Gold Tooth and Dan’s encounter was not a huge embarrassment in the criminal world. After all, Chrysant Twin Ghost had a reputation for killing their prey. Gold Tooth and Dan were lucky to survive. However, a gutsy man like Billy believed Gold Tooth was useless. If targeted, Billy was convinced he could retaliate and win against Chrysant Twin Ghost.The hearts of Leath and the others dropped. Oh, no. Since Gold Tooth’s name was not enough to instill fear in Billy, the latter would turn Bay Club upside down today. “Come here, Gavin.” Billy yanked Gavin closer to him with his eyes darting toward Leath and the gangsters. He said curtly, “Point out everybody who was involved in the fight. I want them to kneel on the ground and apologize to you. Feel free to hit them back.” Gavin, Yaryn, and the others were thrilled. After the beating they received, Gavin and his group got a kick out of humiliating their attackers. “They attacked us!” Gavin pointed at the gangsters and sai
Landon could not stand Kaze. He would mock Kaze at any chance he had. Kaze never took his remarks to heart though. Leath and his gang held back from fighting Billy because Kaze said nothing, simply sitting back and watching. Otherwise, the gangsters would not let Billy walk all over them. Leath and his men were familiar with the world of crime. They were capable of doing anything when backed into a corner. Although Billy could fight, Leath and his gang had weapons that could do a fair bit of damage to Billy. Billy was too young and arrogant to see that. He had no idea of the narrow escape from death he had experienced. “Haha! Landon is right!” Gavin, Yaryn, and the others looked over with a smirk. “The loser even tried to get Leath to apologize.” “He only went up against Leath because Billy was near.” The group taunted Kaze. Gavin and his gang pinned the group down and slapped their faces, while Kaze, Landon, and Rose were unharmed. They were humiliated ju
“Thanks to Billy’s timely rescue, the loser didn’t get away with his evil plan.” “He should thank Billy. Otherwise, he would’ve suffered from getting on Leath’s nerves.” The group took turns demeaning Kaze, reducing him to nothing. Kaze’s help to stop Leath and his gang was perceived as a vengeful attack on Gavin’s group. “I can’t believe them, Kaze. I’m fuming!” The group’s ugly behavior caused Rose to shake with rage and tear up.Kaze patted her shoulder and consoled, “Don’t be mad at trash, Rose.“Only the weak will lift themselves by belittling others.“These so-called winners in life are, in fact, the real losers. “The best way to deal with them is to just ignore whatever they say. “Don’t stoop to their level just to win an argument.” Feeling better, Rose looked up at Kaze in admiration. She believed Kaze had a point. A brief silence ensued. Then, the weight of Kaze’s words sunk in. Gavin and his friends were not having it. “Woah! You mooch off your wife
Taz reached out to touch his own face. The realization that he had shown fear to Kaze contorted his face with a grimace. Taz could never forget Kaze beating him up twice in one night during his stay at Mountain Dew Estate.Kaze had the nerve to insult him by bringing up his past trauma. Billy glanced at Taz amusedly. It dawned on him that Taz had suffered at the hands of Kaze before. Billy had asked if Taz had any feud with Kaze, but Taz dodged the question and insisted Billy deal with Kaze. Though it was amusing to Billy, he knew whose side he was on. “Kaze, right? You’re asking for it.” Lifting his chin, Billy said coldly, “Mr. Hobbs’ father is the president of Lee Investment. You’re nothing more than a moocher. You’re out of bounds to insult Mr. Hobbs, so apologize now!” “Woah!” Gasps filled the room. They were in awe of Taz’s privileged upbringing. After the fall of the three major families, Lee Investment asserted itself in the local market and acquired
“Hahaha!” Taz let out a manic laugh. Ever since Samson expressed his desire to break free from the Lees, Taz no longer revered the family. Insulting the former heir of the Lees gave Taz an exhilarating rush. “Hahaha!” The others burst out laughing. Gavin looked at Kaze in disdain. “He is nothing without his family. “That explains why he mooches off his woman and takes his wife’s last name.” The rest sneered and jeered at Kaze, holding him in contempt. After taking multiple digs at Kaze, Taz felt satisfied and recalled his purpose of being there. He poured himself a drink and said, “I’m here today to bring a message from my dad, Kaze. “You have three days to bring Cosmo back to Sunrise City and beg for atonement from the Lee family. “Tomorrow is the last day, but you have not taken any course of action. Are you just going to give up?” Taz’s eyes turned sharp as he narrowed in on Kaze. “Or are you taking my dad’s words lightly?” It dawned on everybody else
“Drinks downstairs? Sure.” Taz took the call and quickly hung up. He told Billy, “I have friends waiting downstairs, so I’m heading there now. “I leave him to you, Billy. You will be rewarded, of course.” Taz pointed at Kaze before heading his way down the stairs. He had witnessed what Billy was capable of, and Billy lived up to his reputation as the son of Tensor Martial Arts School’s principal. Though outnumbered, he defeated the gangsters without breaking a sweat. Surely, it was a piece of cake for Billy to teach Kaze a lesson. “Just do it, Billy. Beat the loser to the ground!” “That’s right. He’s been an eyesore!” Once Taz was gone, Gavin, Yaryn, and the others clamored, eager to see Billy crush Kaze. “Hehe. This can wait.” Billy shook his head with a smile, side-eyed Kaze, and added, “I can give the loser a reality check anytime. He’s not going anywhere anyway.” Judging by his offhanded tone, Billy believed Kaze was a sitting duck. The group was stunned.
Rose flushed with rage. She was unaware of Billy’s intention before. Billy threatened to cripple Kaze unless she slept with him. She would not throw away her self-respect as a woman for him. “Ew. That’s disgusting!” Rose glared at Yaryn and said angrily, “I’m not like you. I won’t sleep with a man to get what I want.” That was a slap in Yaryn’s face. Yaryn’s heavy-painted face contorted into a grimace. “Oh, keep up with your innocent act, and Kaze will get his limbs broken.” Yaryn sneered. “You act like you have your family’s best interests at heart, but the moment the table is turned, your selfishness rears its ugly head.” Unlike Yaryn, Rose was no good at confrontation. She looked up and met Kaze’s gaze in tears. “Kaze…” Her voice was filled with hurt. “Don’t listen to her. I know you have my back.” Kaze wiped away her tears and said with a smile, “You don’t have to give yourself away just to show how much you care. “Some people wish you would do it beca
“Did I say something wrong? You were dragged into Kaze’s mess, Rose. Why are you sticking up for him?” Landon glared at Kaze hatefully. “Did the coward say anything? All he does is hide behind you. “He’s not worth your time and energy.” As the siblings got into a row, Gavin and his friends laughed out loud. “Haha. Now, that’s what I call a drama. Landon wants to sell Kaze out, but his sister comes to Kaze’s defense.” “Kaze stayed out of the fight the whole time. He’s such a loser.” “Hehe. I bet the loser is scared silly.” The group taunted Kaze. “Enough! Shut up!” Annoyed, Billy stopped the group and turned to Rose cheekily. “See that? That’s who you are trying to protect. I am more of a man than he ever is. “I’ll give you another chance to be my girlfriend. I can promise you that no one is a threat to you in Lilyrose. “Haha…” Billy burst out laughing. It was the same speech he had used successfully on many goody-two-shoes. Rose’s red-rimmed eyes bulged. “Dre
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