“Mom, what are you doing? He’s not asking for money.” Leah felt insulted and she knew her mother did it on purpose. “He didn’t say anything, so how would you know?” Katie said as she scrutinized Kaze. Peter saw the scene from the side and wanted to help but knowing Katie’s identity, he dared not interfere to offend her, so he simply stood still like a rock. “If not for Kaze, I wouldn’t even get out of trouble. Perry even sent his men after me.” Leah then told her mother what actually happened before she arrived. She told her mother the truth because she wanted her mother to know that she was almost hurt. “Thank you, Peter.” Learning that Peter had helped earlier, Katie furthermore believed Kaze had nothing to do with the matter. Peter knew her and her status well and was likely familiar with her daughter. Helping the girl should have been a gesture of respect toward her. Kaze did not say anything from the start, and it made Katie believe that he harbored ulterior mo
“Since you refused, then consider the reward forfeited. Stay away from my daughter and don’t let me see you again,” Katie said to Kaze, her words serving as a warning. Her eyes brimmed with clear wariness and disdain. Leah felt a surge of embarrassment at her mother’s reaction. “Why won’t you listen to me? Kaze really helped me! If it weren’t for him, I might have been beaten up!” She continued to argue in defense of Kaze. She felt that her mother was being unreasonable. “Open your eyes and see clearly whether he helped you out of goodwill or he has something else in mind.” Katie wanted her daughter to open her eyes and not be swept away by a moment of gratitude. Not everyone who offered help did so out of goodwill. In modern society, people worked hard just to make ends meet. Why would a stranger help another without expecting anything in return? It was every man for himself. One’s personal benefits and goals trumped others. “Madam, I really don’t expect anything. I’
Katie glared at Kaze, shifting all the blame onto him. “What does he have to do with this? It was you who made me follow your orders. You were the one who interfered with my life!” Leah did not want to lash out at her mother, but the more her mother denied her, the stronger her urge to rebel became. If she continued to be a timid girl who unconditionally accepted her mother’s orders, her life would be completely in her mother’s grasp, like a puppet to a puppeteer. “Stay away from my daughter! If I catch you seeing her, I will make you regret it!” Katie had had enough of her daughter’s defiance. She dragged her daughter by the arm to her car. She resented Kaze even more for influencing her daughter. If not for him, Leah would never have defied her in public. Leah tried to break free from her mother’s restraints. She turned to Kaze, looking at him helplessly. Suddenly, she felt like a joke—a jester whose performance was being cut short before its time. Once again, she t
Peter, in the driver’s seat, would peek at the rear mirror to catch glimpses of the rear. Kaze leaned back on the seat comfortably but his eyes were looking outside the window. There was a veil of mystery over him, preventing Peter from reading his expression. Peter was merely following orders to pick Kaze up, but arriving late left him feeling uneasy. He might be serving Alfonso as an aide but he rarely had the chance to meet prominent figures. He had followed Alfonso to a few banquets before and met quite a few people, but none of them were like Kaze. Kaze had a calm and mature demeanor. There was something strange about him—his presence felt oddly assuring, yet his gaze felt sharp and intimidating. “Mr. Lee, do you have any plans here in Butterworth? Do you need me to arrange something for you?” Peter carefully asked. Not knowing Kaze’s identity made it difficult for him to act. “Nothing in particular. You don’t need to do anything for me,” Kaze simply replied. Pet
“The person that Snow sent is on his way.” Standing beside Jet was his assistant in a black suit, Aloysius, briefing him on the situation. He had just received an update from his men a few minutes ago. Snow would not appear in Butterworth for the time being. Her mother’s condition was worsening, and although she was taken back, she might not make it. Curing the poison in May’s body was a difficult task. “Who is this person?” This time, Jet was being more cautious. He wanted to learn more about this person’s background before making a move.His previous impulsive actions had already cost him dearly. “This person seems to be Snow’s boss in Lilyrose, but he was kicked out by Perfect World Group and is no longer the chairman. He’s just a jobless wanderer.” Aloysius’ understanding of the matter was limited but it was enough for the moment. Jet had been worried at first, but it seemed his concerns were unnecessary. “Snow has only the face and not the brain. She’s gullibl
“This is rather tricky. We can’t afford to make a scene. We also cannot openly search for people, but if Jet asks for it, I must do it, and it must be perfect…” As Jet’s assistant, Aloysius knew his boss’ temper and habits well. Once the order was given, it must be carried out perfectly. Then, Aloysius thought of a potential candidate who could help. This potential candidate might not be the most powerful but he had resources and manpower. More importantly, he was not as close to the Frost family as the others. Even if the task failed, the Frost family could walk away easily. Aloysius made the call to the person he had in mind and stated his proposal. The person on the other end of the phone agreed to help without any hesitation. Aloysius even revealed Kaze’s location to the man in order to hasten the process. “Just intercept him and you’ll know what to do. Be quick and clean. Remember to take him in,” he said through the phone. The man on the other end of the phone
“Just make sure he doesn’t die. But we can’t leave any traces behind, so try to be swift and clean.” Otto was nervous as well due to the lack of information but he knew how he must act. “Okay, guys. Be ready. When I give you the signal, do your thing. Intimidate that guy and then take them away,” he said as he stared into the distance. The wait grew longer. The cigarette hanging from his mouth started to burn out and the ground in front of him was covered with a small pile of ashes. Even his men on both sides of the road started to chat while looking out for the target. Just when their patience ran low, a black Maybach came into sight. The car caught their attention, especially the number plate. Otto and his men knew that their target had arrived. “Lay low and pretend that our van broke down,” Otto said to his men. He did not want to let the target slip away. “Don’t worry, Boss. We got this.” A few of them, in work uniforms, walked over to the van in the middle of t
“Mr. Lee, let’s just observe the situation for now. If I can just talk to them, I can get rid of them with some money.” Peter was unaware of Otto’s true intentions. He assumed that if it was just about money, the problem could be easily resolved. He thought about paying them first for a clear passage and then coming back for revenge later. After all, Peter was from the Viper’s Den and his experience guaranteed his capabilities of resolving minor conflicts. His priority was to escort Kaze to the hotel. After that, he could deal with the thugs by himself. “Don’t you look down on us. We don’t want your money. Besides, this isn’t your road, it’s a public road,” Otto argued, trying to stall. While arguing with Peter, he scrutinized the rear window, but the heavy tinting prevented him from glimpsing inside. He moved closer to the driver’s seat, trying to peek into the back through the half-open window. They were professionals who always saw things through to the end. If they
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
Snow could not believe her eyes. Katie suddenly went quiet and behaved like the CEO she was.However, Katie did not look like she was right in the mind earlier. “What’s going on? She seems to have gone insane.” Snow turned to the warden, still digesting the change. Katie had lost touch with reality before the Viper’s Den did anything to her. “How did this happen? She has been taking her meals. Just days earlier, she nagged about getting out because she was worried about her daughter. As usual, we didn’t respond to her requests.” The warden found the whole thing peculiar too. Just a few days ago, Katie demanded her release. Now, she kept to herself and abided by the rules. Out of the blue, Katie went nuts. Things had gotten complicated. Snow wanted to keep Katie behind bars due to her betrayal. However, Kaze decided against pursuing the matter for Leah’s sake. Katie would be let go soon enough, but she would lose her job at the Northborn Group. Katie’s presence woul
It was quiet in the office. Snow sorted the last bit of paperwork before picking her head up in exhaustion. Her initial plan was to delegate the tasks. However, Katie was controlling. Previously, she personally oversaw many matters. Snow could not distribute the responsibilities because the employees had no experience in handling them. They came to Snow for every tiny, little thing, and Snow really got her hands full. Despite her frustration, Snow could let things go as Katie was locked up. “I should pay her visit.” Snow decided to see Katie. Some things should not be left unsaid. Leah would be working for the Northborn Group soon, and the mother and daughter should meet to tie up loose ends. The truth would put Leah to shame, and her guilt would stop her from ever betraying Kaze. After a quick bite, Snow drove to the prison. Katie was furious when she was imprisoned. She was one step away from victory. She was so close to leaving Butterworth to head to Westeros
“Why do you want to sell the properties? Do you need money? Don’t you have some saved?” Joey had a good understanding of Leah’s finances since she ran all the paperwork. “My mother is being held, and I need money to ask favors. Maybe I can get her out.” Leah was not thinking much. Money could always be replaced, but not her mother’s freedom. “Don’t be silly. This is not the way to go.” Though Joey did not have the details, she observed that things were not as simple as Leah thought. Kaze was safe now, but the fact that Katie had betrayed Kaze and revealed his whereabouts remained unchanged. Katie had broken the Viper’s Den’s rules. Even if she got out, she would be a wreck. With Snow running the Northborn Group, Katie would remain a failure. Either way, Katie would not get away with it. Even if Leah offered all her assets, Katie’s situation would not change. It was a waste of money and resources for Leah to save her mother. Nothing would come out of it. “But I
“Give me an answer. Are you taking the job? If you are, you should sort out your affairs. Don’t bring your personal feelings to work.” Snow was not the type to go easy on fragile women. If Leah did not have what it took, she could be forced to leave the company. Nevertheless, Katie had left a lot of assets to Leah. Even without work, Leah could very well survive. The girl would have trouble keeping the wealth, seeing that she was without power or connections. If Leah had a job, she would have the resources to hold onto her assets. Leah had seen the best and worst of mankind. She was once the center of attention, and now, everybody avoided her. It dawned on Leah that it was over for Katie. If Leah could not even keep a job, she would lose everything. “I didn’t know things would happen.” Leah never thought that Katie was capable of stabbing Kaze and her in the back. The thought of betrayal put Leah in distress. Kaze was a great guy who helped Leah a lot. Feeling ete
Leah got dressed and was ready to leave, but she did not know who to turn to. She thought about going to her wealthy friends to see if they could uncover anything through their connections. However, Leah could not get a hold of them. It dawned on Leah that loyalty would fade when power was gone. Even though Katie was just missing, intel spread around Butterworth very quickly. These people must have found out and have chosen to stay away. Leah had always been treated like royalty. Nobody had ever avoided her like the plague. Nevertheless, she had not been in touch with these friends since her injury. Now, in her attempt to contact them, she could not reach them. “Why is this happening? My good friends have gone MIA, and I’m getting silence from those who have been trying to connect.” Sitting on the couch, Leah looked out the window in despair. She tried to seek help with her mother’s search, but her efforts were futile. She could do nothing for her mother. All al
“I have to work hard starting today. But before that, I have to get some sleep.” Snow remembered that Kaze punished her to get some sleep. He said her face looked tired and pale, signs of how hard she had been working. It felt great being cared for. It was because of his kindness, Snow fell for Kaze uncontrollably. Yet she understood not all things were meant to be. After she returned home, she went to sleep immediately without talking to anyone. She only woke up in the afternoon after a comfortable and easy sleep. Next, she would have to work on many things, first being taking over Northborn Group. Katie’s disappearance had the company shaken, but it gave many others a chance. They tried to calm their subordinates down and contact the higher-ups for more information, hoping that they could replace Katie as the new CEO. Little did they know, their preparations would eventually fall short. Snow and her secretary arrived at Northborn Group in the afternoon, and her a