“I admit defeat!” Despite her reluctance, June bit the bullet and spat out the words that she never wanted to. There was no point in denying it. Even Holfman acknowledged her defeat. She would only be lying to herself to carry on with the match. Kaze pointed at June’s poison. “She can drink this to remove the toxin.” Holfman nodded and fed the last bit of poison to June. “Argh!” June felt the churning in her gut spreading up to her esophagus. After throwing up a large amount of black, foul-smelling liquid, June’s complexion improved right away. It did not take long for June to recover. She did not show any signs of poisoning. However, she was covered in a murky, sticky substance, leaving her smelling bad. For a young woman in her twenties, June could not stand her present hygiene. “I-I need the bathroom!” June covered her face and ran off. “Don’t forget that I own your ass.” Kaze’s teasing tone in the back made June want to find a hole to die in. Holfm
Holfman knew of Sam, seeing that the latter had quite the reputation. Despite their different fields of expertise, Sam and Holfman were renowned figures in medicine. Holfman knew who Sam was.“That’s right. It’s Professor Whiteman.” Kaze pointed at Hector. “Professor Whiteman was the surgeon for my father-in-law’s leg surgery.” Holfman glanced at Hector’s leg and got the message. “You are close with Professor Whiteman.” The answer came to Holfman. Still, Holfman was a little puzzled. He had no idea that Sam was proficient in toxins too. On second thought, Sam could have sought help from a poison expert to teach Kaze. It was impolite to pry into Kaze’s privacy more than he already did. Kaze nodded without a smile. He brought Sam up because no one would believe what he had gone through. Plus, Kaze did not want to give the Otters a reason to ride on his coattails. Caster’s change of attitude did not slip Kaze’s eyes. Kaze could read Caster’s mind. Sam would no
In Holfman’s eyes, the Otters were not as important as Kaze. The Otters were resentful and envious. Even Caster was jealous. Just moments ago, Caster was grateful to Holfman. Now, the gratitude turned into resentment. “Thank you, Dr. Wright.” Kaze put away the pills and said, “Still, I need to tell you that you have no means to treat Faith.” Holfman let out a wry smile before nodding solemnly. “Thank you for the heads-up, Kaze, but I need to try. A doctor’s duty is to treat patients. I should at least give it a go and leave no regrets.” “That’s your choice.” Kaze remained indifferent. Once Holfman was gone, Kaze and Darcy’s family were asked to stay for the family banquet. Darcy’s family were seated at the back at first. The Otters’ plan was to show Darcy’s family who was boss. No one expected Kaze to humiliate them instead. Darcy’s family did not mind the seating arrangement anyway. They were about to take a seat when Caster approached with a straight face. H
Alex scoffed. “We have the power to open medical centers everywhere. We also have friends in the government body, so setting up a clinic is an easy feat.“It so happens that the person-in-charge of one clinic will be stepping down for their personal reason. If you’re interested, I can leave the clinic in your hands. “How about it?” Darcy frowned and said, “Thank you, Uncle Alex. My family will need some time to think it over since it’s been years since Mom left the hospital. She might not be ready to return to work.” She believed the Otters would not give a clinic to them for no reason. The Otters must have something they wanted. There was no need to rush into things. “That’s right. We’ll have a think about it.” Hector nodded in agreement with his daughter. There was no such thing as a free lunch. Hector understood that there was a hidden price in everything. “What’s there to think about? I’ve been wanting to open a clinic in Lilyrose. I just hadn’t had a chance.”
Alex paused before revealing more. “Besides, Darcy runs a big business. Shouldn’t she split some of the profits with us since she’s part of the family too? “Some of their assets should belong to us too.” Alex spoke grimly. It was clear that he had his eyes on Darcy’s business. Caster and the others pondered for a moment before finding that Alex had a point. “You’re right, Alex. We need to look at the bigger picture.“Free up the clinic for the Quints to take over.” Caster gave the final word on the matter. … Meanwhile, Kaze and Darcy’s family left the Otters’ residence. “I heard from Agatha that you’ve been staying in some villa on a hilltop since you came here. Apparently, it’s on the high end?” After going separate ways with Rose’s family, Agnes turned to stare at Kaze. Surprised, Kaze blurted, “Yeah. What about it?” “What about it? We can go back there now.” Agnes scoffed and lifted her chin. “Don’t just stand there. Go and bring the car around.“We can c
Darcy’s family got into the car and headed straight for Wyomspring. Half an hour later, they arrived at Villa No. 1. “Tsk, tsk. Agatha was right that this is the fanciest neighborhood in Riverbank. The place looks grander than Horizon Mirror Mansion.” They were still in the car when Agnes’ eyes lit up at the sight of Villa No. 1. “If I find anything suspicious going on in the villa, you’re done, Kaze!” Agnes glared at Kaze and jumped out of the car. She raced into the villa ahead of Kaze. With a clear conscience, Kaze had no fear. He walked slowly with Hector, who was still recuperating from surgery.“Huh? Why is it empty?” Soon, Agnes checked the top and bottom floors and found nothing. The villa was empty. Kaze furrowed his brows. When he left this morning, Buffy was still asleep, and Juan was making breakfast. They were both gone. Nevertheless, something had not happened to them since the villa looked neat and tidy. Juan and Buffy must have left on their ow
Darcy pulled a long face. “I told you a long time ago that I wasn’t interested in Kiev, Mom. Can you stop giving him false hope?”“I’m not giving him false hope.” Agnes rolled her eyes. “I’m not expecting you to do anything. You’re the head of the Ridgesouth Quints now. Kiev doesn’t deserve you. You deserve better. “But Kiev only has eyes for you.“He can be a friend to you. A friend can help with some problems.” Even Sky could not take it anymore. “Mom, where did you pick up these lines from? What kind of playbook are they from?” “What playbook?” Agnes smacked Sky. “Hurry up and pick a room. You should find yourself a wife instead of taking space in the villa.” Since Darcy’s family insisted on moving in, Kaze let them be. However, Kaze needed to sort the issue with Leron out as soon as possible. “Why aren’t you keeping yourself busy, Kaze? Do you honestly think you come from a rich family?” While Kaze was lost in his thoughts, Agnes approached with a grimace. “Go
“Thank you, Dad.” Kaze was not going to leave his father-in-law hanging. Following his father’s suit, Sky toasted Kaze as well. He was impressed with Kaze. Agnes rolled her eyes at Hector. “He’s going to get a big head if you keep on praising him.” The atmosphere was rather pleasant at the dinner table, except for when Agnes picked on Kaze. However, the lovely mood did not last long. After dinner, Emiko cleared the table and washed the dishes in the kitchen. She had not had a break since rushing from the hotel. A clang in the kitchen ensued soon after. She broke a few plates.“Goddamnit! Can’t you do anything right?” Interrupted from having her after-dinner tea, Agnes scowled. “She’s so clumsy and makes so many mistakes. I only keep her around because she’s honest and hardworking.“I’ve told her off so many times. Here she goes again, breaking more plates. “I’m docking her pay this time.” Agnes hired Emiko from the labor market. Hailing from the countryside, E
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