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 looked at Rayes as if he was an idiot. It was easy to read Rayes. Kaze said indifferently, “Get out of the way!”Rayes gritted his teeth and said, “You better apologize to Mr. Heartano, Lee. You’re not going anywhere until you—” “Smack!” Kaze interrupted him with a slap. Knocked back, Rayes coughed up blood and crashed into a table. The table was smashed to bits. The crowd’s blood ran cold. The brutality of Kaze smashing a dozen fighters’ heads with wine bottles paled in comparison to this.“Since you want to show your allegiance, I can let you have your way.” Kaze took off with Buffy. … Out of the Royal Familia Hotel, Kaze and Buffy went for their lunch and returned to Gwake Corporation. “Now that we’ve burnt bridges with Kiefer, are we still running for St. Mary’s agency, Kaze?” Buffy uttered in distress. After pouring Kaze a drink, Buffy sat down and rubbed her throbbing head. She did not blame Kaze for upsetting Kiefer. Kaze had a wager with Naix, to begin
With that in mind, Kaze curled his lips. He was curious about the shareholders and senior executives’ expressions once the clock struck three. “Wham!” Naix slammed the table and came down hard on Kaze, his finger up his nose. “You ruined the deal for us. You have the nerve and audacity to smile.” He turned to Jude and the others. “Mr. Chairman and board, he is our newly appointed executive vice president. Ms. Gwake appointed him against everybody’s opinion. “Mr. Lee is something else. In this morning’s meeting, he assured me that he would have St. Mary’s agency by the end of the day. “For the interest of the company, I learned that Mr. Heartano will be at a luncheon at the Royal Familia Hotel and got my hands on two invitations to get Mr. Lee and Ms. Gwake in. “But what did they do? “You can’t believe what they have done at the Royal Familia Hotel.“Just because Mr. Heartano made a harmless joke to Ms. Gwake, Lee broke his wrist and injured his dozen bodyguards. “He ev
“I agree.” “Naix has a point. It’s time to get these pests out of Gwake Corporation.” “Gwake Corporation is not a place for cronyism.” The senior executives and board took to Naix’s side. Since Kaze broke Kiefer’s wrist, Gwake Corporation should address the situation. The first thing to do was fire Buffy and Kaze, to show Gwake Corporation’s stance. The termination should be done quickly without any delay. Kiefer was connected to the Geranium Heartanos, whose members were shareholders of St. Mary’s. Besides, the senior executives and board of directors were looking out for their interests. The motive behind Kaze’s assault did not matter. They could care less about what Kiefer did. The fact was Kaze and Buffy’s behaviors had harmed their interests and exposed them to retaliation from the Heartanos. Buffy and Kaze should be their fall guys. “I’d like to say a few words.” Jude, who had kept to himself thus far, raised his hand to silence the crowd. The Viper’s
Buffy nodded. “It’s true, but—” “Wham!” Jude slammed the table, cutting her off. “I don’t want to listen to excuses. I just want to know whether you did it. “Since you admitted to it, there’s nothing more to be said.“Both of you are fired.” Jude grabbed the termination slips to slap on Buffy’s face. Naix and the senior executives smiled gloatingly. Buffy was fired less than 24 hours after assuming her role as president. She broke the record for the shortest tenure as president at Gwake Corporation. Color drained from Buffy’s face. She did not expect Jude to be heartless, not even giving her a chance to explain. Jude simply sacked her and Kaze without a second thought. “You have come prepared, Mr. Gwake. I bet you have these termination letters ready ahead of our appointments.” As Buffy’s heart sank, Kaze stood up and flipped through the termination slip before uttering nonchalantly, “You have great foresight, Mr. Gwake. You counted on us to make a mistake that wi
Flipping out, Jude hissed through clenched teeth. “I can’t believe you would be so violent in my face, Kaze.” “What? When have I ever held back on you?” Kaze snapped back, nearly pushing Jude over the edge. Jude was wise to quiet down. His position as chairman would be compromised if Kaze were to reveal that Jude had suffered twice at his hands. “Dad?“Didn’t Mr. Gwake say that the workplace is no place for a personal relationship between a father and a daughter?“Let’s talk on a professional level.” Kaze said icily, “The question goes to you, Chairman Gwake. Buffy was still the president of Gwake Corporation when conducting business at the Royal Familia Hotel. Was she not the face of Gwake Corporation?“Kiefer publicly insulted her, demanding sexual favors in exchange for the contract.“Isn’t that a direct insult to Gwake Corporation?“Are you telling me that Gwake Corporation’s president should sleep with the client to get the business deal? “In that case, I have t
Dwight approached with a smile. He looked at Edmund earnestly. “I am Dwight McCorney. I have heard good things about you. I finally got to meet the man of the hour. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Witterson.” Dwight was starstruck. Edmund was embarrassed by Dwight’s behavior. He could not believe that Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. Nevertheless, Dwight seemed genuine in expressing his thrill. Edmund became curious about him. He turned around to look at Kaze, who was the polar opposite of Dwight. Kaze stood there, holding his ground. He stood up to greet Edmund and nothing else. He appeared to be refined, unlike Dwight, who was brash. Dwight had no idea that his behavior had upset Edmund. Edmund looked at Dwight in disdain. However, Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. It was best for Edmund to keep his comments to himself. Without a word, Edmund stared at the pair. Ryan stepped in to smooth things over. “What are you doing? We have a guest here.
Since Kaze would not change these people’s minds, he was better off doing what he wanted to do. “This vase must be valuable. I got to give it to Mr. Witterson. A display in the living room is worth so much.” Dwight had never seen so much luxury in one room. He had been to the museum, but the displays were nothing like he had ever seen before. The rich had the means to splurge. “Do you think this is pure gold?” Dwight turned to a gold statue. The design was to die for. The purity of color made it hard to doubt its authenticity. “I’m not too sure, but I guess most of the ornaments here are real.”Kaze watched as Dwight gasped in awe. Nevertheless, his behavior would clear any suspicion on Kaze. It could be a good thing. “I knew Mr. Witterson was rich. His businesses are doing well. “But I didn’t expect this sort of lifestyle. The gold must be worth a million dollars. “If I were this wealthy, I would not spend it on decoration.” Dwight rambled on, his eyes stuck t
“I’m not familiar with the area. We’ll have to look around,” Dwight said behind the wheel. He looked for restaurants while driving. It was early, and many restaurants were not open for business. They circled the block and finally uncovered a small breakfast bar. They ordered some food, filled their bellies, and got back into the car. “Mr. Witterson said that he wouldn’t meet you. Why does he want to see you now?” Dwight was curious. Something must have happened last night. Otherwise, Edmund would not suddenly grant an audience to Kaze. “I don’t know. I had some drinks last night, and now he probably made time.” Kaze felt better after breakfast. He did not think much of the situation. Things would carry on as planned regardless of what the Wittersons or the Siegfrieds had to say.This was exactly what Kaze hoped for. Dwight remained in the dark. He drove to the city’s most exclusive area for the rich. It was all greenery in this part of town. The road was wider, an
After a brief hesitation, Kaze followed Rosie. The room turned out to be Rosie’s. Though not a big room, it was crammed with all kinds of junk. The place looked cluttered. Rosie approached the vanity table and grabbed the comb to comb her hair. She turned to look at Kaze. “You said a lot of stuff last night. Do you remember any of it?” Rosie spoke like they had been friends for years. It was just small talk. “What did I say? I don’t really remember. You made a lovely drink, but man, it really kicked in.” Kaze put a cigarette to his lips, but he did not light it. Instead, he spotted a chair to sit down on. “Well, it’s pointless to talk about it if you can’t remember.” Rosie was pleased to hear that. At least, Kaze had no idea that she had gotten him drunk. “Don’t leave me hanging.” Kaze looked peeved. “Are you off the clock?” Kaze asked. “Yes. I work odd hours. It’s time for me to sleep now.” Rosie stared at Kaze. “I shouldn’t keep you from resting.”
“Can you give me something for the pain?” Clemont had a low tolerance for pain. Standing on the stairway, Morris heard his voice and sighed. Clemont could do no good in his eyes. “Keep an eye on him. He’s not allowed to leave the house for the time being.” Morris believed the incident was more than meets the eye. Yet, Clemont was tricked into going to Absolute Zero and starting shit. There was no telling whether the Wittersons or someone else was behind it. Morris let out a sigh and returned to the study. He sent the butler to the storage room to fetch a few valuable antiques. These items were collected years ago, and they cost a fortune. Morris’ intention was to be on good terms with the Wittersons. There was no need to be at war with them. He had to do it for the interest of the Viper’s Den and his family. Morris was all about looking at the bigger picture. Otherwise, he would not have put up with all the bullshit before. Edmund would not let him off the ho
“Are you trying to kill your son?” Clara intervened. “You’re ruining him by spoiling him. If you want things to continue as they were, you can kiss him goodbye forever,” Morris said. Clara was lost for words. She knew better, but she just could not stop herself. Clemont had her heart. Clara could not stand to see him hurt. She was distressed. However, she knew that Morris would not get over the matter without beating Clemont up. She had to step in. “Hit him!” Morris was too old to do anything laborious. However, the kid would not go anywhere in life without a good beating. Despite starting trouble, he sure was arrogant to admit that he was wrong. “I see the errors of my ways.” Clemont apologized in time to avoid the punishment. He managed to escape all repercussions by doing so. Plus, his mother would plead on his behalf. The whole thing would usually get brushed aside. Though it was more serious in this instance, Clemont still believed that Morris would not hur
Morris was in his study, wiping a plaque of commandments that was covered in dust. Due to his commitment to the Viper’s Den, he had neglected his family for years and left his son in his wife’s care. Morris regretted doing so. Unaware of the impending danger, Clemont enjoyed drinks with his friends. They were having fun, playing drinking games. Losing the game, Clemont downed a glass of liquor. Things could get far and exciting in a game. It was then that the door swung open. Clemont’s driver entered the room. “Young Master Siegfried, the master is waiting for you at home,” the driver said, noting the complexity of the situation. The only thing on his mind was to take Clemont away. Tipsy from the drinks, Clemont waved his arm. “Let him wait. What’s the rush to get home?” Clemont’s friends were shocked. Nothing scared Clemont like his father. However, Clemont toughened up for once. “Young Master Siegfried, why don’t you call it a night?” “Yeah. I’m sur
“What’s that supposed to mean? When have I ever made a mistake?” Morris heard nothing of that sort. It could only mean that his people had done nothing wrong. However, Edmund could not possibly get aggressive on the phone. Something must have happened, and he simply had no idea. Morris felt unsettled like something big was about to happen. “You seem to be lax when managing your people. You don’t seem to know what goes on around your house.“Is your age getting to you? Is that why you can’t handle most of the work? If you can’t get your own house in order, how will you ever manage the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Edmund called to say his piece. It was his way to make Morris step down. Though it was likely that Morris would resign, Edmund could at least make things unpleasant for him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Morris was completely in the dark, but Edmund must hold some secret to act so cocky. Despite his troubled feelings, Morris kept his cool and calmly aske
Since it was a rare opportunity, Edmund had to settle the score with them properly. He knew opportunities like this were hard to come by so he had to seize them well. “I understand. I will take care of the guest,” Rosie said. She was glad that her information was useful to her boss. After Edmund hung up the phone, Rosie then looked at the unconscious Kaze. “You are indeed more useful than I thought. Hardly anyone has ever managed to impress Edmund.” She did not feel sorry for Kaze, believing that everything happened as it was meant to. She knew that to climb higher, she had to please her superior. With the Wittersons on the rise, now was the perfect time for her to pledge her loyalty to Edmund. When the Wittersons truly took over the Westeros Branch, she would become one of the most powerful people in the city, second only to them. She was looking forward to that day. Since Kaze was fast asleep and no arrangements could be made, Rosie went out to call her men and