The security guards were hesitant. The shop attendant said, “Don't just stand there. That's Vincent from the Hanser family. Just do what he says. He’ll protect you from any consequences.” Oh. He was Vincent Hanser. They could do no wrong by getting in Vincent’s good graces. The two security guards whipped out their batons and lunged at Kaze. Sky turned white as a sheet. “Stop!” An angry voice came from behind everybody. The two security guards shuddered in fear at the voice. With their batons hanging in the air, they froze. The others turned their heads to the source of the voice. A plump middle-aged man in a suit approached in rage. “Mr. Dot!” the shop attendant cried. William Dot asked sternly, “What are you doing? Why is my security team hitting a customer?” The shop attendant made a wry face while thinking of an excuse. Kaze uttered curtly, “Mr. Dot, right? Is this how you treat customers? I expect a satisfactory answer from you.” “Sir, I apologize fo
The voice was icy. Tension rose in the showroom. Everybody looked up in shock. A slender man with menacing eyes turned up at the door. His face bore a faint bruise. Kaze was not surprised to see the man. He said indifferently, “If you were late another minute, I would’ve trashed Taurus Automobiles, Hunter.” Hunter was speechless, remembering the event that took place last night. He nodded at Kaze to express his apology before taking large strides over. “Is this your backup, Kaze?” Samus and the others smirked at Kaze, not taking Hunter seriously. An ingratiating voice came from behind. “Oh, Mr. Hunter, sir. What brings you here?” Shuddering at the sight of Hunter, William rushed to greet him. Hunter, the general manager of Taurus Automobiles, held a higher post than a showroom manager. William was more terrified that Hunter worked for Cronus. A man of his stature had only heard rumors of Cronus, the big boss of Taurus Automobiles.As Hunter approached Willi
The slap left Vincent dumbfounded. The others were stunned too. Vincent introduced himself, saying that he was a member of the Hansers, a prestigious family. Why did Hunter hit him? “I don’t think I have offended you, sir. Why did you attack me?” Dumbstruck, Hunter covered his face and glared at Hunter angrily. Hunter scoffed. “You didn’t offend me, but you crossed K.” “Kaze?” Vincent stared at Kaze in disbelief. Hunter humiliated him in public with a slap for dissing Kaze. It did not make sense. It was no secret that Kaze was a dimwit and a liar. Vincent grimaced and asked angrily, “Are you fooled by the idiot, sir?” “That’s right, sir. The dummy is the son-in-law of our family. He loves to impersonate important people to scam others. Don’t be fooled by him!” “He pretended to be a military commander, but we saw through him.” Deborah, Samus, and Celine backed Vincent up. They taunted Kaze moments ago. A heavyweight like Hunter arrived on the scene and too
“No, no. No problem at all. The car belongs to Sky.” Samus’ heart ached when he said that. Kaze said, “I want to buy my wife a Maserati Quattroporte.” “No problem.” Hunter pulled out his phone to call the manager of the Maserati showroom next door. Stuart the manager rushed over and was in a dilemma by the request. “We only have one Maserati Quattroporte available for collection now, and Ms. Deborah Quint has reserved it. She will be collecting the car today. Oh, there you are, Ms. Quint.” He spotted Deborah in the crowd. Deborah was about to speak when Kaze cut her off. “I don’t care who reserved the car, but it is now mine. I’m taking it with me,” Kaze said sternly. “I can’t believe you’re taking my car, Kaze,” Deborah yelled angrily. Kaze smiled. “That’s right. I’m taking your car. What are you going to do about it?” “Uh, you. Don’t push it, Kaze!” Deborah was livid. Hunter flicked his arm at Stuart. “The car is now Ms. Quint’s, but I’m talking about Darcy
Kaze’s slap snapped Deborah out of an angry trance. She covered her face and glared at Kaze with gritted teeth. “Don’t celebrate too soon, Kaze. Your wife is about to get it—” “Shut up, Deborah!” Vincent scowled and interrupted her. Not too long ago, Vincent and Rudy’s family conspired with Liam to oust Darcy from Quintessential Group.After days of searching, the Hansers finally located Jean’s hiding place. They had sent men to fetch the woman. With Jean back, Darcy would be kicked out of Quintessential Group. The Hansers would take over the group through Rudy’s family. Deborah was an idiot to nearly let slip this crucial information. Their efforts would be for nothing if Darcy braced herself for the takeover. “What are you plotting against my wife again?” Although Deborah did not reveal much, Kaze could tell something was amiss from Vincent’s reaction. Flustered, Deborah said angrily, “What are you talking about? I’m saying that your wife will get what’s coming
Kaze was not keen on associating with Celine. Despite her age, she was rather manipulative. As color drained from her face, Celine walked away grimacingly. Kaze looked at Celine’s back and said indifferently, “You should stay away from Celine, Sky. You’re a simple guy. You might get taken advantage of without knowing it.” “Oh. Got it, Kaze.” Sky nodded cluelessly. He had utmost trust in Kaze, so he would do no wrong by taking his advice. Celine’s eyes flickered with menace when she heard the comment. Kaze wanted to drive away with Sky without any intention of paying. Hunter promised to compensate him last night. “Someone would like to see you for a talk, K. Can you come with me?” Hunter asked. Kaze was not in a hurry to give his word. He asked, “Who is it?” “Just a veteran in the business. He’s waiting for you.” Kaze eyed Hunter, who seemed suspicious. He wanted to see what the man was up to. “Alright. I’ll meet him.” Kaze patted Sky’s shoulder. “Go and take y
Samus, Deborah, and Vincent led the way on foot. Despite their frustration, they were thrilled. Judging by the security team’s aloof and distant attitudes, they believed that these people came to mess Kaze up. Meanwhile, Hunter led Kaze outside a VIP lounge. “Wait here, K. I’ll tell them you’re here.” Hunter knocked on the door and entered the room. The lounge was spacious and luxurious. A rosy-cheeked man in his fifties sat on the leather couch, a tunic draped his frame. “I brought Kaze here, Mr. White.” Hunter nodded at the bodyguards standing by the old man before approaching with respect. It was Angel White, the Angel of Death. Anybody with association to Lilyrose underworld would know his name. Angel was the brains behind Cronus’ rise in the underworld.Two decades ago, Angel’s strategic brilliance drove Cronus to power, challenging Alan’s dominance in the underworld.Ignoring Hunter, Angel fixated his gaze on the TV screen. The video of Kaze knocking T
It did not matter whether Kaze would kill Alan. Hunter could imagine the devastating end to Kaze. The dummy was not the only one caught in the crossfire. His wife’s family, probably the entire Quint family, would be ruined. “Bring him in.” Angel grabbed the remote control and turned off the screen. Hunter turned around, opened the door, and led Kaze into the room. “Kaze, this is Mr. White. Mr. White is a respectable man in Lilyrose.” Hunter quit the term of endearment. Kaze was a dead man in his eyes. “Mr. White.” Kaze checked Angel out and chuckled. He was about to sit his ass in front of Angel. “How dare you! Who are you to sit in front of Mr. White?” The bodyguard on the left of Angel criticized Kaze angrily. Kaze turned to Angel who carried a blank expression. “Didn’t you invite me for a talk, Mr. White? Why don’t I get to sit down? I’m sure there isn’t a rule about it.” “Hmph! Don’t flatter yourself, dimwit. Mr. White summoned you. He did not invite yo
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