“Hannah!” Getting on his feet, Reuben rubbed his hot cheek. Reuben looked Hannah dead in the eye and hissed her name. He was filled with rage. “You have gone too far. I am the commissioner of the Tiger’s Cave. How dare you hit—” “Smack!”Hannah cut Reuben off with a slap in the face. “Have I, though? I don’t mind taking things to a whole new level.” Reuben dropped to the ground once more. With Hannah assaulting Reuben, his team would have none of it. Even Snow and Buffy narrowed their eyes at Hannah. Reuben may not be the most influential man, but he was no pushover. However, Hannah was pretty disrespectful to whip Reuben. It was possible that Hannah’s interactions with her posh circle in Westeros had set a precedent.Reuben’s response when he saw Hannah was a good indication. He and his kind revered Hannah. On the other hand, Hannah’s newly acquired power as the South River State Branch chief may have something to do with it. Either way, Hannah did not see
Hannah intimidated Reuben. Reuben would not stand a chance against Hannah if she were to go for the kill. He could not even dodge her attacks. The way she disposed of Reuben’s subordinates suggested that she held a dozen gunmen in utter contempt.Fear washed over Reuben. He was baffled too. Reuben did not believe that his insult toward Kaze and assault on Snow warranted Hannah’s revenge. Hannah could not possibly kill him without worrying about the Tiger’s Cave’s retaliation. To Reuben, Kaze was just a loser who hid behind women’s backs. There was something more to the loser, though, because three women stood by him. Still, Hannah made no explanation. She believed that Reuben did not deserve to know who Kaze was. “Hannah, the boy killed our ally from Ryokan. Are you sure you want to bail him out when this is possibly going to be a huge diplomatic dispute?” Reuben pointed at Kaze and said grimacingly to Hannah, “I doubt you can handle the weight of the situation.”
Hannah’s aggression only made Reuben grimace harder. He looked Hannah dead in the eye and hissed through clenched teeth. “So you’re determined to stand by Kaze Lee?” “Let me correct you there again. I am not qualified to protect Kaze.” Hannah said in a flat but firm tone, “As I said, I don’t care who from your organization gets in my way. No one can take Kaze away, not on my watch.” Reuben’s gaze fell on Kaze. If he heard it right, Hannah said that Kaze was one of the Viper’s Den. Yet, Hannah mentioned that she was not qualified to protect Kaze. Did Kaze hold a higher position than Hannah in the Viper’s Den? It was impossible. There was no way. Kaze was a guy who had to take his wife’s family name. He could not possibly earn a high-ranking position. Reuben believed that Kaze had the support of someone more powerful than Hannah within the organization. Who could it be? Hannah was the branch chief, so the individual had to be a deputy leader or branch leader to
The ward was a scene of utter chaos with screams of the injured. Reuben thought that Kaze’s assault gave him an opportunity to kill, but before he could point his gun, he was knocked off his feet. The slap came on too fast and strong, throwing Reuben into a daze. Not realizing that he dropped his weapon, Reuben held his cheek and wobbled to his feet. He fixated on Kaze, feeling enraged and humiliated. “How dare you, Lee! You’re asking for it!“Don’t just stand there! Get him! Arrest the bastard. Shoot him if he resists arrest!” Reuben stamped his foot and yelled. He blew his top. It was bad enough that Hannah slapped him in public. However, Kaze did the same to him too. Kaze had some nerves. He was a loser who took his wife’s family name. Yet, Kaze had the cheek to attack him. Reuben’s ego would not allow it. He would never live it down if word ever got out. Reuben’s shouting came to an abrupt halt. There was no response from his people. Some Tiger’s Cave
“Is that a threat to me?” Kaze shook his head and laughed. “It seems that this needs to end today.” “How are you going to do that?” Reuben smirked and said in disdain, “Just because Hannah has your back, it doesn’t mean you can disrespect me, Lee. “My job with the Tiger’s Cave aside, my family prestige can shut you down. “You are not worth my time.” Reuben looked at Kaze in contempt. His privileged upbringing and social standing gave him a sense of entitlement over Kaze. “Oh, really?” Kaze said indifferently, “If I remember correctly, you belong to the Westeros Swans. Are you that confident with your upbringing?” “Confident?” Reuben shook his head. “No, no. My upbringing doesn’t hold a candle to the real heirs because everybody is the same. “You’re just a loser who lives off your wife. All I have to do is drop a name and many will come crawling to do my dirty work and crush you like a bug.“Don’t take this as a threat. I’m just stating a fact.“From birth, it’
“Why am I here?”Mitchell grimaced and looked his nephew straight in the face. “You are going to ruin everything if I don’t get here soon enough.” Ignoring the sour look on Reuben’s face, Mitchell looked over at Kaze. Having spent years navigating the system, Mitchell could pick out the key player in any group. He assessed the situation in no time. Kaze appeared composed like nothing could pull him down. On the other hand, Reuben’s swollen cheek gave the story away. Mitchell was seething. Reuben was a rising star among his peers in the family. He, along with the Tiger’s Cave agents, were working a case when he had been utterly humiliated with a slap in the face. He was a disgrace. Still, Mitchell was relieved. Since Kaze did not lose out on anything, things were not beyond reconciliation. “You must be Mr. Lee.” Mitchell approached Kaze and extended his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. The kid doesn’t know the rules. I must apologize for any offense. “I’m h
Mitchell quickly eased his frown and asked grimly, “I’m not quite sure what you have in mind, Mr. Lee.” Kaze grinned without a word. Mitchell realized that nothing could go past Kaze. Kaze expected some sort of compensation, but he would not specify what he wanted. It was all on Mitchell to appease Kaze. Kaze was a young man with great depth. With that in mind, Mitchell gritted his teeth and pointed at Reuben. “Get over here.” “Uncle Mitchell…” Biting the bullet, Reuben approached Mitchell. “Smack!” Mitchell swung his fist and pulled a punch without holding back. Staggering back, Reuben found his cheek more swollen than ever. “Uncle Mitchell!” Reuben held his cheek and yelled in despair. He was going to call Mitchell to get support. To his dismay, Mitchell arrived at the scene only to help Kaze. Mitchell even slapped him in front of everybody. Reuben was devastated. “Smack!” Mitchell did not stop with one slap. “Bastard! Who gave you the right to
Reuben grimaced hard. Mitchell did not take the news well either. Kaze’s statement was directed at Reuben and likely at Mitchell as well. It appeared that Mitchell’s attack on Reuben did not appease Kaze. Before Mitchell said anything, Reuben jumped in and hissed through clenched teeth, “How do you propose we fix this?” His tone harbored resentment. Raising a brow, Kaze let out a faint smile before turning to Mitchell. He said in a flat tone, “Hear that, Assistant Governor Swan? Your nephew doesn’t seem to realize his mistake.“You should break his leg as you said you would. “He was disrespectful to me.“I expected ten million dollars for each slap he has done to my friend.“My friend’s face cannot be valued with money. Consider this as compensation for her medication.” Kaze was aware that Reuben was seething with rage. He bet that Reuben hated his guts. Reuben was born into privilege, not one to face adversity. A tiny punishment would not set him straight. Give
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