Kaze figured out what was going on the moment he walked out of the villa. Coming from power and money, Buffy did not need to use Kaze as a cover against other socialites. From the few encounters Kaze had with Buffy, he observed her to be a proud woman. When she needed Kaze’s help in getting Jude treated, she wanted to do so by winning a gamble. Alas, Buffy did not have the best of luck, and things did not go as planned. “It must be Casius who pressured you into using me as a shield.” Kaze pulled his arm out of Buffy’s grip. The touch of her girls grazed his arm, stirring something deep within him even with his strong will. Without hesitation, Buffy stood firm and gave him a defiant look. “What? Scared? “Didn’t you cause a scene at Bronze Sparrow? Now, Zoro is dead, and Bronze Sparrow is under new management.“Even if you aren’t the cause, Casius will still make you pay for starting it. “Casius may look like the most charitable gentleman, but he’s the pettiest guy I k
The reception area was charged with sensual energy. It would not be a great time for a young man to walk in on these ladies. Yet, Kaze kept his composure. He followed Buffy’s line of vision to a striking woman at the center of the group. The woman was Buffy’s stepmother, Faith Gwake.With Buffy walking in, her arm linked with Kaze’s, the cheers and laughter in the room stopped. The other four women sized Kaze up before looking at Faith, who was upset, with intrigue. Buffy was thrilled with Faith’s reaction. “Hello, Stepmother. Hello, everyone.” She pulled Kaze along and said hello with a wave. Faith pulled her grim eyes away from Kaze and turned to Buffy with a smirk. “Oh, I guess pigs fly. I didn’t think I’d ever hear you call me Mom. “I thought you wouldn’t step foot at my place even on the day I die,” Faith said sarcastically. Buffy was not on good terms with her stepmother. Heck, they were like enemies. She answered with a smile, “Don’t be ridiculous, Faith.
Kaze got a general idea of why Buffy brought him to meet Faith. Faith likely had been setting Buffy up with Casius. In addition, Faith’s snobbish remarks rubbed Kaze the wrong way. He wanted to slap the arrogance out of her. Before Kaze could speak, Buffy took Kaze’s arm once more and leaned closer in an act to be more intimate. Facing Faith’s burning eyes, Buffy said icily, “You are mistaken, Faith. “Kaze isn’t my new driver or a bodyguard. He doesn’t work for me.“He’s my boyfriend. “I brought him here to tell you that we’re officially dating. “Stop setting me up with Casius, talking my dad into it, and tipping Casius off to chance an encounter with me. “It’s never going to work between Casius and me,” Buffy said firmly, sending her message loud and clear. With Buffy expressing her stance strongly, the other women looked at Kaze in surprise. What did Kaze do to deserve Buffy? She turned away from an eligible bachelor like Casius and picked Kaze instead. “Hmph
Picking up manic vibes from Buffy’s tone, Kaze frowned. The Gwakes were more than met the eye. Buffy’s mother seemed to be in the picture, but she seemed to be in some sort of trouble and bound by Faith. Faith had a say in Buffy’s marriage.Kaze’s doubts were quickly answered soon enough. “Smack!”Faith rose to her feet and slapped Buffy in the face. A stinging red handprint marred Buffy’s soft skin. Buffy was caught in surprise. Even Kaze did not see it coming. He did not expect Faith to be trained in the art of self-defense, and she was pretty skilled. Kaze took another glance at Faith. She wore a dress with a thigh-high slit, lounging on the couch without a care. Hence, Kaze failed to pick up on a few key details. Now that he took another look at Faith, he found things he had missed before. When Kaze’s gaze fell on the steaming hot drink in front of Faith, he pulled a smirk. Faith took a step and ripped Buffy a new one. “You have the nerve, slut!“Who do y
“Your big talk doesn’t scare me, boy.” Faith folded her arms, her gaze menacing. “Just ask around about me and the Gwakes. You’ll regret what you just said. “Get lost. I’m not going to say this again.” The other four ladies swirled their wine glasses and looked at Kaze amusedly. “You should leave before Faith blows up, boy.” “Know your place. Faith can squash you like a bug.” “We don’t even concern ourselves in the Gwakes’ affair. Who are you to get involved?” The mockery and taunts were directed at Kaze. “Really? Are the Gwakes really that awesome?” Kaze smiled nonchalantly and looked at Faith. “I slapped Jude at Drake Gym last night.“How are you, the wife, planning on getting even on behalf of your husband?”Faith and the other four ladies froze. He slapped Jude. His words stirred a wave of emotions in them. Who was Jude? He was the deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch, an influential figure in Riverbank. Yet, Kaze claimed to have sm
“Your pride and joy are nothing but a joke to me, Faith. “Jude didn’t dare say a word when I slapped him in public and took his daughter away. “What makes you think you are any better, bitches?” Faith and the other ladies’ expressions turned ashen, their bodies shaking. They were well-known in the Riverbank high society. Their men were powerful in Riverbank. The public would always walk on eggshells around these ladies for fear of upsetting them. They could sweet-talk their husband into getting revenge for them. Yet now, some poverty-stricken guy just called them bitches. These women stared at Kaze murderously. Kaze dismissed them. He looked at Faith offhandedly and said, “I don’t mind letting you in on a little something. “That’s right. Buffy is just using me. We aren’t dating. “But that doesn’t mean you get to push her into marrying a loser like Casius. “Why am I doing this? It’s simple, really. I just don’t like Casius. I’m happy to insult him. “I’ll k
“Ahhhh! You’re asking for it, asshole!“If it weren’t for Buffy, you couldn’t even step foot in here. “Who do you think you are?” Faith exclaimed furiously. The Golden Retriever in her arms whimpered in fear and scurried off somewhere. Faith, her presence menacing, stared at Kaze murderously. Moments later, her grim gaze fell on Buffy. “You have two choices.“He can break his leg, and you will get engaged to Casius when he gets back. “Otherwise, my bodyguards will break his limbs and lock you up until Casius returns.“Security!” The estate’s security team swamped the room. A dozen burly men stared Kaze and Buffy down. They only took orders from Faith. These security officers would not hesitate to hurt Buffy at Faith’s command. “I’ll pass on all of them.” Buffy met Faith’s gaze with determination and said icily, “I came with Kaze. I will leave with him. “I didn’t come here to discuss the matter. I’m not relenting either. “I just want to tell you that I found
Faith exploded in fury. “You little punk! What gives you the right to talk to me like that?! Who do you think you are?”“Smack.”No one expected it. Kaze stepped forward and slapped Faith across the face.The slap left her, and other ladies completely stunned. Even the bodyguards, who used to see Faith flaunt her power, stood frozen in shock.Did he just slap Faith?Whoever he was, did he know what he was doing?Buffy's mouth was wide open. She knew Kaze had guts; after all, he slapped her father in public yesterday without a second thought. However, Buffy still did not expect Kaze to act so recklessly.Kaze casually shook off his hand and said, "Just because I know you're about to end up in a coma like Buffy’s mother.“You must’ve messed up your body while training years ago, right? “You've been suffering ever since, and your body has weakened. You feel numb and cold all the time, and your period pain is unbearable. Not to mention about getting pregnant.“You can't go a
Dwight gave some suggestions. “But I’m worried about being a nuisance to your family.” Kaze remained hesitant, torn between decisions. “No, you won’t. I usually live alone. They stay somewhere else. They barely visit. I’ll just let them know not to visit for now,” Dwight replied. Dwight figured out what was in it for him. He could not let Kaze leave. “I don’t want to put your family in an awkward position.”Kaze was still considering the matter. “Relax. They don’t live with me anyway. The room I have for you is tidy. No one has stayed there before.“I’ll hire some help to freshen up the place. I can guarantee you an experience no less than at the hotel.” Dwight spoke with great confidence. “We should finish our food and doggie-bag the rest. I’ll take you to my place.” Dwight was ready to get things going. Kaze took the offer and nodded. “I’ll be in your care then.” Kaze was glad that his plan went through. Dwight had no idea that he got played. Nevertheless,
“I’m new to the place, so I don’t know much. Can you show me around when you’re available?” “No problem, but I usually have some stuff to take care of. I can’t be there 24/7. “Why don’t you propose to the branch that you want me to be your guide and attendant?” Dwight suggested. There was no telling whether Kaze would accept his proposal, but it was an opportunity to prove himself. He was never involved in the core operation. Often enough, he was the branch members’ punching bag. Though Dwight was aware that he was not good enough for the big stuff, he still wanted to succeed. Kaze was the trusted aide of the Butterworth Branch chief. He was in Westeros for a reason. By joining Kaze, Dwight would come across the major players. Kaze saw through Dwight’s plans. “Sure. I’ll do that.” Kaze did not mind the request. “Great. I’ll let them know on your behalf. I’ll be responsible for your needs while in the city.” Dwight was overjoyed at the opportunity. “So you live
“You must be rich. I often see rich people picking tabs for everybody. Talk about extravagance.” The tension in the air was lifted when Kaze offered to pay for everything. “I’m not. Consider it an apology,” Kaze explained, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. He did not see the point of continuing the conversation. Dwight’s angry screams came from outside. “What the hell is this? I only ordered a bunch of stuff. Why am I being charged an exorbitant amount?“What do you mean my friend is paying for everybody? That’s throwing money away,” Dwight said while storming his way over. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t do this, Mr. Lee.” Dwight did not approve of this type of generosity. “You rubbed them the wrong way. It was only right to apologize. Besides, it’s not a lot of money.” Kaze looked at the bill and handed a bank card to Dwight. “It’s my treat.” The consumption was barely a dent in Kaze’s savings. The meal did not cost more than his us
Kaze observed as the jeep took off further off course, past the towering buildings to a run-down neighborhood. “This is where I usually reside. My home is not too far away, but I think you might have trouble adapting to this place.” Dwight did not forget to book Kaze a hotel. Kaze could not possibly stay with him. The hotel was around the area anyway. “Didn’t you say that you haven’t tried the local cuisine? I’ll take you out for a bite. “The barbecue ribs here are to die for. We’ve got the dry-rubbed and saucy kind.” Dwight parked the car and hopped out right away. Opposite the parking lot was not the cleanest food joint. Looking in from the outside, Kaze realized that the place was packed. Kaze understood that the restaurant must be known for some kind of dish. The customers were from all walks of life, so the food must be great. “There’s not much to see here, but the food is tasty. If you don’t mind, we can order something inside.” Kaze was not particularly con
Dwight was surprised and curious as to who Kaze really was. From what he gathered, Kaze was a confidante of the Butterworth Branch chief. The purpose of Kaze’s visit was to learn and share. Dwight worked on the fringes, so his access to information was limited. Nevertheless, he got the feeling that Kaze was just an ordinary guy just like him. The only difference was that Kaze was lucky to rub shoulders with important people. Dwight did not get chances like that. “Who are the most influential people in the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Kaze asked in the car. Dwight was taken aback by the question. Still, he had an answer to that. “So you don’t know much about the situation?” Dwight suddenly felt important. “Well, I’m new to the city. I will be running into them soon, so I need to make sure I get my facts right,” Kaze said humbly. This was Dwight’s shot, and he needed to present his best. “Relax, Kaze. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Dwight would reveal some info
Kaze glanced at the flowers. There was a card for well-wishes too.Curious, Kaze reached out to read the card. It was written, “To my eternal lover and sweetheart.” Dwight grabbed Kaze’s bag. Since the sign in his hand was getting in the way, Dwight tossed the placard in the trash can. As Dwight turned his head back, he saw Kaze reading the card that came with the flowers. He tried to stop Kaze, but it was too late. Dwight had not attended to a guest of high importance before. The task was assigned to him at the last minute. In the past, Dwight was usually on the sidelines, never getting close to major matters. He would always get the small, insignificant jobs. Dwight often bought drinks for his superiors to build connections. However, he had always been kept out of the loop. Now that an opportunity had fallen onto his lap, Dwight was not about to let it slip. He wanted to show what he could do. When Dwight arrived at the airport for the pick-up, most people car
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