Fanny spoke in a light-hearted manner about Miru taking a pick from the list of 500 best companies and foundations. Even wealthy families like the Lees and Glitters would not say such a thing. Fanny was talking about Westeros. Westeros was the capital of the West State and where the headquarters of Viper’s Den was located. Kaze finally learned about the Fowlers in Westeros. The Fowlers earned the title of lordship. Surely, their influence extended beyond Westeros. The Fowlers were also a powerhouse in South River State, Butterworth, and other states. The privilege and power that came from an elite family were not just for show. However, Miru furrowed her brows. “I gave you my word that I would go on a date with Jerome.“But I didn’t say that I would marry him for sure. “Besides, I’m not the slightest interested in the things the Fowlers offered. “What’s wrong with my connections to the underworld? “As far as I know, the Fowlers started off with running a secret
However, Miru would not give in so easily. She said harshly, “Aunt Fanny, I left Harrowdale the moment I was 18. I came to Lilyrose without the support of the family. No one knows about my family.“I built something of myself through my own effort so that I wouldn’t be made a sacrifice when the time came.” Clearly, she would not give up without a fight. “And? What have you made of yourself?” Fanny added sternly, “You’re the chairwoman of Lefteria Group and the kingpin of Melrose and Lilyrose. Is that something you should be proud of? “You’re too naïve, Miru. The Fowlers can very well wipe off your so-called achievement with just one word. “If I can be frank, what’s the point of being at the top in a small place like Lilyrose?” Fanny side-eyed Kaze and said in contempt, “Even a moocher holds sway in this city. “The limitation of this tiny city makes it impossible for you to achieve great success. “Your rule over the underworld is a joke.” Fanny held Lilyrose in di
Miru was overwhelmed by the feeling of despair. She knew Isabelle’s ruthlessness too well. No one could stop Isabelle once her mind was made up. The next minute, Miru could receive news of Alan’s passing. Would Miru watch Alan die? No. She owed her life to Alan for his undying guidance and support. Succumbing, Miru looked up and said blankly, “Aunt Fanny, I will meet—” A voice belonging to a man cut her off. “Kill Alan? You have to go through me.” Kaze suddenly spoke to Fanny, “Go back and tell Isabelle that Alan and I go way back. We are close. I often hang out at his place. “My friends are important to me. I won’t sit by and do nothing if anything happens to them. “If Alan dies, then I expect the Hidens to offer the lives of a hundred family members in return, and that number is small because of Miru and Albert.” The office fell silent. The silence was deafening. It was pin-drop silence. Even Miru cocked her head back and looked at Kaze in bafflement.
Still, Fanny had the means and power from the Harrowdale Hidens to behave in such a way. After all, she was born into privilege. She believed she was doing Kaze a favor just by talking to him. Kaze gripped the check and glanced at the number before letting out a faint smile. “Ma’am, this money isn’t enough for me to cut ties with Miru.” “Haha. Is the amount too little?” Fanny sneered, “I’m telling you now, boy. If Miru wasn’t here, you would have no right to talk to me, much less bargain for more. “I’m paying you 100 million dollars for playing the part of Miru’s boyfriend.“It’s hush money. Don’t go spreading rumors around. It’s embarrassing for the public to get the wrong idea that Miru is with a moocher like you. “I have said enough. “Take the check and get lost! I don’t ever want to see you. “Now!”Fanny pointed at the door without looking at Kaze. Kaze tore the check to bits and jeered, “Shutting me up with 100 million dollars? Aren’t you wealthy? “Does havi
Still holding the card against her face, Fanny shuddered in rage, her face ashen. Kaze had a point. Fanny was dead set on setting Miru up with Jerome to secure the mayoral position for her husband. Her husband, Jared Styles, was third in command at a governor’s office in some state down south. Yet, Jared wanted to join the race to become Lilyrose’s mayor. By right, Jared could get the position through his marriage to a member of the Harrowdale Hidens. Reality was a slap in the face, though. There were too many eyeing the mayoral position. The other competitors had just as impressive a resume as Jared. They were well-established, having friends in high places. Even Jared could not secure the position of mayor for sure. Meanwhile, the Fowlers expressed interest in uniting with the Hidens through marriage. Isabelle was on board with the idea too. Hence, Fanny came up with a way to gain the Fowlers’ support through the marriage. She believed Miru and Jerome were mad
“My loyalty is with the Hidens. “I won’t tolerate you since you’re an enemy to the Hidens.” Agar took a step forward. “No!” Startled, Miru exclaimed. The Hidens hired the best of the best as protection. Miru was familiar with Agar’s strength. “Get out of the way, Miru.” Fanny yanked Miru back from getting any closer to the conflict and looked indifferently at Kaze. “Agar, killing him will make your hands dirty. Just give him something to think about.” The way Fanny saw it, Kaze was too tactless to interfere in the Hidens’ affairs. He deserved some punishment. Agar got close to Kaze in a blink of an eye. “Yes, ma’am,” Agar responded emotionlessly. From their first encounter at the auction, Agar never took Kaze seriously. If Kaze had not gotten involved in the Hidens’ affairs again, Agar would not have wasted his talent on the likes of him. Wham! At the fling of his arm, Agar delivered a tumultuous blow to Kaze’s chest. Kaze would need to be bedridde
The Hidens only hired the best of the best for their protection. Agar might be advanced in age, but he once ruled the streets of Harrowdale back in the day. He remained unchallenged. Yet, Kaze delivered a slap so powerful that Agar crashed into the filing cabinet. If the Hidens had not witnessed the incident with their eyes, they would not have believed it either. Fanny grimaced harder. Kaze’s snob comment was meant for Agar and her. She had just signed a 100-million-dollar check for Kaze, only for Kaze to throw a centurion card worth 10 billion dollars at her face. “I was wondering where you got your cocky attitude from. So you can fight. You have some nerve interfering in my family’s matters.” Fanny said menacingly, “Still, I need to ask. Who are you to fight back?” Kaze replied callously, “What? Are the Harrowdale Hidens so entitled that I’m not allowed to fight back?” “Kaze is right, Aunt Fanny. This is not a fair match.” Unable to stand by anymore, Miru we
Agar pulled a punch, the blow rolling in the wind, toward Kaze’s cheek. “It has been years since I was hit in the face. “For that reason, I’m going to pulverize yours!” “Oh, really?” Kaze chuckled and took a step forward while launching his hand. Agar’s eyes widened. He realized that Kaze’s attack came on stronger than before. More devastatingly, he could not dodge the attack either. “Smack!” Agar was dumbstruck. Without time to unpack, he flew back and crashed into the wall with a loud thud. “I guess you have not learned your lesson, old fart. You’re still not taking this fight seriously. “Maybe you should put more effort next time.” Looking at the handprint on Agar’s other cheek, Kaze said with a sarcastic smile. “You!” Agar struggled to get back on his feet, his hand reaching his hot cheek. Kaze’s taunting only turned the shock in Agar’s eyes into rage. Why? Why could he not evade Kaze’s blow? He was on the Hidens’ payroll, once undefeated on th
“Just make yourself at home here. Let me know if you need anything. Dwight will be there for you.” Edmund could tell that Kaze and Dwight were tight. He could play this to his advantage. Though Kaze refused to disclose his motives, Edmund kept him under surveillance. Nothing escaped his eyes. With that in mind, Edmund felt his worries melting away. “Thank you, Mr. Witterson. I was sent here at the last minute. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so lucky to have met you.” Kaze seemed intent on bonding with Edmund. He sucked up to Edmund. Most importantly, Edmund no longer suspected him, and that was the reason Kaze accepted the invitation to stay. All Kaze had to do now was reassure Edmund. Some things were not worth stressing over. Dwight quietly enjoyed his drink, oblivious to the state of things. Sparks were flying earlier, and everything seemed fine again. Maybe it was all in his head. “You need to take good care of Kaze, Dwight. He’s our guest,” Edmund stressed. “Do
It was all clear to Edmund at this point. He stroked Clarice’s hair tenderly, feeling sorry for what she was going through. She should be getting better care. Yet, she was often neglected. Life at the Geofrey household had not been good for Clarice. Without Edmund’s pull, he would not be able to keep Clarice’s father in line. “You can be a bit of a handful, but you should do you. I’ll always have your back.” Edmund’s heart went out to Clarice. He was also worried about not raising her right. He could always look out for Clarice. However, there was always that fear that he could not be there for her in time. “I knew you’d help me. I don’t think I can go home just yet.” Clarice knew her father too well. It would take a while before her father calmed down. Besides, Edmund would stand by her through and through. Her father would not say a thing. Clarice understood that fact a long time ago. She would run to Edmund at any sign of trouble. “Go with the housekeeper. Feel
Everybody turned their attention to Dwight. Sensing danger, Dwight could feel chills creeping down his spine. “Slow down, tiger,” Kaze said. He grabbed a napkin for Dwight to wipe his mouth. Kaze’s behavior raised eyebrows. Despite Ryan’s outburst, Kaze carried on without a care. Kaze was more than he put out to be. Edmund looked at Kaze with admiration. He valued a talent like Kaze if the latter’s loyalty were with him. Kaze conducted himself with composure in the face of pressure. The underlying tension eased up due to Dwight’s little episode. Ryan looked at Dwight begrudgingly. Here he thought that Dwight would keep to himself, but he screwed up anyway. Dwight needed boundaries. Sure enough, Ryan could see why Dwight could never earn any respect. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” With all eyes on him, Dwight felt bad and explained himself. Edmund was not that upset anymore. He looked at Kaze to see what he had to say. There was something about Kaze. Howev
“Focus more on eating and less on talking at the dinner table.” Kaze was concerned that Dwight would get on Edmund’s nerves. It would be the end of Dwight. “What’s wrong? Have I done something wrong?” Dwight was still oblivious to his fault. “No. Mr. Witterson wanted us here to ask me some questions. If you answer them all, there really is no point in me being here.” Kaze knew how to handle Dwight. He could get Dwight to shut up without much explanation. “Oh, I get it. You’re the boss.” Dwight was on his best behavior. A white table runner was laid across the long table in the dining room. A variety of delicious food had been set out on the table. There was a beautiful centerpiece display, too. Edmund, Kaze, and the others approached the table and exchanged pleasantries before taking their seats. Seated at the head of the table, Edmund looked at Kaze on his left-hand side. “I hope the food is to your liking. The chef can prepare something else if you have a
Ryan could not shake off a strange feeling. If Kaze were the Butterworth Branch chief’s trusted aide, he would have settled down in the city. However, Kaze appeared to be a free man. Life did not seem to get him down. Since Kaze enjoyed staying in hotels, he was not a fan of being restrained. However, Kaze’s motives for being in Westeros were unknown. Word on the street was that the Butterworth Branch was going after the Westeros Branch. Not knowing how the Butterworth Branch operated, Ryan believed he should not ask too many questions. He could only keep watch over Kaze. Dwight played a mobile game until his phone battery was out. He then chose to head outside. Seeing that Kaze and Ryan were taking a stroll, Dwight approached them. “What are you guys talking about?” Dwight asked out of curiosity. Unbeknownst to him, his participation interrupted the probing. The grin on Kaze’s face widened when Dwight came closer. “We were just chatting. “Since Dwight is
Edmund was curious enough about Kaze to make him stay. Kaze’s plan worked pretty well. Dwight was glad. He assumed that his flattery pleased Edmund enough to score a free dinner with the big man. Edmund took Ryan with him. Kaze turned to Dwight, his eyes reflecting gratitude. Sure enough, Dwight was the perfect sidekick. “Why are you staring at me?” Dwight was oblivious that he had upset Edmund, though it was not a bad offense. Edmund thought nothing of Dwight. The latter was just an expendable minion. He could just transfer Dwight out and make him leave the Viper’s Den if he was too much of an eyesore. All Edmund had to do was say the word. Ryan left the living room with Edmund and ascended the stairs. He spoke in hushed tones to gauge Edmund’s intentions. “Should I get Dwight out? He’s rude.” Ryan did not expect Herman to put Dwight on airport pick-up duty. Alas, Kaze responded well to Dwight, and they hit it off. Ryan was baffled as to why Kaze and Dwig
Dwight approached with a smile. He looked at Edmund earnestly. “I am Dwight McCorney. I have heard good things about you. I finally got to meet the man of the hour. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Witterson.” Dwight was starstruck. Edmund was embarrassed by Dwight’s behavior. He could not believe that Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. Nevertheless, Dwight seemed genuine in expressing his thrill. Edmund became curious about him. He turned around to look at Kaze, who was the polar opposite of Dwight. Kaze stood there, holding his ground. He stood up to greet Edmund and nothing else. He appeared to be refined, unlike Dwight, who was brash. Dwight had no idea that his behavior had upset Edmund. Edmund looked at Dwight in disdain. However, Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. It was best for Edmund to keep his comments to himself. Without a word, Edmund stared at the pair. Ryan stepped in to smooth things over. “What are you doing? We have a guest here.
Since Kaze would not change these people’s minds, he was better off doing what he wanted to do. “This vase must be valuable. I got to give it to Mr. Witterson. A display in the living room is worth so much.” Dwight had never seen so much luxury in one room. He had been to the museum, but the displays were nothing like he had ever seen before. The rich had the means to splurge. “Do you think this is pure gold?” Dwight turned to a gold statue. The design was to die for. The purity of color made it hard to doubt its authenticity. “I’m not too sure, but I guess most of the ornaments here are real.”Kaze watched as Dwight gasped in awe. Nevertheless, his behavior would clear any suspicion on Kaze. It could be a good thing. “I knew Mr. Witterson was rich. His businesses are doing well. “But I didn’t expect this sort of lifestyle. The gold must be worth a million dollars. “If I were this wealthy, I would not spend it on decoration.” Dwight rambled on, his eyes stuck t
“I’m not familiar with the area. We’ll have to look around,” Dwight said behind the wheel. He looked for restaurants while driving. It was early, and many restaurants were not open for business. They circled the block and finally uncovered a small breakfast bar. They ordered some food, filled their bellies, and got back into the car. “Mr. Witterson said that he wouldn’t meet you. Why does he want to see you now?” Dwight was curious. Something must have happened last night. Otherwise, Edmund would not suddenly grant an audience to Kaze. “I don’t know. I had some drinks last night, and now he probably made time.” Kaze felt better after breakfast. He did not think much of the situation. Things would carry on as planned regardless of what the Wittersons or the Siegfrieds had to say.This was exactly what Kaze hoped for. Dwight remained in the dark. He drove to the city’s most exclusive area for the rich. It was all greenery in this part of town. The road was wider, an