Seeing the bewildered expressions of her daughter's family, Bella hesitated before asking cautiously, “Mrs. Heartano, there must be some misunderstanding here, right? Although my grandson-in-law is a bit unreliable, he shouldn't be capable of doing something like this. Let alone involving the police. He’s only been in Riverbank City for a few days. How could he have such connections?”Her words earned nods of agreement from many in the Otters.It was not that they were deliberately looking down on Kaze. However, based on his track record, the claims Miya had just made seemed fictional.“No connections, you say?”Miya chuckled. “Madam Otter, it seems you know very little about your grandson-in-law.”“Did you know that with one phone call, he had Riverbank’s city mayor, Kent Synder's nephew, show up to support him?“Did you know he has ties with the Viper’s Den South River Branch?“Did you know that with just one call, he caused my family’s businesses to lose billions?”Miya’s mo
Kaze was on good terms with Cole, and it was true that he was connected with the Viper’s Den South River State Branch. It was a mistake to dismiss Kaze as incompetent.At least, he could read the room and was good at playing the game. Still, Kaze was not as great as he made himself out to be. He was so aggressive about acquiring St. Mary’s, but that was all there was to it. With that in mind, Miya felt at ease and confident. She said, “Where is Kaze now?“To be honest with you, I’m here to demand answers.”Dropping the niceties, Miya got in the Otters’ face. “Agnes, call your deadbeat son-in-law to get his ass here now!” Before Bella could say anything, Caster turned to Agnes and said crudely, “He can deal with his own problems. We’re not picking up after him.” “I’ll give him a call now.” Agnes whipped out her phone in a panic. Darcy took a step forward and asked grimly, “Mrs. Heartano, I am Darcy, Kaze’s wife. Can I ask what you are expecting of him?” “Oh, I ha
Displeased with Darcy’s annoyance, Miya found her ungrateful. “I’ll cut to the chase then, Ms. Quint.” Miya took a sip of her drink and said indifferently, “I’m only asking for three things from Kaze after what he has done. “First, I expect him to pay 100 million dollars to cover St. Mary’s losses.“Secondly, my family in Geranium City took a financial hit of three billion dollars because of him. I don’t think I’m asking for much by asking for five billion dollars in compensation due to the shortfall of the plummeting shares. “Finally, I want him to lose one arm. He should repent his sins outside St. Mary’s as a warning to others not to mess with St. Mary’s. “Before your husband gets here, why don’t you tell me how you feel about my demands, Ms. Quint?” The Otters expressed their shock ahead of Darcy. Kaze was expected to pay five billion dollars. The Otters did not have assets worth that much. Caster and Bella looked grim. They were reluctant to say anything, give
“What?”Darcy’s response left everybody doubting their ears. She was willing to cough up five billion dollars in damages, but there was no way she would let Kaze break his arm and repent outside St. Mary’s. “Have you lost it, Darcy? Just leave Kaze be! Why pay five billion dollars for him? Do you even have the money?” Agnes was not having it. She was the first to express her anger. She believed Darcy had lost the plot. The Otters were in disbelief. Kaze was just a bluffing deadbeat. Yet, Darcy would go to lengths for him. Miya scowled in shock at Darcy. Darcy looked her straight in the eye. “Save me that look, Mrs. Heartano. I can compensate you, but you can’t insult my husband.” “Did you think it was a negotiation, Ms. Quint?” Miya smirked in rage, her eyes reflecting no emotion. “Kaze didn’t just attack my hospital staff, but he slapped me in front of everybody too. I may not be a big deal, but I hold a certain amount of social standing in Geranium City and Arca
The murderous intent in Miya’s eyes was abruptly replaced by wariness. Miya glanced at Hanses before uttering flatly, “But young man, this is between me and Kaze. It’s not your place to comment. Once you formally join the Flying Dragons, you might earn yourself the right to speak.” “I—”Hanses scoffed, having the right mind to tell Miya off. No one knew better than him who Kaze was. It did not matter that the Geranium Heartanos was one of the elites of Geranium City. Her family did not run the military anyway. “That’s enough, Hanses!” Bella abruptly cut Hanses off before turning to Miya. She said, “I know it would take a lot to make up for what Kaze has done. “I’m going to ask a favor of you, Mrs. Heartano. Given my age, can you be a little flexible with your terms? Darcy is committed to finding a solution. “Perhaps we can drop the demand to break an arm and kneel.” Darcy gave Bella a look of gratitude. Miya chuckled. “Alright then. I can show some leniency by lett
Tension rose to an all-time high in the living room of the Otters’ residence. Darcy’s reluctance to budge came out of nowhere. “How dare you, Darcy!” Miya slammed her fist on the table angrily and got up, shaking with rage. She glared at Darcy and said curtly, “Just because you’re the head of the Ridgesouth Quints, you have no right to dismiss me. “You should know that you’re just leading the family branch in Ridgesouth. You’re not a key member of the family. “The nerve of you to speak rudely to me. “Buck Bob, slap her!” “Easy there, Mrs. Heartano,” Bob blurted. While he was known for his arrogance as the underground boss, he knew better than to pick a fight with just anyone.He did not want to make an enemy out of the Otters or Darcy. Hanses was about to be a full-fledged member of the Flying Dragons. Darcy headed the Quints in Ridgesouth. “Oh?” Miya looked daggers at Bob, and the latter shuddered. He opened his mouth to say something but went ahead to Darcy i
“Eek!” The Otters gasped sharply.“What are you doing, Kaze? He’s the criminal boss of Golden Ray.”“How dare you attack Mr. Damian? You’re asking for it!” “The audacity! How could you hit him before figuring out who he is?” “Mr. Damian, Kaze attacked you. This has nothing to do with us.” Max, Maxine, and the others tore into Kaze, fearing revenge from Bob. “Bob!” Several of Bob’s men went to help him up. “Get lost!” Bob pushed his people away and rubbed his numb cheek. He spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at Kaze with gnashed teeth. “Do you know who I am, boy? Who do you think you are to attack me?” Bob asked menacingly. “I don’t care who you are. You will get it for hurting my wife.” Kaze said flatly, “Since you’re so proud of who you are, I can satisfy your need to show off. “Tell me. Who are you?” Bob grimaced without a word. His henchman pointed at Kaze and criticized. “You’re playing with fire, boy. Buck Bob calls the shots in Golden Ray. Even th
“Smack!” “There, I did it. What are you going to do about it?” “Smack!” “Kill my family?” “Smack!” “I’ll make you disappear from Golden Ray before you can make anything happen.” “Smack!” Kaze kept pounding Bob’s face, leaving him without a chance to catch his breath. Soon, Bob’s cheeks swelled, and he lost his buck teeth. The Otters were shocked by what they had witnessed. They had not expected such aggression from Kaze. Kaze had slapped Bob without considering the consequences. “Thud!” With Bob out of it, Kaze kicked him toward Miya, who was ashen by then. As Miya’s sidekicks exclaimed in fear, Kaze approached Miya and said callously, “I asked you a question, Miya. Haven’t you learned your lesson? Are you back for more slaps?” Kaze addressed her by her first name. The press in Geranium City coined Miya with her married name, and it stuck with the public. Her married name sounded more respectful anyway. For Kaze to address her by her first name, he must
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