Kaze said indifferently, “You’re out of your depth, so you used Gareth against me. Get lost. I don’t have time for you.” “You!” Trent heaved heavily and pointed at Kaze resentfully. “Fine. I’ll watch you crash and burn today.” Amid the strange looks from the crowd, Trent took a seat with an ashen face. He looked at Kaze grimacingly. “You sure are cocky in my party, Kaze. Do you even take me seriously?” Gareth said chillingly. Trent’s statement was the last thing on Gareth’s mind. The question of whether Kaze was the mayor was not important because the showdown between Kaze and Gareth was happening anyway. Kaze asked with a smile, “Aren’t you asking the obvious?” Tension hung heavy in the air. Kaze sure did not see Gareth as a threat. Gareth was upset. He eyed Kaze while figuring out where the latter’s confidence stemmed from. He was not in a hurry to set Kaze straight. “You’re taking things far by starting trouble here and disrespecting Mr. Hornberg, Lee.”
The Lyfes shared Darry’s sentiment. Anyone would cower in fear upon learning that Gareth invited Lilyrose’s most prominent figures to go up against them. Surely, Kaze was no exception too. Gareth’s reputation for aggression was well-known, and he would not even show the mayor of Lilyrose basic respect.Little did Kaze know, he upset Gareth without knowing the degree of Gareth’s horrible influence. Now that the Lilyrose VIPs heeded Gareth’s invitation, Kaze must have been terrified and knew he had done it this time. “A numbskull? Ha.” Kaze smiled and looked at Darry like he was an idiot. “What? Am I wrong?” Darry scoffed and swaggered toward Kaze. He said smugly, “You call us out for kissing Mr. Hornberg’s ass, Lee. “I admit that we are ass-kissers. “But you’re just a loser. You don’t even have the right to suck up to Mr. Hornberg.“You’re not worth Mr. Hornberg’s time. He will just kill you. “I might consider giving you a chance to kiss up to me and my family if
Darry exerted all his might. However, Kaze stayed rooted to the ground. “Fuck! Just kneel!” Humiliated, Darry shouted angrily, then raised his hand to hit Kaze. Kaze narrowed his eyes and retaliated with a slap. “Smack!” Blood bled out of Darry’s nose. Darry was knocked back and slammed into the ground, bouncing twice.He did not make a sound the entire time, not even opening his eyes. Silence befell the room. The crowd looked at Kaze, dumbfounded, their eyes widened. Kaze had the nerve to attack the Lyfes in front of Gareth. They wondered if Kaze was aware of his actions. “Darry!” After a long pause, Syed reeled in from the shock and ran to his son with a scream. “Are you okay, Darry? Are you okay?” Since it was not the time to lash out at Kaze, other members of the Lyfe family approached Darry, shaking and calling out his name. Alas, Darry was unresponsive. Syed came to a realization when he stared at Darry’s lifeless body. He reached out his trembl
With his eyes bulging, Gareth stared at Kaze menacingly. He shifted his chilling gaze from Kaze to Mary Sue, Syed, and the others. Mary Sue, Syed, and the group felt chills running down their spines as if they were preyed upon by a vicious beast. They could not understand the body language between Kaze and Gareth. “You’re evil, Kaze. It’s cruel of you to put him in a coma when he only criticized you a little.” Syed stood up with bloodshot eyes and glared resentfully at Kaze. Gritting his teeth, he kneeled before Gareth and shouted devastatingly, “Please kill Kaze, Mr. Hornberg. My family will be eternally grateful to you. We will serve you wholeheartedly.” “Get lost.” Gareth responded with a kick. “Blegh!” Syed coughed out blood and collapsed to the ground. “Grandmaster Hornberg?” Pale in the face, Mary Sue looked at Syed confusedly. Gareth flung his arm back, slamming Mary Sue away. Um… Silence hung heavy in the air. The crowd was dumbfounded. Gareth
Kaze demanded Gareth to leave Lilyrose. It was a last warning to Gareth. The crowd could not believe the words coming out of Kaze’s mouth. They suspected their ears were playing tricks on them. The whole thing was so bizarre. The Quints’ son-in-law just threatened Gareth, the renowned martial artist from Sunrise City. The roles should be switched. It would have made more sense if the threat came from Gareth. “Just do it, sir. Kill Lee!” “We need to make an example out of him!” “Show these bozos in Lilyrose that no one should challenge your authority!” Gareth’s disciples clamored savagely. For Kaze to insult their mentor, he was insulting them too. The disciples would jump on Kaze at Gareth’s command. The tension was coming to a breaking point. Amid the crowd, the heads of the Vikroms, Logmans, Joestars, and several others aware of Kaze’s identity were kept in suspense. Once Gareth chose violence, blood would be shed tonight in Lilyrose. Gareth stared K
Gareth’s words settled the disciples down. “So you are looking out for the guests, sir. We shouldn’t dampen the party with blood.” “I knew it. Our mentor could crush Kaze easily. He is just nice to let Lee breathe easy a little longer.” “The Lilyrose New City project is our priority in Lilyrose. Getting rid of Kaze can happen any other day.” The disciples, arrogant as ever, flattered Gareth. The guests scowled at the comments. Apart from a handful, most just found out that Gareth’s trip to Lilyrose was to acquire the Lilyrose New City project. It was no secret that the new mayor wanted to rebuild the Old District and develop a new city. Many had their eye on the project. The project was worth tens of billions. Even a small slice of this pie would be highly profitable.It explained why Gareth came all the way to Lilyrose. He was after the project. Some of the guests were upset. They, the local players, aimed to compete for a piece of the action. To their dism
One wrong step could have deadly consequences. The drama was so intense that it was easy to get completely lost in it.Many dared not make their stance known. “No one has met the new mayor before, Mr. Hornberg. He has never made a public appearance.” “He exercised his authority and fired several chiefs the moment he took office. One of them is the deputy mayor’s son, but Lou, the deputy mayor, is loyal to the mayor.” “The mayor intends to take over Lee Investment’s acquired hospitals even if it means making enemies with strong corporations.”“Many commented on the new mayor’s iron fist.” Under Gareth’s menacing gaze, a few succumbed to the pressure and offered the information they had.Nevertheless, they kept things vague and did not give detailed information on the new mayor. Gareth was not pleased. He turned to the heads of the Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars. “I heard that you have emerged as the top three families after the God of War clamped down on the former three
“We, the Logmans, share Bernard’s thoughts.” “Lilyrose isn’t a big city, Mr. Hornberg, but don’t forget that the military is based here. If you think about it, Sunrise City isn’t much threat to Lilyrose.”“So things aren’t as plain or simple as you think, Mr. Hornberg. Just return to Sunrise City before you get yourself killed,” Peter and Jack said. Bernard, Peter, and Jack embodied Lilyrose’s high society. Even they demanded Gareth’s departure from Lilyrose. The others were shocked, to say the least. At first, the Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars did not want to upset Gareth. They had no problem with Gareth securing the local projects. That was in the past now. Kaze had now told Gareth to get back to where he came from. Peter, Bernard, and Jack understood the authority behind Kaze’s words. They no longer feared stepping on Gareth’s toes. Heck, their advice was not to offend Gareth. They were doing him a favor by saving his life. There was bound to be a power strugg
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