Everybody outside the mayor’s office was stunned. It never occurred to anybody that Kaze, who was held captive for questioning, would walk out a free man. Blake the mayor was now under arrest. As the public watched, Blake was dejectedly escorted into the police car in handcuffs. More surprisingly, Kaze was sharing a pleasant talk with Loid, the governor. “What the hell is going on? The governor came all the way to Lilyrose to deal with the mayor instead of punishing Kaze.” “Maybe Kaze’s gifts worked. Seriously, Governor?” These people were disappointed, and they could not figure out why. They mocked Kaze for doing a foolish thing by bribing the governor openly. To their surprise, Kaze’s gift-giving was well received. Not only did the governor save him, but Blake was also ruined in the process. Loid saw Kaze off the building and even gave him a ride home. These people had no idea who Kaze was. They assumed that Loid was materialistic and did not carry shame for t
“Give me a chance, Mr. Lee. Sob, sob…” Kevin was dragged away. Don left with his men. Kaze took a stroll to the villa. “Just transfer the corporate shares to the Vinlands, Darcy. Don’t fight it anymore. Hudson is a vicious man. You can’t deal with him.” Master Quint was there to convince Darcy to hand over the shares. Samus and the others watched the drama with delight. Darcy sat on the couch with tears in her eyes. “I can give the shares to the Vinlands, but they have to promise to let Kaze go.” “Sigh. Do you think the ball is in your court to negotiate?” Master Quint sighed. “If the idiot hadn’t tricked you into going against Hudson, things would not have come to this. You should have surrendered the companies to them a long time ago. The Vinlands might have appreciated your talent and given you a job.“Hudson won’t be grateful even if you hand over the shares now.” Darcy was Master Quint’s granddaughter at the end of the day. He felt bad to see Darcy’s family
“Don’t worry, Darcy. Those two families will pay very soon.” Kaze then told them about Loid going after the two families. The entire family was surprised. What happened? Kaze openly sent Loid a big surprise but Loid did not blame him or punish him. Instead, he agreed to help to deal with the two families? “Loid Farland’s men accused me for no reason, he owes me this much,” Kaze simply explained. He then called Snow. “Snow, how’s things now?” “Mr. Chairman, people are saying that the governor received your gifts and agreed to help you take down Blake Bowman. Now everyone tried to copy you and ask him for favors. Some diligent ones called the company and asked for verification on the matter.” Kaze nodded. “Then just let it be. Don’t clarify or deny anything, let them go. Anyone who copies me will be punished.” “Mr. Chairman, will it affect Governor Farland’s reputation?” Snow was worried that the governor might not be happy about this. “It’s fine. His men tried to h
The five companies’ combined assets were more than five hundred million, probably even more than five billion. Gregory was delighted. Since Loid accepted the gifts openly, he had no scruples about giving more. He ordered his men to send more gifts in the name of one of his companies. Meanwhile, Loid was visiting a steel factory for inspection with his men. Since Kaze did not want his identity to be revealed, it would be strange if Loid came to Lilyrose because of him. Therefore, he came to Lilyrose to inspect the local factories, nominally. After inspecting the factory, he went to the factory’s cafeteria for lunch. Then, a group of suited men came in and asked for a meeting. “What is it?” Loid asked as he chewed on his food. A middle-aged man went up to him with a flattering smile and said, “Governor, I am Alvin Springman, Jade Nova Ltd.’s CEO. I humbly thank you for your care over all Lilyrosean, so I prepared some gifts to show our gratitude. Please accept them.”
Bang! The slam on the table was so loud that the entire cafeteria heard it. Everyone was shocked. The governor was also the regional commander of the military, which explained his dignified demeanor and stern tone. When he was angry, no one could stand his wrath. Cosmo and Ivy were stunned. Loid had been taking gifts from the suited men, yet when the two of them did the same, he got mad and slammed on the table. Cosmo sweated nervously. He lowered himself and said timidly, “Governor, the gifts are just a token of gratitude, we didn’t mean anything. If you don’t want to investigate the five companies and Kaze Lee, then just forget about it!” “Yeah, just forget about it!” Ivy echoed in a trembling tone. The two of them stepped back and wanted to leave immediately. They were suffocated by the governor’s mighty aura. “Leave? This isn’t over yet!” Loid did not spare the two of them. He said angrily, “Not only did you try to bribe me openly, but you also wanted me to
“Contact the local police department and arrest those who tried to bribe me today! Investigate them thoroughly and punish them accordingly!” Loid said coldly as he waved his hand. The men who tried to bribe him cried in sorrow. “Governor! Please! We are so sorry! We were deceived by Kaze Lee!” “Yeah, he should be arrested, not us!” No matter how they clamored or cried, Loid was unfazed. Knowing that they would be arrested no matter what, Alvin and the others plunged into despair. They cursed Kaze for misleading them and cried because they were being arrested. They came here not to bribe the governor but to get themselves arrested. If they did not try to copy Kaze and bribe the governor, they would be fine. Now, they spent money on the gifts and even got themselves arrested. Ivy and Cosmo had it worse. They resented Kaze more than anyone and they thought with five hundred million, they could use Loid to crush Kaze. However, Kaze turned out to be fine and they got t
Aside from losing five hundred million, the two investment firms were also fined more than a hundred million, and got blacklisted. Meaning, the Vinland and Lee families’ plans to annex the five companies were foiled before they even started. Hudson and Gregory were furious. Kaze was fine when he gave the governor gifts, but they were arrested and fined when they did the same. What nonsense? Yet they had to swallow the grievance because they dared not argue with Loid. Even though the two families were wealthy and powerful, they could not afford to offend the governor of the state. “Kaze! That little bastard!” While Gregory was shouting to vent his grievance, he received a call from his brother, George. “Greg, you piece of useless trash! What did you do in Lilyrose? Your son’s legs were broken and you are trying to make it even by getting my son arrested?! “Get back here immediately! I don’t care what you do. You will go to the governor and beg him to release Cosmo, e
It was Hudson’s men’s first time seeing such a scary expression on his boss. He said with a shaking voice, “Master Hudson, they are here already. Do you want to see them?” “No. Tell them to go after Gold Tooth and Dan Niners.” Anger had distorted the features on Hudson’s face. He said wickedly, “Kaze will be the last. I will go after the people around him, one by one.” Although he could not get Kaze through legitimate means, he could still send his killers after the idiot. The news of Hudson Investment Firm and Lee Solutions being fined shocked the business world. No one thought it would turn out like this. Kaze sent gifts to the governor and he was fine; the others sent gifts to the governor and they were arrested. What a twist of events. Back in Horizon Mirror Mansion, the Quints were also surprised by the news. “The Lees and the Vinlands are expelled from the city just like that?” Darcy could not believe the news. She plunged into despair when the two familie
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