Leah believed that Kaze must hate her. “I can’t do anything right. This has always been the case.” Feeling sorry for herself, Leah lay against the windowsill and looked out at the view. She did not have the courage to set foot outside. There was simply nowhere for her to seek refuge. She did not have friends whom she could pour her heart out to. Even if she got on with a few, there was always a level of reserve and caution. It was hard to find real friends. The thing with Perry hurt her, and Leah slowly withdrew from her friends. For once, she felt like she belonged when she was with Kaze. They were just strangers who happened to be on the same train carriage. That was the only point where their paths crossed. However, Kaze came to her rescue when Perry picked a fight. It was at that point of time when Leah’s perception of Kaze changed. She could not shake off the feeling that Kaze was a kind and amazing person. “There is still good in the world.” Leah murmured
“Mr. Henner, you are fresh out of a marriage. Are you interested in Madam Loren’s daughter?” “Who am I to say no to a pretty girl?” “But you might be too old for the girl, Mr. Henner. She might not consider you.” “Madam Loren’s daughter will follow her wishes. All I have to do is convince Madam Loren.” Jaime Henner stroked his beard, pleased with how well he had aged. Though he was older, older men were known to be loving and considerate. The group, saying nothing, shook their heads. Still, this had nothing to do with them anyway. It would be a disappointment if Katie accepted Jaime as her future son-in-law. The group had always believed that Katie doted on her daughter. Katie would always get her daughter the latest clothes on the racks. From this action alone, they could tell that her daughter was Katie’s whole world. However, no one was sure that Katie would not sacrifice her daughter for her career. It was anybody’s guess. At the end of the day, it was none
Katie sighed, thinking about her disobedient daughter. “Leah is young. She doesn’t understand what you do for her. She’ll understand with a bit of time. She will appreciate all that you’ve done.” The assistant knew the right words. Working closely with Katie, the assistant said what she needed to hear. “Alright. That’s it for now.“Since we’re here, I should inspect the place.” Katie was going to take a ride back to the office. However, since she was at the hotel, she would make sure the place was running smoothly. It was not every day that she had the chance as the CEO to be on site. “There’s one thing I need to tell you, Madam Loren. “The room at the Northborn Hotel that is reserved for the Viper’s Den is in use.” Joey was puzzled to get wind of the information. She was inclined to look into the person staying in the room. She had not been informed of anything beforehand. Katie did not get any notice either, so the person’s visit must have been abrupt. “When d
“We are uninformed about the situation. We have no means to let you know anything. Please don’t make things difficult for us, Madam Loren.” Out of options, the front desk manager tried to brush it off. “You should know that I’m part of the branch too. I just want to make sure I know enough to cater to the individual’s needs.” Katie could not let it go. “We will not hold anything back from you, Madam Loren, but we simply know nothing about the VIP.” “You could at least tell me if the person is a man or a woman.” Katie made concessions just to get her hands on anything. “I think he’s a man. He drove a red Ferrari. I’m guessing that he’s in his middle years. That’s all I know.” The front desk manager knew better than to reveal too much. Though he had some information at hand, saying too much would bring a lot of issues. Still, Katie was his superior. The front desk manager had to give Katie something to be in her good graces. “Is that so?” “That’s as far as we know
Joey needed the job, so she had better watch her tongue. Standing in the elevator, Katie was deep in contemplation. Her plan was to marry her daughter to the most powerful man in Butterworth. She had other ideas now. Katie needed to observe the VIP. It would be great if the VIP was interested in looking for a partner. Joey stood nearby, reading Katie’s expressions. She, as Katie’s assistant, could have her input, but certain things were beyond Joey’s reach. She could only support Katie and nothing more. The matter concerned Leah’s happiness. However, Joey had no right to interfere. The only thing she could do was stand on the sidelines. The moment the elevator door opened, Katie stepped out. There was only one room on the entire floor, and Katie’s purpose was to meet the guest staying there. “Wait here. I’ll knock on the door.” Katie stopped Joey from seeing the person inside. Standing in front of a mirror, Katie straightened herself up. Despite going through
With time in his hands, Kaze could have a good rest. “Close the balcony door. I doubt we’d have any visitors.” Kaze knew that Alfonso was busy with several meetings to meet him. Arthur closed the balcony door and put on relaxing music. Privacy was important to talk about sensitive matters. “I’ve inspected the room. It’s clear. The room is reserved for the Viper’s Den’s VIPs.” “So no one knows who I am for now.” Kaze did not want his identity out. It would make things more interesting. “No one will know who you are unless you let them.” Arthur would stand in between those who would try to pry into Kaze. “Do the staff of the hotel know anything about me?” Kaze ran into Katie during the day. She was the CEO of the Northborn Group. As CEO, Katie would have the right to acquire some basic information from the hotel. “They can’t interfere with an order in place. Even if the staff read anything about you, they won’t say a word.” Arthur ranked high in the Viper’s D
“The Frosts own numerous subsidiaries. Ever since Jet took over, he gained control over more assets. “The family frequently imports goods from overseas, which are then distributed to the subsidiaries.” Arthur, though not an expert in business, had a good grasp of the Frosts’ profitable businesses. “Plus, the Frosts own a fleet of cargo ships for transporting goods. It’s an integrated operation where they can control every aspect of the supply chain.” Now that Arthur thought about it, the Frosts were pretty amazing to run small ventures by outsourcing them to small businesses. The partnership would help the small firms grow in success with the Frosts’ core operation. Many subsidiaries had strong ties to the Frosts, leading to repeated collaborations. Kaze furrowed his brows in surprise. “Get a copy of the intel for me.” Kaze needed to do his homework before shaking the Frosts’ foundation. It was never in Kaze’s plan to attack the Frosts. Now that his mind was made u
Katie’s bruised ego left her in a foul mood. Still, the last thing she wanted was to get on the VIP’s nerves. She cautiously backed away. She and Joey walked into the elevator. The smile on Katie’s face vanished the moment the elevator door closed. Katie knew why Jonathan was calling. “I heard that you’re throwing a party for your daughter’s birthday. I should bring my wife and kid along.” Jonathan cut to the chase. He had collaborated with Katie. Though Jonathan ran a small business, his business ties with the Frosts pushed his business to great heights in Butterworth. Anyone who had worked with Jonathan became friends with him outside the work setting. Though the partnership with Katie was in the past, there was a chance they could work together again. Today’s competitor could be tomorrow’s partner so long as there was a profit to be made. Jonathan had different ideas when reaching out to Katie. Despite his partnership with the Frosts, Jonathan only stood to gain
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
“If you are not here to have fun, then why did you come to Westeros?” Rosie asked. Kaze looked like he had one glass too many and could barely keep himself awake. When he looked up at Rosie, he felt lightheaded and could not keep his balance. “I am here to c-complete my mission.” Kaze could not even speak clearly, seemingly already drunk. Rosie let out a breath of relief. She then took his glass away. Kaze fell onto the couch lazily and adjusted himself into a comfortable position. He even had a hiccup. Rosie did not mind Kaze passing out in front of her. She got up and then squatted in front of him. “What is your mission here in Westeros?” She did not expect to fish out useful information from Kaze, but now she could bring this information to Edmund and exchange it for a reward. “I am here to solve the problem. Something happened here in the Viper’s Den and I am here to find out more. After that, someone else will take over,” Kaze muttered as he closed his eyes.
Rosie’s charm and beauty were reasons why she was able to run the club smoothly. No matter what happened, she possessed the capabilities to solve it without exacerbating it. All those aspects made Edmund choose her. A qualified employee trusted to run a business did not need to be a genius. One only needed to carefully operate the business and not cause trouble for the employer. That alone would be enough. “There’s indeed someone powerful who gave me a chance but I want to use my own strength to win their recognition.” Rosie was well aware that due to her beauty, many often looked down and underestimated her. She had to stay sharp and clear-headed to avoid unnecessary trouble. “That might be a little difficult but I believe you got what it takes,” Kaze said with a serious tone as if he knew Rosie well. “Thank you for your kind words. I hope everything turns out as expected.” She did not have to worry about that because Edmund fully trusted her and put her in charge of m
Clemont let out a breath of relief when he saw that his friends were not saying anything more. He brought them somewhere else to party. He spent a lot in a single night but he finally gained the respect that he longed for. Back at the club, after Clemont and his friends left, the corridor to the VIP section finally quieted down. The waiters cleaned up the place and then returned to their work. Kaze stayed back and looked at Rosie, waiting for her response. “Thank you for today. I would be hurt if not for you,” she said, expressing her gratitude. She was surprised that Kaze intervened but she was truly grateful for his help. “It’s nothing.” Kaze waved his hand nonchalantly and then wanted to return to his own room. “Why don’t I take care of the bill for you tonight? Consider it as a token of gratitude since you saved me from getting hurt,” Rosie said. Her interest in Kaze was piqued, wondering who he really was. She knew he was from Butterworth and had heard that
Clemont was born with a silver spoon and raised like a prince as he was the youngest in the family. He knew his father’s current situation, which explained why he behaved arrogantly. He thought his actions could help his father but little did he know, they were causing a huge trouble. Kaze made it verbal but the spoiled brat did not appreciate the warning and simply felt annoyed. “What do I mean? I guess you have to ask your father about it.” Kaze looked at Clemont coldly. There was no way a useless trust-fund baby could achieve anything great under the protection of his family. Every action that Clemont took was causing damage to his family. Kaze initially intended to use the Siegfrieds to his advantage, which explained why he did not act immediately. Now that Clemont had come under his radar, Kaze ought to use the chance. He managed to showcase his strength to Rosie earlier and what he said to Clemont would surely raise more suspicion in her. Kaze must come up wit
Rosie was shocked. She almost got kicked by some spoiled brat. She was not happy about it. She revered Clemont’s background and had been tolerant with the brat but he stepped over the line when he decided to be physical. Rosie looked up to Kaze who was hugging her. He was just outside the crowd and decided to step in when he heard the commotion. She did not expect him to save her. It was a surprise but it allowed her to see his capabilities. The man from Butterworth had been hiding his abilities from everyone all along. Rosie smiled at him before getting back up on her feet. “Thank you for your help,” she said softly. “It’s nothing. It’s the right thing to do,” Kaze said. Kaze was the type of person who could never stand seeing the weak being bullied. “Who the hell are you? What do you think you are doing?” Clemont bellowed. He was outraged and needed to vent his emotions. Since Kaze had intervened, it gave Clemont a chance to lash out at him. “Stop causing a
“I told you this is my club! They have to listen to me! Now open the damn door!” Clemont was furious after being questioned. He started to kick the door like a madman. The waiters were worried but they dared not do anything. “Young Master Siegfried, there are guests inside! VIP guests!” the waiter added. He dared not reveal the identity of the guest inside. Zidane informed all employees earlier that no one shall reveal the VIP guest’s identity or even mention that the suite was booked by Edmund. It was to keep things low. Therefore, the waiter dared not speak any of it even to Clemont. Unfortunately, Clemont stubbornly believed the waiter was lying to him. “What guests?! You’re lying to me! You said there were guests inside but even after I kicked the door, there was no answer! Open it up. Don’t be stupid!” he shouted. He cared not about the others when he shouted. He was impulsive at nature. “Young Master Siegfried, there are guests inside. You can’t do this,” the