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
“Please sit, Naix.” Jude pulled himself together and gestured toward Naix before uttering solemnly, “It’s quite clear what happened.” “Since you are new to the position, the board and I thought that you should have a bit of time to get on your feet. We didn’t want to criticize and deter you from getting the job done. “But I must say that you have let me down in the way you have conducted yourself.“The board and I believe that you are not qualified to assume the role. “I hope you can understand where we are coming from. Please don’t make things difficult for us as they already are or jeopardize the interests of all the executives and employees.”“Have I made myself clear?”Jude could not stress himself enough. Buffy made a wry face. It never occurred to her that Jude would go so far as to make her resign. He acted like everything was her fault. Jude seemed to think that Buffy should take the humiliation if it meant getting the business deal. Though Buffy had long kno
“Are you telling us that Mr. Heartano doesn’t mind that you attacked him and would be delivering the contract to you himself? Do you take Mr. Heartano or us for fools?“You can count yourself lucky if Mr. Heartano lets you off the hook. You should stop daydreaming about the impossible.” Naix sneered. “I nearly forgot. “Kaze even threatened Mr. Heartano at the Royal Familia Hotel, saying that he’d leave Mrs. Heartano without a son if Mr. Heartano didn’t show up outside Gwake Corporation on his knees with the contract before three. “Oh, I’m so scared.“Mr. Heartano’s family runs one of the three biggest multinational organizations in Geranium City. Yet, Kaze had the nerve to intimidate him. It’s absurd.“Does he think he’s all that just because he won a few fights?” Naix laughed maniacally while the senior executives and directors looked at Kaze as if the latter was a clown. Kaze must be out of his mind. He was delusional. Kaze sure took bragging to a whole new level.
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