“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
Samson brought up his opinion about Kaze within Taz’s earshot.Thinking little of Kaze, Taz hissed through clenched teeth. “He’s a bastard. He has the nerve to hit me when my dad won’t even do that. Since you’re here, I’ll crush you now and make you hand over Hudson Investment Firm.” Taz turned his nose up at Samson’s plan. In his opinion, no scheme was necessary to deal with a loser like Kaze. Lost in his thoughts, Taz pondered ways to dice and slice Kaze when his sidekick said, “Mr. Hobbs, Lil Dee and his team are at Mountain Dew Estate.” “Come on. Let’s meet with Lil Dee.” Taz got up and led his minions to meet Lil Dee. Lil Dee and Taz were old friends. Taz often watched Twig live reels in his spare time. Back then, Lil Dee had only started live streaming as an influencer. Lil Dee’s stunts made Taz laugh, and Taz sent gifts worth up to a million dollars on the platform, propelling Lil Dee into stardom. Later, Taz and Lil Dee hung out several times in real life
“A manager named Kefier raised the question to get you the best chalet but was fired for it.” Taz twisted the story to rile Lil Dee up. “Fuck! What the hell?” Lil Dee cussed in an outburst. Obsessed with image, he meticulously crafted his portrayal wherever he went.Mountain Dew Estate’s lack of VIP treatment infuriated Lil Dee. “Hello, Lil Dee. I am Nancy Braus, the general manager of Mountain Dew Estate. On behalf of all the employees here, I welcome you and your team to Mountain Dew Estate.” Nancy approached Lil Dee with her staff members. As Nancy stood a distance away, she had no idea that Lil Dee had an ax to grind with the resort upon arrival. “Is this the welcome I get from Mountain Dew Estate, Ms. Braus?” Discontent was written all over Lil Dee’s face. Startled, Nancy had no idea why Lil Dee was pissed. She said, “Lil Dee, did we do something wrong?” Lil Dee scoffed and said with a smirk, “I heard that your fanciest and best chalet is given to someone e
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