Without looking at Hux who was yelling his lungs out, Kaze said indifferently, “Don’t you people ever learn?” He plunged the butter knives into Collier’s hands once more. “Argh!” Collier lifted his head and screamed harrowingly. As his hands were pinned to the table, Collier could not break free. “What’s that again? If anything happens to Mr. Ettinger, what are you going to do to me?” Kaze dug his ear and asked. Collier struggled desperately while Kaze remained nonchalant. The stark contrast was striking. The anger on Hux and the others’ faces turned into fear. It dawned on them that Kaze, a harmless-looking guy from out of town, was ruthless. Collier’s life mattered more than anything else. Yet, Kaze did not care. If the group carried on clamoring, Kaze might just torture Collier to death. “Why did you stop shouting? Weren’t you making a fuss about doing stuff to me?” Kaze grinned and looked at Collier, wincing on the ground. He tapped Collier’s forehead with t
Kaze removed the four butter knives lodged in Collier’s hands and carried him out. “W-Where are you taking Mr. Ettinger?” Hux asked with a grimace. He kept his voice low, fearing Kaze might harm Collier further. Kaze replied indifferently, “Mr. Ettinger is taking us for a ride. I’ll drop him back two hours later. “All of you must wait here.“If any one of you sneak out, I will break one of Collier’s limbs. One limb for each person.” Kaze then carried Collier out of the restaurant as the crowd watched on. Collier knew he met his match when his eyes fell on the Rolls Royce. The Rolls Royce was nothing special to someone of his caliber. Heck, Collier’s family owned several Rolls Royces. However, the vehicle proved that Kaze was not the country bumpkin Collier thought he was. Without time to care what was on Collier’s mind, Kaze dumped him in the trunk. Conan kept the firearm and followed Kaze into the car. Soon, the Rolls Royce turned around and drove off. Hux and
“Did you take me here just to humiliate me, Kaze?” Hannah felt her hot cheek and said curtly, “You can kill me, but you can’t insult me.” Kaze? Playing dead on the ground, Collier found the name familiar. “Insult you? Do you think you’re worth my time?” Kaze sat down opposite Hannah and wiped his hand with a wet wipe. Hannah raised a brow and took a deep breath to fight back the rage. She quickly let out a wry smile. “That’s true. You defeated Magnus and crippled me with one hand after all. “I don’t qualify to fight you. Now that I am nothing, I don’t even deserve any humiliation from you. “You can kill me easily.” Hannah glanced at Collier before meeting Kaze’s gaze. “I heard that you killed Newell’s family. Is that true?” “What? Are you planning to avenge Newell’s family?” Kaze smiled amusedly, not denying that fact. He had no reason to hide anyway. “Uh…” Collier went through a range of emotions. Kaze!Collier’s memory was coming back now. Kaze was th
Kaze shook his head. Even now, Hannah was so full of herself. “Why don’t you tell me how you plan to repay me?” Kaze said amusedly. Hannah grimaced and said coldly, “Why must you insult me, Kaze? “I am just a loser. What can I even do for you? “Power? I’m just the deputy chief by name. No one takes me seriously. Even Collier can corner me.” Collier shuddered and replied, “I was blind, Hannah. I really respect you.” Hannah snapped at him with an angry look and brushed him off. “Money? That’s something I don’t have. “You just want to see a high and mighty woman standing humbly before you. “Maybe you’re after my body just like Collier. “Do as you please. I can’t fight back anyway. “But we’re even after tonight.” With a pale face, Hannah closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate. Hannah could be a virgin for all Kaze knew. Kaze pursed his lips. “Forget it. I prefer the romantic type, not the unwilling ones like you. You just lie there and play dead.“Besides,
“It’s the least I can do.” Hannah narrowed her eyes at Kaze, her body shaking. She never fully appreciated what she had until she lost it all.Hannah experienced the harshness of the world when she lost her combat prowess. The companions, who used to be all over her, now behaved like strangers. The executives at the Viper’s Den West State branch, who protected and adored her, turned their backs and reassigned her to be the deputy chief at the South River State branch. Hannah was constantly picked on at the South River State branch. She dared not imagine what would happen to her if she fell into Collier’s hands today. “What are your terms?” Hannah asked with a struggle. “You work for me willingly. You’ll be my lapdog. “You take orders from me. “When I tell you to bite, you bite,” Kaze said curtly. He wanted to trample on Hannah’s ego. It was the only way to keep her under his thumb. Kaze was not a saint. He was happy to restore Hannah’s powers for his own benefit,
The Nether Viper Sword was Autumn’s weapon, a sacred blade that symbolized the Viper’s Den’s supreme authority. The blade in Kaze’s possession was a replica. Even so, only the Viper’s Den branch leader had the right to possess the sword. Hannah, one of the most promising members out of the 36 Viper’s Den branches, was given one by the Viper Queen. Previously, Hannah arrived at Lilyrose, armed with the Nether Viper Sword. She thought the weapon alone was enough to crush her godfather’s killer. To her dismay, Kaze crippled her and took the Nether Viper Sword away. Later, the blade triggered a series of tumultuous events. Seeing the blade she once possessed stirred a complex mix of emotions in Hannah.More shockingly, Hannah wondered how the Nether Viper Sword ended up with Kaze. There had been a rumor going around the organization. The person who could kill Kaze would become the Viper’s Den West State branch leader. Magnus, Sirius, and Newell’s family were killed and c
Kaze had initially intended to consolidate his control over the West State branch and the South River State branch by eliminating half of their members and co-opting the remaining half. His strategy was going to be a combination of intimidation and reward, allowing him to exert absolute authority.Nevertheless, he changed his mind when he saw Hannah. He needed Hannah’s voluntary compliance to secure her allegiance and leave no room for complications. Hence, Kaze did not attempt to coerce her. He had given her a chance, and now it was up to her whether she would take it. Hannah contemplated for a moment before taking a step forward and kneeling before Kaze. “You’re my leader. “From this moment on, I will only take orders from you.” Once she made up her mind, Hannah no longer hesitated and made a firm statement. She could not refuse Kaze’s offer. Either way, it was an opportunity to restore her strength. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She would not be ab
“Don’t be so quick to thank me. Let’s get down to business.” Kaze waved his arm and sat down on the couch. “Let me be clear. I don’t tolerate incompetence.“So you are going to be the South River State branch chief. “But I won’t appoint you to the job. You need to purge the organization and gain power on your own. “I don’t care if Josiah, Jude, or Camden have a problem with it. They can either submit or go down with Newell. “I’m here for other businesses, so I don’t want to waste too much of my time with the South River State branch. You have two weeks. “Show me what you got, Hannah.” If Hannah proved herself capable, Kaze was open to letting her handle the restructuring of the West State branch or take a more senior role. Kaze would not use her if Hannah did nothing impressive. He could pick other talents anyway. Hannah nodded and said, “I’m willing to take an oath of commitment. “I’ll make sure that in just a week, your voice is the only one that matters in the
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