“You’re going to give your brandless cigarettes and wine to my mother? Hmph! It certainly is an idea only you can come up with.” Agnes waved at Kaze in disgust. “Go, go to the side and don’t disturb us.” Darcy disagreed with the suggestion. After a quick thought, she said, “I think we should just go with some jade or something elegant for Grandmother. It’s more acceptable.” “Sounds fine to me. It’s settled then.” Agnes agreed with Darcy’s suggestion. Almost 11:00 AM. After choosing the present, Darcy and her family went off, together with Rose, who had been freeloading at their house since yesterday. Kaze glanced at the jade bracelet that Darcy picked and it was not particularly impressive. He quickly packed two boxes of cigarettes and two bottles of wine into a black plastic bag and then stored it in the trunk of the car as a backup gift option, just in case. If Madam Otter was displeased with the gift Darcy picked, he might be able to give the special cigarettes and w
Many guests went up to Darcy to make acquaintances, especially the younger ones. They were not just attracted by Darcy’s status but also her beauty. If they could win her affection, then it would be a harvest of beauty and wealth. No man could resist the temptation. Darcy knew exactly what the people were thinking. Just as she was surrounded by people, as annoying as flies, she dragged Kaze over and said, “Let me introduce you, this is my husband, Kaze Lee.” Kaze looked at the “flies” who looked at him in shock and smiled. “I’m Kaze Lee. Nice to meet you.” “Oh? Ms. Quint is married…” The young men glanced between Kaze and Darcy, unsure of how to react. As the atmosphere grew awkward, they could only chuckle uncomfortably. Adam knew Darcy was using Kaze as a shield and it displeased him. He said, “Darcy, Kaze does not share a common language with them. “They know you are a businesswoman and want to talk business with you. Their fathers are our family’s close friends and
“I just got it!” The man was Maxine’s new boyfriend, Patrick Weather. The smile on his face was bright. “I have been working for my cousin, Casius, and I have been performing well, so he rewarded me with this Cullinan. “I literally just got it just now and I wanted to surprise you.” Knowing that the young man was Casius’ cousin, Kaze raised his brows and spared an extra glance at him. Everyone at the scene knew who Casius was, so their eyes on Patrick showed respect. Casius Weather, one of the Riverbank Seven. His status and power could easily pressure everyone at the scene, combined. “You’re always full of surprises! It’s just a Cullinan, you don’t have to keep it from me!” Maxine playfully punched Patrick in the arm but her eyes widened with affection. Her boyfriend’s arrival made her proud and happy. She even felt proud in front of Darcy, who had been overshadowing her. “Uncle Alex, hi…” Patrick then went up to the seniors of the family and greeted them. He the
Patrick looked shocked. “Huh? He’s a live-in husband? So he has been unemployed?” Kaze looked at Maxine and Patrick, who were obviously asking for trouble. He smirked and nodded. “I guess you can say so.” Everyone heard his answer. Those who were simply watching from the side were surprised that he admitted it so quickly. Their gazes at him showed a strong sense of contempt. How could a man like him deserve a woman like Darcy? Even if he did not manage to marry himself into Darcy’s family, he still should not be qualified to even be her follower. Patrick did not expect Kaze to be so witty. It caught him by surprise and it left him speechless for a moment. It was until Maxine nudged him, he regained his composure and scoffed. “Is it because you didn’t get any suitable jobs? “Why don’t you tell me what you are interested in, I can recommend you. My company has been recruiting lately, like security guards or janitors. “For Maxine’s sake, you can simply pick a job under ten
“Kaze, you bastard! How dare you ask Patrick to break up with Maxine? Who the hell are you to say that?!” “Patrick introduced you to a job, yet you ignored him and tried to convince him to break up with Maxine. How could you be so narrow-minded?!” “You’re living a terrible life but that doesn’t mean others should live the same!” Alex, Adam, and the others criticized Kaze for what he said as it was frustrating. How could he instigate Patrick to break up with Maxine in front of them? It was like pulling a treasure box away from their hands! It was disrespectful to the family! Patrick’s expression darkened. He hugged Maxine tightly and said coldly, “Maxine and I are tight. You don’t need to worry about that. Whatever problem that comes my way, I’ll just deal with it. “The more problems she gets me into, and I solve it, means I am more capable than other men. Only an incompetent man would dislike the woman causing problems for himself.” Maxine hugged Patrick even tighter.
Hanses’ tone clearly conveyed his disregard for Aaron. Previously, Aaron, the chief commander, was someone Hanses admired. Now, since he already got through the initial selection and probably would be selected to join the Flying Dragons, he became prouder and more confident. “What? Not even Chief Commander Krad?!” The people were shocked. The chief commander of the South River Strategic Department was second only to the governor of the state and had the same rank as the mayor of Riverbank, Kent Synder. Yet from Hanses’ words, the VIP that the Flying Dragons were expecting seemed to be more powerful than Aaron. “Could it be Chief Commander Draco Lang from the Lilyrose Strategic Department? He used to be the commander of the Battle Dragon Troops and also founded the elite battalion, Flying Dragons.” Someone came up with another guess. Hanses shook his head. “It’s not him. This VIP that we are expecting is more powerful than him.” People started to gasp in shock. The
The people looked eager, hoping to get the chance to see a war general in person. Alex was moved by the people’s eagerness. He looked at his son and said, “Hanses, since there’s still time before the feast starts, can you try to invite a war general from the Flying Dragons to join us?” Hanses hesitated but then he bit the bullet and said, “Okay, I’ll give it a try.” He had no confidence in inviting a war general to join their family gathering. After all, he just got through the initial selection and was not an official member of the Flying Dragons yet. He still did not get the chance to meet the war generals, so they might not answer his invitations. However, he did not make his concerns verbal since it was a big day for his family and also him being under the spotlight, he did not want to disappoint. He pulled his phone out and called the captain of the Flying Dragons—Jonas Asterisk. Jonas was the captain in charge of the recruitment and he was known for his hot temper.
“Mom, look who’s here!” Agatha brought Agnes and her family up to Madam Otter. “Mom, I am so sorry that I haven’t been able to come back earlier. It’s been a long time.” Agnes covered her mouth and broke down into tears; Hector’s eyes got teary. Many years ago, the entire Otter family strongly opposed her being with Hector and only Madam Otter supported them despite the overwhelming odds, which gave them enough courage to get married. Hector always felt in debt to his mother-in-law. Agnes did not get the chance to reunite with her mother earlier because the Lees had been oppressing them. As for Master Otter, he looked away. He still had lingering resentment for his daughter and her family. “Where’s my dear granddaughter?” Madam Otter hugged Agnes and cried for a while before she wiped her tears and asked for Darcy. “Grandmother.” Darcy went up and greeted the lady, her tone slightly stiff. It had been many years since she last saw Madam Otter. “You must be Darcy
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