Billy turned ashen. Suddenly, he flipped over and dropped his knees on the shattered glass with a thump. His knees suffered multiple deep cuts. “Hiss…” Billy gasped sharply in pain. Through the agony, he bowed at Kaze. “I was wrong, Kaze. Feel free to discipline me. I accept my punishment wholeheartedly.” Billy surrendered to Kaze without resistance.Kaze raised his brow in surprise. “I guess all hope isn’t lost with you.“Alright then. Since you admit your fault, you can kneel. “I have some questions for you.” Jumbo was relieved because Kaze was letting Billy off the hook. Without resistance, Billy said, “Ask away, Kaze.” Kaze sat back down on the coach and sipped the soda before asking, “Did Taz send you to mess with me?” “That’s right. The bastard lied to me, saying that you pissed him off—” Billy wanted to elaborate further when Kaze waved his arm to stop him. It did not take rocket science to figure out why the guy on his father’s bankroll would attack
Yaryn was delighted, assuming Rose would forgive her. To her dismay, the exact opposite happened. She nearly blew up. In the heat of the moment, she lashed out, “You’re a bitch, Rose! You pretend to be a saint, but the truth of the matter is, you’re petty as—” “Smack!” Jumbo slapped Yaryn, and the woman, her hair a falling mess, let out a shriek. Kaze glanced at Gavin’s group and yelled, “Do you want him to do it for you?” “Smack!” Gavin and the others shuddered and started whipping their faces without hesitation. Jumbo grabbed Yaryn by the hair and slapped her repeatedly. The sound of slapping went on. Soon, the group’s face was bruised and battered. “Hey, Billy. Has the loser given in yet? I hope you didn’t kill him.” A voice came from the stairwell. Taz swaggered up the stairs with a smile. He saw Billy kneeling on the ground and Gavin’s party slapping their own faces. Kaze, who was supposed to be in Billy’s position, sat on the couch, alive and well.
Taz’s unfinished words became agonized screams as Billy knocked him to the ground. “Wham!” Billy kicked Taz in the belly and yelled menacingly, “Kaze even attacked the heirs of the Lees. Your dad is just one of the Lees’ lapdogs. As if that counts for something.“I can’t believe you used me, bastard!” Kaze admitted to crippling Narian. That was the reason why Billy went after Taz. Come hell or high water, Kaze had Billy covered. Without any reservations, Billy punched and kicked Taz. He had nothing against Kaze. Due to Taz’s instruction, Billy got a beating from Kaze. Billy took out all his anger and resentment on Taz. Taz was covered in bruises in a minute. He did not even have time to catch his breath. “J-Just you wait! My dad will make you pay! The Lees will not turn a blind eye to this!” Even so, Taz did not yield to Kaze. Kaze was impressed with the boy’s tough act. He got up, drew close, crouched down, and patted Taz’s face. “You urged Billy to go after
Billy got a rise out of Taz passing out from the pain. It was a reminder to himself not to act cocky again. He might not be as lucky to escape Taz’s fate if he ran into a competent and discreet man like Kaze again. “Carry him out. Call the emergency line to pick him up and contact Lee Investment.” With the wave of Billy’s arm, the martial arts students held Taz up. Taz whimpered in pain from the bumpy ride of being carried out. Kaze had washed his hands clean and walked out of Bay Club. A crowd blocked the entrance. Close to a hundred martial arts students entered the club. Worried about a potential fight breaking out, the patrons ran out in fright so as not to be caught in the crossfire. They curiously looked inside and chatted among themselves. The incident happened on the second floor, so Kaze’s presence did not attract anybody’s attention. The crowd had no idea the ordinary man was the cause of the bloodshed tonight. Kaze’s keen senses picked up on Rose and
The young man got up from the ground and glared at Kaze. “You must be the loser son-in-law of the Quints Mr. Hobbs was talking about.” “Talk about an ambush. How dare you slap me.“Kneel before me and apologize, or Mr. Hobbs will kill you when he gets out,” the young man shouted at Kaze menacingly. Furrowing his brows, Kaze struck him again without another word. “Smack!” The young man was sent flying, coughing out blood. “Whack! Bam!” Wasting no time, Kaze slapped anybody, be it a man or woman, out of the way. The crowd wailed in pain. “You won't get just one hit if you block the way again,” Kaze said coldly and led Rose away. Landon followed them and asked in horror, “Where’s Taz, Kaze?” Before leaving the club, he saw Kaze instructing Billy to punch Taz. In Landon’s opinion, Kaze was done for. Taz’s father was the president of Lee Investment. Samson would surely make Kaze pay for hurting his son. However, Kaze exited the premises unscathed while Taz was now
Even though Kaze was clueless as to what happened, he took Rose and Landon home right away. The tension was thick at home. Agatha was chatting away with Agnes with a gloating smile. When she cocked her head back, she had no more reason to smile. “Jesus, Landon. What happened to you? Did you fall, or did someone hit you?” Agatha rushed over to hold her son. At closer inspection, Agatha noticed the handprints on both sides of his cheeks and his bloodied lips. Judging by the footprints all over his body, Landon must have taken a severe beating. “Oh, my poor Landon.” Agatha hugged Landon and cried. After the tear shed, she yelled at Kaze, “Landon went out with you, Kaze! How did he get injured on your watch?“You’re such a loser. You can’t do anything right. “I’ll make you pay if anything happens to Landon!” Kaze went to pour himself a drink, not wanting to waste his breath with her. He was blamed for not watching out for Landon. Yet, Agatha never taught Landon to re
“Uncle Adam is in Lilyrose, and he wants to see Kaze?” Darcy frowned and looked at Kaze in shock. She never got good vibes from her mother’s side of the family. The Otters disapproved of Agnes’ marriage to Hector. Hence, both families were in low contact. Darcy had only met her mother’s side of the family a handful of times. Only when Darcy got together with Kaze, the Otters suddenly wanted to be in the Quints’ lives. Following Kaze’s accident and Agnes’ subsequent firing due to a medical mishap, Caster, the head of the household, forbade Agnes from ever returning home, believing she had brought shame to the family name. In other words, Agnes was disowned by her family. The incident haunted Agnes for life. Both families had cut ties since then. Only Agatha’s family kept in touch with the Quints secretly. Darcy recalled that her uncle, Adam Otter, was the head of a healthcare system, and that was all she knew. “Don’t look at me, babe. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Darcy, your Uncle Adam is a proud man. You better choose some good words in front of him and make him look good,” Agatha said to Darcy and Kaze. She even revealed that even though she was the youngest, which supposedly was the beloved child, her status was nowhere near her brother. Their father loved the son more than the daughters. “Got it, Aunt Agatha. Mom, we are going out.” After assuring her mother and aunt, Darcy brought Kaze out. She and Kaze went to Sky Ocean Corporation to choose a gift for Adam. The office was filled with expensive presents, given to them by other companies who worked with them. Darcy accepted the less expensive but decent ones. In the end, Darcy picked a branded pen as a gift for her uncle. She and Kaze then headed to Noble Hotel. Adam came to Lilyrose for a business trip. Delivering the message from the Lees, demanding Kaze to release Cosmo was purely out of convenience. He was working as the vice chief of the Sunrise City’s Ministry
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