“I would like to apologize to you, on behalf of the strategic department, for the trouble we have brought to your company.” After explaining, Koga saluted Darcy. Darcy said, “No need to apologize. It’s our duty to cooperate with the drill. The prevention exercise is beneficial to the citizens.” “Thank you for your understanding, Ms. Quint. We might perform more drills in this office building in the future, so we hope to get your permission to build a helicopter landing on the rooftop.“I hope you can have your employees keep the drill a secret as well.” Koga covered his bases. That way, they would respond right away whenever Darcy met with trouble. Today was a false alarm. Still, considering Kaze’s identity, no one could guarantee Darcy’s safety. Not finding it an issue, Darcy agreed to Koga’s proposal. “Please carry on working and keep what happened to yourselves. “The company will invite experts to conduct a lecture on the matter. I hope you will take this seriou
“Agatha, Darcy and Kaze have been together for a while. You know our situation. I couldn’t share much with you.” Agnes left out the part where Darcy and Kaze were married. Her relationship with her family was estranged. Nevertheless, Agnes dreaded the awkwardness of lunch if she had to tell her sister’s family she had not invited them to Darcy’s and Kaze’s wedding. She would have to save the news until later. “Oh. Kaze, was it? I’m Darcy’s aunt.” Agatha checked Kaze out with an awkward look on her face. She was going to introduce a man to her niece. In fact, Agatha had brought the man with them. It was the other young man in the room. “Hello, Nelson, Agatha, Landon, Rose. Nice to meet you all.” Kaze said hello to Agatha’s family. Darcy had let him know their names before they arrived at the hotel. Nelson Oceanid worked at the strategic department and was a man of few words. He simply nodded in response. Rose and Landon were around Sky’s age, and Landon was the yo
Kaze could tell that Kiev had a crush on Darcy. Still, he said nothing. His wife was exceptional, so it was only natural she would have many suitors. Kiev would not be the first or the last. Kaze could not possibly shoo each and every rival away. He would not resort to violence unless dirty tactics were involved like in Henry’s and Eliot’s case. Kaze would not be distressed over Kiev. Kiev was not a cause for concern to him. “I brought you a little something, Hector and Agnes.” Kiev carried a few bags over. Agnes waved her arms. “Oh, you shouldn’t have.” They were aware of Kiev’s feelings for Darcy. However, Darcy was already married to Kaze. Kiev might be an outstanding man, but he and their daughter were not meant to be. Hector and Agnes could not possibly accept his gifts. Noticing their reservations, Kiev smiled. “The gifts are nothing big or expensive. Don’t think too much about it. It’s common courtesy to present gifts as we are meeting for the first tim
The moment the box was opened, the item inside drew everybody’s attention. A pink rose blossomed in Kiev’s hand, unleashing an eye-catching pink sparkle. The object everyone saw was not a real rose but a diamond.The diamond’s natural pink glow was further enhanced by its exceptional cut, making it even more vibrant and dazzling.That was the reason why everybody mistook it for a pink rose at first glance. The women in the private lounge were mesmerized by the diamond. It was a beautiful rock, and diamonds were women’s best friend. “Rose, what’s the pink rose?” Agatha asked her daughter excitedly. Rose replied with a thrill, “That’s the name of the diamond necklace. A female celebrity lost the bid to get the Pink Rose at an auction a few days ago, and the incident went viral online.“Sources said that the Pink Rose was sold to a mysterious young and rich man for 10 million dollars. I can’t believe the man was you, Kiev.” Everybody looked at Kiev in surprise. Kiev spen
Poof!It sounded like something blew up in Kaze’s hand. Kaze opened his palm. The 10-carat pink diamond was shattered into shards. As Kaze spread his fingers apart, the remnants of the diamond sprinkled on the ground. Everybody in the room stared at Kaze in horror. Did he just crush a diamond with his bare hand? How did he do it? A diamond was the toughest known rock in the world. That was an impossible feat. Unless the diamond was a fake as Kaze said. Kiev was speechless. He stared at Kaze without a word. He knew better than anybody about the authenticity of the Pink Rose. The Pink Rose’s certificate of authenticity was kept in his home, so the necklace could not have possibly been a knockoff. However, Kaze had crushed the Pink Rose. Even if the diamond was real, others would assume it was a fake now. Anyone else would have gone ballistic by now but not Kiev. Keeping his cool, Kiev told Kaze with a smile, “It was my oversight. I was captivated by the fake Pink
Rose had a closer look. She bolted up from the chair and reacted stronger than when she saw the Pink Rose. “Oh my god! Is that the Goddess’ Heart?!” “Rose, is it something famous?” Agatha was intrigued by her daughter’s strong reaction. “The Goddess’ Heart was on display at a massive exhibition at Sunrise City and it has already attracted a lot of attention. Everyone was amazed by its beauty. “The designer is the world-famous Master Greta De Fontaine. She called this her masterpiece and can never replicate another one. “After that, the Goddess’ Heart hasn’t shown itself anymore. Some said the chairwoman of Sixth Eye Jewelry Group, the Queen of Jewelry, Jasmine Sundar, has it in her collection and no matter how much people offer her, she’s not selling it.” Rose was thrilled. Her voice sharpened and even started to blabber nonsense. “Don’t tell me it’s on Darcy’s neck now!” Her voice surprised everyone in the room and they all turned to Kaze. A diamond necklace of tens
Kaze was rendered speechless. His silly wife denied his identity as Perfect World Group’s chairman, but he did not correct her. He did not care about what other people thought of him, only Darcy’s feelings mattered. She could think whatever she wanted. Besides, the identity of Perfect World Group’s chairman did not affect their relationship. Darcy never looked down on him before. Her explanation sparked speculation. Psychiatric ward? Mental disability? Kiev looked at Kaze strangely. “Aunt Agnes, what is this about? Kaze was in the psychiatric ward?” “Kaze got into some conflict with his family and got locked up there for a few years. He’s fine but everyone in the city thought he had a mental disability. People still laugh at us now.” Now that Kaze had a promising future, Agnes was proud of him and she was no longer embarrassed to tell others about his past. Unlike before, she would be silenced and embarrassed whenever people asked about her son-in-law. She giggled a
Behind Miru was a group of men, all looking ferocious. Their bulging muscles were an obvious sign that they were experts in fighting. They all glared at Kaze the moment they barged into the room. Tension rose as they stared at each other. Darcy and the others felt pressured that they had a hard time breathing. “What? What are you talking about? Kaze killed your godfather? The chairman of Lefteria Group, Alan Cummingham?” Darcy blurted out instinctively. Kaze murdered Alan? Impossible. He was not capable of killing someone. The others exchanged a baffled look. Slam! Miru slammed some pictures on the table. Darcy went through the pictures briefly but still could not understand. “These pictures are the footage from the surveillance cameras of Lefteria Building.” Miru continued, “Around 10.30 in the morning, Kaze led the security guards on a routine security check around the building. Halfway through the security check, Kaze went into my godfather’s private office
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
Kaze observed as the jeep took off further off course, past the towering buildings to a run-down neighborhood. “This is where I usually reside. My home is not too far away, but I think you might have trouble adapting to this place.” Dwight did not forget to book Kaze a hotel. Kaze could not possibly stay with him. The hotel was around the area anyway. “Didn’t you say that you haven’t tried the local cuisine? I’ll take you out for a bite. “The barbecue ribs here are to die for. We’ve got the dry-rubbed and saucy kind.” Dwight parked the car and hopped out right away. Opposite the parking lot was not the cleanest food joint. Looking in from the outside, Kaze realized that the place was packed. Kaze understood that the restaurant must be known for some kind of dish. The customers were from all walks of life, so the food must be great. “There’s not much to see here, but the food is tasty. If you don’t mind, we can order something inside.” Kaze was not particularly con
Dwight was surprised and curious as to who Kaze really was. From what he gathered, Kaze was a confidante of the Butterworth Branch chief. The purpose of Kaze’s visit was to learn and share. Dwight worked on the fringes, so his access to information was limited. Nevertheless, he got the feeling that Kaze was just an ordinary guy just like him. The only difference was that Kaze was lucky to rub shoulders with important people. Dwight did not get chances like that. “Who are the most influential people in the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Kaze asked in the car. Dwight was taken aback by the question. Still, he had an answer to that. “So you don’t know much about the situation?” Dwight suddenly felt important. “Well, I’m new to the city. I will be running into them soon, so I need to make sure I get my facts right,” Kaze said humbly. This was Dwight’s shot, and he needed to present his best. “Relax, Kaze. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Dwight would reveal some info
Kaze glanced at the flowers. There was a card for well-wishes too.Curious, Kaze reached out to read the card. It was written, “To my eternal lover and sweetheart.” Dwight grabbed Kaze’s bag. Since the sign in his hand was getting in the way, Dwight tossed the placard in the trash can. As Dwight turned his head back, he saw Kaze reading the card that came with the flowers. He tried to stop Kaze, but it was too late. Dwight had not attended to a guest of high importance before. The task was assigned to him at the last minute. In the past, Dwight was usually on the sidelines, never getting close to major matters. He would always get the small, insignificant jobs. Dwight often bought drinks for his superiors to build connections. However, he had always been kept out of the loop. Now that an opportunity had fallen onto his lap, Dwight was not about to let it slip. He wanted to show what he could do. When Dwight arrived at the airport for the pick-up, most people car
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