“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
Kaze adopted a hands-off approach to his job, leaving the company in the employees’ hands. The employees were remunerated fairly with extra perks for their work. Putting trust in his staff, Kaze handed them the reins. Despite his experience in running a business, Kaze was still surprised to discover the Frosts’ assets.The Frosts dabbled in various industries while identifying the lucrative sections. Most of the time, the family would choose to partner with smaller enterprises, providing them with opportunities while securing the lion's share of the profits. They sure were manipulative. After careful observation, Kaze fixated on some of these smaller companies. “These subsidiaries don’t stand out, but they are heading in the right direction.” Kaze could see through Jet’s plan. Arthur prepared a comprehensive document, giving Kaze insights into the Frosts’ assets. The annual tax records and day-to-day business dealings were included in the file. The data differenti
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