“Bullshit! You fulfilled your duties to our family? You’ve been putting us in harm’s way!” Agnes stepped closer with an intimidating gaze and pointed at Kaze’s chest. “Come on, stab me or strangle me, or else you are going to divorce Darcy no matter what!” Kaze scoffed, “You want me to stab you so I can go to jail? Keep dreaming.” Agnes clenched her teeth. She continued threatening him, “Then I’ll go hang myself at the door! I want the whole world to know that my son-in-law made me do it! I don’t believe that after you forced me to kill myself, Darcy would still want to be with you!” Kaze then took some money out of his wallet. “Go get a good rope.” “You shitty…” Agnes was consumed by her anger. “Darcy, are you going to just watch as this bastard takes advantage of me?! I’m your mother, I’ve raised you, I gave birth to you… Are you going to abandon me because of some outsider?!” She started crying in front of them. “Mom, can you stop making a scene?” Darcy was havin
Agnes did not care if Darcy was tired, she just wanted to get this done there and then. Kaze frowned. If he stayed, this nonsense would continue endlessly. He turned around and tapped Sky on the shoulder, saying, “Take Darcy upstairs to rest. I’m not coming back tonight.” Suddenly, Hector came over with the phone in his hand and a panicked expression. “Darcy, your grandaunt is on the phone. She wants you to go to Sky Ocean Corporation now.” “She wants me there?” Darcy and Agnes were both surprised. Darcy frowned but her mother shuddered with fear on her face. “Let me talk to her.” Kaze took the phone off Hector’s hand. The call was still connected, so he said, “Tell that old hag that my wife is not free now. If she wants to see Darcy, tell her to get over here herself.” Phoenix’s voice came from the phone and she did not sound happy. “You little bastard, you…” Kaze hung up the phone without giving her the chance to speak. Agnes was stunned for a few seconds before
Agnes was frightened by Phoenix’s fierce methods. She strongly believed the only way for her family to be safe was to follow Phoenix's orders and flatter Joan, and not oppose them anymore. Darcy frowned. “Are you sure about that?” She knew the truth regarding Kaze and Perfect World Group but not so much about the mayor’s decision. Therefore, she slightly leaned toward her mother’s suggestion. It was unlikely that the mayor would suspend a project that could potentially be worth billions just because Kaze requested so. Kaze confidently said, “Just trust me. I believe you still can get insider news from Sky Ocean Corporation, so you can keep up with what’s going on. Just listen to me and avoid that old hag.” He then took his phone out, which had been buzzed for a while. A glance later, he said, “I still have something else to take care of. I’m going out. “Don’t you run away now!” Agnes shouted. “You bastard! You put us in this mess and you’re leaving? So what if all that
Albert got the news as well. He was eager to face Robin and even volunteered himself. However, Kaze rejected him. There was no need to send Albert to deal with a trivial matter. It would only make it seem like Kaze was afraid of Robin. As for Collier, he was simply there to lead the way and drive Kaze around. Kaze did not expect him to be any useful. “Kaze, it seems like Boris Road is really coming after you. He probably twisted the facts in front of the Godfather and accused you of something else. That’s why, instead of Rory, Robin Hill was sent here with more men. “The chief of the Execution Hall has always kept a low profile and stayed hidden. I don’t know much about him. It’s a surprise that he could defeat Hannah. “As the chief of the Execution Hall, Robin Hill is certainly a figure with authority and power in the West State Viper’s Den. “I’ve got news that Boris Road and his wife, Naomi, are heading to River Watcher Inn with their best men from Great Road Group. I t
“Kaze, Siberian is on his way to you. After what you’ve done to Anzu, he’s coming after your life.” South’s voice came through the phone once Kaze answered the call. “Kaze, please know that this is your personal conflict with Siberian and has nothing to do with me, or the Steelclaw Guild.” Kaze chuckled. “Siberian wants to avenge Anzu? He’s a cold-blooded killer. Since when does he have a conscience? Are you sure it’s not because of something else?” “It’s really personal this time. I just found out that Anzu is actually Siberian’s sister, like a true sister. Anzu was sent to Ryokan and learned under their grandmaster, so she would eventually be a Ryokanian. “Siberian has always hoped for his sister to help his family regain its former glory. Yet her first mission in Arcadia was to kill you, and you caught her, almost killing her. “God knows how much Siberian hate you now. Though I am sure Siberian will only come after you and not your men or the people around you. He’s that e
“How dare you break Rhys’ legs! You’re dead!” “I heard you are a live-in husband with a beautiful wife. Too bad. Your wife is going to be a widow after today.” “Maybe we can help her with that, let her have some fun while you are gone.” “Hahaha…” Rhys’ followers went up to Kaze and Collier, surrounding and mocking them. They were furious, seemingly ready to avenge Rhys, but no one took action other than spewing empty threats. Kaze raised his brows, looking scornful. They were trying to provoke him to attack them, but the fools got the wrong person. Kaze was not someone who could be easily angered. Collier noticed the people were closing in on them and might jump on them at any time. He bellowed, “Rhys Road, stop this nonsense at once. Chief Robin Hill is inside River Watcher Inn and he’s meeting with Kaze!” When Robin’s name was mentioned, the people around them froze and helpless twitches could be seen on their faces. Their anger subsided a little. Even Rhys calm
The second group of people had accents from all over the place, seemingly tourists who came to Riverbank for vacation. When they arrived, Rhys raised his voice and cried louder. “Kaze Lee is trying to kill me! It hurts! He thinks he’s beyond the law, he thinks he’s stronger than Chief Hill! What did I do to you…” Rhys lived up to his reputation as the owner of an agency for actors and actresses. While he cried, he painted himself with blood, adding to his already messy appearance. “Rhys Road, you are shameless!” As more and more people gathered, Collier got anxious. He stepped forward and bellowed, “You’re accusing Kaze! You think Chief Hill doesn’t know that?” “Mhmm. Interesting.” Kaze looked at Rhys covered in blood, his nose still bleeding. The gaze from his eyes turned icy cold as he stared at the idiot. “Who is this punk? Why is he causing a scene here?” “Doesn’t he know Chief Hill is here at River Watcher Inn? How dare he! He’s even trying to kill someone?!”
The middle-aged woman was beautiful and shared a resemblance with Rhys. Her expression darkened, her eyes filled with anxiety. She was Naomi Road, Boris’ wife who was ten-plus years younger than him and Rhys’ mother. Kaze scanned the surroundings but did not see Boris anywhere. Naomi strode into the crowd and saw Rhys on the ground, covered in his own blood, and Kaze, who stood nonchalantly as if he was not part of the situation. Her face further darkened. “Rhys, what happened? Why is your head bleeding again? What happened to your nose?!” She turned to the crowd and shouted, “Who hit my son? Who did it!?” “Mother, help me…” Rhys cried even louder in his mother’s presence, saying, “It’s him! It’s Kaze Lee! He found out that we asked Chief Hill for help and he knew he’d be punished soon, so he got anxious and slapped me! “I fell and hit my head on the pavement. He then stomped on my face too! He disrespected our family and Chief Hill altogether! “He even said no on
“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