“I know that you have a lot on your plate too. I won’t keep you. I’ll be fine.” Leah had always been considerate. She would not get in Joey’s way when the latter was busy. “Enjoy the food here. Give me a call when you’re leaving. Don’t wander around. We are expecting a lot of guests at the hotel.” Just as Joey got up to leave, Katie’s instructions came to mind. She was at a loss for words. In the end, Joey sat back down and took a sip of wine. “What’s the matter? Is something wrong, Joey?” Leah felt uneasy. “We are hosting a few heirs at the hotel today, and they are interested in your hand-in-marriage.” There was no hiding. Biting the bullet, Joey let it all out. “I’m not ready for marriage now. I just broke up with Perry. I don’t want to dive straight into another.” Leah declined. She did not want to be tied down yet. “It’s not your choice to make.” Despite putting it subtly, Joey conveyed Katie’s message loud and clear. “My mother sent you. “What does
Joey believed that there was a chance to turn things around since nothing was set in stone yet. Most importantly, the high-ranking member of the Viper’s Den did not show any respect to Katie. Perhaps the VIP thought little of Katie. Even if Katie tried to curry his favor, she likely would not succeed. It was just hypothetical, though. If the VIP were interested in Leah’s hand-in-marriage, the whole thing would be a done deal. It would not matter if the VIP were married or promised to another woman. Leah would become a pawn. Leah relaxed. So long as there was room for changes, Leah would put in the effort. If the VIP were after her looks, Leah would give up her appearance in exchange for her freedom. Her mother may be very upset, but no one had the right to decide her happiness. Leah would not make such a drastic decision unless she had to. She could not back down now. Joey patted Leah’s shoulder to offer comfort. “Don’t worry too much about it. Your mother loves y
Kaze had to do everything himself. The walk along the path offered a nice view of the hotel’s garden in the back. Even at night, the streetlight illuminated the path and highlighted the lush greens. Not in a hurry to fill his belly, Kaze entered the garden. He planned to wander around and come for a swim tomorrow. The hotel was packed with guests, and no one knew who he was. Kaze could indulge himself a little. Kaze walked along the path and admired the blossoming flowers. Even at night, Kaze was impressed with the view. He looked up at the sky. The starry stars covered the night sky. It was not something he could see every day. Stars were rare in a concrete jungle. The clear weather tonight probably welcomed a myriad of stars. “The scenery here is great,” Kaze commented. He took a detour around the garden to head back to the lobby.On his way to the lobby, he saw a girl sitting in the gazebo. It was late. Yet, someone found time to rest in a gazebo. Kaze w
Leah hopped off the chair and approached Kaze. “It’s me. You helped me on the train today.” Leah held Kaze’s arm in glee. She thought they would never meet again. Leah did not even get his number, so she could not get in touch with him. By sheer luck, they ran into each other tonight. “It’s you.” Kaze thought the girl was quite a character. To think he would bump into her at the hotel. “Aren’t you upset with me? My mother was harsh today.” Though Leah was glad to see Kaze, Kaze’s friendly attitude shocked her. She assumed he would be mad, but he did not seem to care in the slightest. “Your mother and you are two separate people. Her behavior is not on you.” Kaze would not take out his anger toward Katie on Leah. They were mother and daughter, but they were their own persons. Katie’s statement did not represent Leah. “You’re such a great guy. I thought you’d be upset. A lot of people distanced themselves from me because of my mother. “But you don’t.” Leah was
Kaze found Leah adorable and energetic. She was an innocent cutie pie too. Leah was a rare gem of a girl. Since they were acquainted, it was only right Kaze helped her out. “I don’t know whether it’s true, but my mother’s assistant told me that she planned to marry me off to an old man.” It was unclear to Leah who the man from the Viper’s Den was, but he must rank higher and be older than Katie. Leah imagined the worst-case scenario, wondering if her mother would abandon her. “Why would she do that? Who is the man?” Kaze was taken aback. It was said that Katie adored her daughter and cared for her deeply. Surely, she would not choose her career over her daughter. “Joey told me that my mother went to the penthouse to visit the supposed guest from the Viper’s Den.” Leah recounted everything she knew. Kaze thought it was strange because he was the only one living on the top floor. There was no one else on the floor. To think Katie even paid a visit. Kaze had no i
“Don’t get yourself worked up. Everything will be fine.” Kaze stressed. Leah wiped her tears and stared at Kaze through her blurry vision. Though there was no telling whether Kaze was right, Leah wanted to give it a go. “Really? Is he not going to be on board with the idea?” Leah did not know where else to turn to. Kaze was surprised by the coincidence. If Katie wanted to give Leah’s hand-in-marriage to Kaze, he would definitely say no. There was no way that would happen. Kaze could not turn his back on Leah’s puppy-dog eyes. “Certain things aren’t so complicated. If you make things clear, I believe the VIP from the Viper’s Den will keep his distance. I doubt he will force a young lady.” This was his way of convincing Leah without exposing his identity. “I see. I will give it a shot then.” Putting faith in Kaze, Leah felt relaxed. She turned to Kaze. “What are you doing here? Are you working here?” Leah asked curiously. The Northborn Hotel’s clientele was th
Leah was filled with joy, talking about her experiences at the hotel. It must be a worry-free past. Kaze looked at the garden shrouded in the dark, not finding anything different. The surroundings were a blur at night. The view must be beautiful during the day. However, there was nothing to see right now. “You must have a good memory of the place.” Kaze ran into Leah bawling her eyes out. Kaze could have walked away, but Leah was met with trouble. The incident was linked to Kaze too. Nevertheless, everything was good with Leah now. It was time for Kaze to excuse himself. “I was often on my own during my childhood. I don’t have close friends. My favorite thing to do was admire the view.” The time passed quickly when Leah talked about herself. “You have a nice life.” Kaze did not have to worry about her. Despite her innocence, Leah was a witty kid. “Not really. I keep myself entertained.” Bitterness overcame Leah. However, she was hesitant to whine a lot, especi
“No, but thank you for the reminder.” Kaze was not afraid of Katie. Leah had no reason to panic. “Do you really not blame me? But if you work here, there are some things you must avoid.”Leah wished the incident never happened. Without Kaze’s help, she would not have escaped Perry’s harassment. If she had not introduced Kaze to her mother, a misunderstanding between them would not have occurred. Sometimes, Leah wondered if she was cursed to bring the people around her bad luck. “It’s nothing. The minor issue can be resolved.” Kaze did not care if Katie was out to get him. If Katie knew who he was, she would be all over him to get in his good graces. Leah was simply oblivious to the situation. She would know what to do once she figured everything out. “Have you had dinner?” Kaze’s stomach was empty. He did not have an appetite while in the room. He left the penthouse seeking food. His question took Leah by surprise. “I didn’t feel like having anything earlier.
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