“I know Casius Weather. He’s one of the Riverbank Seven and he’s also a well-known figure in Butterworth. “He’s ambitious. He has been using Bronze Sparrow as a base to gather people with different talents, mostly criminals. “His man, Leron, also known as Hydro Dragon, roamed the waters freely. All shipping companies were forced to pay him to get their goods to their destination. “He’s also known as the Sharpshooter, possessing unmatched accuracy when wielding a gun. No one knows where he will show up next. “Kaze, you might be good but you are no match for Leron.” Dayton looked at Kaze as if he was already shot in the head. To him, Kaze was just all brawn and no brains. He wanted to be the hero to save the damsel in distress but going up against Casius and his men was suicidal. He could be the hero but he had to know his place and limitations. Dayton viewed Kaze as a dumb moron who was overconfident. Kaze was unfazed and simply ignored what Dayton said about Leron.
Kaze frowned. “Viper’s Den’s ship was hijacked? Given how they do things, shouldn’t Leron be a dead man by the next day? If your master is that powerful, why did he allow Leron to live?” He crossed paths with the Viper’s Den many times and knew how ruthless and vicious they could be. Hijacking the organization’s ship was a blatant challenge to Viper’s Den's power and authority. There was no way they would allow Leron to live for another day. Therefore, Kaze believed Dayton altered some details or did not spill the entire truth. “You know jackshit!” Dayton grunted and continued, “My master is a kind and compassionate person. He always seeks to act in goodwill and hold back whenever he can. “Leron must have been terrified by Viper’s Den back then and begged my master to spare his life. Is that so hard to understand?” He looked at Kaze as if he was an idiot. His friends also laughed at Kaze scornfully. “If you say so.” Kaze simply smiled it off without commenting or arg
“Buffy, look at your friend. Is this how he should talk to me if he needs my protection?” Dayton did not know how to argue with Kaze anymore, so he turned to Buffy, putting pressure on her. “With his attitude, why should I use my master’s name to protect or save him? People like him are not worthy of being saved! He’s ungrateful! “My task is to protect you but if you want me to protect him too, I would have to decline! You can find someone else!” He got up from the couch and pretended to leave. Kaze scoffed at Dayton’s pretentious act. “Buffy, just let him go. I can deal with Leron myself.” Buffy got anxious and stomped her foot. “Kaze, just keep quiet!” She then went straight up to Dayton and begged him to stay. “Dayton, wait! Please, for me, help us this one time! Please, I’ll repay you after this is over!” She had no idea that Kaze had already encountered Leron at Wyomspring’s entrance, so she simply assumed Kaze underestimated Leron because he did not understand how
Dayton’s master, Alfonso Longwind, was just the ex-branch chief of Viper’s Den Butterworth Branch. If Kaze revealed his identity, the man would have to kneel before him in fear, let alone the arrogant Dayton. It was clear what he was trying to say. He did not care about Dayton or Alfonso, neither of them was worth his time. “What did you say?” Dayton expected Kaze to get down on his knees, but the words he heard made him question if he had heard correctly. Although the idea of making Kaze an agent of the Butterworth Branch was primarily meant to insult him and to elevate Dayton's status over his—thereby discouraging any competition for Buffy—it still presented Kaze with a great opportunity to improve himself. Dayton’s master, Alfonso, was a respected and prominent figure. His name was well-known across the country. Many young men from powerful families sought to train under him as his disciple, but Kaze did not value the opportunity. “Kaze Lee! How dare you disrespect
His bangs slid right off the left side of his face but it did not conceal his scrawny features. His eye sockets were deep and his lips were pursed, making him look cold and fierce. “Leron?!” Buffy was shocked. Fear instantly shrouded her. Speaking of the devil, the man showed up at her place with men and firepower. If Kaze or Dayton were not around, she dared not even imagine what would happen to her. Kaze calmly stepped up and pushed Buffy behind her. His eyes were fixed on Leron’s hands. After briefly fighting the guy once, he knew how precise and powerful his shots were. Dayton and his friends were petrified on the spot, their hearts were pounding wildly, especially Dayton. Though he had previously boasted loudly and dismissed Leron, he instinctively felt immense pressure when the notorious Sharpshooter actually appeared, and his throat began to feel dry. “Kaze Lee, surprised? We meet again.” Leron scrutinized Kaze with heightened interest. His words shocked
Leron did not only look serious, but he sounded serious as well. It did not feel like he was bluffing. It seemed like, after a brief encounter, the notorious Sharpshooter recognized Kaze’s strength. For those whose strength he recognized, even if he had to take their lives, he would ensure they received a dignified death. Kaze smirked. “That’s enough. You are just a pirate and you’ve taken at least a few hundred lives, so why don’t you do your best and get on with it? Skip the tricks. “I bet Casius is waiting for your good news. I’d like to deliver the news as soon as possible so he can taste defeat once more. “Then, while he lives in fear and torment, I will go to him and break him for good.” The whole room froze when they heard Kaze. It was not the first time he said he wanted to crush Casius, but this time, he said it in front of Leron, Casius’ strongest man. It gave Buffy, Dayton, and the other goosebumps. They had no idea how Leron would react to the provocation
Dayton did not care whether Kaze lived or died. All he wanted was for Kaze to kneel before him, apologize, and watch as Buffy threw herself into his arms. The feeling of superiority was what he wanted. The thought alone excited him. Buffy bit her lips and nodded reluctantly. Things had gotten out of hand and she could no longer afford to hesitate anymore or worry about what would happen to her after this. She just wanted Kaze to live. Kaze never failed her, so she did not want to let him down either. “Buffy, why are you doing this?” Kaze sighed with mixed feelings and a complicated look. He was never afraid of Leron and was prepared for this encounter. Yet even he did not expect Buffy to jump into Dayton’s trap without any scruples just for him. A friend in need was a friend indeed. Kaze felt a mixture of emotions. He was moved that Buffy would sacrifice herself for her but he knew he could not provide for her. “Kaze, are you going to give up without resistance
As he spoke, Dayton walked up to Leron with an intimidating presence, radiating dominance and authority. Even the men in black behind Leron were taken aback by his dominating aura, in awe of his audacity. Based on what they knew, those who spoke loudly in front of Leron ended up dead. Yet Dayton had the nerve to speak so boldly in front of the man. Such audacity! Leron looked at Kaze with a grin. “Kneel, kowtow, and apologize? Kaze Lee, will you do it just to live?” “Why are you talking to him? I’m his master now and he does what I tell him to do!” Dayton said, his displeasure evident. He then turned around to Kaze and said coldly, “Why are you still standing there? I’ve gotten you a chance to live. Get on your knees and kowtow! “Remember, you are able to live because of me, your master! You shall respect me and serve me like a loyal disciple from now on!” Dayton sounded and acted righteously, his demeanor exuded a sense of superiority. Kaze did not ask to be a disc
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