Glang and company must hold on no matter what. What if Kaze was already on his last straw? Their only way out of this was to keep drinking. “That’s good to know. Let’s continue, Mr. Sox.” Kaze filled Glang’s glass once more. “Cheers!” Gland gulped and said, “Hold on, hold on! We are not in a sprint, this is a marathon. Can we take it slow?” His stomach was turning upside down. He worried that if he drank another glass, he would explode in whiskey. “Mr. Sox, you’re tired already? No problem. Let me help you with it.” Kaze smiled as he picked up the glass. He then grabbed Glang by the jaw and squeezed his cheeks. “W-What ugh mhmmmm…” Glang tried to resist but could not break free. It was like Kaze’s hand was welded to his jaw. As Kaze exerted more strength, Glang’s mouth slowly opened up. He then poured the whole glass into Glang’s mouth. It was no longer whiskey to Glang, it felt like a stream of lava pouring into his throat. “Ugh…” As Kaze released his j
Two minutes later, Glang and his men were forced to kneel before Kaze. They were barely conscious. If not for Conan’s men holding them by the hair, they could not even kneel upright. “K-Kaze, w-we are sorry, s-spare us…” Glang managed to open one of his eyes and begged for mercy. His eyelids were fluttering throughout his muffled speech. “What did you do wrong?” Kaze asked emotionlessly as he had a cup of yogurt to counter the alcohol. “I… We should not challenge Ms. Quint, w-we should not drink with you,” Glang said feebly. Kaze shot a glance at Conan. Conan then swung a slap at Glang’s face. “You better come clean if you don’t want to die!” Glang’s face was swollen and numb. He could not even feel the slap, but the fierce look on Conan scared him. “It’s Cosmo, Cosmo Lee!” Conan instinctively looked at Kaze. Kaze raised his brow and asked, “What did he tell you to do? I want the details.” “Cosmo Lee wants us to disguise ourselves as executives of Vista Educatio
“T-Then after we are done, can you send us out of Lilyrose? We want to go to a place where no one knows us!” Glang begged. Kaze looked at the man coldly. “You are in no position to bargain with me.” It was already merciful of him for not killing them on the spot. “Alright, w-we’ll do it…” Glang sat down, his face ashened. If he agreed to do it, at least he and his friends had a chance to escape. Kaze got up and gestured at Conan. “You make the arrangements.” “Aight!” Kaze then left the place. He was not interested in watching the disgusting scene. That night, Kaze received a video sent by Conan. All he saw was Cosmo’s painful expression on the thumbnail. He was not interested in playing it. “Kaze, what are you looking at?” Darcy asked. Kaze shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just a prank.” “Oh… I wonder who is after me. Can you really settle this?” Darcy switched her attention back to the matter. Worry lingered on her face. Kaze smiled and said, “Don’t worry.
Heck, Cosmo could not stand letting Glang and his crew live another day, much less a few. His subordinate said, “Zion Mercenaries operate in Arcadia too. I have a veteran friend called Christian. He’s been active in South River lately and contacted me for a drink once his business was finished.” “Get in touch with him,” Cosmo said impatiently. Christian was not just in South River State. He was in Lilyrose. Hence, both parties quickly reached a deal when Cosmo’s people contacted Christian. “Got it. Tell Christian’s men to interrogate the bastards and find out who they were working for,” still lying in bed, Cosmo said grimacingly. By now, Cosmo had cooled off and gotten his head in the game. Glang and the others were street thugs without major connections. They would not have the nerve to go against Cosmo unless they were threatened. Hence, all Cosmo wanted to know was the name they were working for. Cosmo wanted to sniff the bastard out and kill him. That night, Cos
Cheryl had to admit that Christian had a point. Even if Kaze had no intentions of going after her, Cheryl did not plan to let bygones be bygones. The only thing on her mind was to kill Kaze. Skipping the topic, Cheryl asked, “How was your talk with Zion’s management team, Christian?” After Magnus and the Viper’s Den failed to defeat Kaze, Cheryl put her hope on Zion Mercenaries. She nagged Christian about contacting his superiors in hopes the latter would send even stronger backup. “Headquarters have been doing an evaluation on Kaze’s competence. I just got a reply today, and they are sending someone stronger, ma’am.” Christian nodded and said, “But you should know that the price is higher if the reinforcement comes from the headquarters.” He failed to mention to Cheryl that even without the request, Zion headquarters would still assign backup. Zion was pushed to that decision when Kaze demanded Zion Mercenaries leave Arcadia and threatened them to do so within days.
“Cosmo!” Darcy grimaced. She knew who he was. The police force in Lilyrose put Cosmo behind bars for a while, and the Lees put pressure on Kaze to bail Cosmo out. The Lees even sent Adam to act as a mediator. Cosmo did make it back to Sunrise City in the end, but his legs were broken. Since then, the Lees’ presence disappeared from the city for a while. Even Lee Investment was on the down low. Cosmo’s appearance at Sky Ocean Corporation was not a good thing. Darcy quickly put two and two together. “You sent those people from Vista Group yesterday, Cosmo.” Darcy narrowed her eyes at Cosmo. “What do you want?” “You’re quick to pick up. I should get straight to the point.” As Cosmo’s lewd eyes violated Darcy, he said with a smile, “I don’t want a lot. I just want all your shares in Quartet Group and Sky Ocean Corporation.“Hear that? I want it all.” Cosmo carried himself with an air of domineering confidence, his determination unwavering. He had a clear unders
“I hope to see the papers signed by you to transfer the shares by this time tomorrow. “Clean yourself up when you see me tomorrow. You get what I mean. “Sure, your husband has connections to the government now, but I can show you what hell is.” Cosmo threatened Darcy recklessly. He assumed Darcy knew that Kaze was the mayor of Lilyrose. However, the message went over Darcy’s head. She simply took Cosmo’s words at face value. To be fair, the Lees were rich and powerful enough to overlook Lilyrose’s city council. “Give this woman something to think about.” Cosmo clapped his hands. Plop! A foreigner with Cosmo pulled out a gun from his holster. The foreigner took a step ahead and slammed the gun on the table in front of Cosmo. The employees of Sky Ocean Corporation were taken aback. Cosmo was so arrogant to flash a firearm in public. The veteran security officers stepped forward to protect Darcy and her employees while looking warily at the two foreigners behin
The senior executives talked among themselves in a panic. Darcy drew a deep breath and looked at the veteran security officers. She asked, “Are those foreigners mercenaries?” “Yes, Ms. Quint. They have served in the army. They have this presence about them.“They were outrageous enough to show their faces in Arcadia and flashed their guns. I’m sure there’s nothing they won’t do,” a security officer commented solemnly. The senior executives grew anxious. Some even wanted to hand in their resignation. The Lees had their eye on Sky Ocean Corporation and even hired foreign mercenaries. These mercenaries were cold-blooded murderers. The group felt chills down their spine. Fear washed over Darcy too. “You are all dismissed. I will figure out a way. I promise no one else will be dragged into this. Trust me.” She sent the senior executives home and locked herself in the office. Darcy did not expect Cosmo to take things far in the name of vengeance. However, the circumsta
“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