“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 takes guts for these underworld kingpins to build their own empire in the criminal world.” Kaze doubted that these individuals were able to get to where they were today solely through their ruthless ways. Nile had a knack for doing business, but people like him were vile. “But will they leave my mother alone?” This was Snow’s primary concern. “I’ll make sure they will,” Kaze said confidently while cocking his head back to give Snow a look of reassurance. There was no need for Snow to get in over her head. “Afontre is up ahead. That’s Nile’s territory. “Nile must be notified of our presence by now.” Snow felt uneasy. “The issue is if he doesn’t know that we’re here. It’s not easy to meet the guy.” Kaze had no fear. The rescue mission was a simple task. He would have given it more time if Snow had not urged him so insistently. Venom knew what she was doing after all. Though May was in critical condition, she could still hang on, and her organs were unharme
Serenity 37 targeted rich clientele. Even though it cost a fortune to get treatment at the place, the patients received the best care while enjoying VIP service. Aircraft shuttled patients from other regions to the institution daily. A silver sedan raced toward Serenity 37. The driver seemed to be in a hurry, putting the pedal to the metal. However, the car was stopped at the gate. A security officer in a black uniform stepped forward. “What’s the meaning of this? This is reckless behavior,” the security officer grilled unfriendlily. “My child is badly hurt. This is an emergency. My child needs urgent medical attention.” The mother in the car shouted, hoping the guards would open the gate for them.“Don’t you know the rules of Serenity 37?” the security officer asked callously. “We’ve called in advance, but there’s no time.” “So long as you know the rules.” The security officer hit the button with his electronic key to open the gate. The car drove in. The
“You might want to figure out what’s going on with your family for Jet to make such a drastic move. He must have learned something.” By the absent-minded look on Snow’s face, Kaze knew that she was not in the mood to eat. He was better off leaving her with some questions to think about. It was only the start of something big. “I’ll get right on it.” Despite sticking close to Kaze, Snow got her ear to the ground with the Frosts. She had eyes and ears on the family. She would not put up with anyone hurting her mother. After wolfing down his food and downing the drink, Kaze felt better. He had to leave the celebration before he could enjoy a sip of water. It was sad that Kaze needed to sort out some problems now. With Snow falling into contemplation, Kaze knew that she had a finding. “Why would Hades' Hand know Jet? There must be something that connects them.” Snow came across a key piece of information. They might have overlooked this clue if it were not for Venom.
When Alfonso reported the poisoning incident, Kaze figured the Frosts must have framed Venom.On second thought, Kaze believed Venom could poison May enough that the Frosts had no choice but to send her to Riverbank. No one knew poison like Venom in Arcadia. “You must know the situation with the Frosts.” Venom replied, “That’s right. I poisoned May, but I did it to separate her from the Frosts. At least she has left Butterworth for Riverbank.” “Why did you separate her from the Frosts?” Kaze asked. Venom responded, “My whereabouts have been compromised. Hades’ Hand dispatched killers after me.“The assassins are on my tail as we speak. “I needed to flee, so I couldn’t protect May as you instructed. That was why I poisoned her, which, in turn, pushed Jet into transferring her to Riverbank. “That way, you can save her.” Venom explained why she did what she did. Even Kaze was pretty impressed by Venom’s wit. He asked, “I can bring May to safety, but I can’t neutralize
The other underworld kingpin in Riverbank was Miru, Darcy’s best friend, who owned Bronze Sparrow. Thanks to Kaze’s support, Miru was killing it in the world, pushing the former criminal boss out and taking his place. Everett and Kaze used to have beef, and they had called a truce for now. They were keeping their distance at the moment. Kaze annihilated Boris and his family. Nile, the owner of Serenity 37, was the only one left who had not met Kaze. “That’s right. It’s Nile.” Alfonso said, “Jet is one of the Riverbank Seven. Before he went back to Butterworth to fight over the family’s authority, he was pretty close with Nile during his stay in Riverbank. “They are allies, but Jet is the leader between the two.” Nile, one of the four underworld kingpins, was old enough to be Jet’s father. Yet, he partnered up with Jet, serving under him. There were reasons why Jet was named one of the Riverbank Seven. Otherwise, Nile, who held influence in the underworld, would not
The wisest choice was to take a step back. The very public love declaration at Bronze Sparrow was just to make Kaze look good. Without the opportunity, Snow would never admit to her feelings so openly. However, Buffy was ahead of Snow in making the romantic gesture. Sure enough, Buffy was more aggressive in showing love. Snow was on high alert. Relieved, Kaze chuckled dryly and said, “Alright. Don’t let me keep you, but no work is more important than having your dinner. I’ll talk to you soon.” “Alright. Got it. You act like my mother.“Bye.” Buffy waved at Kaze and Snow goodbye before heading to the car that pulled up. She entered the car and took off. “Where are we heading, Mr. Lee?” Snow looked at Kaze and murmured. Kaze shied away from her gaze uneasily. He was planning to take Snow to Bourbon when a call came in. He pulled out his phone and realized Alfonso, the former branch chief of Butterworth and Buffy’s family friend, was calling. To make up for his mi
All gazes gradually fell on Cyan, Draig, Hunter, and Darcy. Draig and Cyan grimaced. By the sound of things, their behavior caused the branch leader to leave the scene ahead of the celebration. Cyan, in particular, turned white. Oh, shit. The branch leader must have witnessed her conflict with Kaze. “Kaze is a bastard! He’s the reason why the branch leader took off.” Cyan would not find fault in herself. She was livid. It was such a great opportunity to meet with the branch leader. Kaze ruined it all. Oh, Kaze would be the death of her and her family. Gritting her teeth, Cyan came down hard on Kaze in her mind. Hunter and Darcy scowled. Darcy simply attended Hannah’s celebration as a courtesy.The branch chief of the Viper’s Den deserved the respect. Though Darcy was curious about the branch leader, she did not think it was a big deal that he left. It was not like she had anything to ask of him. Now that she thought about it, no one else but Kaze and hi
Cyan was excited. She jolted to her feet and looked around. She shouted with a smile. “Mr. Branch Leader, I’m Cyan. Where are you? “If you’re here, please come forward. “I’ve been wanting to meet you.” The crowd gave Cyan strange looks. Everybody there wanted to meet the branch leader in person, too. Cyan was not the only one. However, no one demonstrated eagerness as Cyan did. The crowd made funny looks when they saw Cyan’s swollen cheek. It did not seem appropriate for Cyan to meet the branch leader with a bruised face. They had to admit, though. Cyan was pretty. There were a lot of gorgeous women in the upper crust, especially since good genes ran in the family. Cyan was no competition to these pretty women, or even Snow, Buffy, and Darcy. “What makes you think that you can demand the branch leader to see you?” “Who do you think you are? You’re not the only one looking forward to meeting with him.” “The branch leader is the man of my dreams, but did you s
Cyan would not stop badmouthing Kaze. She was still frustrated from the time Buffy had slapped her in public. Darcy showed up and put Kaze in the spot. With Hunter’s help, Darcy drove Kaze away. Cyan felt better after witnessing the drama. Darcy seemed alright in Cyan’s books now. Cyan believed she and Darcy stood on a united front. “Oh…” Darcy fobbed Cyan off. The sight of Kaze leaving with Snow and Buffy did not sit well with her. “Here comes Ms. Delmore.” Hannah, all decked out, entered the hall. “Sorry to keep you all waiting.” Hannah walked ahead. Cutting to the chase, she said, “Welcome to my celebration. I must apologize for any inconvenience. We can now proceed to take our seats in the banquet hall.” The guests took their seats. Hunter and Darcy were seated in the front. Draig and Cyan were in the seat behind. Cyan was not pleased with the seating arrangement. “Ms. Delmore, we heard that the Viper’s Den West State branch leader is attending the celeb