“As you said, all is in the past. What’s the point of dwelling on it?” Leah perked up. Such was life, but it took her too long to understand the harsh reality. She guessed things were just not meant to be. “I’ll think about what to get Kaze. Rest well. We’ll visit him in a few days.” Taking the matter seriously, Katie wanted to get gifts ready ahead of time to thank Kaze. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do too. I want to be in touch with the outside world. I don’t care what they have to say. This is not my fault. I won’t blame myself.” Leah wanted her phone back to contact her former friends. Ultimately, she needed to move forward instead of backward. She had to face and fight back the rumors with courage. It was the crucial step to kick trauma in the face. The abduction was kept hush-hush for the most part, but Katie’s frantic search for her daughter at the cocktail party did not go unnoticed. Hearing about the incident, the influential people were keen to find out
“I have pointed you in a direction. If you still can’t trust your team, you can go to the Viper’s Den.“There’s one thing, though. Don’t rely too heavily on the Viper’s Den, or your company will be left without secrets.” Kaze’s suggestion gave Snow assurance. She considered tapping into the Viper’s Den’s resources. However, Kaze warned her against excessive dependence. “Why did you say that, Chairman Lee? Will the Viper’s Den stab me in the back?” Surely, the Viper’s Den took orders from Kaze. The Viper’s Den would always be an ally so long as Kaze was the branch leader. “I just don’t want you to put too much faith in others. You find loyalty by developing your own team. Those who revere me will never trust you completely.” Kaze analyzed the situation. Snow ate her supper and looked at Kaze in confusion. “You can only count on the people you win over. You can’t trust anyone else, and that includes me.” Kaze would never hurt Snow. However, he hoped that she would fin
“Now that’s the spirit. You can’t take every matter into your own hands. You’re a leader now. You should put the right people in the right jobs.” Feeling relieved, May nodded. “Where’s the guy? I have been wanting to meet him. I missed the chance when I was unconscious.” May came over right away just to score a chance to see Kaze. Kaze saved her life, but she did not have the chance to thank him in person. “I set the date. We’re seeing him tomorrow afternoon. Let’s freshen up. I’m taking you home to rest.” With a time in place, Snow had to get ready. May nodded. The pair returned to the mansion where they felt at home. Even though it had been a while since their return, nothing had changed. “Did Jet say anything when he stepped down?” May was clueless on the specifics. “He went mad and ran out. I get this uneasy feeling, but I can’t locate him anywhere.” Snow was concerned. Jet, as witty as he was, likely played up his meltdown. It was a shame that Jet got aw
“I see. What bad timing.” Katie was a little disappointed to learn that Kaze had left, but in a way, she was relieved. She had gotten on Kaze’s nerves, and he could turn around and make things difficult for her. Now that Kaze was gone, Katie got to keep her job. She did not have to fear Kaze’s retaliation. The news caught Leah off guard. “Why did he leave without saying goodbye? I didn’t even thank him yet.” Leah had a hard time digesting the news. She had been waiting for a chance to show her gratitude to Kaze and see him again. He was out of her life before she could do anything about it. “I’m sorry. Chairman Lee’s departure was unplanned.” Snow put on a professional smile, appearing friendly and distant. “Please present the gifts to him for us if you can. We are grateful for Mr. Lee’s help.” Katie was annoyed that Leah could not spend time with Kaze. The bond could help with her career. Kaze’s departure cost Katie an opportunity, but there was no point in dwel
With trains, there was still an option to jump out. However, everybody was sitting ducks in a plane. Kaze had always been sensitive when it came to safety. He had a sinking feeling in his gut as if something was about to happen. He turned his head back to observe the plane’s interior. Several passengers stood up in the business class section. Strangely, these people were seated separately. However, they seemed to know each other. They exchanged glances as if searching for something. Finding the whole thing bizarre, Kaze observed them. Those passengers went straight into the air stewardesses’ compartment and disappeared out of Kaze’s sight. Kaze could not shake off the eerie feeling. Something was off. He looked back, and several more rose to their feet. These individuals were young but toned. They likely underwent some form of specialized training. Kaze had a bad feeling. Trouble was brewing, and the plane was likely being hijacked. “Why are you looking around? Is
“We are almost there. We have to transfer these people as soon as possible. The plane must take off right away. We cannot leave any traces behind.” They must hurry or they would be caught very soon. They held the pilot hostage and forced him to do an abrupt landing. The sudden descent caught everyone off guard, shocking them. A few of the passengers even hit their heads. Many of them did not get the chance to fasten their seat belts. Kaze grabbed Barney and protected his head from hitting the front seat. “Thank you.” Barney looked at Kaze with gratitude and then looked outside. “Where are we? Have we reached?” He was worried that they would be completely trapped. “They are going to transfer us elsewhere.” Kaze had a similar experience before and he knew what the hijackers would do next. “Transfer us? Are they going to transfer us to somewhere secluded and kill us all?” Barney looked horrified as he stared at Kaze. He somehow felt safe beside Kaze. “They sai
If they were sent to capture Kaze, then they were severely under-numbered. In addition, they allowed Kaze to be alone with the captives, which proved that they were inexperienced. Or maybe they did not know what he had done in the past as the God of War. Kaze believed that the mercenaries were after him but they did not know his true identity. There must have been some miscommunication between them and their employer, which was good news to Kaze. Tiguan and his men were eating. Since they were unable to identify the target, they were forced to bring everyone back. The plane was huge. It would be an easy target for the law enforcement to locate them. Maybe the outside world had caught wind of the hijacking. “Boss, what should we do now? That man seems like he vanished into thin air.” “We got his boarding information but we can’t identify him on the plane.” “Who are we looking for exactly? Why is he so mysterious?” The men were baffled. “We are looking for the righ
Snow had already sent men to where the plane was found. If the passengers were taken away, then they must still be nearby. It was difficult to transport an entire plane of passengers to some place far within such a short time. It was a race against time. Snow did not know who would do such a thing. Kaze took a common flight like everyone else, yet it was hijacked. It was strange. The coincidence was uncanny. Snow believed the hijacking happened because of Kaze but she did not know why. “The only explanation is that there’s a traitor among us…” She finally came to an unlikely conclusion after combing through the details. If there were a traitor, it must be within the Viper’s Den. Kaze had laid a low profile for as long as he was in Butterworth. Not many people knew about his identity and those who wanted to make connections with him were because of Snow. It was unlikely that someone would go after him so suddenly unless this person knew his identity and background.
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