“We are desperate. Otherwise, we won’t come to you for help.”Cornered, Clark had to resort to desperate measures. He did not want to beg others on his knees, but he had to swallow his pride for the sake of his family. Feeling sorry, Kaze sighed and helped the dejected man up. “What’s the situation? Tell me.” Kaze could offer help, but he needed an idea of the situation. Clark saw hope. Just when Clark thought he would hit a deadline, Kaze gave him hope. “My child is hurt. He needed urgent care, so we headed to Serenity 37.” Clark gave the full story. Despite being aware of Serenity 37’s rules, the family took their chances. Upon arrival at Serenity 37, the family of the patient must get a blood test to determine whether they were a match for organ donation. If they were matched with a patient, the family member must donate their organs.Clark and his wife understood the point. However, there was a chance that they would not need to donate their organs. It was all
“I have a tiny business with a turnover of a million bucks a year. You can take over the business. “I have a house and two commercial properties, but the title deeds are under my wife’s name. Once she’s out of the hospital, I can transfer the deeds to your name.” At this point, Clark was willing to give up all his assets in exchange for his family’s health. “You are considerably well-off, and your business is making a profit. I’m sure you can afford the hospital bill. Why are you giving up your assets to me?” Kaze thought it was strange. Surely, the expenses at Serenity 37 were not more than the family could afford. “There’s no talking to the management at Serenity 37. My child’s hospital bill is 50 million dollars, and all my family’s combined assets are not enough to cover the expenses. I wanted to pay in installments, but that’s not an option.“The institution expects my wife to donate a kidney to get free surgery for my kid, and only then, my wife and kid will be allowed
“Thank you, Mr. Lee.” Clark looked at the name on the business card and felt assured. Though he had never heard of Kaze before, the title on the card listed the chairman of Perfect World Group. His wife and kid would be safe if an influential man like Kaze offered his help. “I hope you can keep to your promise and owe me one. I would expect the return of the favor.” Kaze may not want the favor back, but a promise was a promise. “Rest assured, Mr. Lee. I will pay you back promptly. What I have, I’ll give to you.” Seeing hope, Clark was in better spirits. He looked at Kaze enthusiastically. “Give me a call if you need anything. You don’t have to call me when your problem is solved.” Kaze was in a rush to catch the train. With the issues in Riverbank straightened out, he should head to Butterworth. He wondered if Venom managed to make her escape. However, it was no easy feat to run away from Hades’ Hand. Kaze had too many important businesses to pay attention t
Clark explained everything to his wife as they got their child transferred out of Serenity 37.Erin did not understand why Kaze would help them. However, Erin could feel her husband’s determination to save the family at the cost of bankruptcy. She knew she married the right man. “We should thank Mr. Lee, but there’s no telling whether we will see him again.” Erin was grateful to her husband for putting the family first. She was also thankful for a stranger’s kindness. Most importantly, not everybody would do so much for a stranger. It was fifty million dollars. Not everybody could afford this kind of money. Kaze was a kind soul who trusted a stranger wholeheartedly and forked out so much money. Clark understood that he had been brash, but his family’s lives were at stake. “We can breathe easy now. You need to rest well. Once we are in better spirits, we can visit Mr. Lee with gifts. I stumbled upon his address. I will stroll around the area in the next few days.” C
Kaze was able to go back to his seat when the girl approached to snack on the tidbits. She must be hungry. While munching on food, the girl looked out the door as if waiting for someone. Killing time, Kaze checked out the small lounge. He did not comment on anything about the girl. The girl happened to cock her head back. Noticing that Kaze was staring, she made a mean face. “What are you looking at?” Leah Lyfe had a temper. She was heading home after a trip. Her trip was not supposed to end so quickly, but her plan was ruined by one person. She needed to make haste back to Butterworth, and Leah was not pleased. The fact that her mother would pick her up at the train station only to annoy her further. Her mother was the CEO of the Northborn Group. While she enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle, it was at the cost of her freedom. She was not keen on having anyone control her life, but her mother’s control issues left her without much room to breathe. Thanks to her beaut
Instead of responding to Leah, Kaze grabbed his luggage and walked away. Anxious, Leah dragged her suitcase right behind him. Kaze did not want to spend another minute with her, so he picked up the pace. He lost her during check-in. Just when Kaze was able to make his way down to the boarding area, a commotion stirred in the back. He looked back and saw the girl being stopped by a handsome man. The man in the suit, without any luggage, seemed to be in a rush. Minding his own business, Kaze headed straight to the boarding area. Once Kaze got to his seat, he was ready for a shut-eye. The trip to Butterworth would take several hours, so he could catch some sleep on the train. Kaze must have been exhausted because he quickly dozed off. He wore an eye mask in case the light caught his eyes. A nearby couple was pretty disruptive when Kaze was trying to get some rest. The quiet carriage only amped up the noise. The couple bickered without concern for others. More acc
“I might be able to put up with you if you didn’t cheat on me, but we’re way past that now.” Leah was firm on that note. There was no way Leah could look past the cheating. “She didn’t mean anything to me. You should know that given our social standing, we have plenty of women around. At least we don’t bring our mistresses home.” Perry believed he was gracious enough. Leah was not having it. Sure, Perry came from a rich family. However, Leah’s mother was the CEO of the Northborn Group. Leah also came from money. Though Perry belonged to the Butterworth Duncans, he had a huge family. Perry might not be competent enough to succeed the family business. Perry and Leah got along before. Drawn by Perry’s hot pursuit, Leah dated him. However, it did not take Perry long to look at other girls. Leah was not that into him anyway. She was quick to break things off with him. To her dismay, Perry tagged along on her trip and ruined her plans. Annoyed, Leah did not want to ha
Lovers, like flowers, needed care to flourish and grow. Incompatible couples would only wear each other out. It was plain to see that Perry and Leah were not a good fit. Kaze glanced at them before cocking his head to look out the window. Since he could not get some sleep, he might as well kill some time. Just as he turned his head, he met Leah’s gaze. “It’s you.” Kaze knew he was done for. He did not want to get in trouble, but trouble seemed to find him either way. Still, he had nothing to fear. “You were the guy in the waiting lounge. Can you do me a favor and kick this fella out?” Leah put Kaze in the spot. “Who is he? When did you meet?” Perry jolted to his feet and glared at Kaze. Well, Kaze was in for it now. While he did not mind the questioning, it made him uncomfortable. He did not want to be in the crossfire between the couple. Even if they had broken up, Kaze believed it was none of his business. He simply wanted a quiet trip to Butterworth.
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