“So the lab is a collaborative project with the strategic department? Then we have to inspect it carefully. We’ll take your documents back to study and we will waive your fines, for now.” Reedus quickly planned an escape route for himself after learning the truth. He then signaled his men to leave the place. A few steps later, he turned around and said, “Kaze Lee, don’t you dare disrespect me just because you are related to Lilyrose Strategic Department. “My cousin is the new mayor and he can crush you like an ant. I will spare Shangrila Group for now but I can still go after the other companies!” Reedus challenged Kaze openly and stated clearly that Blake would go after him. Kaze was not afraid at all. He said coldly, “The mayor? You tell your cousin to stay put. If he continues to mess around, I’ll make him lose his position.” If Blake crossed the line, Kaze would no longer follow the law. Reedus’ expression turned grim as he stared at Kaze. “Hmph. Who do you think
“Kaze is trapped now! The companies and the gangsters associated with him are in deep trouble. Even Mayor Brooks, who had been protecting him, was swapped out. If he can make a comeback, I’ll slap myself.” “Blake Bowman is going to run Kaze down. He wasn’t joking when he said he would crush Kaze and his family.” “Master Hudson and Master Gregory are smart. They needn’t lift a finger yet the city is in turmoil.” Those who sided with Hudson and Gregory gloated at Kaze and grew restless. When the five companies were taken down and the Lee and Vinland families were done with them, they would be able to seize more benefits for themselves. “Kaze Lee, what are you going to do now?” Hudson and Gregory were having tea at Wuthering Pavilion. They were delighted by the news they received and they believed victory was secured. “Hudson, let’s prepare for our great feast! Let’s have some tea before we feast on the main course!” Gregory proposed a toast to celebrate their victory.
“Ms. Quint, we at the Federal Trade Commission received a tip-off that Quartet Group is suspected of engaging in unfair competitive practices and market disruption. Please come with us for further investigation. “A report was filed with the Department of Public Works that there is a severe safety hazard with the unauthorized construction of a helipad on the roof of Clover Center. We will begin demolition now, and the building will be sealed off for one to three months while we carry out work.” Different authorities stepped out from behind Aaron, announcing the decision of their departments. Any of these decisions could spell doom for Quartet Group. Not to mention, these agencies were ganging up on the group. The authorities’ power abuse could threaten the survival of any company. In other words, Quartet Group was facing its biggest crisis ever. Click! Aaron lit another cigarette. He took a long drag and said nonchalantly, “Are you happy with that, Ms. Quint? If you’re
“The Federal Trade Commission mentioned our engagement in malicious competitive practices and market disruptions. Where is the proof? I can sue you for defamation without one.“As for the helipad on the roof, the Department of Public Works should know that the local military set it up for drills. Should I call Koga, the commander of the Garo Special Operation Team, over so you can question him?” Darcy had nothing to lose at that point. She challenged the agencies’ decisions. Most importantly, her reasoning was well justified, and the angry authorities had no leg to stand on. Lilyrose Bank was not due its repayment from Quartet Group yet, and the government-funded project had just begun. The claim of malicious competitive practices was unfounded. For her safety, Kaze instructed Lilyrose Strategic Department to construct the helipad on the roof for drill purposes. None of the allegations could be put on Quartet Group. Clap, clap, clap. Aaron clapped his hands and ros
“Enjoy, Mr. Bowman. We’ll wait for you outside.” The others snickered and headed out. “Let go of me, you animal!” With Aaron’s firm grip on Darcy’s wrist, she could not break free from him. She bit Aaron on the hand in a panic. “Argh!” Aaron screamed in pain and slapped Darcy in the face. Smack! Darcy tumbled back, her hair unkempt hanging loose from the blow. She bumped heavily onto the edge of the desk and hurt her waist. “Bitch! I own you!” Aaron approached her angrily. Filled with despair, Darcy grabbed the stationery on the desk and threw it in his face. While Aaron was busy dodging, Darcy sprinted to the window and cocked her head back to yell, “Don’t push me, Aaron, or I’ll jump off the window. You will go to jail for this.” “Go to jail. Why are you so naïve?” Aaron was calm. “I didn’t push you out of the window. Who can prove that I made you jump to your death? Besides, my dad is the mayor. No one will risk their lives to testify.” “You’re an animal
“You can’t do this, Kaze. You’ll go to jail!” Aaron screamed and cried. “Go to jail? Why are you so naïve?” Kaze said emotionlessly, “Don’t you know I have psychotic episodes? I’m having one now.” He looked down at the street from the window. It was hot outside, so no one was out and about on the street. “We’re on the third floor, not high in the building. It’s down to your luck whether you survive this fall, but I hope you will.” Scared stiff, Aaron wailed and shouted. He could barely string together a full sentence. The female secretary shrieked from the ground, “No! You can’t do this! His father is the ma—” Kaze released his grip without giving her the chance to finish. Thud! It sounded like something heavy hit the ground. “Psycho! You’re a psycho!” The secretary and the others screamed before getting to their feet to run downstairs. It was a mess on the ground floor. Soon, sirens were heard. The paramedics and police had arrived. Kaze watched the scene u
“I think it will be incredibly satisfying to see Kaze locked up helplessly behind bars as his wife loses the companies, and his family tears apart. It’s not like he can do anything to stop it.” Gregory laughed out loud. His bloodshot eyes looked manic. Gregory’s son was confined to the bed, and he hated Kaze for it. “Haha! I can’t wait!” Like Gregory, Hudson was eager to witness Kaze’s downfall. Meanwhile, the police had Kaze in custody for throwing Aaron out of the third floor’s window.The word traveled to Lilyrose’s upper crust. The sighting of the ambulance and police cars made it unlikely to cover up the truth. “Kaze is a loser. He knew Blake would have his head for hurting Aaron. Still, he did it anyway. He could be self-sabotaging.” “It is a pity that Aaron survived. He was taken to the ER. Blake will surely take out his anger on Kaze and his family. Some gloated, while others expressed sympathy. However, no one believed Kaze would be able to walk away a
“Kaze, I will show you and your wife’s family what it feels like to lose hope,” Blake pointed at Kaze and said menacingly right outside the mayor’s office. Kaze replied chillingly, “I could say the same to you too.” Blake’s words had gotten to him. Aaron was heartless to nearly leave Darcy with no choice but to take her own life. Still, Blake believed that Darcy deserved to die. Apparently, Kaze was not supposed to retaliate or throw Aaron out of the third-floor window. He could not make sense of the logic. “Hahaha! I own your ass now, Kaze, so you have the nerve to challenge me.” Blake guffawed and scoffed at Kaze’s statement. “I am the mayor. I have the support of the two most prominent families. What do you have? Soon, you will learn that I have the power to destroy you and your family.” The nerve of Kaze to talk back when he was in handcuffs. Resentful, Blake made up his mind to give Darcy’s family hell. He shouted, “Come here, Kevin.”“You summoned me, M
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