“You are turning out to be quite the guy, honey. The major firms are seeking to make you a partner.” As the car left Taurus Automobiles, Darcy sat in the front passenger seat excitedly. “I have always been quite the guy.” Kaze leaned toward her seat with a smile. “Do you want to know more? Kiss me, and I’ll tell you.” It was a great feeling to be admired by the love of his life. “Hey! Keep your eyes on the road.” Darcy pretended to be angry and pounded him in a light-hearted manner. Once they traveled at low velocity with fewer cars around, Darcy drew close to peck him on the cheek. “That’s a peck, not a kiss.” Kaze was not having it. Darcy rolled her eyes and replied, “Back to the subject of the matter, are you seriously not returning to Hudson Investment Firm? “Miru sent me a text, saying that you must stay in Hudson Investment Firm. Rove should make Hudson a shareholder.” To think the instruction came straight from Miru. Back then, Miru gave Kaze a job at H
“Get Miru to tend to us? That’s a great idea. I heard she’s one of the four most beautiful ladies in Lilyrose.” “It’s hard to split four gorgeous women between us three.” The two men with buzz cuts on each side laughed. “How dare you insult Ms. Scarlet!” Furious, Callum approached to apprehend them. “Die!” The man with a buzz cut lifted his leg for a kick. “Pow!” Struck, Callum spat blood and crashed to the ground. “Notify Ms. Scarlet. We have trouble in the lobby!” The employees of Lefteria Group shrieked in fright and pulled out their phones to alert the authorities. The hired muscles on the first floor rushed to the scene and started fighting without hesitation. “Here comes another group who is about to die.” Though outnumbered, the three men showed no fear and charged toward the crowd. “Wham!” “Argh!” Anguished cries echoed across the lobby as the fight ensued. When Miru caught wind and rushed over with backup, her men had fallen. “These three un
“Our boss sent me to give you a message, Mr. Lyfe. “Rove must only accept funding from Astral Wealth Management,” Charlotte said with a harsh tone.Hart snapped back. “Even Red Mount Capital isn’t demanding like you. I’ve never heard of Astral Wealth Management.” “That’s okay. Now you know.” Charlotte said condescendingly, “The heir of the great Glitter family, Astral Glitter built Astral Wealth Management from the ground up. “Mr. Glitter has been planning to conquer the financial market, and he needs a classic case to put Astral Wealth Management in the forefront. “It’s your honor that Mr. Glitter picked Rove.” Charlotte dumped a pile of papers on Hart. “This is Astral Wealth Management’s financing plan for Rove. You can read all about it, Mr. Lyfe.” Hart flipped through the financing plan before hurling the document to the ground in rage. “Is this even financing? This is daylight robbery. “The Glitters and Astral have no decency.” Unfazed, Charlotte said callousl
“Will that work, Mr. Glitter?” Charlotte said cautiously, “Kaze is a well-known dummy. He assaulted Mr. Gebach from the South River Group in public. “He will likely ignore your request to beg for mercy. “Maybe we should make him do it. We could get Tobias and his crew to summon his wife. “Mr. Leigh ordered for his wife’s indecent pictures to be scattered from a chopper, but his photos somehow were dumped instead. We could try that again,” Charlotte suggested wickedly. The mind of humans was a mystery. There was no feud between Charlotte and Darcy. Heck, they never even met before. Yet, Charlotte was jealous of Darcy from the moment she saw the latter’s picture. Astral said with a smile, “You have learned nothing despite working for me for a long time, Charlotte. “I sent the three titans to Lefteria Group and you to Hart, as well as put the word out, not to go after Kaze. He doesn’t deserve my attention. “I want the whole world to know that I’ve arrived in Lilyrose w
As Astral’s visit and statement went around all social circles, Darcy got the message too. “Astral is taking things too far. Does he think he’s the king? Why does he expect Kaze to kneel before him?” Filled with rage, Darcy approached Kaze. “What should we do, honey?” Leigh was pulverized, and Tank was assaulted. She knew reconciliation was not an option for Kaze and the Glitters. Hence, Darcy did not try to be a peacemaker like before. Instead, she attempted to talk to Kaze to figure a way out. “Stay out of it, babe. Just focus on your stuff. I’ll handle it.” After settling Darcy down, Kaze changed his clothes and went out. He whipped out his phone to call Conan. “I’m going to see Astral. Get ready and bring your men to clean the scene.” Conan was proving to become a nice sidekick to Kaze. “I caught wind that Astral brought along three of Gareth’s best students and other hired protection,” Conan responded. As an heir to the Butterworth Queens, he was well-inform
“Has Mr. Glitter arrived?” Kaze did not dwell on the matter regarding car ownership. Max bowed and scraped. “Yes, yes. He just arrived.” “Come on.” Kaze walked into the gate. He quickly took notice of a chopper on the landing pad. It was the same aircraft Leigh used to dump a bunch of photos in the air. Draco’s earlier briefing while on the way to Landor Residential Area came to Kaze’s mind, and he raised a brow. “Oh, whose photos are Astral planning to distribute from the chopper?” “No, no. There is no photo distribution involved. He wants to hang an individual off the chopper to take around the city.” Trailing behind Kaze, Max snuck a glance at him while talking. “Tsk, tsk. He’s wilder than his brother.” Kaze smiled and walked ahead. He took the steps into the reception area where he faced off with Leigh the last time. “Bang!” The moment Kaze set food into the reception area, the corridors leading from the front and back were swarmed with men in suits. T
“Do you want to know how your brother lost? Do you want a taste of it?” Kaze let out a faint smile. He did not mind Astral’s undisguised disdain, nor did he care to explain himself. Kaze had seen one too many snobs like Astral. Astral was not the first nor would he be last. Besides, he was born with a silver spoon. He had a head start in life that most people could ever dream of. It made sense that he was arrogant. However, Kaze believed that it was absurd for Astral to direct that attitude toward him. Sensing Kaze’s nonchalance, Astral made a face. He had always acted superior to others, except his elders. People would swallow their pride and suck up to Astral on eggshells. Yet now, Kaze acted defiantly toward him. “Who are you to take that tone with Mr. Glitter, Kaze?” Picking up on Astral’s displeasure, Tobias took a step forward. Tobias stared Kaze down and criticized, “Mr. Glitter is talking to you. Kneel and answer him. “Are people from this tiny c
Tobias blew up. “You’re going to get it!” He raised his arm for the kill. Rex and Paul inched closer in unison. Sure, they were close with the Glitters and often ran errands for them, but they did not see themselves as subservient to the family. Yet, a small-town son-in-law of some upper-middle-class family had the nerve to insult them. The man was asking for it. The three men hovered around Kaze murderously. Charlotte and the others around shuddered in fear, and their faces went white. Though not the target, they could feel chills creeping up their spine. Kaze stood unfazed in the middle of the shitstorm. Tobias, Rex, and Paul were taken aback. Anyone would be intimidated, shivering and going weak in the knees in their presence. The four titans, honed by years of training and a fearsome reputation, exuded an aura of dread.Kaze seemed unaffected. Tobias frowned before it dawned on him. He smiled. “It explains why you came to meet Mr. Glitter on your own, boy
It took a lot of effort for Agnes to break her daughter up with Kaze. There was no way she would allow Kaze to have a second shot with Darcy. The way Agnes saw it, her daughter was the head of the Quints in the South River State and the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation. Darcy was beautiful and a great catch. Kaze did not mean squat. While Agnes danced with joy, several vehicles turned up outside the villa. These cars belonged to two different parties. The first group was in fancy cars while the other group was much more discreet. Still, nobody would dismiss government vehicles. Though surprised, Darcy quickly went up to greet the people. “Chief Yaphet, Mr. Jayne, what brings you here?” The alphas of both groups were not some big VIP to Darcy’s family. However, they had control over Sky Ocean Corporation’s future. More accurately, the entities that these people worked for held the fate of Sky Ocean Corporation in their hands. Welson, a middle-ranking official in the
“No way! Madam Quint had no reason to kill Madam Dark.” There was a bustle at Villa No. 1. Despite the statement coming from the police, the crowd was skeptical that Phoenix would kill anyone. Agnes and Darcy found the truth hard to swallow. If Phoenix were behind the evil assassination, they would be wrong about Kaze. The police officer said, “We learned that the dump truck driver received 1.2 million dollars before the accident. We tracked the money to one of Phoenix’s people in Ridgesouth. “We looked into Phoenix’s phone records and discovered that she contacted the Steelclaw Guild through the dark web. “She had no idea that we have eyes on the dark web. Though we don’t know the specifics of her deal with the Steelclaw Guild, she would only have one reason to contact an assassination organization.“The Steelclaw Guild’s killer then showed up at the funeral parlor.“We are linking these two incidents, and our prime suspect is Phoenix, who is now deceased.“We didn’t de
“Kaze, do you know how unfamiliar and frightened you’re making me feel right now?“Why was the Steelclaw Guild’s killer after you? If today didn’t happen, I wouldn’t know that you had gotten yourself in deep trouble. “I don’t know what else you are hiding from me. I even wonder if you were behind Madam Dark’s car accident. “My feelings toward you have been true, but family is equally important to me. “I’m afraid that one day, you will get my parents and brother killed.” Darcy let everything out. The storm in Kaze’s eyes quelled.He grabbed a pen and signed his name before taking his copy. Kaze placed the other copy on the table before walking away. As the people in the villa watched on in shock, Agnes dropped her jaw in joy. Agnes thought that it would take a lot of talking and crying to push Darcy in the right direction. To her surprise, Darcy filed for divorce right away. Nevertheless, she was quick to complain. “You are silly, Darcy. You should have asked for V
“Oh, don’t give me that!” Agnes said without a care, “All I know is that you stood by and got Madam Quint killed. “Why can’t you think before you act, Kaze? What are you going to do when the Quints hold you responsible?“Do you think this is the end of the matter? With Madam Quint dead, the Quints would demand answers.“Here you are, saying that you weren’t trying to get us killed. “You should set my daughter free now! I demand a divorce.” Agnes clamored. “I can’t sleep well at night, thinking I have to spend another day with a snake. “The ball is in your court, Darcy. Either he stays, or I go.” Agnes was determined to force her daughter into dumping Kaze’s sorry ass. Kaze turned to Darcy. “Let’s move out, babe. We can buy another house to live in.” He looked weary for once. Kaze felt drained. There was never a moment of peace whenever he was at home. Agnes would push Darcy into getting a divorce every time Kaze showed his face. Kaze had tried addressing the iss
Kaze said indifferently, “I don’t want to talk to you about this. Just carry on living in their own world.” “What? You have nothing to say for yourself, so you shut up?” Agnes was on full steam ahead. “Why didn’t you kneel when we were on our knees? Don’t you care whether we die?“Are you wishing we were dead?” Despite the grilling, Kaze remained indifferent. Agnes took things far and pressed on. “Were you trying to egg the killer into killing Madam Quint and Joan?“You were afraid of Madam Quint’s retaliation once the word about Madam Dark and Shadow’s accident got out, so you wanted to silence her.” Sky could not stand by anymore. “That’s extreme, Mom. K-Kaze—” “Was what?” Agnes glared at him. “The killer broke Madam Quint’s fingers, fractured her leg, and killed her and Joan. It’s clear that she was triggered by Kaze. “Once or twice might be a coincidence, but we’re talking about this happening multiple times. Isn’t it a deliberate act?” Agnes was witty to make
It had only been an hour since Phoenix met her demise. Yet the Ridgesouth Quints had already come to a decision. Even Kaze had to admit that the Ridgesouth Quints were highly efficient. The Quints’ approach was simple but highly effective. With Phoenix dead, the Quint family members in the South River State were without a leader. As the situation remained unclear and loomed with potential threats, it was best to put Darcy in charge of picking up the pieces. One thing stood out when the Quints handled business. It showed the Quints prioritized their own interest above all else. The Quints were not in a rush to investigate Phoenix’s death, avenge her, or question Hector’s family. Their aim was to cut their losses and reassure the family. The Ridgesouth Quints did not even mention Phoenix’s funeral. Different from Hector’s family’s joy, the other family members were horrified. “I’m sorry to upset you before, Darcy. Please forgive us.” “We were wrong. We are terribly so
“The head honcho made a wise choice.” South talked as if the plan benefited them all. The Steelclaw Guild did not consider the risk of sending Anzu after Kaze and his loved ones. Kaze survived the assassination and proved to the Steelclaw Guild that he was worth the risk. However, what if he had died? The Steelclaw Guild would let Phoenix know that she owed them one. Either way, the Steelclaw Guild would not be losing out on anything. The Steelclaw Guild had a collaboration with Kaze, but they were not in on it together. Kaze shook his head. The Steelclaw Guild was an assassination organization for a reason. They only worked for themselves and were not worth Kaze’s trust. He said curtly, “Tell your head honcho that I don’t owe your people anything anymore. “But you owe me one.” No one else but Kaze would demand something from the Steelclaw Guild. Anyone else in Kaze’s place would swallow the bitter pill and move on. Not Kaze, though. He was not scared of the
With Anzu dead, Kaze got rid of one major problem. Since the police would tie up loose ends at the funeral parlor, Kaze and Darcy’s family were free to leave under the escort of police officers. Other Quint family members in the South River State departed alongside Kaze and Darcy’s family. These people feared for their lives. It dawned on them that they were safe with Darcy’s family, especially since the police were determined to keep Darcy’s family safe and sound before. They followed Darcy’s family, not leaving them out of their sight. Dozens of members swarmed into Villa No. 1, leaving the residence rather cramped. “It’s such a waste of space for a small family to live in a big, luxurious place.” “I guess there are perks to kissing up to the mayor.” The Quint family members, making themselves too at home, occupied the space and made snide remarks. Darcy did not possess power or influence after losing Sky Ocean Corporation. They did not care what Darcy’s family t
Like Joan, Phoenix never would have imagined that she would die in such a humiliating way. Kaze did not even move his hands. He simply said a few words and Anzu killed her. Phoenix died with her eyes wide open, but the light quickly faded. The last image reflected upon her eyes was Kaze grinning brightly with his teeth gleaming under the light. “Bastard…” That was Phoenix’s last word. In just the blink of an eye, the respected elder of the Quint family had turned into a lifeless corpse. Every other family member at the scene gasped in shock. “Die, Kaze Lee!” Anzu’s killing spree did not stop with just two deaths. She shouted at Kaze but she dashed toward Darcy. Swoosh! Kaze had anticipated this. With a swift movement, he shifted sideways to position himself in front of Anzu, blocking her. Anzu swung her arms forward, launching multiple poisoned shurikens at him. Darcy was right behind him, so Kaze dared not dodge the shurikens. It was either him or Darcy. Howe