Draig sat on a couch in a corner and eagerly waited for Kaze to fall flat on his face, only to be dumbfounded. He tensed up and looked at Kaze in shock when the latter crushed the diamond. Jesus. It took great strength to pull that off. Draig wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. The Maiden’s Heart, the toughest diamond from the south, was worth ten million dollars, and Kaze pulverized it in one grip. Even Draig could not do so. He questioned the authenticity of the diamond. Hunter grimaced and looked at Kaze in shock and wariness. As a fighter, he knew better than anyone that it took a lot to grind the diamond. He was on the losing end during his last fight with Kaze. However, Hunter reserved his strength, so he did not think Kaze was strong. He had a better idea of Kaze’s competence now. Kaze tightened his grip and crushed the diamond into powder right before everybody’s eyes. “Fuu—”Kaze blew the powder off his palm and clapped his hands. He
Darcy lost her judgment to rage, and Kaze could not be more disappointed. Unable to stand it anymore, Buffy said coldly, “Ms. Quint, if Kaze has no shame, I must say that you don’t have a good eye. “Anyone but you can mock Mr. Lee, Ms. Quint.” Snow jumped in. “Mr. Lee has done a lot for you, from Lilyrose to Riverbank. “Who came forward to save you when Aiden put a squeeze on Sky Ocean Corporation that nearly bankrupted the company? “Was it Mr. Yaphet who gave you a ten-million-dollar diamond? “It was Mr. Lee. He gathered tens of millions from Perfect World Group to close the financial gap and help you acquire the piece of land. “I don’t know how you are together at home, but I have heard things. “Your mother has it out for Mr. Lee. Still, he puts up with her yelling and criticism.“You should know that things would have escalated if Mr. Lee hadn’t kept his composure.“Just think about it. Who was Mr. Lee doing all this for?” As Darcy grew upset, Snow showed no sig
There was drama before the celebration even started. No one saw Darcy tearing up when Kaze disappeared out of there. She blinked rapidly, forcing the tears back in. While stepping outside the hall, Kaze, Snow, and Buffy ran into Hannah. With Kaze leaving with these two women, Hannah, clearly surprised, asked, “What’s this, Kaze?” “I’m sorry. I can’t attend the celebration,” Kaze replied. Though Kaze kept a straight face, Hannah could tell from Buffy and Snow’s angry faces that something big had happened before her arrival. Hence, Kaze was eager to leave before the party started. Hannah said, “Well, I’ll cancel the celebration. The celebration doesn’t mean anything if you’re not here.” There was no point in having a party when Kaze was not happy. “You should carry on.” Kaze waved his hand to interrupt her. “You have guests. Don’t let them come here for nothing. The Viper’s Den doesn’t need more enemies.” Hannah helplessly nodded. Once Kaze was gone, Hannah summon
Cyan would not stop badmouthing Kaze. She was still frustrated from the time Buffy had slapped her in public. Darcy showed up and put Kaze in the spot. With Hunter’s help, Darcy drove Kaze away. Cyan felt better after witnessing the drama. Darcy seemed alright in Cyan’s books now. Cyan believed she and Darcy stood on a united front. “Oh…” Darcy fobbed Cyan off. The sight of Kaze leaving with Snow and Buffy did not sit well with her. “Here comes Ms. Delmore.” Hannah, all decked out, entered the hall. “Sorry to keep you all waiting.” Hannah walked ahead. Cutting to the chase, she said, “Welcome to my celebration. I must apologize for any inconvenience. We can now proceed to take our seats in the banquet hall.” The guests took their seats. Hunter and Darcy were seated in the front. Draig and Cyan were in the seat behind. Cyan was not pleased with the seating arrangement. “Ms. Delmore, we heard that the Viper’s Den West State branch leader is attending the celeb
Cyan was excited. She jolted to her feet and looked around. She shouted with a smile. “Mr. Branch Leader, I’m Cyan. Where are you? “If you’re here, please come forward. “I’ve been wanting to meet you.” The crowd gave Cyan strange looks. Everybody there wanted to meet the branch leader in person, too. Cyan was not the only one. However, no one demonstrated eagerness as Cyan did. The crowd made funny looks when they saw Cyan’s swollen cheek. It did not seem appropriate for Cyan to meet the branch leader with a bruised face. They had to admit, though. Cyan was pretty. There were a lot of gorgeous women in the upper crust, especially since good genes ran in the family. Cyan was no competition to these pretty women, or even Snow, Buffy, and Darcy. “What makes you think that you can demand the branch leader to see you?” “Who do you think you are? You’re not the only one looking forward to meeting with him.” “The branch leader is the man of my dreams, but did you s
All gazes gradually fell on Cyan, Draig, Hunter, and Darcy. Draig and Cyan grimaced. By the sound of things, their behavior caused the branch leader to leave the scene ahead of the celebration. Cyan, in particular, turned white. Oh, shit. The branch leader must have witnessed her conflict with Kaze. “Kaze is a bastard! He’s the reason why the branch leader took off.” Cyan would not find fault in herself. She was livid. It was such a great opportunity to meet with the branch leader. Kaze ruined it all. Oh, Kaze would be the death of her and her family. Gritting her teeth, Cyan came down hard on Kaze in her mind. Hunter and Darcy scowled. Darcy simply attended Hannah’s celebration as a courtesy.The branch chief of the Viper’s Den deserved the respect. Though Darcy was curious about the branch leader, she did not think it was a big deal that he left. It was not like she had anything to ask of him. Now that she thought about it, no one else but Kaze and hi
The wisest choice was to take a step back. The very public love declaration at Bronze Sparrow was just to make Kaze look good. Without the opportunity, Snow would never admit to her feelings so openly. However, Buffy was ahead of Snow in making the romantic gesture. Sure enough, Buffy was more aggressive in showing love. Snow was on high alert. Relieved, Kaze chuckled dryly and said, “Alright. Don’t let me keep you, but no work is more important than having your dinner. I’ll talk to you soon.” “Alright. Got it. You act like my mother.“Bye.” Buffy waved at Kaze and Snow goodbye before heading to the car that pulled up. She entered the car and took off. “Where are we heading, Mr. Lee?” Snow looked at Kaze and murmured. Kaze shied away from her gaze uneasily. He was planning to take Snow to Bourbon when a call came in. He pulled out his phone and realized Alfonso, the former branch chief of Butterworth and Buffy’s family friend, was calling. To make up for his mi
The other underworld kingpin in Riverbank was Miru, Darcy’s best friend, who owned Bronze Sparrow. Thanks to Kaze’s support, Miru was killing it in the world, pushing the former criminal boss out and taking his place. Everett and Kaze used to have beef, and they had called a truce for now. They were keeping their distance at the moment. Kaze annihilated Boris and his family. Nile, the owner of Serenity 37, was the only one left who had not met Kaze. “That’s right. It’s Nile.” Alfonso said, “Jet is one of the Riverbank Seven. Before he went back to Butterworth to fight over the family’s authority, he was pretty close with Nile during his stay in Riverbank. “They are allies, but Jet is the leader between the two.” Nile, one of the four underworld kingpins, was old enough to be Jet’s father. Yet, he partnered up with Jet, serving under him. There were reasons why Jet was named one of the Riverbank Seven. Otherwise, Nile, who held influence in the underworld, would not
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