“Go on then.” Kaze waved his arm and looked at Dayton with a pretentious smile. “Are you ordering takeout with us, or are you going for your favorite lavish dinner?” Dayton had a bad feeling. His blood ran cold as Kaze’s ruthless method of setting Leron straight came to mind. “Takeout, it is.“No lavish dinner is better than your takeout, Kaze. “I didn’t get it before, but it’s clear to me now. Buffy knows what’s best for herself. She made the best decision by going with you.“I’m trash compared to you.“No, I mean. I can’t compare to you at all.” With Dayton backing down, Buffy and his sidekicks made strange faces. Dayton was not the arrogant and badass man they knew. He was not the proud student of the Viper’s Den chief branch at all. Dayton seemed to have lost his spine. He was afraid of Kaze, scared of his ways. Just moments ago, Dayton acted high and mighty in front of Kaze. Now that Dayton thought about it, he wished he could have done better then. It
Seeing through Dayton, Kaze said with a fake smile, “You aren’t much of a fighter, but your mentor is Alfonso, the ex-branch chief of the Viper’s Den Butterworth branch.“His reputation can be intimidating.” Dayton chuckled dryly. Kaze was rather blunt.His words were nowhere hurtful, but the insult was clear. Kaze said, “I can forget about the past if you stay by Buffy’s side for a while.” As the conflict over the South River State branch escalated, Jude and Casius would only go to greater extremes. Kaze understood that Buffy would only be in danger until he got rid of them both for good. However, Kaze had other things to worry about. Hannah and Collier had to be kept on their toes for any attack. Hence, Dayton would have to protect Buffy. Dayton’s heart sank. So there was a reason why Kaze had not taken any action against him. Gritting his teeth, Dayton replied, “I will do everything in my power to keep Buffy from harm.“Rest assured, Kaze. They have to go throug
The beautiful woman was Stacey, Draig’s friend. She sized Kaze up in an unfriendly way. She quickly lost interest in Kaze. Kaze was plain and boring, standing next to Draig, who always stood out. Kaze was not worth Stacey’s time. Noticing the disdain from Stacey, Kaze did not take the offense to heart and said indifferently, “I’m here for Snow.” “Who do you think you are? You can’t meet Ms. Frost just because you want to.” Stacey blocked the door and said unhappily, “Just leave. Draig and I won’t let any riff-raff into the room. Hey! What gives!” She burst out angrily, raising his arm to pull a punch at Kaze. “Smack!” The air crackled when the blows met. With a scowl, Stacey lifted her knee to knee Kaze in the groin. Stacey was going in for the kill. Without looking at the incoming attack, Kaze unfurled his fingers. He flicked Stacey right in the palm. “Clomp! Clomp!” Stacey fell back and rammed onto the shut door in the back wide open. “Not bad. You’re all
Kaze smiled. “Don’t be a stranger to me. If they are too much for you to put up with, just tell them to leave. I can get you someone else. “But I get it. Those with talent can be proud.” Kaze walked into the ward and glanced at Bass, who was unconscious in bed. Snow said, “Bass had surgery to remove the bullet. He should be fine, but recovery will take some time since he is advanced in age.” “Bass is devoted to you and Mrs. Frost. You should stay here and take care of him. This seems like a nice place. It won’t be different to living in a hotel.” Kaze nodded. So as not to disturb Bass, he and Snow closed the bedroom door and took their conversation in the living room.St. Mary’s was a well-known private hospital in Riverbank. With its advanced medical care, the center attracted many powerful and wealthy individuals for treatment and health services. Bass was put up in a ward that was no different from the presidential suite of a five-star hotel. “Any word from Jet?” Kaze
Draig pointed at Kaze. “I’m warning you. I don’t care if you’re the chairman or president. I’ll take away your manhood if you don’t get your filthy hands off Ms. Frost.”He stared icily at Kaze, his gaze reeking of hostility. Standing at the door, Stacey frowned and looked at Snow unhappily. Stacey understood that Draig was blown away by Snow’s beauty and demeanor when they first met at the hospital. Since Kaze was special to Snow, Stacey went to Draig to let him know that Snow had feelings for Kaze. Stacey’s motive was for Draig to give up on Snow. To her dismay, instead of backing down, Draig stormed into the ward. Draig was livid to find Kaze and Snow behaving rather intimately. Stacey, who always had a soft spot for Draig, was upset. Meanwhile, Kaze met Draig’s intimidating eyes with a hint of amusement. He understood where Draig was coming from. Snow was a charming woman. With his heart belonging to Snow now, Draig made quite an embarrassing scene. Frustrated,
“Besides, you aren’t even close. “No woman will fall for this type of man.” Triggered, Draig closed in on Kaze. “Are you telling me what to do, boy?” Draig clenched his fists, his knuckles popping. He narrowed his eyes dangerously, eager to show Kaze who was boss. “That’s enough, Draig!” Snow shook in rage. “What are you trying to do? Don’t you dare hurt Chairman Lee. “Don’t you know that Conan acted on his orders to seek your help in protection?” Kaze said mockingly, “Are you attacking your boss, Draig? So much for doing your duty.” Draig looked at Kaze in surprise, but he quickly smirked. “Don’t put that on me, Lee. Who are you to hire my services?”“If I can’t pay you good money and hire your services, who can?” Kaze asked indifferently. “Draig doesn’t need your money.” Stacey jumped in to defend Draig. “To be honest with you, Lee, Draig didn’t want to take the job when the Butterworth Queens asked. “Draig can’t stand people who think their money and influe
Birch was an Arcadian fighter in Uleania, and he was well-accomplished in his career. He made a name for himself in Uleania, showcasing the beauty of Arcadian combat in films. His films reshaped the world’s perception of Arcadia. Hence, Birch was not just well known in Uleania. He was famous locally too. Even Kaze would watch Birch’s movies to pass the time when there was nothing better to do. Upon learning that Draig was Birch’s son, Kaze intended to let the former’s rudeness slide. “What? Are you scared now, Lee?” With Kaze holding his silence, Draig grew smug. “You better watch out. Don’t get handsy with Ms. Frost or get close to her. “I don’t care that you’re her boss. I will break your limbs.” With Drag taking things far, Snow became furious and wanted him to leave. Nevertheless, Kaze waved his arm at her, gesturing for her not to take things to heart. He turned to Draig and said indifferently, “I hope you can do this to those who put Snow in harm’s way.” “Hmph
“I-I’m not a bitch. I-I’m Sasha Spoon.” Sasha kept her head down, unable to meet Nadia’s eyes. Faced with Nadia’s grilling, she dared not keep silent and murmured an answer. Nadia scoffed angrily. “How are you not a bitch? “My boyfriend was here to see the doctor. You got him wrapped around your little finger in the small amount of time he was here. I bet you hit on him.” Sasha shook her head and refuted desperately. “N-No, that’s not true. I didn’t hit on your boyfriend.“He started talking to me. He said that he would keep me company since I was admitted to the hospital.“But I didn’t hit on him…” Sasha spoke meekly even when defending herself. Her barely audible voice was barely convincing. Everything happened an hour ago. Nadia’s boyfriend, Ted Lee, arrived at St. Mary’s for an IV drip due to a cold. He met Sasha who was just hospitalized. Ted was smitten by Sasha’s clean and vulnerable energy. So Ted chatted Sasha up. With his pick-up lines and experience, he
As they arrived, they saw a dozen expensive cars parked outside. The customer base was relatively stable as the establishment was targeted at the upper class. The people lining up at the club were young men and women of ordinary background. All were allowed inside Absolute Zero with an entrance fee. Since this would be a chance for ordinary people to meet and interact with the upper-class elites, they cherished it and tried their best to look good. Even movie producers and scriptwriters came to the club, seeking investments or a role in movie production. It was a shortcut to reach out to the upper crust after all. Yet they were just a bunch of fresh graduates with no resources and connections, so the club was their only chance at achieving something great. Dwight would never understand how rare the opportunity was, as he was narrow-sighted. He had never experienced power and wealth before, so he lacked the understanding of how things worked in society. “I never thought
With that in mind, Dwight checked his outfit. His black leather jacket brought out his height and wild side. He then observed Kaze. The latter was dressed casually. Dwight was worried that they would not be allowed into Absolute Zero because of their attire. Nevertheless, he could not let slip that he had never been to Absolute Zero. Without a word, Dwight led Kaze down the apartment building. Kaze could pick up on Dwight’s nerves. While in the elevator, Dwight could not stop straightening out his clothes. It was clear that he was nervous. Even so, Kaze said nothing and pretended not to notice. They got into the car and drove to an alley. The area was not huge, but there were stands selling street food. “The food is great here. Since it’s early, we can grab a bite.” Dwight was not being tight with money. As their destination was a bar, there was no need to get a proper meal. “I’ll get a skewer then.” Kaze did not have much of an appetite anyway. “Okay. I’ll or
“You’re the guest. I should be hosting you, but I don’t seem to be doing a good job.” Dwight knew he had to do better. “It’s okay. I don’t have much to do. It’s just a delivery anyway.” Kaze bought a lot of stuff online. All they had to do was wait for the delivery. Once the items arrived, they could head out. Dwight talked about taking him to a bar under the Viper’s Den’s umbrella. It was a great opportunity for Kaze to check out the scene. He had heard that the Wittersons were tied to all the Viper’s Den’s business operations.Kaze would not meet Edmund and Morris in person, but he would grasp all information related to them. Then, Kaze would stir things up between them and sit back while reaping the benefits. Kaze had it all planned out. He simply had to take his time in playing the long game. Nevertheless, it was important for him to remain discreet. At the very least, he should not show them what he was made of. It was easy to execute his plan when everybody
Kaze rose to his feet and took something out of his bag. Putting on his jacket, he was on his way out. Dwight was out of his room, too. He left his room for a glass of water and waited for Kaze to get out of the room after his nap. Dwight had a drink in the kitchen. He took an apple and chomped on it. Looking at the fruit on the table, Dwight grabbed a plate to arrange it neatly.He took out his phone to pass the time while waiting for Kaze. Kaze emerged from the room and saw Dwight. “You’re up at last. You’ve slept half the day away. Are you still tired? I can wait if you need to catch some sleep.” Dwight kept Herman’s memo to look after Kaze. “A little. I didn’t get any sleep last night. I was waiting to get on the plane.” Kaze took the red-eye flight yesterday. Dwight allowed time for Kaze to rest, knowing his travel schedule. “I know. Did you manage to get some good sleep? If you haven’t, you can go back to bed. I can grab some food for you.” Dwight’s plan
“Your main responsibility is to entertain Kaze. You will be rewarded for good work,” Herman said. Dwight nodded incessantly. “Thank you for thinking of me, Herman. I won’t forget this.” “I’d be grateful so long as you stay out of trouble. “Just focus on what you should do and take good care of Kaze.” Herman worried that Dwight might get ahead of himself and forget his primary duties. Dwight’s priority was Kaze’s well-being. The whole thing would be over if Dwight kept to himself and served Kaze until he was gone. There would be a problem if something were to happen. Without Edmund’s instructions, Herman would never have assigned a job to Dwight. It could be a good thing, though. At least, a job might keep him on the straight and narrow. “Relax. You can count on me,” Dwight said with glee.That was a nice surprise. Dwight did not see it coming. It was just incredible. Herman still could not shake off his worry. However, he had said his piece. It was pointless t
Herman’s smile vanished. His red, irritated skin was playing up. Due to alcohol in his system, Herman could not see straight. He had to grit his teeth to hold back the urge to retch. Herman was not one to drink. Yet, he would have to go through Edmund’s loyalty test every time, and he was reaching a boiling point. However, he understood that he needed to suck it up to gain Edmund’s trust. “You must be Herman. Mr. Witterson. Should I take the things to your car, or should I deliver them to your home?” asked a uniformed server who approached. “Put them in the car and get me a designated driver,” Herman replied. He headed to the lobby while propping himself against the wall. “Okay. There will be a driver out front, ready for your service.” The server tried to help Herman up, but was declined. Herman saw the cartons of alcohol and cigarettes in the lobby. Edmund had always been generous in giving out stuff like this. “These are from Mr. Witterson. You’re lucky to work for
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the