Gareth went up to Don and stared at him. “So you are the chief of police? What are you doing? Why aren’t you arresting the assailant? Why are you shutting down the hospital instead? Is this how you do your job?” Don knew who Gareth was, but he was known as Ironfist of Justice, the man who upheld the law. He was not afraid of some grandmaster from Sunrise City. “We received the order to shut down Edinburgh Hospital. As for the assailant you mentioned, we did not receive any order about a fight,” Don said. “Who gave you the order? Your mayor?” Gareth pointed at Don and arrogantly bellowed, “Go tell him to stop this foolish operation and arrest Kaze Lee. Sentence him to jail or shoot him to death! Tell him it’s my word!” He had disciples across the entire state. Even the mayors of different cities would visit him to pay respect, asking him to talk to his disciples in the underworld to keep a low profile. Therefore, the mayor of Lilyrose had no power over Gareth. Don calmly
Kaze had the nerve to do what he did, showing complete disregard for the fact Gareth had arrived in Lilyrose. It was a blatant insult to Gareth. “I’m going to kill you, Kaze!” Gareth hissed through clenched teeth. His thirst for blood had never been stronger. Mary Sue instigated, “Mr. Hornberg, just kill Kaze. He doesn’t take you seriously. You should make an example out of him.” Smack!Gareth suddenly raised his hand and slapped Mary Sue to the ground. “Mr. Hornberg?” Mary Sue put her hand over her swollen cheek and glared at Gareth angrily. She was a staff member of Madam Hacks. Yet, Gareth attacked him. Thud!Gareth stomped on the woman, and the latter let out a harrowing cry. “Don’t give me that look, bitch.“If you hadn’t stirred shit, Nevan wouldn’t have been incapacitated. “You are just a bunch of losers who can’t do anything right.” Gareth’s menacing eyes brushed past Syed and the others. Thump!The Lyfes kneeled on the ground in fright. “We were
Caleb’s expression stiffened. “Um… Gareth might blame his disciples for the rumors. Besides, Gareth has friends in high places in Sunrise City who will defend him and put the squeeze on us.” “Chin up.” Kaze waved his arm. “Don’t sweat the meaningless stuff. I’ll handle Gareth.” “Yes, sir.” Caleb excused himself. … Meanwhile, Gareth, not one with the patience to wait at the hospital, followed Syed and the others to the Lyfes’ family residence. Once there, Gareth acted like he owned the place. Syed and the others waited on him hand and foot. “Tsk, tsk. The drink is alright.” Gareth happily sipped his beverage. The way he saw it, the job assigned to Sven and Wolf was as good as done. Seeing that Gareth was relaxed, the Lyfes’ tensed nerves loosened. Mary Sue barged into the place and shouted, “This is bad, Mr. Hornberg!” “Shut up!” Gareth’s reproach made Mary Sue shudder. “I don’t give a damn about your interactions with Madam Hacks, Mary Sue. But you bette
Gareth was skeptical. “Who are you kidding? Lee isn’t some influential guy. I doubt he has any security on standby.” He glared at Mary Sue, suspecting that she was only doing the bare minimum because of his earlier abuse. “It’s true, Mr. Hornberg.” Coming to Mary Sue’s rescue, Syed said, “Kaze isn’t someone of power or wealth, but his neighbor is. Chief Commander Lang of the Lilyrose Strategic Department lived in the next-door villa. This is the reason Skylar View District is listed as a restricted area.“The Lefteria Group once sent two dozen assassins to kill Kaze, but they were shot down at the entrance. “It’s an unspoken consensus among the people of Lilyrose that Kaze could escape danger by hiding there. He would be safe in Skylar View District for sure.” Gareth was at a loss. “C-Chief Commander Lang?” Discoloration washed over Mary Sue’s face as realization dawned on her that she had been close to death before. The place turned out to be Draco’s territory. Even i
“You’re wise, Mr. Homberg.” Mary Sue, Syed, and the others sucked up to Gareth in thrill. Tonight would be Kaze’s nightmare. “Get it done.” Gareth waved his arm. Struck by a thought, he said, “That reminds me. Give Hart an invitation too. Since he appreciates Kaze a lot, I want him to berate Kaze and reduce him to nothing. I want Hart to embarrass Kaze in front of everybody.“I want to crush him and his spirit.” Syed and the others were overjoyed. Soon, the heavyweights of Lilyrose received the invitation letter from the Lyfes. The Vikrams, Logmans, and Joestars were on the guest list. Trent, the former mayor, also received the invitation. Miru, a powerhouse in the underworld, had gotten one too. Even investors from out of town like Dakota were invited. Back in Skylar View District, Kaze received a call from Caleb. “Mr. Lee, Gareth is hosting an event and invited all the influential figures in the city. “We have gotten one at the mayor’s office too. Gareth pe
For once, even the unreachable prominent figures were courteous and friendly with the Lyfes. The delight helped the Lyfes grow a spine. Hart finally showed up. Syed sneered, “Oh, didn’t you talk about loyalty in the family? Why did you heed Mr. Hornberg’s call then?” “I bet you’re kicking yourself because you see how great we are doing now, Hart.” The other Lyfe family members taunted him. Ashen in the face, Hart said nothing. He could not bring himself to ignore Gareth’s invitation. The feeling of apprehension had not left Hart as he wondered why Gareth had summoned him. “Get inside. Don’t stick out like a sore thumb at the entrance.” Syed lashed out at Hart before lifting his chin arrogantly for a scoff. The Lyfes would hit it big time after tonight. They believed the dumbest thing Hart ever did was cut ties with them. Once some heavy hitters entered the scene, the Lyfes stopped attending to guests at the door. The feast began at 7:00 PM. Guests were sea
The air crackled with tension at the start of the feast. To everybody’s surprise, Gareth demanded the new mayor show his face. Either way, the new mayor ran the city. Yet, Gareth, fresh off the plane, had utter disregard for him. Some who kept in the loops of things were aware of Gareth’s motives. Gareth did not come all the way to Lilyrose just to confront Kaze. He had his eye on the upcoming Lilyrose New City project. If Gareth could overpower the new mayor, Gareth would basically be running the city. Anybody who wanted to dip their fingers into the project would have to go through Gareth. The venue was pin-drop silent. Normally, no one dared to break the silence for fear of being caught in the drama. Nevertheless, the crowd was filled with anticipation. The new mayor had been in office for a while now, and he had never made a public appearance, not even on the local news. No one knew what the mysterious mayor looked like. Maybe the identity of the new mayo
The Lyfes consoled Gareth at the front of the hall. “Calm down, Mr. Hornberg. It doesn’t matter whether the mayor comes or not. You’re the star tonight.” “That’s right. No one can take the limelight away from you.” “Please take a seat.” Gareth nodded. He went to the head of the table to sit down. “Weren’t you expecting an answer from the mayor’s office, Gareth? “Don’t bother looking back. I’ll give one to you now.” A harsh voice cut through. The remark caused a stir among the crowd. It was clear that the speaker held Gareth’s threat in contempt. The speaker’s defiant tone was telltale. Gareth paused. As his face fell, he turned his attention to the source of the voice. The crowd looked in the direction of where the voice was coming from too. Many gasped restrainedly when their eyes laid on the face. They recognized who it was. “Kaze!” Mary Sue, Syed, and the others grimaced. They were surprised that Kaze would show up at the Lyfes’ residence. Sur
It was as though the man did not expect Kaze to remain calm under the pressure of so many guns pointed at him. The man frowned and then raised his hand, saying, “Move the car and let them go.” “You guys go ahead,” Kaze said to Conan and Darcy. Conan nodded. He quickly turned the car away and left the encirclement. “Which car am I getting into?” Kaze asked as he scanned over the cars. He pointed at the one the middle-aged man was sitting and said, “Can I take this? It seems more comfortable.” The annoyance on the man’s face grew distinctive but he remained silent and nodded. Kaze went over to the shiny new car and got into the back. Armed officers got into the car as well, occupying the other side of the rear seat and the passenger’s seat. Kaze smiled and did not mind the extra security. “Whrrrrr.” The siren went blaring as the motorcade brought Kaze away. Back at Rivername’s residential area, both Villa No.11 and Villa No.9 were sealed by police lines and there
Kaze pretended to be unfazed. Despite his dislike and disgust for Mika, Kaze was sad about the loss of her life. That was all there was to it. He had no idea how Mika’s death was linked to him. Since the police were on his case, something must have been going on. Aiden’s revenge, despite the reckless elements, was carefully laid out. The middle-aged man scoffed and replied, “We have learned that Ms. Suka has been seen in Villa No. 9 on the night of the Yemens’ house party. “Ms. Suka left in tears and a handprint on her face. “Her social media account was canceled, and her talent agency dropped her. She had to pay an exorbitant price due to the breach of contract. “Ms. Suka had been under a lot of stress these few couple of days and attempted suicide several times. She must harbor a lot of resentment toward you. “You, on the other hand, are a shareholder of TikTok and the son-in-law of the Ridgesouth Quints. You command power in Riverbank. She’s just a girl without a
Conan nodded and started the car to head to Villa No. 9. Out of nowhere, three police cars sped over, their blaring sirens shattering the peace in the area. With one in the front and two in the back, the police cars surrounded Kaze’s ride. “Thud!” The doors opened, and armed police officers jumped out of their vehicles. The officers spread out and took their positions, aiming their weapons at Kaze’s car. Several officers in plain clothes emerged from the sedan in the back. The middle-aged leader looked inside Kaze’s car before gesturing to two armed officers. Two armed officers yanked the back door open and yelled at Kaze, “Get out now! “Keep your hands in the air.” Kaze got out of the car and looked at the middle-aged man. He asked in a daze, “Officer, we have a property in Rivername. We are law-abiding citizens. What’s the meaning of this?” Ignoring Kaze, the middle-aged man sized him up and asked without looking, “Is it him?” “Yes, he’s Kaze Lee,” another pol
“See those police cars?” Kaze looked at the police vehicles outside Villa No. 13. “These cars aren’t from the local police department. They are with the state police.“Who would send the state police after me since I’m connected to the local police department?” Darcy quickly realized that judging by the cars and uniforms, the police presence was sent by the state. “Is there no justice in the world?” Darcy furrowed her brows. “I didn’t think Aiden would have the power to mobilize the state police to set you up. “If word gets out, the police will get a bad name.” Kaze grinned and replied, “That’s the reason why I got on Aiden’s nerves. “He let his emotions do the thinking for him. “Aiden lost ten billion dollars because of us, and all he got were a useless gem and humiliation.“The Krads and the Ryokanians will give him hell after what happened today.“He must be eager to get rid of me. He won’t be able to sleep at night until he does.“So he picks on me. Everybody kn
Kaze only said to make Darcy believe and put her at ease. He knew that there was no going back between him and the Ryokanians. Reiko’s apology was only a temporary truce. “Oh, a villa?” Darcy furrowed her brows. “It explains why I’ve been hearing rumors about a villa where you keep your other women. I guess it’s true.” “Who said that?” Kaze said in resignation, “Where I keep other women? You know how things are between me and Snow. I let her stay there for her safety. I have assigned a bodyguard to her too. “Besides, Snow ran Perfect World Group back in Lilyrose. It’s only right that I give her a villa.” Darcy scoffed, but the tension along her facial features eased. Still, she said, “You’re off the hook for now, but you should give me a tour of the villa. I’m the boss’ wife. It makes sense for me to care about the employees.” Darcy’s penetrating gaze forced Kaze to nod along. “Alright. We can check the place out now.” Conan, behind the wheel, turned the car aroun
Coming from another city, Sky Ocean Corporation could finally establish its footing in Riverbank. Unbelievably, Sky Ocean Corporation did not spend a dime to make headway in Riverbank. Aiden footed the bill. Heaving a sigh, Darcy eased her emotions and said worriedly, “Kaze, Boris is right. You should’ve quit while you were ahead.“Why did you have to upset Aiden once we acquired the land? We have made an enemy out of him now.” Darcy might have trouble keeping the land. Aiden’s words had gotten to Darcy. Darcy understood that it was the last she had seen of him. Kaze’s aggression only made things worse. Sitting next to Darcy, Kaze said carefreely, “Well, you know that this is far from over. “I needed to defend my wife’s honor anyway.“He should be the one to pay because he played dirty and caused Sky Ocean Corporation some major loss.“Besides…” Kaze paused, his tone icy. “He's been on my hit list from the moment he colluded with the Ryokanians.“Since things ar
The crowd fell silent as Kaze’s criticism and blows echoed through the room. Kaze pummeled Aiden’s face at least a dozen times. He only stopped when Aiden’s face swelled up. Tension lingered in the air. Everybody stared in disbelief as Aiden struggled violently against Kaze’s attack. The crowd assumed the roles would have been reversed. By right, Aiden should be the aggressor while Kaze would suffer in silence. Come to think of it, logic did not exist when Kaze was around. Aiden narrowed his eyes at Kaze as humiliation and anger washed over him. He gritted his teeth, his lips quivering, but no words escaped his mouth. Aiden understood that adaptation was crucial for survival. He would only be getting slapped on the face by talking back. Kaze looked at his bloody palm and wiped his hand on Aiden’s suit. The insulting gesture saw the crowd shivering and Aiden shaking with rage. Aiden clenched his fists. Nevertheless, Aiden held himself together. He had come
Sensing no threat, Kaze said with a pretentious smile, “Didn’t you lecture me about being understanding? “You should lead by example. I wanted to see if you could become the bigger person. “As you can see, you want to kill me for hitting you.“You’re one to talk about grace.” Kaze’s sarcastic remark painted Boris’ face red. Boris uttered exasperatedly, “You’re not on my level, kid.” “Oh, I guess your grace and tolerance are only reserved for those higher in the social hierarchy.”Kaze put on a stern look. “I have no idea what level I’m on, but I know you’re just a lapdog to the Krads. “Do you think we were blind to your little setup with Aiden? “You’re one of Riverbank underworld kingpins. It’s embarrassing for someone your age to put on that silly show.” Kaze took a step forward, his eyes fixating on Boris. “Tell me. What level are you on?” “Woah!” The crowd broke out in an uproar. Many on scene were oblivious to Boris’ little show with Aiden. While the secret
Kaze waved his arm like a total badass. Aiden and the others wished they could rip Kaze apart. It was annoying. Kaze got under everybody’s skin. Darcy and Kaze acquired Crown Tower and its surrounding land without spending a dime. More accurately, Aiden paid the price. Darcy was speechless, to say the least. She had no idea that Kaze could be so manipulative. If she were in Aiden’s shoes, she would probably be livid. “Thank you, Mr. Krad. You’re one of the good guys.” Kaze burst out laughing while thanking Aiden. The smug look on Kaze’s face was infuriating, but Aiden could only stand there, seething. “That’s enough, young man.” An old but commanding voice boomed. The crowd was taken aback as Boris, one of the Riverbank underworld kingpins approached. “Don’t push it, young man. You have won, and I suggest you should leave it at that,” Boris said indifferently. Despite his flat tone, Boris was critical of Kaze. “Boris is right. Kaze, you got lucky this