Conan disapproved of Kaze and him heading to Mountain Dew Estate. Kaze might be strong, but he was just one man. Conan could barely stand on his two feet in a fair fight. He probably needed Kaze’s protection if a fight broke out. He would be a burden to Kaze. Conan’s sources revealed that Newell brought a large number of men with him from the South River branch.Scarlet was a combat expert too. Kaze could be in danger if Newell and Scarlet were to attack him. Hence, Conan asked, “Should I call for armed backup, Bro?” “No need for that.” Kaze shook his head and said with a smirk, “Attack me? I’ll just make sure they don’t have a chance to.” He would proceed with caution at Mountain Dew Estate. However, it did not mean that Conan needed to call reinforcements. If the situation reached a point of chaos, the backup would not come to any help. Sensing the confidence in Kaze’s tone, Conan said nothing more. The Maybach cruised along the winding mountain path and ar
There were also many young men and women around. They must be the group’s subordinates. These people, with noticeably bulging waistlines, stared at Kaze with malice. “Mr. Ettinger, Kaze Lee is here.” An individual glared at Kaze and cocked his head back to shout at the crowd. “Creak!” The sound of rolling wheels emerged from the crowd, followed by the appearance of a wheelchair being pushed forward.The person in the wheelchair was Brad, whose leg Kaze broke the night before. Brad’s leg was heavily bandaged, and his expression was grim. Nevertheless, he looked up at Kaze with bitter rage in his eyes. Brad’s gaze fleeted past Conan before falling on Kaze. “I didn’t expect you to show up with just one friend.“You’re asking for it. “In that case, I’ll grant you the wish to die. “Even God can’t save you now.” Brad had never resented someone so badly in his entire life. “Don’t worry, Mr. Ettinger. No one can save him from us.” Behind Brad, Griffin of the Wood br
Brad was tempted to have Kaze torn into pieces. In the end, he held himself back. The Viper Queen’s agents were in the yard. Brad knew that Scarlet called Kaze over. It would be disrespectful to Scarlet if he were to kill Kaze. Unless… Conan walked forward and said angrily with his finger up Brad’s nose, “Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth? “Get out of the way before you get another broken leg.” Conan, the heir of the Butterworth Queens, had no reason to fear Brad. He should not wuss out when it mattered if he wanted to work for Kaze. Though outnumbered, Conan should not back down. Brad grimaced, his eyes flickering maliciously. He scoffed and murmured through clenched teeth, “You asked for it, Kaze.” Brad then tipped Griffin the wink. Getting the message, Griffin sent two of his men to destroy the surveillance cameras in the front yard. “Thud!” Brad’s wheelchair flipped over, and he crashed to the ground. “Thump, thump, thump.” Brad sl
“Be a man. Don’t play games, Brad,” Conan hissed through clenched teeth. He flipped out. It never occurred to Conan that the son of the Viper’s Den South River Branch Leader would pull such a tacky stunt. However, Brad turned a deaf ear to Conan and threw himself deeper into his acting. Livid, Conan wanted to pull Brad to his feet, but Kaze said indifferently, “Ignore him, Conan. Let him put on a show.“The son of the Viper’s Den South River Branch Leader is rolling on the ground. You can’t even pay to see a show like this. “It’s the chance of a lifetime. Enjoy the show.” Kaze watched Brad in intrigue, his eyes bearing mockery and sarcasm. He did not count on Brad to pull a fast one on him. Nevertheless, it was all child’s play and a joke to Kaze. The commotion outside startled the people in the chalet. Another group of Viper’s Den agents surged into the yard. Dressed in fine clothes, these people exuded an air of superiority, their noses hung up in arrogance as
Brad knew that Malova set up the meeting between his father, Newell, and the Viper Queens’ direct successor, Scarlet, before Kaze. Grimacing at the sound of Brad’s cries, Malova elbowed her way through the crowd. She scowled when she saw Brad in a state of blood and grime. “What happened to you, Brad? “Who hit you? “Who has the audacity to hit my family?” Malova exploded in rage. Brad was the sole heir to the Ettinger lineage. Hence, Malova doted on her nephew, giving him whatever he wanted. She would not stand by to see her nephew wounded. “Who hit you, Brad? “Identify the person, so I can kill them for you,” Malova said heart-wrenchingly, her expression menacing. Brad pointed at Kaze with a quick smirk. “Lee attacked me, Aunt Malova. “He was the one who broke my leg yesterday too. “He hurled insults at me and threatened to break another of my legs when he arrived. “You can ask Mr. Mangold, Griffin, and the others if you don’t believe me.“Lee is an a
However, Malova and her people read Brad’s performance differently. Malova made a face. Her loyal subordinates glared at Kaze murderously. Kaze was asking for it. The Ettingers had always been a dominant player in Riverbank City. Yet, the sole heir of the Ettingers had just been humiliated. The insult would follow the Ettingers and mar their leadership unless they killed Kaze.“Get him, ma’am!” “Kaze Lee is too cocky. We must make him pay!” “How dare he challenge the Ettingers! We’ll show him!” “Even if we kill him right under the chief delegate’s nose, she won’t say anything.” Malova’s confidantes clamored aggressively. They would not hesitate to kill at Malova’s order. Sitting on the ground, Brad let out a smug and wicked grin. That was the end of his performance. The next thing to do was wait and see who would strike Kaze. Brad had it in the bag. There was no way he could lose. “You…” With everybody going against Kaze, Conan needed to say something.
“Don’t just stand there, Lee. Kneel!” “Why don’t you take a good look at yourself? What makes you think you can go against the Ettingers?” “He doesn’t know his place.” The Ettingers’ minions mocked Kaze. To them, Kaze was a sitting duck. There was no escape for Kaze. He wanted to humiliate Kaze and strip him of his pride. Malova let out an assertive smirk. “This is what you get for hurting Brad, bastard.“Maybe you should stop messing with the wrong people in your next life if there is one.” “In my next life?” Kaze grinned. “Is this what you’re after, Malova? Your nephew put on a show by crying, rolling on the ground, and throwing a fit. “Is it all to give you an excuse to kill me?” Malova sneered in disdain. “Say whatever you want, bastard. Nothing will change the outcome today. “What good will it do you to explain? When you’re dead, no one will stick up for you.” Kaze shook his head. “No, you got the wrong idea. “All I’m trying to say is you didn’t have to
“Kaze is up to his old tricks again. He’s holding me hostage to get away. He won’t do anything to me. “The incident last night won’t happen again. “Don’t hesitate, Aunt Malova. Just open fire.” Conan’s blood ran cold. He did not expect Brad to risk it all. “What makes you think I won’t do anything to you?” Kaze suddenly spoke. His voice bore a chilling aloofness. Brad smirked. “Try me—” Kaze lifted his foot and landed it on Brad’s throat. “Crack!” Brad’s defiant face went stiff. His eyes flickered in disbelief, confusion, resentment, and bitterness until the lights finally went out. Brad died in disbelief that Kaze would murder him in front of his aunt and family.He belonged to the Ettinger family. His father was the Viper’s Den South River Branch Leader, his uncle was the Viper’s Den West State Branch Deputy, and his aunt rubbed shoulders with many highly ranked members. Brad’s family held sway in the South River State. Yet, Kaze killed him with a si
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