“W-What should we do now?!” Agnes got nervous knowing that they had not prepared a present for her father. Her father was an old-fashioned man who adhered the strictest rules and carried an air of pride with him. Every year during his birthday, the young ones would have to prepare presents to his liking or else he would be mad. Agnes and her family were excommunicated until recently but even she had to prepare a gift for her father every year. Although her father had never accepted her gift, sometimes even throwing them out, Agnes dared not miss out. Her father could reject her gift but she could not miss his birthday. It was almost afternoon, where should Agnes get a present for her father? If she and her family attended the banquet empty-handed, Caster would be furious and her whole family would be embarrassed. Kaze then said, “It’s alright. Rose told me about this and I’ve prepared the gift. I’ll tell them to send the gift over to the Otters and you’ll just have to
“I think because Darcy became the branch head of the Ridgesouth Quints, they got so carried away that they don’t even respect Grandfather anymore!” “I believe to them, it is us who begged them to attend this banquet.” Adam’s children, Max and Maxine, sided with their father and grandfather, so they spoke harshly toward Darcy and Agnes. Master Otter’s expression darkened. He looked at his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter in silence. He grunted heavily to express his dissatisfaction at Agnes and her family. As for Kaze, his existence was completely ignored. “Father, I am sorry. We were caught in terrible traffic and we traveled almost half the city to get here.” Agnes stepped up and apologized to her father. “I am so sorry that we are almost late.” “Caught in traffic? I guess you have to be earlier next time. It’s better to arrive than no show. Father actually misses you guys,” Agatha said, showing support to her sister. “Agatha, stop finding excuses for them. Ma
No one thought Sky would be so assertive. Kaze nearly burst into laughter. He gave the boy a playful pat on the back and adopted a mock-serious tone as he said, “Sky, where are your manners? “Maxine, right? She’s your cousin and older than you, you should show some respect. You know you can address the issue without embarrassing her right? Is this how I usually teach you?” “I’m sorry! I will never do it again!” Sky immediately bowed and apologized like a soldier in front of Kaze. Kaze’s words made things worse as Adam and his family felt embarrassed. They glared at Agnes and her family, thinking how they should retaliate. “Sky, mind your words! Where are your manners? This is no place for you to speak!” Agnes turned to Sky and shot him a warning glare. She wanted to scold Kaze too but a sudden thought entered her mind and she decided to keep her lips sealed. She shot him another glance to signal him. “Kaze, Darcy, where is the present that you prepared for your gran
Agnes glared at Kaze fiercely but could not do anything at all. Among the whole family, only Kaze, Sky, and Hector were secretly pleased. They would have to face Master Otter’s temper whether they prepared the present or not. In addition, without Master Otter’s permission, Adam and his family would not dare to give Agnes and her family a hard time. If the outcome remained the same, why waste the money? “Hmph! If more of us are like you, disrespectful and unfilial, then it’s going to be sad and bleak for Grandfather,” Maxine said scornfully. She then took out a white walking cane with a shiny dragon head and presented it to Master Otter. “Grandfather, we prepared this ivory walking cane for you. We got master craftsmen in Jairo to customize this walking cane based on your height and we also had it blessed by a renowned priest in Jairo. It cost us around three million. “You can use it in your daily routine and it can boost your blood circulation, ensuring your health and
“A villain in success!” Sky muttered, airing his grievance. Since everyone had already quieted down, his voice sounded extra loud. Master Otter was furious. “Boy, where are your manners?! Maxine is older than you, how can you talk to her like that? “Not only are you rude, but you keep making the same mistake! You are not taught properly by your parents!” He pointed at Sky and bellowed, “Slap him!” Slap! Before Sky could even react, Maxine darted forward and swung a slap at his face. A red slap mark covered his face, forcing him to stagger backward. He, too, was furious. “Maxine! I’ll hit a woman if I have to!” Slap! Maxine got carried away and slapped him once more. Sky’s anger erupted. He wanted to retaliate. “Sky! How dare you! Grandfather ordered the slap and you want to hit Maxine?!” “You are really disrespectful of Grandfather!” Max and another cousin dashed forward and held Sky’s arm back. Maxine quickly stepped away and smirked. “You little bastar
Darcy tried to argue but Agnes knew her father’s temper well, so she stepped up with tears trickling down her face, bowing and apologizing, “Father, Darcy and Sky are still young. Please don’t mind them! “It’s our fault for not teaching them well. Punish us instead. We accept whatever punishment you have for us!” Hector took a deep breath and bowed as well. “Father, today is your family banquet, please don’t get mad or it might affect your health. We apologize. It’s our fault.” Sky saw his sister and parents lowering their stance and apologized to his grandfather. He was aggrieved. He was shaking with anger but he no longer dared to make a noise. He knew speaking up would only make things worse for his family. “Grandfather, this bastard kicked us when we tried to hold Sky down!” Max went up to Master Otter and pointed at Kaze, calling him out. He even lifted his pants to reveal the bruise on his calf. It was messy a moment ago and they had no idea who kicked them. When
“Is this how your family teaches you to talk to people?” Master Otter bellowed angrily. Disappointment and anger were clearly written on his face. Hector quickly got into the role of a father-in-law and scolded Kaze. “Kaze! Where are your manners? How dare you talk to your grandfather-in-law like that! Apologize right away!” At the same time, he was signaling Kaze subtly. Kaze’s brave and outstanding reaction moved him as it was something he dared not do. Hector decided to step in because if it was Agnes, she would have scolded Kaze, or worse, hit him, for dragging the family down. Kaze spotted the signals but he did not respond. He looked at Master Otter and said, “Apologize? To you?” The questioning tone and disdain were obvious and they silenced everyone, including Darcy’s family and Master Otter’s family. It was no secret that Kaze was bold and with a temper. He was fearless and had the nerve to challenge everyone. Yet when he made his thoughts verbal, it shocke
Maxine’s hair was messed up and her legs opened up due to the fall. Since she was wearing a skirt, everyone could see what color panty she was wearing. “Using age as a means to act superior, lacking the respect expected of an elder, being self-righteous, and unable to distinguish right from wrong…” As Maxine continued to cry in disbelief and everyone widened their eyes in disbelief, Kaze looked up coldly at the elderly man on the stairs. “A man like you demands my apology? You want me to call you Grandfather?” Maxine heard Kaze and she cried even louder, “Grandfather, Kaze Lee slapped me and insulted you! He is not respecting you at all. Teach him a lesson…” She fluttered her legs, screaming like a little girl throwing a tantrum. She was the favorite child in the family where the excessive love and care spoiled her. No one had ever hit her in her life, not even her parents. Yet Kaze slapped her twice in front of everyone. The urge to strangle Kaze with her own hands gre
Dwight approached with a smile. He looked at Edmund earnestly. “I am Dwight McCorney. I have heard good things about you. I finally got to meet the man of the hour. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Witterson.” Dwight was starstruck. Edmund was embarrassed by Dwight’s behavior. He could not believe that Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. Nevertheless, Dwight seemed genuine in expressing his thrill. Edmund became curious about him. He turned around to look at Kaze, who was the polar opposite of Dwight. Kaze stood there, holding his ground. He stood up to greet Edmund and nothing else. He appeared to be refined, unlike Dwight, who was brash. Dwight had no idea that his behavior had upset Edmund. Edmund looked at Dwight in disdain. However, Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. It was best for Edmund to keep his comments to himself. Without a word, Edmund stared at the pair. Ryan stepped in to smooth things over. “What are you doing? We have a guest here.
Since Kaze would not change these people’s minds, he was better off doing what he wanted to do. “This vase must be valuable. I got to give it to Mr. Witterson. A display in the living room is worth so much.” Dwight had never seen so much luxury in one room. He had been to the museum, but the displays were nothing like he had ever seen before. The rich had the means to splurge. “Do you think this is pure gold?” Dwight turned to a gold statue. The design was to die for. The purity of color made it hard to doubt its authenticity. “I’m not too sure, but I guess most of the ornaments here are real.”Kaze watched as Dwight gasped in awe. Nevertheless, his behavior would clear any suspicion on Kaze. It could be a good thing. “I knew Mr. Witterson was rich. His businesses are doing well. “But I didn’t expect this sort of lifestyle. The gold must be worth a million dollars. “If I were this wealthy, I would not spend it on decoration.” Dwight rambled on, his eyes stuck t
“I’m not familiar with the area. We’ll have to look around,” Dwight said behind the wheel. He looked for restaurants while driving. It was early, and many restaurants were not open for business. They circled the block and finally uncovered a small breakfast bar. They ordered some food, filled their bellies, and got back into the car. “Mr. Witterson said that he wouldn’t meet you. Why does he want to see you now?” Dwight was curious. Something must have happened last night. Otherwise, Edmund would not suddenly grant an audience to Kaze. “I don’t know. I had some drinks last night, and now he probably made time.” Kaze felt better after breakfast. He did not think much of the situation. Things would carry on as planned regardless of what the Wittersons or the Siegfrieds had to say.This was exactly what Kaze hoped for. Dwight remained in the dark. He drove to the city’s most exclusive area for the rich. It was all greenery in this part of town. The road was wider, an
After a brief hesitation, Kaze followed Rosie. The room turned out to be Rosie’s. Though not a big room, it was crammed with all kinds of junk. The place looked cluttered. Rosie approached the vanity table and grabbed the comb to comb her hair. She turned to look at Kaze. “You said a lot of stuff last night. Do you remember any of it?” Rosie spoke like they had been friends for years. It was just small talk. “What did I say? I don’t really remember. You made a lovely drink, but man, it really kicked in.” Kaze put a cigarette to his lips, but he did not light it. Instead, he spotted a chair to sit down on. “Well, it’s pointless to talk about it if you can’t remember.” Rosie was pleased to hear that. At least, Kaze had no idea that she had gotten him drunk. “Don’t leave me hanging.” Kaze looked peeved. “Are you off the clock?” Kaze asked. “Yes. I work odd hours. It’s time for me to sleep now.” Rosie stared at Kaze. “I shouldn’t keep you from resting.”
“Can you give me something for the pain?” Clemont had a low tolerance for pain. Standing on the stairway, Morris heard his voice and sighed. Clemont could do no good in his eyes. “Keep an eye on him. He’s not allowed to leave the house for the time being.” Morris believed the incident was more than meets the eye. Yet, Clemont was tricked into going to Absolute Zero and starting shit. There was no telling whether the Wittersons or someone else was behind it. Morris let out a sigh and returned to the study. He sent the butler to the storage room to fetch a few valuable antiques. These items were collected years ago, and they cost a fortune. Morris’ intention was to be on good terms with the Wittersons. There was no need to be at war with them. He had to do it for the interest of the Viper’s Den and his family. Morris was all about looking at the bigger picture. Otherwise, he would not have put up with all the bullshit before. Edmund would not let him off the ho
“Are you trying to kill your son?” Clara intervened. “You’re ruining him by spoiling him. If you want things to continue as they were, you can kiss him goodbye forever,” Morris said. Clara was lost for words. She knew better, but she just could not stop herself. Clemont had her heart. Clara could not stand to see him hurt. She was distressed. However, she knew that Morris would not get over the matter without beating Clemont up. She had to step in. “Hit him!” Morris was too old to do anything laborious. However, the kid would not go anywhere in life without a good beating. Despite starting trouble, he sure was arrogant to admit that he was wrong. “I see the errors of my ways.” Clemont apologized in time to avoid the punishment. He managed to escape all repercussions by doing so. Plus, his mother would plead on his behalf. The whole thing would usually get brushed aside. Though it was more serious in this instance, Clemont still believed that Morris would not hur
Morris was in his study, wiping a plaque of commandments that was covered in dust. Due to his commitment to the Viper’s Den, he had neglected his family for years and left his son in his wife’s care. Morris regretted doing so. Unaware of the impending danger, Clemont enjoyed drinks with his friends. They were having fun, playing drinking games. Losing the game, Clemont downed a glass of liquor. Things could get far and exciting in a game. It was then that the door swung open. Clemont’s driver entered the room. “Young Master Siegfried, the master is waiting for you at home,” the driver said, noting the complexity of the situation. The only thing on his mind was to take Clemont away. Tipsy from the drinks, Clemont waved his arm. “Let him wait. What’s the rush to get home?” Clemont’s friends were shocked. Nothing scared Clemont like his father. However, Clemont toughened up for once. “Young Master Siegfried, why don’t you call it a night?” “Yeah. I’m sur
“What’s that supposed to mean? When have I ever made a mistake?” Morris heard nothing of that sort. It could only mean that his people had done nothing wrong. However, Edmund could not possibly get aggressive on the phone. Something must have happened, and he simply had no idea. Morris felt unsettled like something big was about to happen. “You seem to be lax when managing your people. You don’t seem to know what goes on around your house.“Is your age getting to you? Is that why you can’t handle most of the work? If you can’t get your own house in order, how will you ever manage the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Edmund called to say his piece. It was his way to make Morris step down. Though it was likely that Morris would resign, Edmund could at least make things unpleasant for him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Morris was completely in the dark, but Edmund must hold some secret to act so cocky. Despite his troubled feelings, Morris kept his cool and calmly aske
Since it was a rare opportunity, Edmund had to settle the score with them properly. He knew opportunities like this were hard to come by so he had to seize them well. “I understand. I will take care of the guest,” Rosie said. She was glad that her information was useful to her boss. After Edmund hung up the phone, Rosie then looked at the unconscious Kaze. “You are indeed more useful than I thought. Hardly anyone has ever managed to impress Edmund.” She did not feel sorry for Kaze, believing that everything happened as it was meant to. She knew that to climb higher, she had to please her superior. With the Wittersons on the rise, now was the perfect time for her to pledge her loyalty to Edmund. When the Wittersons truly took over the Westeros Branch, she would become one of the most powerful people in the city, second only to them. She was looking forward to that day. Since Kaze was fast asleep and no arrangements could be made, Rosie went out to call her men and