Kaze knew that Jude and Tulip founded Gwake Corporation together. When Tulip foresaw her tragedy, she gave all her shares to Buffy. The shares that Buffy possessed were the key to taking control of the company. In addition, Buffy was talented and beautiful. One of the Riverbank Seven, Casius, was interested in her, which made her a valuable asset to Jude. Therefore, Kaze chose to believe Hope. Jude made Hope, or Faith, the main suspect in putting Tulip in a coma so that Buffy would listen to his command. “Based on what I know, Tulip Lee is also from the Viper’s Den and she’s close with Alfonso Longwind. Why would Jude do this to her? She never cheated on him and helped him in his work and supported him as a good wife,” Kaze asked with furrowed brows. “Isn’t it obvious?” Hope scoffed. “Tulip is from the Viper’s Den, but so is Jude. Their connections and resources are highly overlapped. As the competition for the chief’s position grows fierce, being a good wife is no long
“I am disappointed in Jude. If he doesn’t care about me and can let me die whenever then I might as well have him dead,” Hope said with gritted teeth. Her eyes were burning with the flames of anger. Kaze finally understood the situation. It all started because of love and jealousy between Hope and Jude. She did not only want him dead, she wanted to ruin everything he had. “The plan that you mentioned, what was that about?” Kaze asked. Hope then looked at the clock on the wall and then switched her gaze back to Kaze. With a gloating smile, she sneered. “Hehe. If everything goes well, your little Buffy is already in Casius’ arms, which means Jude is one step closer to being the branch chief.” Kaze’s expression darkened immediately. …While Kaze was treating Hope’s condition, something else happened at the Gwake family’s mansion. The Gwakes were a reputable family in Riverbank. Not the most powerful or the most famous, at most a second to third-tier family, similar to
Everyone, including Gilfard, the eldest in the room, looked at Buffy coldly. Without getting any warm response, Buffy’s posture remained bowed on the spot. She currently had absolute power over Gwake Corporation with the shares she possessed. She was the chairwoman and the CEO. If her positions in the company were taken into consideration, the seniors of the house would have to show her respect. However, Buffy had already anticipated a challenging time at home, dealing with the senior members of the household. Since there was no response from her seniors, Buffy took a deep breath and then looked at her father. “Father…” Jude refused to speak. She continued, “Since everyone is here today, as you promised, you should give me a satisfying explanation. “How did my mother become comatose? What happened ten years ago? I hope you can tell me everything and provide me with convincing evidence.” Her frosty voice echoed across the hall. “Slam!” Suddenly, a middle-aged man
Following the voice, a dozen suited men appeared at the entrance and swarmed in. The entire living hall was surrounded instantly, blocking every possible exit from within. Buffy was shocked by the sudden intrusion. What shocked her even more was that everyone in the family, including her grandfather, looked calm, as if they had expected this. In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere in the living hall became tense and pressured. Anyone who tried to leave would have to pay a severe price. Buffy turned around immediately. As a matter of fact, the moment she heard the voice, she already knew who it was. Casius, in a black trench coat, swaggered into the living hall. He wore a warm smile, but his frosty eyes pierced Buffy’s heart with a gaze that sent chills down her spine. Casius was like a viper eyeing its prey, ready to strike any moment. Behind Casius were a man and a woman. Buffy recognized the man as Hank, Casius’ secret bodyguard. He was a servant of the Weathe
Casius looked frivolous, his tone sarcastic. However, the ferocity he exuded pressured even the seniors of the house, making them think twice before saying a word. The name of the Riverbank Seven worked like a charm against the ordinary citizens. “Mhmm. Not bad.” Gilfard scrutinized Casius from the main seat and nodded his head subtly. He approved Casius as his grandson-in-law. Casius possessed the power and the courage, and if Buffy could marry a man like him, it would bring decades of glory to the Gwake family. “Casius! Shut your damn mouth! What do you mean by ‘our big day’?” Buffy’s expression was frosty. “Don’t you call my mother your mother-in-law! My father too! They are not your in-laws! I am here because of my mother and I do not need you meddling around! It’s always been Kaze who’s truly helped me! “I don’t need you as a witness! Get out of our house right now!” Seeing Buffy berate Casius fiercely, the woman behind him turned frosty, ready to teach Buffy a l
“Yeah! I’d rather die than marry you!” Buffy’s resolute answer left Casius with no chance. “You think I’m lesser than the live-in husband?” “You are far lesser!” She was firm. “Fine.” Casius nodded. His eyes locked onto Buffy and said, “You’ve rejected me, but I realized, I liked you even more.” A manic blush appeared on his face as he grinned, “Buffy, do you know that I've never been denied anything I’ve wanted since I was young? “The more you reject me, the more I want you! And I will do whatever it takes! “But I am a man who knows my priorities. Since I came here for two things, let's handle the first.“We can talk about our wedding later. Let’s focus on your mother now, Buffy. “Am I right, my dear future father-in-law?” Casius looked at Jude. “A man who knows his priorities. This is how a mature man should behave.” Jude nodded in agreement as he stood. “Since my future son-in-law has spoken, then I will give Buffy a satisfying explanation about her mother
“Hmph! Cease your nonsense!” Gilfard said coldly, “Why would the Heartano family of Geranium show so much respect to a live-in husband? “I think you are teaming up with the outsider, putting up a show for us to see so that you can slowly and quietly transfer the company assets away, ultimately emptying us! “Let me make this straight! No matter what you do, you have to take the shares back and return them to your father! Before you do that, you will have no explanations about your mother! “If you disagree, then I will cease her medical fees and I can do it with one phone call! Then you will have nothing but a dead body!” His tone was fierce and his expression cold and ruthless. Buffy paled. She widened her eyes and screamed, “Grandfather, how could you!” “I am the master of this family before I am your grandfather! I am doing this on behalf of the family’s benefit, so why couldn’t I?!” he argued. He then got up on his feet with Jude’s help. He smiled at Casius and said
“Is our bridal chamber all ready?” After Jude and the other Gwake family members went off, Casius stood straight and firm as he asked his assistant without turning back. The woman behind him, who looked rather fierce and whom Buffy assumed was a replacement for Neely—and she was right—was Madison Fencer. She had previously been Neely’s assistant but was promoted to fill the position after Neely’s death. She was also professionally trained for combat. She looked expressionless as she said plainly, “Sir, the maids of the Gwake family are done decorating the bridal chamber. I’m sure you and Mrs. Weather will have an unforgettable night.” “A bridal chamber?” Buffy was shocked, her face ashened. The Gwake family did everything they could to win Casius’ fondness. They did not only invite him here, they even told the maids to get a bridal chamber ready. Buffy wanted to leave but Madison stood in her way. With a fake smile, she said, “Madam, you must stay here for the night
“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