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
“Don’t try to change the subject, Lee!” Staying far away, Naix held his cheeks and snapped a malicious look at Kaze. He said, “Mr. Heartano is a ladies’ man. He’s always surrounded by beautiful women. “He simply fell in love with Ms. Gwake at first sight and flirted a little. It was just a joke.“Ms. Gwake was there for business. Couldn’t she take a joke? “It’s common in business and social settings. “You, on the other hand, were vile to attack Mr. Heartano over a harmless remark. “You’re more criminal than the Geranium Heartanos, the crime family, Kaze. “Couldn’t you stop Kaze, Buffy? Haven’t you thought about the consequences? “This situation could have been handled more discreetly, but your actions escalated the matter unnecessarily. It seems you haven’t given much thought to the potential consequences for Gwake Corporation. “As a result of your actions, Gwake Corporation has lost the business deal, and now, we stand to face the Geranium Heartanos’ retaliation. “T
“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