Leigh yanked a chair closer and sat his bottom down. Moments later, Kaze and Draco ignored the two rows of bodyguards in black and swaggered their way over. “This is my turf, Kaze! Who are you to act so cocky here?” Leigh lifted his foot and stomped on Southend station’s high-ranking officer before giving Kaze the side eye. He did not pay Draco, who wore aviators, any attention. Kaze’s gaze fell on the pile of bloodied people on the ground, and he scowled. It was hard not to recognize them by their police uniforms. Kaze remembered the high-ranking officer too. He met the officer, Will Long, when bailing Sky for getting into a fight. Will was not in a leadership position in the police force, but he had a certain sway in the department. Yet now, Will was crushed under Leigh’s foot, used as a tool to get under Kaze’s skin. “Leigh, you have gone too far just because the Glitters have your back.” Kaze looked coldly at Leigh. Before Leigh could say anything, Max, standi
Leigh was malicious. Even the members of the Four Ocean Commerce Guild shuddered at this statement. They believed they would be better off dead if their wives were caught in that situation. “Are you trying to get on my nerves, Leigh?” Kaze smiled. Knowing Kaze, Darco foresaw Leigh’s death. Darcy was where Kaze drew the line. However, Leigh remained oblivious. “Get on your nerves? Who do you think you are?” Leigh mocked, “You’re just the chairman of Shangrila Group and the CEO of Hudson Investment Firm, Kaze. Oh, you lost your CEO job. “You were able to order Don around with Johnson the mayor’s help. “I bet you slipped him a lot of cash. You might have asked your wife to show him a fun time. “Do you think your alliance with Johnson puts you on my level? “I’m sure you’re confused as to why I was released after one hour in custody. “Tell him what happened.” Leigh waved his arm. A guild member said, “Listen up, Lee. We called the new mayor who agreed to an im
Leigh laughed cockily. Kaze was Lilyrose’s finest. Yet, he meant nothing to Leigh, who was born in the world of privilege. As a member of the Four Ocean Commerce Guild put it, Leigh could crush Kaze like a bug. Faced with Kaze’s silence, Kaze smiled smugly. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you scared? You should be. “You have one chance. “I might be in a good mood and consider sparing you if you pleaded to me on your knees.” There was no way Leigh would let Kaze off the hook. It was just a way to torture Kaze. That was all. He enjoyed driving his opponent to insanity. “Don’t just stand there. Mr. Glitter has spoken. Hurry up and get down on your knees now.” “You might be pardoned for pleasing Mr. Glitter.” “Not many are given the honor to kneel before Mr. Glitter.” The guild members clamored with sneers. Leigh would not take his anger out on them if things went his way. Without looking at the people, Kaze took strides toward Leigh. “Come on. Just knee
“Ahhh!” Leigh exclaimed from 15 feet away on the floor.It was not a cry but an angry, almost manic shout. No one would challenge Leigh in Sunrise, a place that belonged to a powerful family. However, his authority had been challenged not once but twice in the span of a day in Lilyrose. He was held in custody for an hour and got a beating. As a proud man, Leigh could not put up with the humiliation. “How dare you ambush and slap me, Kaze! You’re asking for it!” Leigh rolled over and got up from the ground. He must have gone through some training because he was physically fit. Kaze struck him repeatedly and sent him flying away. Yet, he still managed to rise to his feet. Despite his swollen face, Leigh could not hide the murderous intent in his eyes. “You have no idea what you’re doing, Kaze! “You’re digging your own grave!“Do you think by having enough friends in high places like Johnson and Don in your corner, you can disrespect me? “You’re wrong! I will ma
“Go and check if the photos have been scattered across the city.” Leigh waved his arm at Max who immediately rushed out to execute the order. “Mr. Glitter, the chopper’s dropping the photos now. It’s raining photos.” Soon, Max’s excited voice echoed from outside. Leigh gave Kaze a smug look and said aloud, “Grab a few photos to show Mr. Lee.” Never was Leigh more pleased than now. He could imagine Kaze’s fury when he realized photos of his wife were dumped all over the city. “I brought some back, Mr. Glitter.”Moments later, Max took a few photocopied pictures and dashed over with glee. He reached his hand out to grab the falling papers without taking a good look at them. It only occurred to him to flip them over for a look. “Ugh…” Max took one glance, and he was lost for words. He froze. “Don’t just stand there. Hand him the photos,” Leigh reprimanded. “Um, Mr. Glitter…” Max looked up at Leigh, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He cocked his head b
Leigh’s villa sat on the hillside of Landor Lake. Located on high ground, the residential building offered a birds-eye view of the city. Rushing to the entrance, Leigh went ballistic upon seeing photos raining down from the city center above.It would be a social suicide for Darcy if the public viewed compromising photos of her. The woman, titled the hope of Lilyrose, would become the disgrace of Lilyrose. Leigh would destroy every last ounce of her dignity. Yet now, his private photos with Loren and others had become public instead. He was the one experiencing social suicide. Leigh was foaming. “Smack!” Snapping out of his thoughts, Leigh slapped Max, who joined him at the door, in the face.“Bastard! Call Loren, the bitch, now and ask her what’s going on!” Leigh shouted menacingly. Max teared up, knowing he was in for hell after the botched job. Leigh punched and kicked him as he recoiled in fear and pulled out his phone shakily to give Loren a call. His calls
The exposure of his private photos did not bother Leigh. He was only fuming because Kaze played him like a fiddle. That was all there was to it. Leigh stared at Kaze with chilling eyes. He said curtly, “You have two choices, Kaze. “Either break yourself, or your wife comes with me. “If you don’t make your choice, just imagine yourself as this chair. Leigh grabbed a chair and gave it a good kick. “Smash!” The wooden chair shattered, and its splinter scattered across the floor. Leigh was pretty fit. The chair was not made of solid wood, but no ordinary individual could crush it with a single kick. Leigh split the chair to intimidate Kaze. “That’s amazing, Mr. Glitter.” The members of the Four Ocean Commerce Guild applauded Leigh’s prowess. “Break your limbs to atone your sins to Mr. Glitter, Kaze.”“I heard you caused a scene on set. I should be honest with you that Loren’s bodyguards aren’t stronger than Mr. Glitter.” “Mr. Glitter is the student of Gar
“Bang!”As Kaze’s palm met Leigh’s fist, Leigh froze. The immense pain entered his knuckles and traveled across his arm to his brain. “Argh!” Before Leigh knew it, a cry escaped his lips. Kaze’s hand made its way straight to Leigh’s face. “Smack!” Leigh fell back on his butt and stared at Kaze in shock. His face went numb. “Uh…” Members of Four Ocean Commerce Guilt, who were clamoring before, were dumbfounded. Leigh was strong and the student of a great martial artist in Sunrise. He even smashed a chair with just one kick. All Kaze was, was a brute amateur. Yet, he was able to slap Leigh to the ground. They were not the only ones finding reality hard to accept. Leigh, sitting on the ground, flipped out. He was destroyed with a single slap after singing his own praises. Leigh was furious, to say the least. He got back up from the ground and glared at Kaze. “How dare you ambush me, Kaze!” Leigh could not accept the fact that Kaze took him, a highly traine
“Gone too far?” Phoenix said furiously, “Do you want to get it too, boy?” “Shut up, Kaze!” Not wanting the situation to escalate, Agnes charged over and said ingratiatingly, “I’m sorry, Madam Quint. We didn’t do a good job raising Sky. He simply didn’t think straight in the heat of the moment.”“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry!” Darcy apologized as well. “I’ll wipe the blood off you, Madam Quint. We don’t want to get your hands dirty.” Joan pulled out a tissue and cleaned Phoenix’s hands fawningly while uttering sarcastically, “You have no idea, Madam Quint. Some people have the money. They just don’t want to spend it.“As far as I know, our little leader is living in a villa worth several hundred million dollars in Riverbank. The villa was a gift from Mayor Synder too.“They didn’t give a bracelet that was only worth half a million because they have no money. They simply do not care enough for you, Madam Quint. “They’re just trying to fob you off since you’re only an old
“We from Chrysant City have given Madam Quint a bullet-proof Lincoln stretch from Uleania. The Lincoln will be Madam Quint’s ride in Riverbank,” a middle-aged man with glasses said smugly.Kaze glanced at the Lincoln stretch not too far away, understanding the value of the car. “Madam Quint can’t be staying in the hotel throughout her trip. We, the branch in Takeno City, are a family in politics, so we lack funding. Still, we borrowed a villa from a major corporation to accommodate Madam Quint,” a representative of the Takeno Quints said with a chuckle. The Takeno Quints talked about borrowing. Their primary focus was on politics, so they could not be honest about their net worth. However, every branch of the Quints presented Phoenix with expensive gifts. Each gift was worth at least five million dollars. The five-hundred-thousand-dollar bracelet from Darcy’s family seemed modest in comparison. Sure enough, Phoenix grew upset and raised her free arm to slap the gift box
Even Darcy did not think Phoenix would deny her. It was true that Darcy was supposed to gather all family branches in Riverbank. She would have to discipline the unruly and unite the rest. Her goal was to consolidate the family’s power and resources under her control. It was a clear and comprehensive strategy. Darcy had not anticipated such a response from her first meeting with Phoenix. It was harsh. Phoenix completely dismissed her. Darcy, though accepting fault, felt hurt. Agnes felt like her world was crumbling down. If Darcy was stripped of her leadership role, the family would go back to when things were bad. Ever since Darcy became the family head in the South River State, Agnes was treated like royalty everywhere she went. She was addicted to the privileges. Agnes never wanted to go back to those days when people would look down on her.“Darcy, where’s the gift you got for Madam Quint? Hurry up and apologize to her.” Agnes grabbed Darcy hastily. A
“You should know that Madam Quint loves flowers, and you came empty-handed. No flowers, no gifts.” “You talk about respect for Madam Quint. It’s all talk. What have you done for her?” “You are hicks from a small place like Lilyrose. Where are your manners? You’re lucky to become the head of the South River Quints, but you will always lack refinement.” “I’m starting to worry about this leader taking us to new heights. I guess we can consider ourselves lucky if she doesn’t bring us down.” “Yeah! She was late and came empty-handed. This tells us all we need to know about this family.” Taking Joan’s lead, the other family members lay into Darcy’s family thick and hard. “That’s enough!” Before Kaze said anything, Sky had a go at these people. “You tried to set my sister up, and now you’re putting the blame on us!“Only you had information of Madam Quint’s flight. You only let us know half an hour before the plane touched down. “Why didn’t we come earlier to wait in the airp
Kaze narrowed his eyes at the woman and drew close. “You’re a member of the South River Quints. Should you stand by your leader instead of stirring the pot and causing the scene? “Does family even mean anything to you? “Are you defying the family? “Who are you to disrespect Madam Quint and the family?” The woman staggered back with each question, her face draining of color.“I… You…” Flustered, she glared at Kaze. Still, she was at a loss in the face of Kaze’s questioning. “I assure you, Madam Quint. My daughter, Joan, doesn’t mean any disrespect.” A grizzled-haired middle-aged man with glasses came forward with an ashen face. “She was just trying to defend your honor, Madam Quint. She’s upset because someone disrespected you and arrived late.” This person was manipulative. While sticking up for his daughter, he also took the opportunity to belittle Darcy. “Doesn’t mean any disrespect?” Kaze snapped back, “Madam Quint hasn’t said a thing, but a nobody came out
It appeared Kaze and Darcy were not the only ones who got their hands on the special pass straight to the hangar. Five groups stood in close proximity, yet a clear divide was evident between them.Interestingly, that was as many branches as the Quints had in Ridgesouth.The smallest cluster belonged to Hector, Agnes, and Sky. They kept their heads down, hiding their distress. It looked like they were insulted. As Darcy and Kaze got out of the car, all eyes turned to them, and many sneered. “Can you even drive, Kaze? Look at the time! Are you expecting Madam Quint to wait for you? You have the nerve to show your face when you’re already late!” Agnes tore into Kaze. She threw Kaze under the bus in hopes of deflecting Phoenix’s anger from Darcy. Having seen through Agnes, Kaze did not make a fuss and explained, “Sorry, when we received word, Madam Quint’s plane was touching down in half an hour. “What? Are you blaming us for informing you late?” A tall and pretty woman
With Sasha putting the blame on herself, Kaze shook his head. He was not pointing fingers. “You can accept the pay from Herbal Spring.” Kaze said, “You’re not living at Herbal Spring for free. Your aunt is paying for you. Once you get into college, you can make more money to repay her.”“Really?” Sasha was skeptical. Besides boarding and lodging at Herbal Spring, Sasha was also taking medicine for her health. After working there for a while, Sasha had a general idea of things. Sasha’s medicine was expensive, and the medical bill was beyond the budget of most families. Kaze said, “You can ask Darcy if you don’t believe me. Your aunt even asked me if she had paid enough money when I was heading out this morning.” Despite knowing it was a lie, Darcy nodded. “Sasha, Kaze is right. Don’t feel burdened.” Sasha was naïve and gullible. Darcy’s statement gave Sasha the push. Since Kaze and Darcy were rich, Sasha assumed that her aunt must earn a lot. Her aunt could afford
Everett understood that Kaze would make a big deal out of the Golden Road at tomorrow’s auction. Of course, it was none of Everett’s business. He had no qualms about turning his back on Aiden. As one of the four underworld kingpins, Everett would give the Krads their due respect, but he did not owe Aiden anything. Aiden was an individual. He did not represent the Krads as a whole. “So that’s decided.” Kaze then said, “That reminds me. Have your people pick out a nice bracelet. I’m looking at the five-hundred-thousand-dollar range.”“Oh, consider it a gift from me. Just inform Marilyn.” Everett was quick to offer a gift. Kaze did not appreciate the gesture though. Everett was a cunning man. His generosity may seem like an olive branch. However, Kaze knew that given the chance, Everett would make him pay. Everett would never have the chance though. Kaze would fight back, and the consequences could be fatal. “Mr. Lee, Ms. Quint, are you happy with this bracelet
“I reckon that the stone might be important to someone within the Krads.“Aiden volunteered to take care of the business in Riverbank and go up against your wife. He’s not just here to suck up to his chief commander brother but to prove to the Krads that he’s better than the rest of the competition.“If he can gain that somebody’s favor, this can be bigger than his achievements in business.” Everett adopted the requirement analysis. Though Everett had no idea why the Golden Toad was important to the Krads, he understood Aiden’s needs. By grasping an individual’s core requirement, he was able to deduce something that was closer to the truth. “Has Aiden lost his head?” Kaze uttered in confusion, “He could’ve just gotten the thing from you at a better rate. Why is he getting to buy it from an auction?” Everett mentioned that the Golden Toad was worth tens of millions of dollars, but no more than a hundred million dollars. Aiden could have made a private deal with Everett.