“You…” The fear of death suppressed and replaced the anger in Phoenix. Her wrinkled face paled, making her look like a living corpse. “Madam!” Two of Phoenix’s followers from Ridgesouth tried to jump on Anzu to rescue their employer. However, Anzu swung her katana in a swift, deadly arc, slitting their throats instantly and splattering blood across the ground. “Kaze Lee, get over here! Or else I will kill this old hag!” Anzu roared, her tone resentful. “She killed them!” “Grandaunt is being taken hostage!” “Call the police!” The morgue fell into chaos following the death of the two followers. All the members of the other family branches screamed in panic. Some scrambled to escape, while others stood still in shock. A few were paralyzed by sheer terror, unable to process what was happening before their eyes. As chaos broke out, Kaze quickly dashed forward to pull the horrified Hector and Agnes away, dragging them back to Darcy and Sky. “Stay here and don’t move.
“Let go of Grandaunt!” “Release Joan!” “Release them and you can leave in one piece!” Some of the Quint family members, plus the bodyguards, pressed forward carefully, shooting at Anzu to pressure her. Judging from their nervous looks, Anzu knew she was right. The two hostages she held right now were the two most powerful people in the room. No wonder Kaze’s in-laws knelt before the two of them earlier. From the looks of it, the two hostages were someone powerful; not even Kaze’s family could afford to offend them. Anzu’s initial plan was to seize Kaze’s in-laws but she was glad she changed her target after she entered. She knew that with her strength alone, her odds of killing Kaze were slim. When she was captured by Kaze and tortured by Collier, her body suffered terrible trauma and had yet to recover, weakening her. The only way she could get her revenge was to capture Kaze’s closest people and use them against him. The thought put a grim smile on her face. She
“Kaze, you little bastard! Are you trying to get me killed?!” Phoenix tried to force Kaze into submission. If her gaze could materialize, it would be the sharpest knife at Kaze's neck. “Anzu, do you know what you’re doing? That’s the elder of the Quint family, the respectable Grandaunt Phoenix Quint! Lay a finger on her, and I assure you that even if you run back to Ryokan, hell will come after you.” Huh? Phoenix was suddenly stunned. Was Kaze not the most defiant and disrespectful? Why would he flatter her in front of the hitman now? She had hired the Steelclaw Guild to kill him and his family, and only now he started to realize the gravity of the situation? Was it a little too late? Crack! At the next moment, Phoenix felt an immense pain in her hand. Anzu had actually broken one of her fingers without even saying anything. “Aaaargh!” Phoenix cried in agony as the pain tormented her. Anzu looked at Kaze coldly and said, “I’ve broken one of her fingers. What are y
Joan shouted, “Stop talking nonsense and kneel! She wants you to kneel and Grandaunt Phoenix can be freed!” “That’s right,” Anzu affirmed with a nod. Kaze looked at Joan and bellowed, “I can kneel but you have to release Joan first, at least show some sincerity. How do I know you are not trying to trick me?” Since when did Kaze become such a kind-hearted person? Crack! While Joan was baffled by the question, Anzu stepped on her knee without even blinking. Crack! “Aaaargh!” Joan wailed as her body convulsed violently, her piercing screams grating on everyone’s ears. Phoenix finally caught a breath and shouted, “Kaze, one more word and I will kill you and your family! You must have done it on purpose! You must be! “Get over here and kneel, or else I will strangle you myself!” Joan cried with utmost resentment. She was already bound to a wheelchair and now her knee was broken. The one she hated the most was not Anzu but Kaze because he got her into this situation.
Like Joan, Phoenix never would have imagined that she would die in such a humiliating way. Kaze did not even move his hands. He simply said a few words and Anzu killed her. Phoenix died with her eyes wide open, but the light quickly faded. The last image reflected upon her eyes was Kaze grinning brightly with his teeth gleaming under the light. “Bastard…” That was Phoenix’s last word. In just the blink of an eye, the respected elder of the Quint family had turned into a lifeless corpse. Every other family member at the scene gasped in shock. “Die, Kaze Lee!” Anzu’s killing spree did not stop with just two deaths. She shouted at Kaze but she dashed toward Darcy. Swoosh! Kaze had anticipated this. With a swift movement, he shifted sideways to position himself in front of Anzu, blocking her. Anzu swung her arms forward, launching multiple poisoned shurikens at him. Darcy was right behind him, so Kaze dared not dodge the shurikens. It was either him or Darcy. Howe
With Anzu dead, Kaze got rid of one major problem. Since the police would tie up loose ends at the funeral parlor, Kaze and Darcy’s family were free to leave under the escort of police officers. Other Quint family members in the South River State departed alongside Kaze and Darcy’s family. These people feared for their lives. It dawned on them that they were safe with Darcy’s family, especially since the police were determined to keep Darcy’s family safe and sound before. They followed Darcy’s family, not leaving them out of their sight. Dozens of members swarmed into Villa No. 1, leaving the residence rather cramped. “It’s such a waste of space for a small family to live in a big, luxurious place.” “I guess there are perks to kissing up to the mayor.” The Quint family members, making themselves too at home, occupied the space and made snide remarks. Darcy did not possess power or influence after losing Sky Ocean Corporation. They did not care what Darcy’s family t
“The head honcho made a wise choice.” South talked as if the plan benefited them all. The Steelclaw Guild did not consider the risk of sending Anzu after Kaze and his loved ones. Kaze survived the assassination and proved to the Steelclaw Guild that he was worth the risk. However, what if he had died? The Steelclaw Guild would let Phoenix know that she owed them one. Either way, the Steelclaw Guild would not be losing out on anything. The Steelclaw Guild had a collaboration with Kaze, but they were not in on it together. Kaze shook his head. The Steelclaw Guild was an assassination organization for a reason. They only worked for themselves and were not worth Kaze’s trust. He said curtly, “Tell your head honcho that I don’t owe your people anything anymore. “But you owe me one.” No one else but Kaze would demand something from the Steelclaw Guild. Anyone else in Kaze’s place would swallow the bitter pill and move on. Not Kaze, though. He was not scared of the
It had only been an hour since Phoenix met her demise. Yet the Ridgesouth Quints had already come to a decision. Even Kaze had to admit that the Ridgesouth Quints were highly efficient. The Quints’ approach was simple but highly effective. With Phoenix dead, the Quint family members in the South River State were without a leader. As the situation remained unclear and loomed with potential threats, it was best to put Darcy in charge of picking up the pieces. One thing stood out when the Quints handled business. It showed the Quints prioritized their own interest above all else. The Quints were not in a rush to investigate Phoenix’s death, avenge her, or question Hector’s family. Their aim was to cut their losses and reassure the family. The Ridgesouth Quints did not even mention Phoenix’s funeral. Different from Hector’s family’s joy, the other family members were horrified. “I’m sorry to upset you before, Darcy. Please forgive us.” “We were wrong. We are terribly so
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