“Know your place. It is your honor to be at this table. Usually, you won’t even have the chance to drink with us! Don’t push it, son!” Noah leaned on the table and glared at Kaze, condescendingly warning him. He then grabbed his bowl and flipped it over on the table, refusing to drink no matter what Kaze said. Kaze scoffed. “You can’t drink but you won’t accept defeat. Is this how people like you do things nowadays? If you don’t want to drink, I’ll make you!” He then went over to Noah with a bowl of whiskey. Bang! Troy from the Ministry of Health and Welfare slammed the table and got up, stopping Kaze. “Punk, what are you doing? We are all important people in government offices. If you mess with us, you and your family will be erased from Lilyrose!” Kaze looked at the man and then grabbed him by the neck. “What the f… W-What are you… Gulp!” Troy struggled but could not break free from Kaze’s grip. Kaze squeezed his mouth open and started to pour the whiskey into his
“Mr. Moor, that’s insincere of you. You can just tell your man to send us the approval now, why later? You can’t even drink as promised, I can’t trust you,” Kaze said with a faint grin on his face. Noah did not know Kaze was teasing him. Annoyed, he said, “Punk, go ask anyone. I’m a man of my word! There are official procedures that we must go through, I can’t make the decisions alone. I have to get other people’s approval as well…” He was trying to stall and delay the decision. Since he was the one making the final decision, he could stall as long as he liked. “Enough.” Kaze stopped his nonsense and said coldly, “I am not demanding you to give us an approval now. Our game is still not yet finished. Let’s continue drinking!” He then went over to Noah with a bowl of whiskey. “Stop it! You are going to get someone killed…” Winnie darted over and pulled Kaze back with a worried look. “Punk, if something happens to me, you and your family will suffer!” Noah’s expression t
Winnie was afraid of Noah, someone who was in the government office and had a certain level of authority. Two years ago, Shangrila Group went bankrupt overnight. Although the top three families were behind it, the ex-mayor was more or less involved. It was not that difficult to find out about it either. Without someone powerful making it happen, it was impossible to destroy a company as big as Shangrila Group overnight. “Someone powerful? Is he as powerful as the mayor?” Kaze did not take it seriously. He simply smiled it off and went out. Then, he saw a group of people coming over in a hurry. Kaze stopped, surprised to see that the leader of the group was his wife, Darcy. “Darcy? What are you doing here?” Darcy, Agnes, Hector, and even Agatha were there. Darcy and Agnes were holding gifts in their hands. “Winnie, Kaze? What are you guys doing here? Kaze, are you drinking?” Darcy was surprised to see Kaze with Winnie as well. Since Winnie was slightly tipsy an
Darcy’s expression shifted upon hearing Noah. She was right. Kaze slapped the man. This time, he slapped someone from the Ministry of Food and Welfare. Noah must be a reputable man to hold a high position there. In other words, Kaze got into trouble again. “Oh my god! Kaze you stupid idiot! Why did you slap him?!” Agnes’ smile froze and her face turned pale. She turned around to glare at Kaze. “Do you know who this is? How dare you hit him? Apologize immediately!” “Apologize? Hehe…” Noah chuckled and said coldly, “You slapped me and you think you can get away with just an apology? Do you know what this place is? This is the city council’s lounge! The leaders in the city council’s office, including the mayor, welcome important guests here! If you hit me here, that means you show no respect for the city council!” Kaze was amused by Noah’s claims, but Darcy and the others were terrified. Darcy knew that an acting mayor had just sworn into office that day. On his fi
“Mr. Moor, you!” The smile on Darcy’s face froze and her expression spelled anger. Agnes and the others were shocked and scared as well. They did not expect such a blatant request from Noah. Noah grunted and said coldly, “What? You don’t like me? If a stupid retard can fuck you, so can I…” Before he could finish, Kaze stepped forward and kicked him on his chest, sending him flying away. Bang! Following an excruciating cry, Noah crashed onto the wall behind him, causing the structure itself to tremble upon impact. He continued to cry in pain after he fell on the floor and bled profusely. “Noah!” The other two colleagues came out of the room and quickly went over to help Noah up. “Kaze! Why?!” Darcy bellowed after she regained her composure. “This is over! There’s no way we can get out of this anymore…” Agnes and the others were horrified. Kaze said, “Darcy, he got what he deserved. You can just stay out of this. I’ll get him.” Based on what Noah said to Darcy
“Noah, were you beaten? Who did it? Who beat you here at the city council’s lounge?” Adam was shocked to see the slap mark on Noah’s face. He knew Noah worked for the Ministry of Health and Welfare and his father was the deputy mayor. The father and son held important positions in government offices, which granted their family fame and status. Yet someone hit Noah in the city council’s lounge. “Him! That fuck!” Noah shouted and pointed at Kaze. He then looked at Adam with a curious gaze. “Adam, are you relatives with this punk here?” He saw how close Adam was with Agnes and Agatha, which made him suspicious. His expression turned bitter. If Adam decided to defend Kaze, then he would be in trouble. Adam was the vice chief of the Ministry of Health and Welfare from Sunrise City and was close with the Lees. If Noah decided to go against him, he might be at a disadvantage. Darcy sharply sensed the reverence Noah had for Adam and she immediately realized what was goi
Noah’s expression put Adam in an embarrassing situation. Harrison verified that Danny was just a con man from Paladia, trying to scam people’s money. Therefore, it was embarrassing for Adam to agree with Noah’s words. “Noah, let’s just forget about Danny. Focus on the current situation first.” He continued, “Kaze and I are relatives but beating you up is a crime and it’s a fact. He did wrong and I won’t defend him because he’s related to me. You have my support to sue him!” Adam spoke righteously, voicing his support to Noah. Noah laughed. “Thank you for your understanding, Adam. You are a righteous man indeed and a role model to us all.” As Noah flattered Adam, Darcy’s and Agnes’ hearts plunged into the abyss. Adam would not help, so how would they deal with Noah's retaliation? Noah alone was troublesome enough and now they had to deal with Noah’s father, the deputy mayor. “Adam, I don’t want to put you in a difficult situation. Please go upstairs first. My father
Kaze agreed with Noah’s words for the first time. He said, “Darcy, why don’t you guys go up first. I’ll deal with this and meet you guys upstairs.” “Hehe, let’s hope you still can go up to them after we are done here,” Noah said coldly. He assumed Kaze was just trying to act cool in front of his wife. Darcy shot a worried glance at Noah and then at Kaze. She knew there was no way she could talk him out of it, so she reluctantly nodded. “Okay. Don’t do anything rash. Just try to apologize and do what you must. “Winnie, you should come up with us as well.” Darcy was also afraid that Noah would give Winnie a hard time. Winnie shook her head. “It’s okay. Kaze got into conflict with Mr. Moor because of me. I must stay here and reason with the deputy mayor when he gets here.” She was prepared for the worst. No matter what she had to do, she must ensure Kaze’s safety. “Okay.” Darcy nodded and then went upstairs with Agnes and the others. She wanted to beg Adam to save
As the air crackled with deadly intent, Draig’s heart pounded with dread. He was horrified that the Viper’s Den members were just as strong, if not stronger than him. Draig had no idea that these members were Viper’s Den South River State Branch’s key players. They were the elites of the elites in the South River State. “Easy there, gentlemen. Mr. Tenby is from abroad. He doesn’t know the rules of Arcadia. Please cut him some slack.” With Draig caught in a spot, Cyan came to the rescue. Since Cyan was nice about it, the leader of the pack scoffed and waved his arm. His companions quickly put away their weapons. “I don’t care where you came from, but you need to keep to the Arcadian rules since you’re here. You don’t get special favors here.” The leader stared at Draig and said icily, “This should not happen again. Now, get lost!” Draig burned with rage. The people, except for Kaze, had been bending over backward for Draig since his arrival in Arcadia. To think he
The Viper’s Den members yelled at Draig while pulling out their weapons. The air was thick with tension. Draig knew that it was not wise of him to fight during Hannah’s celebration. The Viper’s Den members would not stand by and let the commotion stew. Draig was caught between a rock and a hard place. By throwing the punch, he would be at odds with the Viper’s Den, but he could not turn the other cheek on the matter. “Just forget it, Mr. Tenby. Don’t get into it with a dropped loser. You’re only insulting yourself.” Cyan gave Draig an out. Draig retrieved his arm and scoffed. “Consider yourself lucky, Kaze.” A shadow of regret fleeted across Kaze’s eyes. If Draig were to start a fight, Kaze would have reason to finish him off and get rid of the annoyance. It was a shame that the Viper’s Den members stopped anything from happening. Cyan criticized, “Mr. Tenby is only looking out for you, Kaze. Yet, you stomped on his car key. You went too far. Hurry up and apologiz
“Nevermind. Why are we wasting our time with the likes of him? We don’t belong in the same world anyway.” Draig waved his arm. “Come on. Let’s get inside.” Dumping his car on the side of the road, Draig led Cyan and her friends into Bronze Sparrow. “Huh? How did Kaze get in? Can he get in?” one influencer exclaimed. The crowd watched in shock as Kaze stepped through the door. “Branch Leader!” The members of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch perked up when Kaze showed up. They, Hannah’s trusted aides, knew who Kaze was. Kaze acknowledged the greeting. “Is everybody here?” The head of the pack said in respect, “Many guests have arrived. Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger will be here once they are done with work. Should I inform them to keep you company, sir?” “No, I’ll sit and wait.” Kaze waved his arm and made his way inside. “Hold it right there, Kaze!” Cyan’s angry voice came from behind. “Are you aware of the event at Bronze Sparrow? Do you know who the
“Kaze, I heard that your wife dumped your ass. Are you pinching pennies now? “You had a fancy car and a beautiful lady by your side just a couple of days ago, and now, you’re riding a bike.“I guess you want to do more than just a valet service.” Draig pulled out more cash to give to Kaze. “You can get my car washed too.“I’ll give you another twenty bucks. The money should be enough for you to get fried chicken or something for lunch.”“Hahaha!”Cyan and her friends laughed out loud. Twenty bucks for a fried chicken. That kind of life seemed far away for these people. Cyan suddenly scowled. “I’m warning you, Kaze. My family will not take pity on you just because your wife kicked you out.“Don’t try to leech off my family.” Cyan thought Kaze was so alpha at Emerald Bull Palace two days ago. The mayor was Kaze’s backing, and Juan was his apprentice. Yet now, Kaze was divorced and kicked out. It meant one thing. If Kaze was indeed badass, Darcy, who knew and love
Sucking up to Cyan, the influencers offered her words of comfort. Though Cyan did not have an invitation, she was close with Draig. The influencers could attend the event through Draig with Cyan’s help. Despite having other thoughts, the influencers knew better than to put Cyan down. A Mercedes G-wagon pulled up by the road. The car door opened, and Draig jumped out. He took off his sunglasses and said with a smile, “Why aren’t you going in, Cyan?” Cyan replied with a grin, “We don’t have an invite, Mr. Tenby. We’re waiting for you to take us in.“Oh, where’s your invite, Mr. Tenby?” She was confused as Draig did not seem to be holding anything. “An invite? It’s just a party for Hannah. You don’t need an invitation card.” Draig smiled confidently. “My name is basically our pass into the place. You can just say that you’re with me.” “Wow! You’re the man, Mr. Tenby.” “Mr. Tenby is so badass. You are total boyfriend material.” The influencers drooled over Draig, a
The influencers dropped their jaws in shock and looked at Cyan enviously. “Oh, my gawd! Marrying the branch leader is your gateway to super fame.” “Is it true, Cyan? Really?” The influencers hounded Cyan. Cyan rolled her eyes at Sweetpea. “Don’t take it from Sweetpea. “The VIPs from the South River State Branch did make a subtle mention. “I’m not sure whether Sponge is the branch leader since I’ve never met him before. “Just keep this between yourselves. Don’t spread the word. I’d be embarrassed if the whole thing was all a misunderstanding. “The branch leader keeps a low profile, and no one has met him in person before. “I doubt he likes to be put in the spotlight, so I’m playing it discreetly too.” Cyan spoke and acted reservedly. However, her smug look revealed her true thoughts. “Haha. Wouldn’t you meet the branch leader today?” “I see why you are so sure to take us to the celebration. We’d never get into a place like this on our own.” The influencers l
It never occurred to Kaze that Cyan and her influencer friends would attend Hannah’s celebration too. Before Cyan said anything, one influencer put her hand over her lips and said with a smile, “Get with the times, Anna. Cyan’s family isn’t just close with the senior members of the Viper’s Den. She’s going to be part of the organization soon.” “Huh?” Stunned, the other influencers asked, “What’s going on? Just tell us, Sweetpea!” Sweetpea was the influencer who just spilled the beans. She was Cyan’s closest friend and biggest ass-kisser. Taking Cyan by the shoulder, Sweetpea said, “Remember Cyan’s number one fan?” “Yeah!”“Sponge has been a fan of Cyan even before she signed with Golden Scale Corporation. Sponge tipped her tens of millions.”“That was how Cyan caught the eye of Golden Scale Corporation, and she became a hit.” The influencers chattered among themselves, all familiar with Sponge. They came from nothing and clawed their way up online.Their beginnings
The next afternoon, Kaze arrived at the parking lot outside Bronze Sparrow. It was packed with fancy cars. Needless to say, the underground garage must be filled with cars too. Hannah’s celebration was held in Bronze Sparrow. Just a few days ago, Siberian infiltrated Bronze Sparrow and abducted Anzu. The incident caused quite a stir in the upper crust of Riverbank. At the same time, the underground powerhouses were eager to get involved. As Miru, the up-and-coming underworld boss, seemed to be all bark and no bite, they wanted to see what she was made of. Bronze Sparrow, a place where troublemakers once ceased to exist, had to deal with incidents daily. Despite Miru getting tough on these troublemakers, business at Bronze Sparrow took a nosedive anyway. Miru was frustrated with the situation. Siberian had been a threat to the Viper’s Den for many years. It was no surprise that Miru’s crew could not defeat him. This time, Siberian’s death at the hands of the Viper’s
Kaze was taken aback. “How did you know?” “How?” June’s lips curled. “It’s all over town by now. Darcy is the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation. Have you any idea how many eyes are on a rich and beautiful girl like her? “Her divorce has caught the attention of men, and they are going to try their luck with her.” It did not take Kaze much to know that the Quint family members had nothing better to do. Agnes had been hoping to marry her daughter up. However, Darcy had the power, money, and connections to be playing with the big leagues herself. Agnes’ expectations for her future son-in-law would only go higher. Despite her lack of brain cells, Agnes would not do something degrading like circulating the news of her daughter’s divorce. “Hey! Why do you seem indifferent about this?” June elbowed Kaze. “How do you think I should react?” Kaze found June baffling. June looked disappointed. “You don’t seem upset that you were dumped.” “Get a life.” Kaze did not hav