At Nobel Hotel, Kaze and Darcy were welcomed by the hotel employees. All the employees had a strong impression of Kaze after he made Harrison, the consul of Paladia, kneel in front of the hotel. “Hi, can you please inform the representatives of Four Ocean Commerce Guild that the chairwoman of Quartet Group, Darcy Quint, requests a meeting with them?” Darcy politely said to the reception manager. The Four Ocean Commerce Guild sent a group of representatives over and booked an entire floor in the hotel for themselves. “Please wait, Ms. Quint. I’ll inform the representatives right away.” The reception manager nodded at Darcy and Kaze before he went off. At the same time in a meeting room on the ninth floor, the representatives from the guild gathered but the atmosphere was unusually quiet. “What?! Leigh was arrested and detained?!” A man with a scrawny face shouted in disbelief. His name was Max Kang, one of the representatives sent by the guild to inspect Darcy’s compan
Samson was the first person that Max thought of. Although Max had no respect for anyone in Lilyrose, including the police chief, he could not just get any John Doe to settle the problem with the local government and the police department. He wanted to contact the mayor directly but since the mayoral position had just gone through a transition, Max did not know who the new mayor would be, so he did not know who to call. Soon, the call to Samson got through. “Max, I just learned what happened. I know the police chief, Don Braders. People call him the Iron Justice, strict and adheres to the law. It’s going to be tricky trying to free Leigh from his apprehension…” Samson made it sound difficult on the other side of the phone. Max wiped his sweat off as he flattered. “Samson, with your methods, even the strongest iron can be bent at will. Please, I need your help. As long as I can get Leigh back, you will not only get my gratitude but also the Glitter family’s.” Samson feigned
Max’s eyes shone when he saw Darcy get in his way. The lustful greed in his eyes flashed but he was able to conceal it. He frowned and said, “Ms. Quint? I thought I told you to wait.” Darcy had been waiting for a while now and seeing the impatience on Max’s face irritated her. Even though she was the one being inspected by the guild, they should have mutual respect for each other. Max made it sound like she was begging him. Darcy politely said, “Mr. Kang, we had a lunch appointment and now it’s lunchtime. Why don’t…” Max cut her off before she could finish. He grunted impatiently and said, “I don’t have the time now. Just wait here.” He wanted to bring Leigh out of detention, not waste time on lunch with Darcy. He then led his men out of the hotel, leaving Darcy behind with a sour look. Kaze coldly stared at Max and his men leaving the hotel. He said to Darcy, “Darcy, since he doesn’t want to meet us, let’s go.” “We’ll wait for a little longer…” Darcy said with a
“Leigh, are you alright?” Max went up to Leigh immediately and escorted him out of the police station. “Do I look alright to you?” Leigh lit a cigarette and took a puff before he looked at the signage above the police station. His gaze turned grim as he said coldly, “There were a few of them who took charge. I want everything about them. No Tom, Dick, and Harry can walk away alive after laying a finger on me. I’ll make the peasants know how severe the consequences are!” Leigh came from a wealthy and powerful family and he had always been the bully, not the other way around. Even in Sunrise City, less than a handful of people would dare to challenge him. Yet in Lilyrose, aside from losing the argument to a useless trash, he even got beaten up by the people inside the southern branch station. If the news got to Sunrise City, he would lose face. “Don’t worry, Leigh. I’ll take care of it as if it’s my matter. Even without your orders, I’ll find out who did it and give you
“And also Cosmo Lee from the Lee family. Kaze Lee broke his legs as well. “That man is crazy, an idiot. To him, all of you wealthy young masters are nothing but a punching bag,” Samson said heavily. Whether he was intentionally fanning the flames or just simply warning Leigh, only he himself knew the answer. Samson’s words successfully piqued Leigh’s interest. He felt challenged. “Cosmo Lee? He’s just a sissy,” Leigh said with a contemptuous grunt. He added, “This time, I’ll show that bastard what it means to be a young master from a real wealthy, powerful family. I can crush him easier than crushing an ant!” With his family’s support, Leigh had the confidence. Samson continued, “Leigh, I don’t think you should take this lightly. Kaze Lee is quite close with the ex-mayor, Johnson Brooks. Although Johnson is no longer around, his legacy remains. Don Braders, the chief of police, used to be his right-hand man.” “I see. His support is Johnson Brooks. I see it now!” Leigh
Max wished he could reverse time and slapped himself for spewing the wrong words in front of Zel. He forgot that to a wealthy family like the Glitters, reputation and dignity were more important than money. Moreover, Kaze was not just any John Doe, he was the abandoned son of the Sunrise Lees. The Glitter and Lee families were competitors in many different fields. No matter how ridiculous Leigh’s demands were, the Glitters had to answer them. With that, Max knew what he should do next. He asked his men, “Are Darcy Quint and her husband still at the hotel?” “Yes, sir. We just got confirmation from our men back there. They are still at the hotel.” Max nodded and said, “Let’s go back.” Back at Nobel Hotel, Darcy and Kaze continued waiting for Max. Darcy’s stomach was growling already. Suddenly, Max and his men came back and strode into the hotel lobby. Darcy went up to him and asked, “Mr. Kang, you’re back. Are you free now?” She and Kaze had no idea that Max wen
“This time, the guild will not set any terms and conditions for you and all you need to do is promote the guild. Ms. Quint, it’s a very small favor in exchange for the strict terms and conditions…” Max tried to provoke Darcy but he was gloating at her deep down. He made it sound like Darcy was already part of the guild but it was not true. Once Darcy fell for his trap, her nudes would be all over the city. Then, he would have a reason to reject her application because it would tarnish the guild’s image. It was a vicious idea. Darcy would walk straight into the trap and suffer in the end. She had no idea the wicked idea was brewing in Max’s mind because she was considering his offer. It made sense. Joining the guild was beneficial to every business because the members had a brand new platform to find potential businesses and expand further. Four Ocean Commerce Guild had connections and resources that were available for all its members. It was also the reason why it
Upon hearing Darcy’s words, the anger on Max’s face faded. “Very well. Ms. Quint, you are quite decisive. The shoot might start today. You two can go home for now. I’ll inform you about the location and time later,” Max said to Darcy and Darcy only. He did not even look at Kaze. “Thank you.” Darcy smiled and nodded. She nudged Kaze, signaling him to leave. Kaze stared at Max for a moment before he left with Darcy. Max watched Darcy and Kaze disappear from his sight. He then said to the woman who mocked Kaze earlier, “Loren, get someone to set up a set and contact the production crew. “When you inform Darcy Quint later, tell her not to bring her husband. The production crew will take care of her.” Max did not take Kaze seriously but he did not want the idiot to cause trouble. He knew from his sources that Kaze was physically strong. “No problem, Mr. Kang. If that idiot appears, I’ll twist his dick. He’s so ordinary but he’s blindly confident. What’s his problem…” L
The hostages were locked up in the containers. Some of them were elites in their own field while some were ordinary people with average income, yet all of them got into trouble when they boarded the plane. Most of them could not accept their fate. Yet they dared not defy or resist the mercenaries. When things started to calm down, they broke down in tears, weeping in silence as resentment consumed them. Kaze sat down at a clean corner that allowed him to look outside the window. The window was dirty but at least he could see outside. The space inside the container was filled with people sitting closely, offering comfort to one another. They were aware they were just temporarily safe in this container. No one knew what the mercenaries would do to them at the next moment. “My parents must be worried. I said I would call them when I land but now I can’t even get in touch,” Barney muttered as he sat beside Kaze. He too looked outside the window, his feelings mixed. He watc
Kaze thought of what he had overheard in the toilet. If he told the hostages about that, they would probably panic. “It’s nothing. They are just going to separate us into different rooms or containers. They said the buses would be disposed of,” he said. He did not want to reveal too much because it would cause panic. Once the hostages knew their lives were on the line, things might spiral out of control. The mercenaries could kill a few of them to make an example, and none of the hostages would dare to cause problems anymore. Kaze kept it a secret because he wanted to protect the people. “That’s it?” “Is there anything else? How many men are there? What is their plan? Who are they looking for?” “We want to know because we want to survive. This isn't our problem—we just got caught up in it.” The hostages looked at Kaze, their eyes filled with worry. They felt aggrieved because they should not be caught in such a huge problem. “I don’t know either.” No matter how m
“There’s a room there. Get in.” The mercenary pointed his gun at the mother and son, which led them to look at Kaze nervously, seemingly asking for help. “What do you want?” The mother was nervous. She clutched her son’s hand tightly, nearly making him cry, but she reacted quickly enough to cover her son’s mouth to prevent him from doing so. “All women must go into that room. You go in now,” the mercenary explained. He did not want the woman to get the wrong idea. “You people won’t hurt me, right?” the mother asked, worried that she might be ravaged. “We are not into MILF,” said the other mercenary who was escorting Kaze, indirectly assuring the mother. Kaze shot a glance at the mother and nodded at her. “They told us they were going to separate us, so there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, worried that the mother and son would not cooperate. The mother then carried her son and followed the other mercenary into the room. It was called a room but it was actually ju
“Can you make him stop? If the man comes back, we’ll be done for,” someone said. The kid’s crying made everyone anxious. “What can I do? He’s crying because he’s scared. I can’t just stop him.” The mother was afraid as well, and she did not want her son to be taken advantage of. “Calm down. Just don’t alert the men and we’ll be fine,” Miguel said, hoping to ease the situation. “I’ll fight him if he comes in. I believe I can make it,” someone said. Those with an impulsive nature grew restless from being kept on the bus for too long, feeling like livestock being kept in cages. “Shut it. They are coming,” Barney said after a glance outside the window. The other passengers fell silent, sat back down, lowered their heads, and tried their best not to look out the window. The mother quickly hugged her son and covered his mouth to prevent him from crying. Kaze felt peace and quiet once more, even the air felt smoother. He knew the passengers were merely ordinary people and
Unfortunately, Leah knew she would not get an answer out of Snow since she was refusing to help. Everything seemed to have changed following her mother’s disappearance. She tried to stay for answers but when security came in, she could not resist them anymore. It was the first time she was escorted out by security guards and it impacted her. She used to be the daughter of the CEO of Northborn Group—everyone respected her. She used to enjoy a privileged status. No matter where she went, she was the star of the event. Yet when her mother disappeared, everything changed. She wanted to look for Kaze but she had just lost the chance. Snow turned her down and gazed at her with contempt and irritation. Leah could not accept the changes but some things felt like they were destined to change. She was forced to leave the branch office but then had no idea where else to go. She felt abandoned by the world. Before this, she could still hope for Kaze’s help, but now she had no
Leah went to her mother’s company but did not find her anywhere. Joey was busy working in the CEO’s office. Leah went over and asked, “Joey, where’s my mother? I can’t reach her.” She wanted to know what happened to her mother. “I don’t know about your mother either. We went out together earlier in the day but I don’t know where she went. I can’t get in touch with her.” Joey was so busy that she could not even free herself from the desk to explain to the girl. “Where did she go? How am I supposed to find her?” Leah panicked. If even Joey did not know where her mother went, then something must have happened. A bad feeling rose from her heart. Things just got serious. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask someone else?” Joey did not have time to deal with the girl. Leah was unfamiliar with Joey’s coldness. Joey had always treated her with kindness and flattery, so the sudden coldness caught her off guard. She felt like something had changed. “Who should I be looking f
“No! My daughter is still in the hospital!” Katie refused to accept her punishment. She started to regret her decision but it was too late. “Now only you think about your daughter? I guess you are not that foolish, but have you thought about her when you betrayed Chairman Lee? “Don’t worry. Leah knew Chairman Lee personally and we won’t hurt her, but she might not live a good life anymore,” Snow said coldly. She did not want to put the girl in a difficult situation but her life as a princess would come to an end. “You can’t do that!” Katie could not believe Snow would do that. “I bet you never thought of the consequences when you leaked the information. Too bad. You’ve lost.” Snow revealed the truth because she wanted Katie to suffer for the decision she made. Katie would now regret every decision she made because she knew she had jeopardized her daughter’s life. She would feel like a fool. She devoted her life to climbing higher to gain more power but she ignored the
“I went to a bar to have a drink and I bumped into an informant of the Viper’s Den.” Katie looked helpless as she explained as if everything that had happened was planned out for her, pushing her to the edge step by step. It was a lively night at the bar. The atmosphere was pleasant and most of the guests were having a good time. Katie was a single woman. She needed care and love at times. She was alone when she visited the bar. She started off by ordering some drinks at the counter, waiting for a chance to meet a man who shared the same ideals. A drink or two later, maybe she could get herself a company for the night. As a grown-up woman, she had her desires. It was a way to release her stress. Katie entered the bar in a casual outfit but it did not diminish her elegant demeanor. When she sat down at the counter, a few young men approached her but she was not interested in immature boys. She continued drinking. She looked at the dance floor occasionally, searching for a
“Who do you think will believe you?” Arthur frowned. There were too many coincidences that it felt like a giant setup. “I’ve explained what I need to. Don’t interrogate me like I’m a criminal. I am the CEO of the Northborn Group.” Katie left them speechless. She had said the necessary and it was up to them whether they wanted to believe it or not. They did not have the evidence to charge her anyway. “You really think we can’t hold you responsible?” Snow was not really looking for a definite answer. The moment she suspected Katie, whether or not she was truly the traitor, Snow already had the right to hold her accountable. It was necessary to make things clear and it was to find out who Katie leaked Kaze’s information to. “It has come down to this. No matter how you deny it, it’s useless. We already know what you have done and you can’t escape. Even if you don’t want to confess, we can continue the investigation, and we’ll eventually find out the truth. “If you come clean