Kiefer smiled and raised his hand. A glass of champagne was delivered to him. As he cocked his head backward to drain the champagne, his eyes remained glued to Buffy’s long legs and snowy white neck. He even clicked his tongue in satisfaction, clearly pleased by the sight before his eyes. “Ms. Gwake, have you heard of the saying, ‘The gifts of fate come with a price.’ “Do you know what I mean? Us working on St. Mary Hospital is totally possible—I just have to give the word. But I wonder, how much are you prepared to pay?” He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Buffy like she was prey. Everyone in the room instantly understood his meaning. Kiefer was into Buffy and he wanted to get under her dress. “Ms. Gwake, say something. Mr. Heartano is ready to work with you, you just have to name your price.” “You have to show some sincerity.” Naix and the other executives sneered at her, gloating openly. If Buffy accepted Kiefer’s offer for the sake of the rights, then he woul
Kiefer’s grin showed confidence, especially when he spotted anger on Buffy’s face, it aroused him even more. Buffy instinctively took a step back and said coldly, “Mr. Heartano, there are people here, mind your words.” “Mind my words? What does that mean? Am I not talking about the deal? The terms you offered, I don’t like them and I don’t care. So, I made my own, it’s that simple. “Am I being rude? Aren’t you here to talk about working with St. Mary Hospital, making a lot of money? Money makes the world go round, so don’t tell me to mind my words!” He spoke arrogantly, not afraid of making Buffy mad or scaring her away. He knew she came here to ask him for a favor. He already found out about Buffy’s situation from Naix, so he was confident that he could control the woman. Even though he heard that Buffy’s fiancé was one of the Riverbank Seven, a powerful man, he believed nothing would happen even if he devoured her. It was Buffy who came to him, not the other way around.
Kiefer laughed. “Rayes, are you teaching me how to do things?” “Not to that extent.” Rayes put his hand around Kiefer’s shoulders and said with a smile, “I am just asking you not to give Buffy a hard time and give her the rights. You do this for me, I’ll show…” Thump! Before he could finish, Kiefer elbowed him in the chest. “Ugh!” Rayes groaned in pain but before he could respond, Kiefer slapped him in the face. Kiefer had been trained by the strongest fighters in his family since childhood. While he wasn’t a top-tier expert, his strength was far above average. Rayes was a tall man but the slap managed to send him to the floor. “What is the meaning of this, Kiefer?!” He covered his face as he glared at Kiefer, his eyes burning with rage and confusion. A moment ago, he was like the closest friend to Kiefer but before he knew it, he got elbowed in the chest. Bang! Kiefer raised his leg and delivered a powerful kick to Rayes’ face, slamming his head to the floor.
“Tsk. I heard Buffy is still a virgin. Not even Casius, one of the Riverbank Seven, manages to get into her pants. If Kiefer can claim her virginity, that’d be a real steal!” “Yeah! Claiming virginity from a woman like her? It’s even luckier than winning the jackpot!” “Buffy, if you are not experienced in sex, we can give you a tip or two.” Tiffany and the other young women in the room sneered at Buffy, laughing at her. They looked trampy compared to Buffy, so they gloated at her when Kiefer insulted her. Buffy’s face darkened when she heard Tiffany and the others, her eyes gleamed with icy sharpness. “Hoho? It seems like someone got Buffy angry.” Kiefer allowed Tiffany and the others to insult Buffy, trying to blunt her pride. He then grinned wickedly and said, “We haven’t even started and you can’t take it already? “Don’t you know the rules around here? If you want to do business with me, you have to sacrifice something, at least pay a price. You are already here and
Kaze was ruthless and did not hold back at all. Kiefer was the youngest son of the Geranium Heartanos. He came to Riverbank, representing his family and the power behind them. It was the reason young women sacrificed their bodies for a chance of getting hospital rights. As Kaze snapped Kiefer’s wrist, he basically cut off all possibilities of him obtaining the rights to St. Mary Hospital. He would be delusional if he still believed he could succeed. “Aaaargh! You fuck!” Kiefer’s men helped him up and he had to rely on them to be on his feet. He glared at Kaze with a vicious look and shouted, “You fuck! You snapped my wrist!? I don’t care who the fuck you are, you are fucking dead! “Not only you! Your entire family will be obliterated! You should know the consequences of attacking a member of the Heartano family!” In the past two days, the young and wealthy had surrounded Kiefer, flattering him. His confidence swelled and he had the illusion that everyone in Riverbank mu
Rayes was already terrified after Kiefer beat him up, so he was eager to solve the conflict before it snowballed out of control. Buffy bellowed, “Rayes, how could you! It’s Kiefer who has insulted me and tried to force me against my will. Kaze snapped his wrist because he got it coming! “You didn’t help at all. Kaze did what’s right and now you are blaming him? Stay out of my business with Kaze. If you still see me as a friend, shut your mouth!” Had Rayes not stood up for her when Kiefer insulted her the first time, she would have forsaken their friendship.“Even if Kiefer insulted you, he shouldn’t have snapped Kiefer’s wrist!” Tiffany then came over to Kiefer and pulled her phone out. “I’ll call the police to arrest you right now!” “No! Don’t call the police, that would be too easy on them,” Kiefer said through gritted teeth, slowly regaining his senses. Tiffany had a look at Kiefer’s twisted hand and it shocked her. “Kiefer, you should get to the hospital. I’ll deal wit
Kiefer’s men clamored, threatening to teach Kaze a lesson. “Kiefer, we don’t know this bastard at all! Crush him however you want, we support you!” As the others clamored angrily, Naix and his executives were shocked and paled, they quickly stepped away, afraid to be caught in the crossfire. Rayes stepped back as well. “Kiefer, I brought Buffy to you but this bastard chose to come along. I don’t know him!” Seeing her friend turn against her, a sense of disappointment flashed in Buffy’s eyes. Nevertheless, she bit the bullet and stepped up in front of Kaze. She said, “Kiefer, let’s talk.” “Fuck off bitch!” Jealousy consumed Kiefer when Buffy stepped up to defend Kaze. Since he had been training under the best fighters in his family from a young age, he was able to thrust the broken bottle at Buffy. However, before Tiffany and the others could cheer on him, Kaze appeared before Buffy and kicked the incoming attack away. Bang! The broken bottle did not even get close
Kiefer took the news the hardest. He knew more than anyone else what the group was made of. These people could stand against international criminals and hold their own. With the group of fighters on his side, Kiefer believed that he was invincible in Riverbank. However, reality proved him wrong. Kaze crushed the dozen fighters like bugs. Kiefer grimaced hard. Kaze wiped his hand clean gracefully before approaching Kiefer. Kiefer snapped out of his daze and backed away while shouting sternly, “What are you trying to do, Lee? You’re asking for it to hurt my people on my turf!” Kaze grinned and patted Kiefer’s sweat-drenched face. “Your turf? When has Riverbank become your turf?“To be frank with you, I’ll still harm you even if you’re in your family’s territory in Geranium City.“You are naïve to think that your little group can restrain me. “If I had time today, I’d have given you the chance to call for backup. “Today’s a bit different. I’ve got a bet going about a
“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
Morris suggested entertaining Kaze well. Things would not be good for the branch if Kaze got dirt on them. That was where Edmund disagreed with Morris. His idea was to send someone to sound Kaze out. Edmund was smug because Morris’ decision was wrong. “You shouldn’t do that. Kaze is here on behalf of the Butterworth branch. You don’t want tension between both branches.” Morris looked at things from a wider perspective. Edmund believed Kaze was just a doormat of little importance. “You just overthink things, and it’s not good for your age. You’re getting senile.” Edmund did not take Morris’ advice seriously. He believed he was right. “You’re not getting it. Kaze is from Butterworth. Even if he doesn’t hold a high position there, we were in the wrong. We did not keep our tracks clean either. “Now that he’s back, I’m worried that he’ll cause us harm.” Morris was only giving a heads-up because the whole branch was at stake. Edmund was young. Due to his lack of judgmen
“We should be generous to our guest from Butterworth. You can arrange as you see fit. Please don’t house him in a messy home. Hire cleaners to tidy up the place. “You can report back to me if you need more money, but it’s not a reason for you to misuse the funds.” Herman wanted to hang up. The money was now in Dwight’s bank account, so he was washing his hands off the matter. The plan was to keep Kaze happy. He was just an insignificant member of the Butterworth branch anyway. The whole thing would blow over soon enough, so long as Kaze kept to himself without taking things too far. Herman would figure out a way to get him out quickly anyway. Maybe Herman and his friends did not have to do anything to get rid of Kaze. “Got it. I’ll be a good host, Herman. I won’t let you down. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Dwight was over the moon to get the notification about the money transfer. “Just play by ear and arrange what you see best.” Herman hung up and continued playing pok
“It’s becoming a hassle now. Are you going to inform the Viper’s Den about the change of accommodation?” After much hesitation, Kaze nodded to take up the offer. Dwight was thrilled. It only hit Dwight that he had to communicate with the Viper’s Den. Kaze was booked for a hotel stay, and Dwight’s job was to take him to the destination. Yet now, Dwight took him to his home. “I’ll tell my superior and see what he has to say.” Dwight was not sure whether the change was appropriate. Nevertheless, he did not want to pass up on a great opportunity. He simply grabbed the bull by the horn. If Kaze stayed at his place, the Viper’s Den members had to respect Kaze’s request even if they had a problem with it. “But when they ask, you can say that you’re getting along well with me. Living together just makes work more convenient.” Feeling unsettled, Dwight tried to get their stories straight with Kaze. Hopefully, the Viper’s Den would not come after them. “Aren’t we friends? I k
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