Faith's lips twitched as her eyes darkened with anger.She swiftly stepped back to the wall, reaching for a large, double-barreled shotgun disguised as a decorative piece. Though it looked ornamental, it was always loaded, ready to fire.Click, click.Faith adjusted the shotgun and aimed it straight at Kaze.Even though she had not fired yet, the sight alone made Buffy turn pale. “Kaze, get down!” Faith was an avid shooter and frequently visited gun clubs, well-aware of the devastating power of a shotgun, often referred to as a “cannon.”Boom!Kaze did not even blink. Just before Faith pulled the trigger, he kicked a nearby bodyguard, sending him flying in front of the gun’s muzzle. Bang!The deafening sound pierced everyone’s ears.The bodyguard hit by the shot was engulfed in smoke, blood splattering as he was thrown backward.When he landed, his body was riddled with bullet holes.“Damn it!” Seeing that she had killed her own man, Faith went into a frenzy. Her
At that moment, Buffy felt a wave of relief wash over her.“What are you standing around for? Get in the car.” Kaze called out.Faith quickly jumped into the car. Moments later, the vehicle was already turning around. As the sound of the car faded in the distance, Faith finally mustered the courage to stand up inside the villa.“Useless!“Every one of you is absolutely trash!” Her anger flared as she stormed over to the bodyguards, kicking each one with fury.“The Krads have kept you around for years, and you all claim to be among the elite. This one proudly says he can take on ten guys, that one says he can take on twenty.“But when it came down to it, none of you could even handle some random punk off the street! “And because of you, I nearly got killed by that little brat!“What am I even paying you for?“If I had died today, I’d make sure every one of you idiots would be buried with me!” Faith’s face was contorted with rage, cursing like a street shrew. She wa
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a long time before Jude’s voice returned.“Faith, is that punk you mentioned named Kaze?”Faith gritted her teeth and nodded. “That’s right, it’s that jerk, Kaze!”As soon as she said it, she realized something was off.“Wait, Jude, how do you know his name? Don’t tell me he really...”Faith’s eyes widened.Jude's voice turned cold. “Yeah, I saw him last night at Drake Gym. Not only did he beat up several of my men, but he slapped me in front of everyone and took Buffy away.”Faith’s jaw dropped in disbelief as Jude recounted what had happened.Her expression quickly darkened.It was true Kaze slapped Jude.With Jude’s temper, for Kaze to still be walking around freely after pulling a stunt like that and even show up at her place with Buffy, spoke volumes about Kaze’s capabilities.“Jude, that guy is obviously just someone Buffy brought in as a decoy. You can tell he’s broke just by looking at him!“Does he have some sort
“Kaze, turn around and head to the airport!”They are on their way back from Blossom Creek to Wyomspring.Buffy, sitting in the passenger seat, broke the silence. “I'll book the next flight to Ridgesouth for you. From there, you can head to Geranium or Millstown, or even go abroad if you have your passport.“I’ll transfer ten million to an offshore account for you.“Once the heat dies down, you can return.“Now, give me your ID.”Buffy began searching for flights on her phone.Kaze kept driving, showing no sign of handing over his ID.“You asked me to pretend to be your boyfriend, didn’t you? “Now that we’re done, you’re just going to throw me away?”Kaze smirked. “Ten million? That's my going rate these days?”Buffy felt a surge of frustration. “Are you an idiot or are you just pretending?“You beat up Faith earlier today. She won’t let this go. Do you even know who she is?“She’s the precious daughter of the Krads, one of the wealthiest families in Westeros. Your family
Buffy was beginning to regret her decisions.Maybe she should never have gotten Kaze involved in the first place.Nothing changed, and worse, she got Kaze involved.In the past, she would not have cared much about his fate. However, now, things were different. Kaze was the only man who had ever stepped up to shield her.“Buffy, do you think so little of me?” Kaze smirked. “Do you really think the Krads and Casius are enough to bring me down?“Do they even have the ability?" Buffy had no idea where Kaze got his confidence, but she thought he was being way too cocky.The Krads and Casius were not people to be underestimated. Thinking otherwise would lead to serious consequences.“Don't underestimate Casius,” Buffy said, but Kaze interrupted her.“Relax. After Casius tried to have Zoro kill me, I’d have gone after him anyway, with or without you. “Taking him down is part of why I’m here in Riverbank. Not entirely because of you.“So, don’t blame yourself, and don’t wo
“That night, Faith brought several of her family's elite fighters and severely injured my mother, leaving her in a coma ever since.“My father wasn’t there at the time. But when he got home, he silently called for an ambulance and had my mother taken to the hospital.“Then, he married Faith.”“I was too young to understand everything at the time, and it’s only later that I found out the truth.“Even after I learned the truth, I couldn’t do anything because Faith had taken control of the family’s finances.“My mother’s medical expenses, which amount to millions every year, are entirely dependent on her approval. I had no choice but to pretend nothing happened.“Even so, Faith still hasn’t let go of her plans for me.“You heard her earlier. The only reason she’s paying for my mother’s treatment is to keep me under her control, using me as a pawn to further her agenda.“Not too long ago, Newell Ettinger, the previous leader of the South River Branch, died. Faith pushed my father f
“I didn't expect your stepmom to act so fast. She must have a death wish.”Kaze grinned, but his eyes were cold and threatening. Even his perfect smile seemed a bit sinister.At first, Buffy did not understand. However, when she followed Kaze’s gaze to the rearview mirror, she realized something was wrong.Behind them, two massive Ford Raptors were weaving through traffic, closing in fast.They were almost catching up to them, only a few cars apart. Buffy could even see the expressionless driver of the closest truck, staring straight at them.“Are they coming for us?” Buffy's face paled.One Ford Raptor was intimidating enough on the road, but two? Buffy could practically feel the presence of death creeping up behind them.“Did Faith send them?” Buffy asked, her voice was shaky.They had barely left Blossom Creek, and already someone was tailing them.Like Kaze, Buffy immediately thought of Faith. Sending two trucks to chase them down left little room for doubt about h
Vroom!As Kaze’s foot hit the gas pedal, the engine roared to life, and the car sped forward like a dark horse weaving through traffic.In a flash, Kaze executed several swift lane changes, overtaking other cars. The sudden moves caused chaos, with screeching brakes and blaring horns echoing around him.However, the two Ford Raptors tailing him were unfazed. Now that Kaze had spotted them, they stopped holding back, accelerating and weaving through the traffic in pursuit.Kaze was not surprised. If the drivers could be shaken off this easily, it would be a joke, whether they were sent by Faith or Casius.Vroom!Kaze hit the gas again, yanking the steering wheel. The car swerved to the right and shot off the main road toward a side road leading to the South Hill Dam. South Hill Dam is Riverbank City’s suburban area. He planned to deal with the problem there.The Ford Raptors quickly followed, mimicking his moves. Both trucks were clearly modified and kept pace with hi
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