Craig said tolerantly, “Hamlin sent me here, Mr. Libra.” “So what? Didn’t I tell you that he’s my uncle’s lapdog?” Cole scoffed in disdain. “Don’t tell me that he’s acting on my uncle’s orders. “I need to question him. He’s just my uncle’s chauffeur. Yet, he sent you to cause trouble without permission from my uncle.” Craig gritted his teeth without a word. Cole had no respect for Hamlin. Not wanting to cause Hamlin any trouble, Craig fought back the urge to slap Cole. “What? Do you want a piece of me?” Cole scoffed and yelled sternly, “Don’t just stand there, bastard! Kneel!” He then instructed one of the bodyguards in the back. “Get him. If he doesn’t kneel, just whip him until he does.”Cole’s dominance cheered Keiko up. Keiko would have thrown herself at Cole if she was a decade younger. With Cole’s help, Keiko grew a spine and cocked her head at Kaze. She said curtly, “Are you scared stiff, jerk? “Get ready to kneel. Should Mr. Libra make you, or are you g
“Uh… Yes, Mr. Lee.” It took a moment for Craig to comprehend Kaze’s instruction. Without hesitation, he rolled up his sleeves and slapped Cole in the face. “Smack!” Craig did not hold back, knocking Cole’s head to the side. Cole’s cheek quickly swelled up. However, Cole gritted his teeth and cocked his head back without a word. “Smack!”Craig kept it going, only stopping when Kaze said so. Cole was slapped again and again. He knew Cole too well. Riding on Kent’s coattails, Cole bossed people around and even disrespected Kent’s trusted chauffeur and confidante. However, Cole was terrified of Kaze. Craig had no qualms about slapping Cole under Kaze’s orders. Cole was a tyrant, but he would not dare take his anger out on Kaze. With Cole taking the hit willingly, Craig knew that revenge was not an option for Cole anyway. Craig would finally get his vengeance. Kaze finally waved his arm to stop Craig when Cole started coughing up blood. Craig put his head down
Cole was not dumb. He understood that Keiko had her motives to present the hospital shares. “I made a mistake, Kaze! I’ll give up on the shares!” Cole was scared stiff. The last thing he wanted was to cause Kent problems. He would be nothing if Kent lost his mayoral position. No one would pay Cole any more attention. “Get lost!” Kaze kicked Cole to the side and glanced at his watch. He said to Keiko, “You have around twenty minutes left. You can either make more phone calls or call it quits. Are you ready to pay the price, though?” Keiko paused to take a minute. She asked cautiously, “What is the price I have to pay, Mr. Lee?” Finally taking Kaze seriously, Keiko meant no disrespect. Despite summoning two prominent figures, Keiko was not able to dominate over Kaze. In fact, things were in Kaze’s favor instead. As arrogant as Keiko was, she knew that she had upset a VIP. Kaze said callously, “I don’t like the rules of your hospital. I plan to make my own.” “Make
The woman gave off a wealthy vibe. Keiko looked like a commoner next to the poised middle-aged woman. “Miya Heartano?” While Kaze examined the woman, Craig, who stood behind Kaze like a bodyguard, grimaced. Kaze asked curiously, “Who is that woman?” “Mr. Lee, that’s the wife of Caelus Heartano, a mogul in Geranium City.”Craig leaned forward and murmured the information. Since Kaze had no idea who Caelus was, Craig dug deep into explaining. “The Heartanos wield the reins of Novous, one of the three factions in Geranium City. The head of the household is Gilbus Heartano, and Caelus is Gilbus’ younger brother. “Unlike Gilbus, Caelus doesn’t get involved in the underworld activities. He carved out an empire in the glitzy world of entertainment. His business dabbles in movies, media, and real estate.“Caelus is highly influential in the entertainment world. He brought fame to many stars in Geranium City. “Plus, his family is connected to the underworld. Though Caelus has
Thump! Keiko knelt on the floor immediately. “I am sorry, Mrs. Heartano! I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience caused, I didn’t mean to make a scene.” She kowtowed repeatedly at Miya. She was from Geranium City and she knew first-hand how terrifying the Heartanos were. She was arrogant in front of others but not in front of Miya. “Lift up your head,” Miya said coldly and expressionlessly. Keiko lifted her head, her eyes overflowing with fear. The man behind Miya stepped up and handed Keiko a beautiful handkerchief. Keiko was slightly taken aback before she realized what the handkerchief was for. She took it, wiped her face clean, and then moved closer. Slap! Slap! Slap! Without holding back, Miya slapped Keiko ceaselessly in the face, causing the hospital director to groan in pain. After more than ten slaps, her face had gotten numb and swollen. Then, Miya got another handkerchief from her men and wiped her hands elegantly. “Causing trouble isn’t the probl
After learning what happened, Miya went up to Kaze and peered down at him. “Young Man, you come to St. Mary’s causing a scene and you don’t even falter when you see me. It’s obvious that you have a powerful support. “May I know who? Or are there any adults in your family? Maybe we know each other.” Miya asserted her status and position as a senior, aiming to intimidate and pressure Kaze, while also probing to uncover more about his background. However, Kaze was not intimidated. He said, “Mrs. Heartano, let’s just skip the nonsense. No matter what my background is, I’ve caused a scene here. “You have two options; crush me and maintain order in St. Mary’s or give me the hospital, and your order and rules will no longer exist.” Miya’s pursed lips twitched slightly. She had not anticipated such a stern reply from Kaze. Moreover, Kaze made an audacious demand right from the start, asking for the hospital as if he had no fear of biting off more than he could handle. Kaze added,
“Besides, you retaliated right? Nadia, Mr. Lobe, and Director Biyanus, you’ve slapped them all. “Now you want them to kneel and apologize to that girl? Isn’t it too much? I think this is just a trivial matter, yet you want to make a big deal out of it. It’s inappropriate of you. “Young Man, my son is almost your age, so take a piece of advice from a senior: know when to stop, especially when you've got what you wanted. “It’s better for you to leave some leeway for others. If you force them to the corner, don’t be surprised that they will bite you back. Understand?” Miya stared down at Kaze, giving him a load of advice. People like her usually would not waste their time with a stranger, but Kaze displayed power that caught her attention. Since she was unclear about Kaze’s background at the moment, it would be wiser to be polite rather than attempt intimidation. Of course, if Kaze could weigh out the consequences and know when to stop, she did not mind letting him go either
Kaze was unaware that Miya's offer to introduce Sasha into the entertainment industry was driven by malicious intent. The entertainment industry was a rabbit hole with endless temptation, especially for a girl like Sasha. The temptation that she might face in the industry could be lethal because it was almost every girl’s dream to live under the spotlight and be adored by many. If Sasha entered the entertainment industry, it might be difficult for her to escape. Given the Heartanos’ influence in the industry, they could easily control her. Until then, Miya would have direct access to Kaze’s weak spot. After the scene that Kaze caused at St. Mary’s, there was no way Miya would simply let him off the hook. The reason why Miya decided to take a softer approach to deal with the matter was because she had not figured out Kaze’s background. If she found out Kaze had no background whatsoever, she would retaliate fiercely. Kaze was unaware of the evil thoughts in her mind but
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