“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.
“That’s perfectly fine too. So long as you’re happy, you should have a say in the kind of life you want to live.” Kaze would not tell Leah what to do because it was her life. Leah was the master of her own destiny. “You’re the best. I feel relaxed around you. You won’t judge me.” Maybe Leah had lost her sense of self, being controlled by her mother. She would fall back to her usual habits when confronted with challenges. Eventually, she would lose her identity and the will to change everything. Every little thing would become an obstacle to her, but she would want to break free. “To be honest, we just met. I don’t have the right to tell you what to do. This is the way it should be. I’d be overstepping to ask more of you.” Kaze felt that Leah was being too strict with herself. “You’re right. My experiences shaped my personality.” Leah believed she should not be trivial. Kaze had a point about enjoying life. She should learn to say no. Leah was too afraid of hurt
“What do you want to eat?” Since Leah already understood the situation, explanation was no longer necessary. Kaze asked her another question instead. “I always had steak but I’ve grown tired of it. Why don’t we go somewhere else?” Leah was not a fan of the restaurant despite the menu frequently changing. She no longer enjoyed dining at the place because she had been eating there for as long as she could remember. “Then let’s go have a stroll. Maybe we can stumble upon a new restaurant or something.” Kaze liked strolling around the city. The dishes prepared by a grand restaurant were nothing short of delicious but they lacked sentimental value. Whenever he was away on a trip, he preferred to visit stalls or smaller restaurants operated by individual owners to enjoy the warmth and hospitality that one could never experience in a large establishment. The emotional value he felt when dining would certainly make the food taste better. “Sure. I have never really been outside
“Have you experienced something similar? Otherwise, why would you say something like that?” Leah was curious. Kaze always maintained a frosty demeanor that could push people away. However, his frosty demeanor was precisely what piqued her curiosity. She wondered what had happened in his past to shape him into the person he was today. “I’ve experienced my fair share of humanity and I can’t possibly put them all into words. It’s just some experience I gained from old times.” Kaze did not want to disclose his past. Whenever he thought of Riverbank, that woman would appear in his mind. Unfortunately, not everyone was reliable. Kaze did not want to dwell in the past but it was difficult to erase it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pick on your old scars. I’m just curious. I promise you I won’t ask again.” Leah apologized immediately when she noticed the changes in Kaze’s eyes. She wondered if it was something she said that made the air around him grow heavier. “It’s okay. It’
People who had the courage to travel were capable in their own way. However, not everyone could be a reliable figure. Kaze simply gave a piece of reminder but he did not want to terrorize her, so he had to make it clear so that the girl knew what she should do. “Sounds complicated. If I could travel, I would want to go on a solo adventure. Too bad my mother won’t let me do it. Besides, she has plans for me…” Leah was determined to break free from her mother’s control but she also knew that it would be difficult. The upcoming birthday party was a chance for her mother to showcase her to other families. Even if she ultimately did not marry someone from the Viper’s Den, she would marry into another powerful and wealthy family. In short, Katie would never spare her daughter, let alone allow her to travel the country alone. “Don’t think so much. Look, there’s still a stall open.” Kaze saw a well-lit signage at the alley, wondering if it was a place where they could get somet
The reason why the chief opened up a restaurant in a secluded alley was because he had stepped down from his previous position. To maintain the chance to practice his culinary skills, he set up the restaurant that targeted the wealthy and powerful. He might even meet customers who could appreciate his skills. The restaurant might not be well-known, but since it only served a selected audience, a reservation was mandatory. Walk-in customers were unlikely to get a seat at any time of the day. The signage in front of the alley served as a reminder but not many people knew it was actually a restaurant. Kaze walked inside because he saw the Viper’s Den symbol. Without the symbol, he would not walk into a secluded alley. Standing outside the opened wooden door, Kaze knocked on the brass knocker. Two knocks later, footsteps came rustling from within. He then took a step back; Leah did the same as well. The alley was secluded but the front of the restaurant was not exactl
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