“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
“Do you think you have me in the palm of your hand because I have done nothing, Kaze?” Miya sneered. Kaze smiled. “Save me the talk.“Just get to the point why you’re here today.“Are you prepared to kneel and beg me not to take St. Mary’s away or are you demanding an answer from me? “If it’s the latter, you came all this way for nothing. “You won’t get anything from me.” As Kaze carried himself with confidence, Miya smirked harder and said grimacingly, “Don’t be so full of yourself and get ahead of yourself. “I must admit that I have underestimated you. You seem tough and unbreakable. “But there will always be others who are better than you, Kaze, even in Riverbank.“I met someone yesterday.“You are nothing compared to him.” While talking, Miya waved her arm. A sidekick in the back presented a case with both hands. The open case revealed a roll of paper inside. Miya wiped her hands clean before retrieving the paper from the case and handing it to Kaze. “I was
“Jesus. Mr. Yaphet sounds intimidating.” As the Otters expressed their dread, Agnes’ lips quivered, and color drained from her face. She turned to Kaze, her finger up his nose. “Goddamnit, Kaze. You will be the death of us all. Just how many people have you upset in days? “What spell has he gotten you under, Darcy? I want you to separate, but you won’t.” Agnes stamped her foot, tears threatening to fall. It was bad enough that Kaze got on Miya’s nerves. Somehow, Hunter was involved too. The Otters and Agnes were impressed with Kaze’s talent to screw everything up. Pleased with the Otters’ response, Miya said smugly, “What do you have to say for yourself, Kaze?” “Hm… It sounds like Mr. Yaphet is a badass.” Kaze nodded indifferently. “But what does he have to do with me?” “Are you asking that now?” Miya said with a smirk, “Are you playing dumb or honestly stupid, Kaze?“The message from Mr. Yaphet represents his command. “He sent me to you bearing a message. “You
“What’s wrong with being a lapdog? I’m happy to be one to Mr. Yaphet.” Bob was filled with glee. He knew his chance had come when Miya showed up at his door. It was an opportunity that could not be missed! Kaze smiled pretentiously. “What if I tell you that I can make you lose the chance to be a lapdog?” “Haha. You?” Bob sneered as Kaze took out a phone. “Alright. I’ll give you time to make a phone call. Just call anyone. I dare you. “If you plan to call some deputy police chief like before, I’d advise you not to embarrass yourself.” Miya said with a smirk, “You have connections, but so does Mr. Yaphet. “Do you think you have a wider network than Mr. Yaphet, especially since you’ve only been around for a few days? “No police will arrest Bob when Mr. Yaphet gets him covered.” Bob burst out laughing. “Hahaha! You think too highly of the guy, Mrs. Heartano. I was only messing with him. I doubt he has any important people on speed dial.” Even the Otters looked at Ka
Dwight gave some suggestions. “But I’m worried about being a nuisance to your family.” Kaze remained hesitant, torn between decisions. “No, you won’t. I usually live alone. They stay somewhere else. They barely visit. I’ll just let them know not to visit for now,” Dwight replied. Dwight figured out what was in it for him. He could not let Kaze leave. “I don’t want to put your family in an awkward position.”Kaze was still considering the matter. “Relax. They don’t live with me anyway. The room I have for you is tidy. No one has stayed there before.“I’ll hire some help to freshen up the place. I can guarantee you an experience no less than at the hotel.” Dwight spoke with great confidence. “We should finish our food and doggie-bag the rest. I’ll take you to my place.” Dwight was ready to get things going. Kaze took the offer and nodded. “I’ll be in your care then.” Kaze was glad that his plan went through. Dwight had no idea that he got played. Nevertheless,
“I’m new to the place, so I don’t know much. Can you show me around when you’re available?” “No problem, but I usually have some stuff to take care of. I can’t be there 24/7. “Why don’t you propose to the branch that you want me to be your guide and attendant?” Dwight suggested. There was no telling whether Kaze would accept his proposal, but it was an opportunity to prove himself. He was never involved in the core operation. Often enough, he was the branch members’ punching bag. Though Dwight was aware that he was not good enough for the big stuff, he still wanted to succeed. Kaze was the trusted aide of the Butterworth Branch chief. He was in Westeros for a reason. By joining Kaze, Dwight would come across the major players. Kaze saw through Dwight’s plans. “Sure. I’ll do that.” Kaze did not mind the request. “Great. I’ll let them know on your behalf. I’ll be responsible for your needs while in the city.” Dwight was overjoyed at the opportunity. “So you live
“You must be rich. I often see rich people picking tabs for everybody. Talk about extravagance.” The tension in the air was lifted when Kaze offered to pay for everything. “I’m not. Consider it an apology,” Kaze explained, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. He did not see the point of continuing the conversation. Dwight’s angry screams came from outside. “What the hell is this? I only ordered a bunch of stuff. Why am I being charged an exorbitant amount?“What do you mean my friend is paying for everybody? That’s throwing money away,” Dwight said while storming his way over. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t do this, Mr. Lee.” Dwight did not approve of this type of generosity. “You rubbed them the wrong way. It was only right to apologize. Besides, it’s not a lot of money.” Kaze looked at the bill and handed a bank card to Dwight. “It’s my treat.” The consumption was barely a dent in Kaze’s savings. The meal did not cost more than his us
Kaze observed as the jeep took off further off course, past the towering buildings to a run-down neighborhood. “This is where I usually reside. My home is not too far away, but I think you might have trouble adapting to this place.” Dwight did not forget to book Kaze a hotel. Kaze could not possibly stay with him. The hotel was around the area anyway. “Didn’t you say that you haven’t tried the local cuisine? I’ll take you out for a bite. “The barbecue ribs here are to die for. We’ve got the dry-rubbed and saucy kind.” Dwight parked the car and hopped out right away. Opposite the parking lot was not the cleanest food joint. Looking in from the outside, Kaze realized that the place was packed. Kaze understood that the restaurant must be known for some kind of dish. The customers were from all walks of life, so the food must be great. “There’s not much to see here, but the food is tasty. If you don’t mind, we can order something inside.” Kaze was not particularly con
Dwight was surprised and curious as to who Kaze really was. From what he gathered, Kaze was a confidante of the Butterworth Branch chief. The purpose of Kaze’s visit was to learn and share. Dwight worked on the fringes, so his access to information was limited. Nevertheless, he got the feeling that Kaze was just an ordinary guy just like him. The only difference was that Kaze was lucky to rub shoulders with important people. Dwight did not get chances like that. “Who are the most influential people in the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Kaze asked in the car. Dwight was taken aback by the question. Still, he had an answer to that. “So you don’t know much about the situation?” Dwight suddenly felt important. “Well, I’m new to the city. I will be running into them soon, so I need to make sure I get my facts right,” Kaze said humbly. This was Dwight’s shot, and he needed to present his best. “Relax, Kaze. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Dwight would reveal some info
Kaze glanced at the flowers. There was a card for well-wishes too.Curious, Kaze reached out to read the card. It was written, “To my eternal lover and sweetheart.” Dwight grabbed Kaze’s bag. Since the sign in his hand was getting in the way, Dwight tossed the placard in the trash can. As Dwight turned his head back, he saw Kaze reading the card that came with the flowers. He tried to stop Kaze, but it was too late. Dwight had not attended to a guest of high importance before. The task was assigned to him at the last minute. In the past, Dwight was usually on the sidelines, never getting close to major matters. He would always get the small, insignificant jobs. Dwight often bought drinks for his superiors to build connections. However, he had always been kept out of the loop. Now that an opportunity had fallen onto his lap, Dwight was not about to let it slip. He wanted to show what he could do. When Dwight arrived at the airport for the pick-up, most people car
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