Leah was glowing in her princess outfit today. “Thank you, Joey. You’ve worked hard for my birthday party.”Leah was thankful to hear her friends’ well wishes from Joey. “I didn’t do much. Madam Loren is the one doing the heavy lifting.” Joey put in the good word for Katie.“My mother only barks orders. She won’t do things herself,” standing in the elevator, Leah murmured. For that reason, Leah did not have much expectation for her mother. Leah would celebrate her birthday with an intimate party at the villa every year. This year was special and more elaborate. Leah enjoyed putting a look together, but she was no commodity. Most of the attendees were Katie’s business partners or bootlickers. Leah felt like a product up for sale, and she did not even have a say about it. The choice was in the customers’ hands. “Don’t say that. Madam Loren had been keeping an eye on the event planning. Though she wasn’t here, she determined every detail, including the flowers.” Al
“You’re finally growing up.” Katie was pleased. “Thank you for your guidance, Mom. You need to get one thing straight, though. Don’t force me to do the things that I don’t want to do,” Leah whispered. Marriage was not the path she chose. “Today is just about formalities. You won’t have to commit to anything. We can talk about this later. If you see someone you fancy, you can talk to me.” Katie would not pick a fight with her daughter on an important day like this. She gave Leah some space. At the very least, Katie would not upset Leah right now. Though Leah did not get the answer she was looking for, Katie had backed down a little. Hence, Leah said nothing. As the pair smiled politely from across the room, the crowd grew envious of them. “Even though Katie is a grown adult, she looks young and beautiful for her age.” Jonathan’s breath was taken away. It was no secret that Leah was beautiful, but the mother-and-daughter duo held their own when standing together. Le
Jonathan, a glass of wine in hand, approached Katie with his son. “Young Kody is a fine man himself,” Katie said courteously. “Oh, he’s the bane of my life. I think daughters are the best,” Jonathan said gleefully, his eyes running down Leah. Leah was stunning when she was put together. Her poise reflected her upbringing in a well-bred family. She would make a perfect daughter-in-law for Jonathan. Jonathan had always wanted to be a family with Katie, but the latter was against it. “The kids are still young. They will understand our pain when they grow up. My girl still has her moments too.” Katie got the hint. However, she refused to engage with Jonathan. “They are around the same age. My son just got back from abroad. He could use some showing around. If Leah isn’t too busy, she can take my son around the city.” Jonathan took his chances. “That’s up to Leah. I won’t stop her if she’s available.” Katie was not saying no or yes. “The young people have their own t
Kody had been kicking back, hanging out with friends since his return. Even though he did not get a job, he was up-to-date with the latest gossip.Jonathan glanced at Katie, who enjoyed the attention, in confusion. It was the last thing he expected. He was friendly with Katie, assuming that she wanted to marry her daughter off to one of them. It appeared now that Katie did not hold them in high regard. “What’s the point of you? If you were a great catch, you would be picked for her daughter. Don’t you know that Katie is connected to the Viper’s Den?” Jonathan whined. However, he understood that it was not that easy to get close to Katie. “What does this have to do with me? Leah’s not for me anyway. I’m taking myself elsewhere.” Kody walked away. He was not interested in marrying Leah anyway. He would not be at the party if his father had not dragged him along. Nevertheless, his friends were there. Most of them would love to approach Leah. Leah was the birthday girl,
Jet could feel the attention when he showed up. He would not shy away from the gazes, though. This was what he wanted. However, Jet did not fancy Leah. All he cared about was Katie’s connections. They had not been in touch since their last encounter. Jet had been waiting to hear from Katie. To Jet’s surprise, he heard nothing back. Instead of pushing Katie, Jet sat tight. Jet attended the party to ask about the progress and to make others think that he was pursuing Leah. One of the goals was to reach out to the veterans in the industry to see if they knew who Jet had offended. Surely, there was a motive behind the recent attacks. “What is Jet doing here? He looks good, all dressed up.” The ladies huddled together, drooling over Jet. Jet was the ideal man. He was tall, handsome, and well-connected. Most importantly, he would soon become the leader of the Frosts. The woman who married Jet would soar in social standing. For that reason, many heiresses and social
Yet, Jet’s grand entrance at the birthday bash showed where he truly stood. “Jet must be interested in you. He makes a huge gesture of it.” Katie believed Jet was the next-best thing for Leah since there were no other options. She would not be assertive, though. She would approve of the marriage if Jet could win Leah’s heart. It was not as if Jet was not good enough for Leah. Leah believed she could do better, and Jet simply did not give her butterflies. Jet was tall and handsome. He looked like a prince, holding a bouquet of flowers. Leah should be swept off her feet. However, another person came to mind as Jet approached. If only Kaze were there. Leah would be happy to see him again. Her eyes were on Jet, but she wished Kaze would show up and give his blessings to her. Jet drew close to Leah and presented the flowers as the crowd looked on. “Happy birthday, Leah!” “Thank you.” Leah took the bouquet and smiled thankfully at Jet. “You’re too kind. You don’t ha
“Jet and Katie look close. I hear wedding bells.” “Katie threw this party to pick a guy for Leah. I didn’t think it’d happen so quickly.” “I know, right? This is quick, but I guess that means we don’t stand a chance,” the crowd gossiped in amazement. Jet appeared interested in taking Leah’s hand in marriage. Everybody at the party had their own agendas. Finding their goals unattainable, they were disappointed. Still, most of them loved the drama. The event hall bustled with excitement as the guests discussed the unfolding incident. Leah was the star of the show. She engaged with some guests amid the compliments. Jet was thoughtful to stay by Leah’s side. He would hand her a drink and even answer questions for her. Approving the relationship, Katie allowed Jet to take care of her daughter. The lights flickered, and the beautiful music captured everybody’s attention. It was time to head to the dance floor. Katie was happy to leave Leah in Jet’s care. Jet, eager
The guests attended the party, not to be dragged into trouble. Most of them were ready to leave. Katie was pleased with Leah and Jet getting to know each other. However, the smile on her face vanished the moment Perry showed up. She was pleased with the Duncans’ wealth and power before. Otherwise, she would not have allowed her daughter to be with Perry. Now that Leah had broken up with Perry, there was no way they would get back together. Perry took things far by showing up at the party. Katie glanced at Joey. Joey did not expect trouble at the party. Though there were security guards stationed outside, they were tasked to maintain order, not prevent any disruptions. Without further delay, Joey radioed security to throw Perry out. “Who are you? Quit messing around.” The captain and his security team rushed to the scene. It was a dilemma. No one expected a disruption at a birthday party. It was not a wedding. The security team did not understand what the commo
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the
Morris suggested entertaining Kaze well. Things would not be good for the branch if Kaze got dirt on them. That was where Edmund disagreed with Morris. His idea was to send someone to sound Kaze out. Edmund was smug because Morris’ decision was wrong. “You shouldn’t do that. Kaze is here on behalf of the Butterworth branch. You don’t want tension between both branches.” Morris looked at things from a wider perspective. Edmund believed Kaze was just a doormat of little importance. “You just overthink things, and it’s not good for your age. You’re getting senile.” Edmund did not take Morris’ advice seriously. He believed he was right. “You’re not getting it. Kaze is from Butterworth. Even if he doesn’t hold a high position there, we were in the wrong. We did not keep our tracks clean either. “Now that he’s back, I’m worried that he’ll cause us harm.” Morris was only giving a heads-up because the whole branch was at stake. Edmund was young. Due to his lack of judgmen
“We should be generous to our guest from Butterworth. You can arrange as you see fit. Please don’t house him in a messy home. Hire cleaners to tidy up the place. “You can report back to me if you need more money, but it’s not a reason for you to misuse the funds.” Herman wanted to hang up. The money was now in Dwight’s bank account, so he was washing his hands off the matter. The plan was to keep Kaze happy. He was just an insignificant member of the Butterworth branch anyway. The whole thing would blow over soon enough, so long as Kaze kept to himself without taking things too far. Herman would figure out a way to get him out quickly anyway. Maybe Herman and his friends did not have to do anything to get rid of Kaze. “Got it. I’ll be a good host, Herman. I won’t let you down. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Dwight was over the moon to get the notification about the money transfer. “Just play by ear and arrange what you see best.” Herman hung up and continued playing pok
“It’s becoming a hassle now. Are you going to inform the Viper’s Den about the change of accommodation?” After much hesitation, Kaze nodded to take up the offer. Dwight was thrilled. It only hit Dwight that he had to communicate with the Viper’s Den. Kaze was booked for a hotel stay, and Dwight’s job was to take him to the destination. Yet now, Dwight took him to his home. “I’ll tell my superior and see what he has to say.” Dwight was not sure whether the change was appropriate. Nevertheless, he did not want to pass up on a great opportunity. He simply grabbed the bull by the horn. If Kaze stayed at his place, the Viper’s Den members had to respect Kaze’s request even if they had a problem with it. “But when they ask, you can say that you’re getting along well with me. Living together just makes work more convenient.” Feeling unsettled, Dwight tried to get their stories straight with Kaze. Hopefully, the Viper’s Den would not come after them. “Aren’t we friends? I k
Dwight gave some suggestions. “But I’m worried about being a nuisance to your family.” Kaze remained hesitant, torn between decisions. “No, you won’t. I usually live alone. They stay somewhere else. They barely visit. I’ll just let them know not to visit for now,” Dwight replied. Dwight figured out what was in it for him. He could not let Kaze leave. “I don’t want to put your family in an awkward position.”Kaze was still considering the matter. “Relax. They don’t live with me anyway. The room I have for you is tidy. No one has stayed there before.“I’ll hire some help to freshen up the place. I can guarantee you an experience no less than at the hotel.” Dwight spoke with great confidence. “We should finish our food and doggie-bag the rest. I’ll take you to my place.” Dwight was ready to get things going. Kaze took the offer and nodded. “I’ll be in your care then.” Kaze was glad that his plan went through. Dwight had no idea that he got played. Nevertheless,
“I’m new to the place, so I don’t know much. Can you show me around when you’re available?” “No problem, but I usually have some stuff to take care of. I can’t be there 24/7. “Why don’t you propose to the branch that you want me to be your guide and attendant?” Dwight suggested. There was no telling whether Kaze would accept his proposal, but it was an opportunity to prove himself. He was never involved in the core operation. Often enough, he was the branch members’ punching bag. Though Dwight was aware that he was not good enough for the big stuff, he still wanted to succeed. Kaze was the trusted aide of the Butterworth Branch chief. He was in Westeros for a reason. By joining Kaze, Dwight would come across the major players. Kaze saw through Dwight’s plans. “Sure. I’ll do that.” Kaze did not mind the request. “Great. I’ll let them know on your behalf. I’ll be responsible for your needs while in the city.” Dwight was overjoyed at the opportunity. “So you live
“You must be rich. I often see rich people picking tabs for everybody. Talk about extravagance.” The tension in the air was lifted when Kaze offered to pay for everything. “I’m not. Consider it an apology,” Kaze explained, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. He did not see the point of continuing the conversation. Dwight’s angry screams came from outside. “What the hell is this? I only ordered a bunch of stuff. Why am I being charged an exorbitant amount?“What do you mean my friend is paying for everybody? That’s throwing money away,” Dwight said while storming his way over. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t do this, Mr. Lee.” Dwight did not approve of this type of generosity. “You rubbed them the wrong way. It was only right to apologize. Besides, it’s not a lot of money.” Kaze looked at the bill and handed a bank card to Dwight. “It’s my treat.” The consumption was barely a dent in Kaze’s savings. The meal did not cost more than his us