Darcy went to her grandfather's place and Conan had men protecting her secretly. Even now, Conan did not receive any unusual reports. How did Darcy end up in Gareth’s possession? Kaze had a glance at Conan, who looked calm and confident, somewhat ignorant. He sighed and went into the ring. Since Darcy had gotten involved, whether the picture was false or Gareth was trying to blackmail him, Kaze would never dare to take the risk. He stepped into the ring and toned down his intense aura. He reverted to his usual demeanor but his expression remained cold. “Gareth Hornberg, you’ve crossed the line. You really went the extra mile to secure your goal. I don’t care about the result of this fight. If you want to win, I’ll let you win, but you shouldn’t have used my wife against me just so you can save face. “The consequences of making me mad are extremely severe.” Kaze stood in front of Gareth in the ring, warning him. Since the ring was quite a distance from the audience,
“Grandmaster Hornberg, is this the legendary Cotton Palm?” Looking at the grin on Kaze’s face, Gareth got furious. He further pushed his palm into Kaze’s chest. Kaze simply stood still and allowed the man to hit him. There was no way a palm strike, as soft as cotton, could hurt him. It was just slightly stronger than a tickle. However, because of the picture of Darcy being held captive, Kaze played along and took a few steps back and even feigned a painful look. “Huh!?” The scene left everyone in awe. The crowd cheered and grew tumultuous. Since Kaze crippled the four titans, they thought Kaze was able to last more than a few rounds or a dozen moves in the ring. Even if he lost then, the crowd would be more accepting of the outcome. To everyone’s surprise, Kaze could not even take one attack from Gareth. “Kaze Lee is weak! Did he really cripple the four titans?” “It’s not that Kaze Lee is weak, it’s Grandmaster Hornberg! He’s too powerful! This is how experts figh
“Still being stubborn, aren’t you? You really think you lost because you are unlucky?” Gareth turned around to the audience and said, “Is it really luck that he lost and I won?” “Hahaha!” The audience cackled. “Kaze Lee, you can’t even take one hit from the grandmaster, what are you talking about now?” “You challenged the grandmaster, beat up his disciples. If I were the grandmaster, I would have crushed you in the ring!” “The grandmaster is simply being kind for not taking your life!” “You lost the match and also the respect people have for you. Why are you still being so stubborn? What an embarrassment!” Those who sided with Gareth continued to mock Kaze. Caleb and the other Kaze’s followers reacted bitterly. They did not expect Kaze to lose so quickly. The heads of the Vikrom, Logman, and Joestar families were petrified. Their faces looked pale and their hands turned cold as if their souls left their bodies. Kaze’s loss was not only embarrassing, but it also
Gareth had the strongest urge to kill Kaze and put this matter to rest once and for all but he knew it was impossible. Others thought Kaze was simply bluffing or refusing to admit his defeat. “Kaze Lee, the grandmaster spared your life and you still disrespect him? You are shameless!” “You are the embarrassment of Lilyrose!” An increasing number of the audience started to berate Kaze. Most of them were the investors under Dakota’s lead, Trent’s men, and Syed’s family. Gareth had finally defeated Kaze, which was their desired outcome. It felt like Christmas. They mocked and berated Kaze to vent their emotions. Gareth said coldly, “Kaze Lee, you have one last chance to kneel and apologize and I will forgive you!” He really wanted to step on Kaze and break him physically and mentally. However, Kaze did not even answer. He picked up his phone and wanted to walk out. “Kaze Lee, who allowed you to leave? Can’t you hear our master? Kneel and apologize!” One of Gareth
Conan then realized why Kaze lost to Gareth. Darcy was abducted, so Kaze was forced into a passive position. Due to that, Kaze was laughed at, disrespected, and criticized by many as the laughingstock of the city.Conan felt terrible after learning the truth. His forehead glistened with sweat as he asked, “The men I sent to protect Darcy update me every five minutes. Three minutes ago, I got their update and there was nothing wrong with the Quint family.” Judging from Conan’s reaction, Kaze knew he was not lying. “I’ll call them!” Conan quickly pulled his phone out. Kaze said, “There’s no point calling your men now. Tell Miru to send her men out and search for Darcy.” “Right! Miru! I’ll call her right away!” Conan immediately did so. Kaze called Draco and Don, and told them to send their men out to search for Darcy as well. In order to locate Darcy as soon as possible, Kaze used all his resources from the underworld and the authorities. Miru arrived at the gym
Kaze was not completely in the dark about the situation with Gareth. Following Nevan’s crippling fall, Gareth did not have a subordinate who could handle jobs independently. Out of alternatives, Gareth had to toss a few crumbs and use Mary Sue even though she was the one who drugged Stone into a coma. Hence Kaze could confirm that the mastermind behind Darcy’s abduction was Mary Sue. Gareth, on the other hand, was not the type to get his hands dirty. Even if he were involved in the kidnapping, he would instruct others to do the dirty job. He might not be aware of the details. That was the reason Kaze chose not to waste time on Gareth right from the start. Kaze was not a stranger to Mary Sue’s malicious ways. Once his fight with Gareth was over, Darcy would come to no use. There was no telling whether Mary Sue would take drastic measures against Darcy. After all, Kaze was feuding with Mary Sue’s master, Madam Hacks. Amid Kaze’s anxiety, a phone call came in. Kaze’s
Kailan knew this was the opportunity to turn his life around. Hence, he took the job without hesitation. Since his employers were so quick to dump him the last time, Kailan no longer pinned his entire hope on them. At the time, Deborah approached him with the intention of asking Kaze for a ransom. The couple hit it off right away. “Thank you, Ms. Quint. Thanks to you, I get to relieve myself with this woman and get cash for it. Haha!” Kailan handed Deborah a bottle of water and laughed. “Have fun, Mr. Skyfort. Even better if you enjoy her thoroughly so that everybody in the city knows that Kaze’s wife is well used,” Deborah said wickedly. She did not drink from the bottle. She was no longer the same person she used to be. Though Deborah was on the same side as Kailan, she kept her guard up. Deborah knew she was playing with fire by working with someone like Kailan. The pair’s conversation sent chills down Darcy’s spine. Still, she held herself together and said cu
The Quints were frightened, thinking it was another debt collector knocking on their door. The debt collectors had broken down the Quints’ gates before, and the shameful past still haunted them to this day. “Kaze!” Nevertheless, the Quints saw red when they saw who it was. They quickly tucked their emotions away, though. Kaze was no longer a man they could afford to cross. He was the chairman of Shangrila Group and the CEO of Hudson Investment Firm. Those titles alone lifted Kaze out of the loser status.At least, no one in the Quint family had the right to call him a loser. By the look on Kaze’s face, he was not here for the party. The Quints felt unsettled and confused by his aggressive approach. “Agnes, um…” Without the nerve to question Kaze, Logan turned to Agnes in distress. Agnes slammed the table and rose to her feet before uttering peevishly, “What the hell, Kaze? Why did you kick the door down? Hurry up and apologize.” “Darcy is abducted.” Kaze’s re
As the air crackled with deadly intent, Draig’s heart pounded with dread. He was horrified that the Viper’s Den members were just as strong, if not stronger than him. Draig had no idea that these members were Viper’s Den South River State Branch’s key players. They were the elites of the elites in the South River State. “Easy there, gentlemen. Mr. Tenby is from abroad. He doesn’t know the rules of Arcadia. Please cut him some slack.” With Draig caught in a spot, Cyan came to the rescue. Since Cyan was nice about it, the leader of the pack scoffed and waved his arm. His companions quickly put away their weapons. “I don’t care where you came from, but you need to keep to the Arcadian rules since you’re here. You don’t get special favors here.” The leader stared at Draig and said icily, “This should not happen again. Now, get lost!” Draig burned with rage. The people, except for Kaze, had been bending over backward for Draig since his arrival in Arcadia. To think he
The Viper’s Den members yelled at Draig while pulling out their weapons. The air was thick with tension. Draig knew that it was not wise of him to fight during Hannah’s celebration. The Viper’s Den members would not stand by and let the commotion stew. Draig was caught between a rock and a hard place. By throwing the punch, he would be at odds with the Viper’s Den, but he could not turn the other cheek on the matter. “Just forget it, Mr. Tenby. Don’t get into it with a dropped loser. You’re only insulting yourself.” Cyan gave Draig an out. Draig retrieved his arm and scoffed. “Consider yourself lucky, Kaze.” A shadow of regret fleeted across Kaze’s eyes. If Draig were to start a fight, Kaze would have reason to finish him off and get rid of the annoyance. It was a shame that the Viper’s Den members stopped anything from happening. Cyan criticized, “Mr. Tenby is only looking out for you, Kaze. Yet, you stomped on his car key. You went too far. Hurry up and apologiz
“Nevermind. Why are we wasting our time with the likes of him? We don’t belong in the same world anyway.” Draig waved his arm. “Come on. Let’s get inside.” Dumping his car on the side of the road, Draig led Cyan and her friends into Bronze Sparrow. “Huh? How did Kaze get in? Can he get in?” one influencer exclaimed. The crowd watched in shock as Kaze stepped through the door. “Branch Leader!” The members of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch perked up when Kaze showed up. They, Hannah’s trusted aides, knew who Kaze was. Kaze acknowledged the greeting. “Is everybody here?” The head of the pack said in respect, “Many guests have arrived. Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger will be here once they are done with work. Should I inform them to keep you company, sir?” “No, I’ll sit and wait.” Kaze waved his arm and made his way inside. “Hold it right there, Kaze!” Cyan’s angry voice came from behind. “Are you aware of the event at Bronze Sparrow? Do you know who the
“Kaze, I heard that your wife dumped your ass. Are you pinching pennies now? “You had a fancy car and a beautiful lady by your side just a couple of days ago, and now, you’re riding a bike.“I guess you want to do more than just a valet service.” Draig pulled out more cash to give to Kaze. “You can get my car washed too.“I’ll give you another twenty bucks. The money should be enough for you to get fried chicken or something for lunch.”“Hahaha!”Cyan and her friends laughed out loud. Twenty bucks for a fried chicken. That kind of life seemed far away for these people. Cyan suddenly scowled. “I’m warning you, Kaze. My family will not take pity on you just because your wife kicked you out.“Don’t try to leech off my family.” Cyan thought Kaze was so alpha at Emerald Bull Palace two days ago. The mayor was Kaze’s backing, and Juan was his apprentice. Yet now, Kaze was divorced and kicked out. It meant one thing. If Kaze was indeed badass, Darcy, who knew and love
Sucking up to Cyan, the influencers offered her words of comfort. Though Cyan did not have an invitation, she was close with Draig. The influencers could attend the event through Draig with Cyan’s help. Despite having other thoughts, the influencers knew better than to put Cyan down. A Mercedes G-wagon pulled up by the road. The car door opened, and Draig jumped out. He took off his sunglasses and said with a smile, “Why aren’t you going in, Cyan?” Cyan replied with a grin, “We don’t have an invite, Mr. Tenby. We’re waiting for you to take us in.“Oh, where’s your invite, Mr. Tenby?” She was confused as Draig did not seem to be holding anything. “An invite? It’s just a party for Hannah. You don’t need an invitation card.” Draig smiled confidently. “My name is basically our pass into the place. You can just say that you’re with me.” “Wow! You’re the man, Mr. Tenby.” “Mr. Tenby is so badass. You are total boyfriend material.” The influencers drooled over Draig, a
The influencers dropped their jaws in shock and looked at Cyan enviously. “Oh, my gawd! Marrying the branch leader is your gateway to super fame.” “Is it true, Cyan? Really?” The influencers hounded Cyan. Cyan rolled her eyes at Sweetpea. “Don’t take it from Sweetpea. “The VIPs from the South River State Branch did make a subtle mention. “I’m not sure whether Sponge is the branch leader since I’ve never met him before. “Just keep this between yourselves. Don’t spread the word. I’d be embarrassed if the whole thing was all a misunderstanding. “The branch leader keeps a low profile, and no one has met him in person before. “I doubt he likes to be put in the spotlight, so I’m playing it discreetly too.” Cyan spoke and acted reservedly. However, her smug look revealed her true thoughts. “Haha. Wouldn’t you meet the branch leader today?” “I see why you are so sure to take us to the celebration. We’d never get into a place like this on our own.” The influencers l
It never occurred to Kaze that Cyan and her influencer friends would attend Hannah’s celebration too. Before Cyan said anything, one influencer put her hand over her lips and said with a smile, “Get with the times, Anna. Cyan’s family isn’t just close with the senior members of the Viper’s Den. She’s going to be part of the organization soon.” “Huh?” Stunned, the other influencers asked, “What’s going on? Just tell us, Sweetpea!” Sweetpea was the influencer who just spilled the beans. She was Cyan’s closest friend and biggest ass-kisser. Taking Cyan by the shoulder, Sweetpea said, “Remember Cyan’s number one fan?” “Yeah!”“Sponge has been a fan of Cyan even before she signed with Golden Scale Corporation. Sponge tipped her tens of millions.”“That was how Cyan caught the eye of Golden Scale Corporation, and she became a hit.” The influencers chattered among themselves, all familiar with Sponge. They came from nothing and clawed their way up online.Their beginnings
The next afternoon, Kaze arrived at the parking lot outside Bronze Sparrow. It was packed with fancy cars. Needless to say, the underground garage must be filled with cars too. Hannah’s celebration was held in Bronze Sparrow. Just a few days ago, Siberian infiltrated Bronze Sparrow and abducted Anzu. The incident caused quite a stir in the upper crust of Riverbank. At the same time, the underground powerhouses were eager to get involved. As Miru, the up-and-coming underworld boss, seemed to be all bark and no bite, they wanted to see what she was made of. Bronze Sparrow, a place where troublemakers once ceased to exist, had to deal with incidents daily. Despite Miru getting tough on these troublemakers, business at Bronze Sparrow took a nosedive anyway. Miru was frustrated with the situation. Siberian had been a threat to the Viper’s Den for many years. It was no surprise that Miru’s crew could not defeat him. This time, Siberian’s death at the hands of the Viper’s
Kaze was taken aback. “How did you know?” “How?” June’s lips curled. “It’s all over town by now. Darcy is the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation. Have you any idea how many eyes are on a rich and beautiful girl like her? “Her divorce has caught the attention of men, and they are going to try their luck with her.” It did not take Kaze much to know that the Quint family members had nothing better to do. Agnes had been hoping to marry her daughter up. However, Darcy had the power, money, and connections to be playing with the big leagues herself. Agnes’ expectations for her future son-in-law would only go higher. Despite her lack of brain cells, Agnes would not do something degrading like circulating the news of her daughter’s divorce. “Hey! Why do you seem indifferent about this?” June elbowed Kaze. “How do you think I should react?” Kaze found June baffling. June looked disappointed. “You don’t seem upset that you were dumped.” “Get a life.” Kaze did not hav