. After she returned home, she went to sleep immediately without talking to anyone. She only woke up in the afternoon after a comfortable and easy sleep. Next, she would have to work on many things, first being taking over Northborn Group. Katie’s disappearance had the company shaken, but it gave many others a chance. They tried to calm their subordinates down and contact the higher-ups for more information, hoping that they could replace Katie as the new CEO. Little did they know, their preparations would eventually fall short. Snow and her secretary arrived at Northborn Group in the afternoon, and her a