Sieg put down his cutlery. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before replying indifferently, “Gareth is more useful dead than alive. “Gareth is more than a grandmaster. Killing him will spark a chain reaction.” “Is it really necessary to go through all the trouble just to deal with Kaze?” The beautiful woman was confused. Sieg grinned. “Framing Kaze is only part of the plan, not the goal. “With Gareth gone, we will see the shift in power dynamics in the city. “Now that I stirred things up, the ball is in the new mayor’s court to smooth things over. It’s time he comes out from hiding behind the scenes.” Sieg stayed discreet in the last few days. During the arrival of Mary Sue on Madam Hacks’ orders and Gareth, Sieg stayed on the sidelines and did not steal anyone’s thunder. The situation in Lilyrose was getting interesting. Mary Sue and Gareth failed miserably at the hands of Kaze. The new mayor, who never made a public appearance, intrigued Sieg. Sieg was curiou
Caleb and Lou frowned. The death of twenty-odd lives was hair-rising. The evidence suggested Kaze was the killer. Kaze read their expressions and said indifferently, “I did bring a few men and meet with Gareth, but I let him and his disciples go soon after. Someone else committed the murder.” “We are not suspecting you, Mr. Lee.” Caleb said with a wry smile, “But the evidence points to you. Word that you killed Gareth and his twenty-odd disciples somehow got out.” Kaze remained composed. He anticipated the setup the moment he learned of Gareth’s death. Someone was clearly fanning the flames to spread the rumors so quickly.Kaze told Don, “Carry on with the investigation. I doubt we can find the killer. Even if we can, we won’t get the evidence we need. Still, you need to show that you’re working on the case.” “Yes, sir.” Don nodded. Caleb said, “You need to be careful, Mr. Lee. Gareth’s death has reached Sunrise City, and the people there are not having it. “Th
Madam Hacks represented the Hacks family in Geranium City. Sieg acted in place of the Geranium Lyfes. Dakota was one of the few investors who would not leave Lilyrose. … Many authorities had their eyes on Lilyrose New City. Kaze was clear on the power dynamics at play. He kept his hands off the matter because the Lilyrose New City project was massive and needed investors. Securing funding from multiple authorities was unavoidable.Kaze was not against the Lyfes and Hackses dipping their fingers into the project. He would not exclude investors because of personal grudges. However, all that hinged on one condition. The investors should take their profits and stay out of trouble in Lilyrose. Kaze looked at Don. “Stick to investigating Gareth’s case. I’ll handle the rest. “Troubled times lie ahead of the city, but we can’t let Lilyrose fall into chaos. “Arrest anyone who disrupts the city’s order. No need to hold back just because they come from power. “I have
The woman furrowed her brows, expressing her dissatisfaction. “How dare you? You answer Ms. Delmore’s questions, you do not question her!” A tall young man stepped forward from behind the woman and shouted at Don. The young man dared to shout at the chief of police of Lilyrose and showed no respect in his words. Then, a dozen more young men and women stared at Don coldly, expressing their contempt for him. It felt like they had confronted the authorities before. The woman raised her hand without looking back and said, “Chief Braders, am I right? I am Hannah Delmore and I believe you know where I am from. “From now on, Gareth Hornberg’s murder will be officially taken over by the Viper’s Den!” Both Caleb and Lou were not happy with the woman’s claims. According to the local laws, Gareth’s case should have been handled by the local authorities, which was the police department. However, Hannah came out of nowhere and seized the case from the police department, threaten
“Kaze Lee, are you trying to get Ms. Delmore to kill you with her own hands?” The men and women behind Hannah were furious when Kaze disrespected their leader. They shouted and berated him. To them, Kaze’s disrespectful words simply accelerated his death. Kaze turned a deaf ear at their tumultuous cries and kept his attention on Hannah. He said, “You better not point your finger at me and don’t talk to me about death. Since your godfather died, I’ll let you go this time.” “What’s the matter? Afraid?” Hannah stared at Kaze and said coldly, “You bastard! Simply killing you is being merciful!” “Then what are you going to do?” Kaze asked curiously. Hannah stared into his eyes and said, “If you want me to spare you, you shall kneel before my godfather’s casket for seven days during the memorial service. Not one day less, or I will break your leg!” She peered down at Kaze condescendingly and released an intimidating aura as she spoke. Kaze could tell that unlike Gareth, who
“Narrow-sighted pig!” Hannah’s team laughed at Kaze and looked at him like an idiot. Hannah was a talented martial artist and had been training since young. After she was recruited into the Viper’s Den, the organization trained her vigorously, transforming her entirely from the core. Her strength also skyrocketed. Even though the organization was filled with physically powerful people, Hannah was able to get into the top ten of the strongest. On the other hand, Kaze could not even take three hits from Gareth in the ring. He managed to murder Gareth through despicable means. Yet he dared to challenge Hannah in a fight. Was he an idiot or was she truly fearless? “There’s no point in reasoning with a pig.” Hannah stopped her team from berating Kaze and then said coldly, “Kaze Lee, I’ll break you with my own hands! I will make you kneel before my godfather for seven days and the world will see how despicable you are!” She stepped forward and got into an offensive stance
Slam! No one would have expected Hannah’s slender and fair hand to contain that much power. Conan, despite his height and size, was slapped to the ground with his mouth bleeding. Caleb, Don, and the others gasped in shock. Hannah’s team members scoffed and laughed at Conan. They knew how strong Hannah was so it was no surprise that she was able to knock Conan to the ground. Hannah retracted her hand and casually said, “The second son of the Queen family is known to be a useless person who does nothing good. If you are trying to overpower me, I think you might have to call your father here. “I know what you want to say just now. Your family has people in all four organizations, withholding important positions but it doesn’t change a thing. No one can get in our way!” Kaze looked at the wild Hannah with interest. Somehow he thought of someone else and strangely enough, the image of that person overlapped with Hannah's. Conan wiped off the blood from his lips and got up
“So what if you got the license to kill from all the powerful organizations? To kill me, you have to be strong enough to do it.” Kaze scattered the shreds into the air and then looked at Hannah. “With your strength and skill, even if I let you take a hit at my neck, you won’t be able to kill me.” “KAZE LEE!” Hannah shouted at the top of her lungs. Her team members were furious as well. They felt insulted and wanted to take a shot at Kaze’s neck. The license to kill was not simply issued to anyone. Even among the four most powerful organizations, only a handful of people possessed it. The license to kill was the highest recognition of one’s contribution to the organization and strength. Hannah was one of the few in Viper’s Den who possessed the license. Yet Kaze ripped the license that represented her honor to shreds in her face. His actions denied her entire existence. Hannah’s eyes narrowed fiercely. A murderous aura exploded in the air. Her short hair began to
Based on Kaze’s deduction, Mika’s death was planned on the day of the Yemens’ party. Ryna and Cyan were rude toward Kaze and when Mika saw him that night, conflict was inevitable. Given Kaze’s attitude, after Mika got under his skin, he would surely say something like cancel her online to threaten her. With that, the prerequisite for setting up this plan was fulfilled. Kaze got the motive and the power to do so. Therefore, in times of need, Mika could be pushed to the forefront as a sacrifice. Mika’s death pointed all the arrows at Kaze, making him a suspect or even the killer. In fact, the entire incident should be coordinated with another secret plan to make the chain of evidence more solid and clear. However, Aiden was offended and slapped by Kaze earlier, so he decided to retaliate as soon as possible. It was the reason why the seemingly flawless plan started to have cracks. Despite Aiden’s hasty nature in doing things, Kaze was actually impressed by the masterm
Lock instinctively took a step forward and said, “Ms. Quint, Ms. Frost, it’s a good deal. Given Mr. Krad’s power, he could easily get Kaze out. “One of you is Kaze’s wife; one of you is his assistant. You just can’t sit back and do nothing while Kaze gets sent to jail.” Worry consumed him and made him nervous. He lacked the power to save Kaze, but Aiden could and was willing to. The terms were not harsh and demanding either, but he neglected Darcy and Snow’s feelings. Noticing the ladies’ silence, Aiden continued, “Ladies, my terms are not harsh at all. It’s a good deal, for you and for Kaze. “Kaze can come back in one piece and we can sit down peacefully and talk over dinner. “For Ms. Quint, you and I might be able to reach an agreement regarding the land at Crown Tower; for Ms. Frost, consider it an explanation to the Frosts. Am I right?” The smile on his face looked sincere as if what he offered was purely to have dinner with the ladies without ulterior motives. Da
Aiden narrowed his eyes. He never thought Snow would still reject his brother after all that had happened. He shrugged and then said to Darcy and Snow with a smile, “I am proposing a trade for you ladies.” “A trade?” Darcy was slightly surprised. She asked, “What trade?” She knew Aiden was up to no good, but worrying too much would only slow her down. She wanted to find out what Aiden’s terms were for releasing Kaze.Snow did not speak but simply looked at Aiden. Aiden sensed the concerns from the ladies and it somehow aroused jealousy in him. What charms did Kaze possess to make these two ladies fall for him? Discarding the messing thoughts, Aiden said, “You two are aware of the current situation. Based on the current evidence, Mika took her own life. “However, she’s a PR in Ryokan and her death might cascade into some problematic issues. As for how big it will snowball depends on Ryokan’s reaction. “You should know that I am quite close with the Ryokanians. If I sp
“Mr. Krad! What brings you here…” “Young Master Krad!” The guests of the Yemens, who had been invited to the station to provide testimony, arrived excitedly and greeted Aiden warmly. Aiden made headlines on the first day he arrived in Riverbank, hence many people were already familiar with the young master from the Krads. However, when they came closer to greet him and saw his face, they sensed something strange. Aiden looked rather battered. His face was swollen and red, with a glisten on his cheeks as if he had applied cream or balm to ease the pain. Yet no one dared to ask what happened. Aiden smiled at Cyan and the others before he dragged himself over to Darcy. He forced a smile on his face and said, “Ms. Quint, we meet again so soon.” “What are you doing here?” Darcy asked, her tone frosty and her expression stiff. Aiden stroked his cheek and said without a bit of embarrassment, “I heard Kaze got arrested because he is suspected of murder. I heard of the news, s
Snow helplessly said, “But as Chairman Lee’s assistant, my words do not have credibility and they aren’t accepted by the police. “More importantly, everything happens too fast and the coincidence is uncanny. Villa No.9 should be a private property, how did Mika sneak inside so easily? “According to the butler, Mika told him that she was Chairman Lee’s guest. As servants to the wealthy and powerful, the butler and the others had gotten used to extra company, especially from a female, so they allowed her in. “However, such speculation won’t work with the police. Mika is dead, so they said it was Chairman Lee who called her to the villa. “I was the one who slapped Mika and canceled her, but as his assistant, it could be said that I was instructed to do so by Chairman Lee. “That’s why the whole thing feels off, especially when all the coincidences overlap. Everything is against Chairman Lee.” Listening to Snow’s explanation, Darcy’s expression darkened. According to what she
“Mika could not handle the stress and embarrassment, so she tried to fight back. Kaze must have physically beaten her and also canceled her on every social media platform. “If it’s the truth, then Kaze is a horrible person. Not only did he try to rape her, but he also ruin her career and future. What a monster. “He used to be a quiet person when he was at our house, not like this…” Cyan explained. Ryna then scoffed. “That’s why a villain like him must be executed! I was smart enough to never show him any hospitality and stopped him from coming to our house. “Otherwise, if he had his eyes on Cyan, he would ravage her and even kill us all!” Ryna did not hold back in criticizing Kaze. She even chose to ignore the fact that she tried to curry favors with Kaze at the dinner. Lock could not bear listening to this wife and daughter criticizing Kaze. He frowned and bellowed, “You two, mind your words. “The officers said Kaze is just a suspect. The investigation is still going on
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