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
“Smack!” Agar was sent flying in less than three seconds. “Smack!” “Smack!” The scene was on repeat. Agar kept getting back on his feet and charging toward Kaze, only to be knocked back. He tried every angle possible and heightened his speed of attack. Kaze remained unchanged, always one step ahead at hitting Agar in the face. That one maneuver was all Kaze needed to defeat his rivals. Reuniting with the floor once more, Agar was bloodied all over. His white beard was stained in red. Even Miru had enough. She said, “Stop Agar, Aunt Fanny. If you keep sulking about it, Kaze might kill him.” Fanny was outraged. Sulking? The word struck a nerve in her. Embarrassed and furious, Agar wanted to sink into the ground. He knew that today’s incident would ruin him. “Kaze…” Agar struggled to get up, his expression complicated. Kaze raised his hand, ready to whip another slap. “Stop!” Agar shouted and put both hands up in surrender. “I won’t fight you anym
As they arrived, they saw a dozen expensive cars parked outside. The customer base was relatively stable as the establishment was targeted at the upper class. The people lining up at the club were young men and women of ordinary background. All were allowed inside Absolute Zero with an entrance fee. Since this would be a chance for ordinary people to meet and interact with the upper-class elites, they cherished it and tried their best to look good. Even movie producers and scriptwriters came to the club, seeking investments or a role in movie production. It was a shortcut to reach out to the upper crust after all. Yet they were just a bunch of fresh graduates with no resources and connections, so the club was their only chance at achieving something great. Dwight would never understand how rare the opportunity was, as he was narrow-sighted. He had never experienced power and wealth before, so he lacked the understanding of how things worked in society. “I never thought
With that in mind, Dwight checked his outfit. His black leather jacket brought out his height and wild side. He then observed Kaze. The latter was dressed casually. Dwight was worried that they would not be allowed into Absolute Zero because of their attire. Nevertheless, he could not let slip that he had never been to Absolute Zero. Without a word, Dwight led Kaze down the apartment building. Kaze could pick up on Dwight’s nerves. While in the elevator, Dwight could not stop straightening out his clothes. It was clear that he was nervous. Even so, Kaze said nothing and pretended not to notice. They got into the car and drove to an alley. The area was not huge, but there were stands selling street food. “The food is great here. Since it’s early, we can grab a bite.” Dwight was not being tight with money. As their destination was a bar, there was no need to get a proper meal. “I’ll get a skewer then.” Kaze did not have much of an appetite anyway. “Okay. I’ll or
“You’re the guest. I should be hosting you, but I don’t seem to be doing a good job.” Dwight knew he had to do better. “It’s okay. I don’t have much to do. It’s just a delivery anyway.” Kaze bought a lot of stuff online. All they had to do was wait for the delivery. Once the items arrived, they could head out. Dwight talked about taking him to a bar under the Viper’s Den’s umbrella. It was a great opportunity for Kaze to check out the scene. He had heard that the Wittersons were tied to all the Viper’s Den’s business operations.Kaze would not meet Edmund and Morris in person, but he would grasp all information related to them. Then, Kaze would stir things up between them and sit back while reaping the benefits. Kaze had it all planned out. He simply had to take his time in playing the long game. Nevertheless, it was important for him to remain discreet. At the very least, he should not show them what he was made of. It was easy to execute his plan when everybody
Kaze rose to his feet and took something out of his bag. Putting on his jacket, he was on his way out. Dwight was out of his room, too. He left his room for a glass of water and waited for Kaze to get out of the room after his nap. Dwight had a drink in the kitchen. He took an apple and chomped on it. Looking at the fruit on the table, Dwight grabbed a plate to arrange it neatly.He took out his phone to pass the time while waiting for Kaze. Kaze emerged from the room and saw Dwight. “You’re up at last. You’ve slept half the day away. Are you still tired? I can wait if you need to catch some sleep.” Dwight kept Herman’s memo to look after Kaze. “A little. I didn’t get any sleep last night. I was waiting to get on the plane.” Kaze took the red-eye flight yesterday. Dwight allowed time for Kaze to rest, knowing his travel schedule. “I know. Did you manage to get some good sleep? If you haven’t, you can go back to bed. I can grab some food for you.” Dwight’s plan
“Your main responsibility is to entertain Kaze. You will be rewarded for good work,” Herman said. Dwight nodded incessantly. “Thank you for thinking of me, Herman. I won’t forget this.” “I’d be grateful so long as you stay out of trouble. “Just focus on what you should do and take good care of Kaze.” Herman worried that Dwight might get ahead of himself and forget his primary duties. Dwight’s priority was Kaze’s well-being. The whole thing would be over if Dwight kept to himself and served Kaze until he was gone. There would be a problem if something were to happen. Without Edmund’s instructions, Herman would never have assigned a job to Dwight. It could be a good thing, though. At least, a job might keep him on the straight and narrow. “Relax. You can count on me,” Dwight said with glee.That was a nice surprise. Dwight did not see it coming. It was just incredible. Herman still could not shake off his worry. However, he had said his piece. It was pointless t
Herman’s smile vanished. His red, irritated skin was playing up. Due to alcohol in his system, Herman could not see straight. He had to grit his teeth to hold back the urge to retch. Herman was not one to drink. Yet, he would have to go through Edmund’s loyalty test every time, and he was reaching a boiling point. However, he understood that he needed to suck it up to gain Edmund’s trust. “You must be Herman. Mr. Witterson. Should I take the things to your car, or should I deliver them to your home?” asked a uniformed server who approached. “Put them in the car and get me a designated driver,” Herman replied. He headed to the lobby while propping himself against the wall. “Okay. There will be a driver out front, ready for your service.” The server tried to help Herman up, but was declined. Herman saw the cartons of alcohol and cigarettes in the lobby. Edmund had always been generous in giving out stuff like this. “These are from Mr. Witterson. You’re lucky to work for
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the