“So, you want me to be your shield? Use your brain and think about it. I’m a notable figure in Lilyrose. The guy will easily find out if he investigates. You’re rich anyway, so just hire someone else.”Pretend to be Miru’s boyfriend for a blind date? What a joke.He was the mayor of Lilyrose now and needed to maintain his dignity.Furthermore, he was not in the mood to play with her.“It doesn’t matter if the guy knows. I just need to ruin the blind date.”Miru pursed her lips and said, “Hiring someone won’t work. That guy is a young master from a major foreign family. People like him usually have bad tempers. If he gets physical...”“What do you mean?”Kaze’s expression instantly darkened. “You mean he might get violent, so you don’t want to endanger anyone else.”It was obvious that finding a shield for a blind date was incredibly distasteful.Even an ordinary man would not be able to hold back his anger, let alone a young master.Miru felt uneasy when Kaze saw through her
“Ms. Scarlet, you are surprisingly easy-going.” Niko chuckled on the phone. He then firmly said, “Then let’s meet at your company, Lefteria Group. Since you are the woman who shall be my wife soon, I have to inspect how you are running your company.” He had already gone through Miru’s profile on his way to Lilyrose. When he learned that Miru’s Lefteria Group was the supporting factor behind the underground forces of Lilyrose and the neighboring city, he was certain that she was a powerful woman. Miru herself was also the kingpin of Lilyrose and Melrose. She was unlike other women Niko had met before. Therefore, he decided to conquer Miru with a fierce approach, hence suggesting to inspect her company. He could also use the chance to meet her in person. However, Miru did not accept his suggestion at all. If she did not know that meeting with Niko was the only way to give her family a satisfying explanation, she would have hung up the phone based on his attitude alone. “N
Blue Tone Coffee was just one block away from Lefteria Group’s office tower. Since it was working hours, when Kaze and Miru arrived, the coffee shop barely had any customers. “Are you Ms. Miru Scarlet?” the waitress came over and asked politely. “I am.” Miru pursed her lips and whispered to Kaze, “It seems like that guy is one step faster than us.” “Mr. Powell is waiting for you. This way please.” The waitress brought the two of them to the corner where a tall and handsome man was seated. There was no one else with or around him. “Ms. Scarlet, Niko Powell,” Niko said as he got up with a bright smile, a lustful gaze, and a friendly handshake. Miru surprised him. He had not seen Miru in person before this, not even through a picture. Even though he knew a rich family like the Hidens had filtered multiple generations to ensure their offspring carried the best genes, he was still in awe of Miru’s looks. Even with his experience with women, Miru could be considered one o
Miru brought Kaze along and declared that he was her boyfriend to oppose the arranged marriage. She made it clear enough yet Niko said he wanted to take things further. He looked nothing like a fool. Surprised, Miru curled her hands around Kaze’s and said, “Mr. Powell, don’t you want to know who my boyfriend is?” Niko glanced at Kaze and then shook his head. “I don’t need to. I will get the woman that I like, no matter what. “Besides, I don’t think he is your boyfriend. Even if he is, I will make you mine. I do not need to know the name of a loser.” Miru was slightly shocked when she saw the confident smile on Niko. It was expected that Niko could tell that Kaze was pretending to be Miru's boyfriend, but what the man said after that made her uncomfortable. “Mr. Powell, you are being overconfident,” she said. Niko leaned forward to stare at Miru fiercely and said, “That’s right. I am confident. I will always get the woman I like.” Miru grunted scornfully but said not
Miru’s expression turned gloomy. She stood still and said nothing. Niko might not sound friendly but he spoke facts. There were many security guards at Lefteria Group yet they were all defeated by Niko’s men in the shortest time possible. She felt embarrassed. Then, Niko said, “Ms. Scarlet, your boyfriend doesn’t qualify either. He knew your company was filled with useless trash yet he did not consider your safety at all. “Oh, excuse me. Maybe it’s my misunderstanding, but if your boyfriend knows your company security does not meet expectations and still does not possess the ability to protect you, then I don’t believe a woman like you would fall for a guy like him either.” Kaze raised his brows. Things had taken an interesting turn. He had not offended Niko by any means, yet the man took a shot at him. Miru was triggered. She coldly said, “Mr. Powell, you are full of yourself. My boyfriend is none of your business.” “I said it before, you are a woman that I like and
The kiss lasted for a few seconds before Kaze looked at Niko with a victorious smile. “What a coincidence. I don’t like wisecracks either. I prefer action over talk.” Kaze then subtly released Miru. Although Kaze and Miru never saw eye to eye and always had arguments, she was fine as a woman. The kiss even made his heart race. Miru staggered backward. She stared at Kaze furiously. She wanted to shout at him for being rude and invasive but then she realized Kaze was using his own way to rebuke Niko. She forced herself to keep quiet but anger lingered in her eyes. Niko was the most impacted. He was stunned for a few moments before he regained his composure. His expression ashened. “W-What did you just do?!” He squeezed the words out of his clenched teeth. His eyelids were twitching and veins were popping on his forehead. Just after he claimed Miru as his woman, Kaze kissed her in front of him. Even though it was just on the cheek, it was a huge insult to Niko.
“Now!” Niko shouted at his phone before abruptly hanging up. Then, as he stepped back with his hand covering his face, he glared at Kaze with burning rage and grinned viciously. “You little bastard, you are dead now! The only way you can walk out of here alive is if you beat my three bodyguards! Or else this will be where you die!” His tone screamed of murderous intent, no one would doubt his hatred for Kaze. As the young master of the Powell family, the strongest contender for heir, and born with a silver spoon, being slapped twice and seeing the woman he liked kissed in front of him was the biggest insult he could receive. Any ordinary person would want to kill Kaze for this, let alone someone as powerful as Niko. Unlike other ordinary people, Niko had the power to turn his thoughts into actions. Three of his bodyguards were enough to beat up all the security guards of Lefteria Group. It was more than enough as a display of power. The security guards of Lefteria Gro
Miru was slightly surprised when she heard Kaze. It was no secret that Kaze alone beat up Gareth’s three titans, albeit her being skeptical about it. She frowned and said, “I forgot to tell you that the Powell family has a strong influence over Glowmoss’ military. His bodyguards must be veterans on the battlefield. Gareth’s titans are not a match for them…” “Miru, you are right!” Niko interrupted her with a loud call. He continued, “My three bodyguards used to serve the ace team of Glowmoss Foreign Legion. They are no strangers to the battlefield and each of them had more than a hundred lives on their hands.” He then looked at Kaze with the same grin. “Punk, I know the titans that you mentioned. They are just some thugs who have not been on the battlefield. “They might be enough to scare the ordinary people, but my bodyguards can crush them with their fingers. What gave you the confidence to think that you can beat them up?” Miru did some homework on the Powells and learn
Picking up on Lock’s worry, Snow said indifferently, “Don’t worry, Mr. Yemen. I’m not here to make her pay.“I want to make a deal with her if you could pass the message along.“She will meet with me.” … Minutes later, Snow went into Villa No. 13 on her own. The bright and cheerful villa was now a dark and gloomy funeral hall. Mika’s black-and-white portrait was placed right in the center. As her death was unexpected, an old photo was used for the memorial. Mika’s radiant smile in the photo appeared eerie against the somber atmosphere. A large flower wreath was placed beneath the portrait, and a woman in mourning kneeled next to the picture. Snow could tell that the woman was relatively young, probably in her forties from her side profile. Even without makeup, the woman was nicely put together. She had taken good care of herself. The woman was Mika’s mother, Ebi. Ebi migrated to Cousbank and became a Ryokanian citizen. Upon learning of her daughter’s death, Ebi
“The first villa I ever own. I haven’t stayed here for long, and now it’s a place of mourning.” Cyan had no words. Mika’s mother was Ebi Wise. She was so unreasonable and made such a scene that the Yemens had no choice but to comply.As always, Cyan shifted the blame on Kaze. “Why hasn’t Kaze admitted to his crimes? Does he think that by denying the truth, he can escape from the law?“He should just confess and conduct the funeral at his Villa No. 9.“Only then can Mika rest easy.” The police condoned Villa No. 9 off to collect evidence. Cyan believed that Kaze’s refusal to admit his crimes was why Villa No. 9 was still closed off. Hence, Ebi used the Yemens’ place to mourn instead. Ryna glared at her husband. “It’s all your fault, Lock. Cyan and I disapproved of the bastard coming to the house, but you had to uphold your duty as a mentor. “What did that get you? Look what your student did to us in return.” Annoyed, Lock shouted, “That’s enough. I won’t ever bring hi
Collier knew Buffy had a point. Still, he said in frustration, “Fuck! I can’t just let these people make up stories about the branch leader.” Buffy sighed helplessly, not knowing what to say. Ever since Kaze’s arrest, Buffy had been keeping an eye on things. She wanted to pay a visit to the state police department. However, she dropped that thought upon learning that Darcy was there. Nothing was going on between Buffy and Kaze. However, Buffy would not face Darcy with a clear conscience. “Wow! Where did the money come from?” While the pair strategized, a cry burst out of the crowd. Collier and Buffy looked over to find some individuals clenching bags. The zippers of these bags came undone, and cash fell out as these people moved through the crowd. The banknotes were scattered far and wide. “Oh, my gawd! Uleanian dollars!” “Wow! Look at all the Uleanian dollars!” Somebody bent over to pick the money up. After a good look, the person turned flushed with thrill.
As the public watched in disbelief, the group of elderly individuals unfurled white banners and began protesting. “Where’s the justice? A young life is lost.”“Murderers must pay!” “Kaze Lee, you took my daughter’s life!” “Kaze Lee, the husband of Sky Ocean Corporation’s chairwoman, is a scumbag.” … The haunting messages on the white banners drew a lot of attention. Large projector screens, hung on the sides of the buses, played photo collages of Mika and footage of Kaze’s arrest. The group painted a picture of a pretty young woman killing herself after a man forced himself on her. The dramatic scene stirred a lot of emotions and curiosity. With attention drawn, many tourists pulled out their phones. Several older women wailed into megaphones, “Kaze is the devil! He must be punished for taking my daughter’s life!” Their grief and anger were heart-wrenching. As a crowd built, pamphlets were handed out to describe Kaze’s alleged harm to Mika. News of the incide
Aiden grimaced. Despite his great offer, Snow and Darcy turned him down. He was unhappy and jealous of Kaze. “I don’t really know Darcy, but Snow is an interesting woman. “Out of all the socialites I’ve met, she has character and a mind of her own. “She was worked up about getting Kaze out of the spot, but when I proposed that they had dinner with me, she refused without hesitation. “I doubt this has anything to do with love. She has so much trust in Kaze that he can turn things around no matter what. “I don’t understand where this trust stems from, but it’s something we shouldn’t neglect.” Aiden looked grim. Though Snow’s confidence in Kaze was puzzling, Aiden did not like it one bit. Kaze was just a loser. He did not deserve a woman like Snow. He was caught in a hopeless situation. This time, the Ryokanians and the Krads worked together to set him up. Mika’s death had attracted the attention of the Ryokanian government. Given the international implications of
“We have to assess the situation and plan accordingly. “Our goal is to remove Kent from office. Worst comes to worst, we can make Kaze give up on the piece of land.” Reiko lived up to her reputation as part of the Refined Blade. It did not take her long to pull herself together. She quickly determined a strategy. After a sip of her drink, Reiko said in a flat tone, “We can’t tell whether Wallace’s involvement in Kaze’s case is a good or bad thing yet. “He can stop Kent from butting in and keep Kaze with the state police. “On the other hand, we must slow down and stop all other operations. We cannot afford to make any mistakes.“We cannot underestimate Wallace. We risk losing everything if he catches us.” Aiden nodded, agreeing with Reiko’s perspective. “Ms. Hara, the evidence we provided to the state police is solid but not airtight. It won’t be difficult for Kaze to discredit it if he looks hard enough. “We pushed the investigation to focus on Kaze. The police simp
Aiden broke out in a cold sweat when he remembered losing Crown Tower at the auction. He said solemnly, “I’m sorry, Ms. Hara. The fault lies in me.”“I love a strong and powerful man who can handle me, Mr. Krad. I don’t need a rash man who can’t think straight.” Reiko grabbed a towel and wiped every inch of Aiden’s body. Her fingers coasted along Aiden’s Adam’s apple, and she said indifferently, “You better ask us before you make the next move. Otherwise, you might lose the chance to work with us again.” Aiden gritted his teeth and said nothing. Dropping the attitude, Aiden was as meek as a kitten in front of Reiko.He was usually the one getting handsy with Reiko. By the time Reiko withdrew her arm, Aiden’s expression had hardened. He read between the lines. Reiko talked about dropping him, not the Krads. In other words, Reiko could go to another member of the Krads to collaborate. Aiden’s competition was within his family. He aimed to be the top of his family.
Aiden’s words trailed off. The Ryokanians were never out to get Kaze. They were trying to bring Kent down through Kaze. The only conflict between Kaze and the Ryokanians was business rivalry, and there was no reason to escalate negotiable deals to a personal level. Kent was a different story. He was the mayor of Riverbank. He passed the bills for policies. One policy could decide the fate of a business. Kent’s policies could eliminate the Ryokanian presence in Riverbank. Kent must die. The Ryokanians could get Kaze out of the picture. If necessary, they could call it a truce with him too. That was what the Ryokanians thought. There was a fundamental difference between the Ryokanians’ attitude toward Kaze and Kent. The only thing on Aiden’s mind was to get rid of Kaze. Aiden simply took hits at Kent because the latter was Kaze’s supporter. He and the Ryokanians were after different things. Due to the lack of transparency in their communication, the plan had gon
Aiden chuckled in delight and grabbed Reiko’s hand to pull her close. He sniffed her hand and said with a manic laugh, “Don’t worry, Ms. Hara. I will get you Crown Tower before killing him. “Hahaha! He’s just a loser. What does he have to compete with me?” Aiden gripped Reiko’s hand and threw his head back to guffaw. “Splash!” Reiko raised her hand and poured her drink on Aiden. Aiden choked on the drink, interrupting his laughter.“Cough, cough.” It took Aiden a while to get over it. He shot an angry look at Reiko and shouted, “Have you lost it, Reiko?” Aiden was surprised to see Reiko looking rather aloof. Reiko had always clung to him, catering to all his needs since they met. She made him feel like a king. Yet now, Reiko caught him off guard by turning on him. Aiden had no idea what was going on. “You have some explaining to do, bitch,” Aiden grabbed a towel to wipe his face while uttering furiously. Unfazed by Aiden’s temper, Reiko said with a blank face,