“I don’t care about the party. It’s just for show anyway.” Leah was not keen on the social event. She would not attend the party if not for her pushy mother. Besides, Leah doubted anyone was there to give their best wishes. She could not stand the fake setting. Katie was furious. She planned the event elaborately so that her daughter would shine. However, Leah did not appreciate her efforts. “What did you say? I threw the party for you. Now that it’s ruined, I’ll organize another event for you.” Katie felt like she was losing her daughter. “So what? I won’t like it anyway.” Leah refused to engage with her mother. Fighting with Katie was meaningless. “Don’t get on my nerves. Get right here right now.” Fear washed over Katie, making her feel uneasy. She did not like this side of her daughter. “I can’t stand this place.” Leah looked up at Kaze. Kaze nodded understandingly before snapping a cold look at Perry. “I hope you will learn your lesson this time. You b
“It’s just a minor injury. I wish I could do more.” Jet averted his gaze in embarrassment. He did not know how to answer the question. “You should get it checked out by a medical professional. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease. “You’ve done a lot, and I’m grateful. A lot has happened today, so please excuse me.” Katie felt exhausted as she remembered her daughter being taken away. Her daughter turned out to be rather defiant. “Don’t worry too much about it. The Duncans will provide you with an explanation.” Jet consoled Katie. Jet’s intention was to use Katie’s access to the Viper’s Den’s resources. He needed to find out who was out to get him. Now it appeared that Katie would not be of help to him. Plus, Leah ran away with another man. Katie had her hands full. “There’s no telling whether the Duncans will come after me, but it’s no big deal. This will be over before we know it. You should see a doctor.” Katie could feel her head splitting. Things went beyond her ex
After Leah left the Northborn Hotel, she felt relaxed. It might be inconvenient to walk on the street with the dress but running with it made her feel like a princess running from an arranged marriage, like those of a fairytale. The dress might be heavy but it felt like an armor for her, granting her unparalleled confidence to achieve the freedom that she dreamt of. “Are you really that happy? You’ve been chuckling since you came out. Someone ruined your birthday party and you don’t seem like you care.” Kaze looked at Leah with a hint of surprise. Not everyone could share the girl’s optimism. “I’m just happy because you are here with me,” she blurted out without much thought. She had been searching for Kaze but could not even catch a glimpse of his figure. Yet whenever she was in trouble, he would appear like the God of War descended from heaven, saving her from distress. “What a silly girl. Come on, let’s go find something to eat,” Kaze said with a helpless smile. The
After what Kaze did today, Leah could already tell he was no ordinary man. In a critical moment, he was the one who stepped in to solve the problem. If he could command the Viper’s Den, then he had to be someone of high rank or authority. These were just Leah’s speculations. She still could not get a verification. However, spending more time with Kaze allowed her to understand him more. “I don’t like to drive.” On second thought, Kaze realized a girl as pretty as Leah would prefer a private car to a cab. Therefore, he looked to the back. A black car pulled up and stopped in front of them—it was Peter! Stepping out, Peter silently opened the door for the two of them. From the moment he arrived, he did not say a word as if he were simply following orders. Leah was surprised that a Maybach appeared before them when they needed a ride. The car was anything but ordinary. Its sequential number plate only emphasized the owner's unique status. Despite the surprise, when
“The lilies that we have here are extremely valuable. Their prices can go up to millions when they bloom.” It was a hassle to take care of the lilies but when they bloomed, not only were they beautiful, but their value would skyrocket as well. Moreover, this particular species of lily was rare, which made it even more valuable. “I really can’t tell. I thought they were just grasses,” Kaze said bluntly. “I didn’t see clearly the other day and I also thought they were just grasses. Now you’re telling me they are lilies?” Leah attended bouquet classes before but had limited knowledge of flowers. “It’s fine. It’s just there for people to enjoy when they bloom.” The waitress pressed her lips, speechless at their lack of taste. Though it was understandable since Kaze and Leah obviously came here for lunch, not to enjoy flowers. As they talked, they crossed a bridge and arrived at the cottage. They turned around and saw that the little stream beneath the bridge was teeming
“I can take everything. Make whatever you feel like, but I have to say, you are good at what you do.” It had been days since Leah visited and she had been missing Master Fuller’s cooking. “Girl, you have the sweetest mouth; this one, on the other hand, is stingy with his praises.” Master Fuller glanced at Kaze. “Your cooking is good. You are an experienced chef after all and have been in the big league. If you can’t even serve the basics, then why are you running this place? “Oh, your courtyard is quite beautiful. I bet you spent a lot of time on it. But if you have the time to do that, why not spend more time honing your cooking skills?” Kaze said sarcastically. “Interior design is just my second hobby. You don’t need to be so sarcastic,” Master Fuller replied, but he did not really care what Kaze said. He was more than half a century old and not many things in the world could hurt him anymore. “Today is my birthday, so let’s enjoy it. Let’s not talk about unhappy stuf
“It’s okay. I have time.” Leah did not want to go back and knew what her mother would say to her, so she wanted to stay out for as long as possible. “Alright. Then I’ll get on with it.” Master Fuller then started to prepare the ingredients. His hands were moving non-stop. Kaze enjoyed his beer and appetizer quietly. The entire room was quiet except for the cooking noises. Leah watched Master Fuller cook. She enjoyed it as if she was watching a show with a charming performer. Master Fuller was just cooking but the girl was deeply captivated. When the dish was prepared and placed in front of her, she anticipated the taste even more, wondering if it was better than she had expected. “This looks great. I had never seen a dish being prepared in such a complicated way.” Leah watched from cleaning the ingredients to cutting it, blanching it, and then frying it. The process was so complicated that she could barely keep up. Due to that, she believed the dish would match he
“Silly girl, there’s no need for teary eyes. It’s just a cake. If you like it, I can bake for you and have them delivered to you every day,” Kaze said. He found it amusing that the girl was moved. “You don’t know, but it’s okay. Thank you.” Leah happily took the cake. Kaze put a candle on it and lit it. “Make a wish, Princess,” Kaze teased as he spoke, but he truly wanted the girl to be happy. “Thank you. I never thought I would spend my birthday here. There are no fancy stages and everything, but I like it.” Leah always preferred a simple and quiet birthday. Having dinner with her family and blowing out candles on a birthday cake were a luxury to her before this. To be honest, she did not want to spend too much time thinking about her birthday but what happened caught her off guard. “Make a wish,” Kaze added softly. Leah put her hands together, made a wish and blew the candle. She did not know if her wish would come true, so she did not want to say it out loud. “
As they arrived, they saw a dozen expensive cars parked outside. The customer base was relatively stable as the establishment was targeted at the upper class. The people lining up at the club were young men and women of ordinary background. All were allowed inside Absolute Zero with an entrance fee. Since this would be a chance for ordinary people to meet and interact with the upper-class elites, they cherished it and tried their best to look good. Even movie producers and scriptwriters came to the club, seeking investments or a role in movie production. It was a shortcut to reach out to the upper crust after all. Yet they were just a bunch of fresh graduates with no resources and connections, so the club was their only chance at achieving something great. Dwight would never understand how rare the opportunity was, as he was narrow-sighted. He had never experienced power and wealth before, so he lacked the understanding of how things worked in society. “I never thought
With that in mind, Dwight checked his outfit. His black leather jacket brought out his height and wild side. He then observed Kaze. The latter was dressed casually. Dwight was worried that they would not be allowed into Absolute Zero because of their attire. Nevertheless, he could not let slip that he had never been to Absolute Zero. Without a word, Dwight led Kaze down the apartment building. Kaze could pick up on Dwight’s nerves. While in the elevator, Dwight could not stop straightening out his clothes. It was clear that he was nervous. Even so, Kaze said nothing and pretended not to notice. They got into the car and drove to an alley. The area was not huge, but there were stands selling street food. “The food is great here. Since it’s early, we can grab a bite.” Dwight was not being tight with money. As their destination was a bar, there was no need to get a proper meal. “I’ll get a skewer then.” Kaze did not have much of an appetite anyway. “Okay. I’ll or
“You’re the guest. I should be hosting you, but I don’t seem to be doing a good job.” Dwight knew he had to do better. “It’s okay. I don’t have much to do. It’s just a delivery anyway.” Kaze bought a lot of stuff online. All they had to do was wait for the delivery. Once the items arrived, they could head out. Dwight talked about taking him to a bar under the Viper’s Den’s umbrella. It was a great opportunity for Kaze to check out the scene. He had heard that the Wittersons were tied to all the Viper’s Den’s business operations.Kaze would not meet Edmund and Morris in person, but he would grasp all information related to them. Then, Kaze would stir things up between them and sit back while reaping the benefits. Kaze had it all planned out. He simply had to take his time in playing the long game. Nevertheless, it was important for him to remain discreet. At the very least, he should not show them what he was made of. It was easy to execute his plan when everybody
Kaze rose to his feet and took something out of his bag. Putting on his jacket, he was on his way out. Dwight was out of his room, too. He left his room for a glass of water and waited for Kaze to get out of the room after his nap. Dwight had a drink in the kitchen. He took an apple and chomped on it. Looking at the fruit on the table, Dwight grabbed a plate to arrange it neatly.He took out his phone to pass the time while waiting for Kaze. Kaze emerged from the room and saw Dwight. “You’re up at last. You’ve slept half the day away. Are you still tired? I can wait if you need to catch some sleep.” Dwight kept Herman’s memo to look after Kaze. “A little. I didn’t get any sleep last night. I was waiting to get on the plane.” Kaze took the red-eye flight yesterday. Dwight allowed time for Kaze to rest, knowing his travel schedule. “I know. Did you manage to get some good sleep? If you haven’t, you can go back to bed. I can grab some food for you.” Dwight’s plan
“Your main responsibility is to entertain Kaze. You will be rewarded for good work,” Herman said. Dwight nodded incessantly. “Thank you for thinking of me, Herman. I won’t forget this.” “I’d be grateful so long as you stay out of trouble. “Just focus on what you should do and take good care of Kaze.” Herman worried that Dwight might get ahead of himself and forget his primary duties. Dwight’s priority was Kaze’s well-being. The whole thing would be over if Dwight kept to himself and served Kaze until he was gone. There would be a problem if something were to happen. Without Edmund’s instructions, Herman would never have assigned a job to Dwight. It could be a good thing, though. At least, a job might keep him on the straight and narrow. “Relax. You can count on me,” Dwight said with glee.That was a nice surprise. Dwight did not see it coming. It was just incredible. Herman still could not shake off his worry. However, he had said his piece. It was pointless t
Herman’s smile vanished. His red, irritated skin was playing up. Due to alcohol in his system, Herman could not see straight. He had to grit his teeth to hold back the urge to retch. Herman was not one to drink. Yet, he would have to go through Edmund’s loyalty test every time, and he was reaching a boiling point. However, he understood that he needed to suck it up to gain Edmund’s trust. “You must be Herman. Mr. Witterson. Should I take the things to your car, or should I deliver them to your home?” asked a uniformed server who approached. “Put them in the car and get me a designated driver,” Herman replied. He headed to the lobby while propping himself against the wall. “Okay. There will be a driver out front, ready for your service.” The server tried to help Herman up, but was declined. Herman saw the cartons of alcohol and cigarettes in the lobby. Edmund had always been generous in giving out stuff like this. “These are from Mr. Witterson. You’re lucky to work for
“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