Kefier’s face fell as Welt would not take the hint. “You might want to think before you speak.” Kefier said curtly, “The owner’s two-billion-dollar purchase of Mountain Dew Estate has demonstrated his abundant finances.“The honorable guest is an influencer with millions of followers, not someone you can mess with. You’re just students, so don’t even try.“Know when to quit and cancel the reservation. Otherwise, I have other ways to blacklist you from Mountain Dew Estate.” Exasperated, Kefier adopted a harsh approach toward the students.“That’s outrageous. That’s bullying. We will expose you for what you are.” Rose and the others could burst into tears in rage. They could not tolerate being kicked out in the middle of the night. “Expose me?” Kefier smirked fearlessly. “I doubt you have clout. Once the influencer gets here, he could make a post to promote the resort. Your so-called expose won’t get many views.” Rose and the others were at a loss for what to do. The
Julius grimaced. Given Taz’s age, Julius did not expect a threat from him. Taz needed to be taught a lesson. However, Julius was not in the position to do so. It was no secret that Samson adored his son. Samson silenced and covered up Taz’s misconduct with a female student in college.It was known within Sunrise’s investment community that Samson was ruthless and cold-blooded. Samson once ruined the life of a close partner. Besides, Samson had the support of the Sunrise Lees. Julius, despite holding a high position at Green Lantern Corporation, would think twice before crossing Samson. He forced a laugh and said, “My nephew doesn’t know any better, Taz. I apologize on his behalf.” Welt’s eyes widened. He could not believe Julius would surrender to Taz. Welt shouted peevishly, “He slapped me for no reason, Julius. Why should you apologize to him?” Taz made a dirty look. Julius turned around and gave Welt a slap. Smack!Welt put his hand over his cheek absentl
“Argh! That hurts!” Taz cried in agony with his hand over his face. The turn of events caught everybody off guard. What was going on? What happened to Taz? They looked at Taz in confusion, assuming he was just having a manic episode. Taz looked down and found a dying ember on the ground. He grimaced. “W-Who fucking burned me with a cigarette?” Taz’s outraged voice ripped through the crowd as he sought the culprit. It dawned on the people that Taz was burnt in the face with a cigarette. It explained his earlier agony. They looked up, eager to find the audacious individual who charred Taz’s face. Narrowly escaping Taz's kiss attempt, Rose fled to a safe distance and lifted her head to find a familiar face. “Kaze!” she exclaimed. Rose pouted and said tearfully, “Taz tried to take advantage of me, Kaze!” Approaching the center of the crowd, Kaze shuffled her hair and said in a calm voice, “I saw everything. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Kaze
“Kaze!” Intimidated by Taz’s sinister face, Rose clung tight to Kaze’s arm. Her body trembled. Kaze patted her back and consoled her, “Don’t be scared. The punk is no threat.” “Who are you calling a punk, bastard?” Exasperated, Taz waved at his minions and shouted menacingly, “Take the bastard on. Beat him up now!” His five minions were vicious.With the scene about to get ugly and violent, Rose and her friends turned as white as a sheet. “Hide, Rose. Kaze won’t be able to defeat all of them,” Bronya shouted at Rose. “No, Kaze is amazing.” Rose stood firm next to Kaze, though looking a little timid. “Get him!” The minions did not hesitate to charge toward Kaze. “It’s time you face the consequences for defying Mr. Hobbs.” The sidekick in the forefront swung his fist at Kaze’s face with a leer. Pulling a blank face, Kaze shielded Rose and kicked the attacker in the chest. “Ugh.” The minion tumbled back with a scream before crashing to the ground. The pain
Taz talked tough and stormed off. “Is that supposed to be a threat?” Kaze narrowed his eyes dangerously at Taz’s back before turning to ask Rose, “How did the guy come onto you?” Rose recounted Taz’s unwanted pursuit of her in school.In the end, she tugged Kaze’s clothes and said worriedly, “I think Taz’s father is influential, Kaze. He might go after you.” Kaze appreciated Rose’s concern.He patted her head and said with a smile, “It’s okay. I won’t go down without a fight.” “Okay.” Rose nodded with glee. “Wow, you were amazing, Kaze!” As Rose’s friends gathered around, Bronya and Mei stared at Kaze with star-studded eyes. The girls, impressed by Kaze’s quick takedown of Taz’s minions, found Kaze quite the hunk. “Thank you, Kaze.” Welt awkwardly thanked Kaze. He had a crush on Rose. When Taz forced his lips on Rose, Welt was heartbroken and frustrated with his helplessness. The fight changed the group’s opinion of Kaze for the better. Julius said, “You
A young woman in office attire shouted. She was Darcy’s old friend, Nancy Braus. Nancy’s power suit hugged her curves. Though her appearance was not as striking as Darcy’s, Nancy had her unique charm. She approached hurriedly with the management team in tow. “Ms. Braus!” Kefier frowned. He was displeased with Nancy for undermining his authority. Kefier had only been on the job for two days, but he had his eyes on Nancy’s position. He believed he would make a better general manager. To replace Nancy at her job, Kefier needed to suck up to Taz and the owner who was about to check into Mountain Dew Estate that night. Kefier went up to explain with a smile, “Ms. Braus, this man hit me and attacked Mr. Hobbs and his friends. I told the employee to call security, and he refused to take my orders. I was only trying to scare—” “Who hit you?” With her patience running thin, Nancy interrupted Kefier. Kefier was smug, thinking Nancy caught wind of the assault on Taz. He
In Kefier’s opinion, the way Kaze looked and carried himself did not scream wealth. A member of the management team behind Nancy said, “You’re not the first snob, Kefier. Wendell, the previous general manager, did not believe Kaze was the owner and even tried to harm him. Wendell is now rotting in jail.” The other executives chimed in and stood up for Kaze. “I-I…” Stunned, Kefier turned ashen. The owner, whom Kefier wanted to get in good graces with, was right under his nose the whole time. Yet, he screwed the owner over to suck up to Taz.Kefier had no more tears to cry. Suddenly, he shuddered at a realization. He had upset the owner, and his actions may come back to bite him. With that in mind, Kefier turned around to face Kaze and slapped himself. “I’m sorry, Sir. I was a blind snob. I didn’t know it was you. Please see it in your heart to forgive me.” Kefier, who was arrogant before, now wailed before Kaze. Kaze did not have time for someone like Kefier. He
As Kaze and the group approached their accommodation for the night, a young man with jeans hanging off his bottom brushed past them. “That is Taz’s sidekick. They have not left the resort,” Bronya murmured in fear. The group feared Taz’s revenge for taking a stand against him. Undaunted, Mei pursed her lips and uttered, “We have nothing to be afraid of. Kaze is the owner of Mountain Dew Estate. Taz can’t drive us out of here.” The group felt assured. “Mr. Hobbs, Rose and her friends are staying in the best chalet. The general manager even carried their bags.” The sidekick rushed to a nearby chalet to report back to Taz. “Son of a bitch! What’s wrong with the management here? Are they out to get Mr. Hobbs?” Taz’s minions pounded the table in rage. The news did not sit well with Taz either. He had given special instructions to Kefier to ban Kaze and the group from the resort. Not only did Kaze and the others manage to check in, but the general manager of Mountain Dew
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