Darcy’s mind went blank. She could not even hear what Kaze said. Darcy was not the only one still reeling from the shock. Maurice, the managing directors of various banks, and the press could not believe their eyes. Everybody was stunned. With the banks cutting loans and collecting debts, Quintessential Group would have been crippled. To everybody’s surprise, there was a shocking twist to the events. Influential families and major corporations came to the Group’s aid. Dozens of big businesses were committed to investing in Quintessential Group, citing 100 million dollars at the very least. These companies had lost it. Despite its tarnished reputation, Quintessential Group still managed to attract investors.“You’re mad. You have all gone mad!” Driven to the edge, Maurice yelled in rage. Kazen was the reason he had eggs on his face now, a humiliation worse than an actual slap on the face. Maurice looked at the leaders of prominent families and major corporatio
“That’s none of your business, Mr. Lewis. The money is ours, and we can do whatever we want with it as we please. We don’t have to deposit any money in your banks anymore.” Peter and the others demanded cash withdrawals. With the managing directors put in the spot, they turned to Maurice, who was the cause of everything. Maurice shouted at everyone, “It’s a ploy! Are you trying to cross the banks? Well, don’t even think about any loans or financing in the future.” A good relationship with banks was a must for corporations. The group sneered. “Don’t flatter yourself, Maurice. While we can’t afford to turn our backs on banks, we are within our rights to upset you since you only work for the banks.” “That’s right. You seem hot and bothered, Mr. Taon. I hope you’re not going to be a cheat.” The public mocked Maurice with the same insult he used on Darcy. Maurice narrowed his eyes at the people. “Fine, have it your way. You’ll get what’s coming for distressing one of the
“Where’s Johnson? I want to see Johnson! I’m the son-in-law of one of the top families. Why am I being arrested?” Maurice could make as much fuss as he wanted, but a member of the Economic Investigation Division handcuffed him. The once untouchable president of Lilyrose Bank was taken away in shame. Darcy drew a deep breath. The incident today was not something she had ever expected. She turned to the power players in Lilyrose’s business community and expressed her gratitude for their role in reviving Quintessential. Darcy had raised the question that had been bugging her, “I would like to know your reason behind investing in my company now of all times.” Many there were just as puzzled as Darcy. Just moments ago, there was no hope left in Quintessential. However, these prominent business figures stood by the Group at the risk of offending the top families. The fact was hard for them to wrap their heads around. “Ms. Quint, the Group with your leadership is worth th
It was surprising that a proud woman like Miru had someone she respected. Even Kaze was shocked. Miru glanced at him in disdain. “Have some dignity, Kaze. I’m talking about the chairman of Perfect World Group, not you. It’s not as if you called these people to invest in Quintessential Group.” “I am—” Kaze was about to refute when Darcy jumped in, “You got the wrong idea about Kaze, Miru. Kaze knows Snow from Perfect World Group. He made the call to invite those people.” Darcy was aware that Snow played a part in Kaze hitting the lottery and buying furniture. Miru looked at Kaze in surprise and scoffed. “It just so happened that Perfect World Group’s chairman wanted to take on the top families, so he put the word out to the major businesses. I doubt Kaze could convince them to be here if it weren’t for the chairman.” She called on Kaze’s bluff at Lily Garden Hotel the last time. Miru had already made up her mind about Kaze. There was no way she would change her opinion
“It’s reassuring that Ms. Frost is named the new chairman. Let’s keep the funds in Lilyrose Bank then.” Darcy was relieved. Perfect World had done Quintessential a huge favor. Snow would not make things difficult for Quintessential. “The chairman of Perfect World Group is one in a million. Even his assistant can be a chairman of Lilyrose Bank. Miru had the utmost respect and curiosity for the mysterious chairman. Kaze smiled without a word. Upon learning the news, heads of the top three families gathered at the Everias’ residence, the Jade Estate. “We wanted to destroy Quintessential, but Perfect World had the business’ back. It’s clear that Perfect World is getting back at us,” Edward hissed through clenched teeth, his face glum. It was supposed to be easy to crush Quintessential Group, but the company managed to dodge tragedy once again. His son was still in a coma, thanks to Darcy. Maurice, a close associate of the Everias, was also caught in the crossfire.Ed
The heads of the top families laughed for a while, sensing a bright future awaiting them. Just then, Edward beckoned at his youngest son, Ethan. “You will assume the role of Chairman at Bersina Group, Ethan. We have lost Maurice and Toffle, those losers. It’s time Bersina takes back the Everia family.” Ethan was delighted. His older brother, Eliot, had always outshone him. With Eliot in a coma, the family leadership should now fall on Ethan.Edward made Ethan the chairman of Bersina Group to see if he was up to the task. “Don’t worry, Dad. I will manage Bersina well.” Ethan left Jade Estate with his sidekick in tow. He returned with a heavy heart in less than an hour. “Holy shit, Dad. Someone beat me to it and took Bersina Group right out of my hands.” Ethan made a crying face, looking nothing like the swank he had before leaving the house. Edward was enraged. “Who did it? Everybody knows Maurice and Toffle only managed Bersina for the Everias.” Belarus and Fli
Kaze got confirmation from Maurice that the three major families were involved in James’ death two years ago. Having built a successful business from scratch, James aspired to return home and revitalize his hometown.James brought cutting-edge technology from the southern coast to Lilyrose, eager to seek collaboration with the three top families. His kind gesture invited him trouble instead. The three families killed him and divided Shangrila Group among themselves. Five years ago, they and the Lee family of Sunrise City did the same thing to Quintessential. The rise of the three major families was a cruel story involving blood and tears.They seized Quintessential, elevating themselves to the ranks of top-tier families.In addition, they acquired shares of Shangrila Group, firmly establishing their dominance in Lilyrose.The feud simply piled on. Kaze had never been so sure about overthrowing the three major families. That was not the only thing on his list. As pu
Dean Anstar, the HR director, who was the first to resign. Behind him were former executives and employees who resigned with him. They learned that Quintessential Group had overcome the crisis and got more than two billion worth of investment from different major companies. They regretted leaving the company. The Group would surely rise to prominence and expand rapidly. The employees of the company would also enjoy all kinds of benefits, so when they heard the company was hiring again, they came back. Unfortunately, there were too many candidates. The normal employees got anxious. They were afraid their original positions would be taken, so they teamed up with Dean and the other executives to force other candidates to leave. Dean was smart as well. As a traitor, he knew his odds of returning to Quintessential were slim, but if he could get several former employees on his side, then he would have the leverage to negotiate with Darcy. Therefore, he revealed his former i
Arthur chuckled, his smile carrying a touch of sleaziness. “Oh, I see.” A realization dawned on Kaze. “Are you with quality control?” Several individuals in dark blue suits approached. The men and women carried files and documents. Kaze nodded without a word. “We are just here to announce the results. We shouldn’t be long.” Arthur came forward to engage with them. The group was likely given the heads-up as they had the right number of people. They swaggered into Rising Sun’s building. The general manager straightened up his tie in a fluster and walked out. None of the film productions made the cut yet, and the delay was costing the company money by the day. At this rate, the project would go down under. Eli, the general manager, rushed to the entrance upon learning the news. The review team was there to do one final check. The films would get the green light if the board found that everything was up to par. The head office would stop putting pressure on
Given Kaze’s status, Alfonso knew better than to have him waiting under the hot sun. Of course, he would send his people to be on standby for Kaze’s arrival. Peter only came to the rescue when Kaze was pestered by some street gang. Alfonso’s omission of Kaze’s identity led to this hiccup. Kaze did not care one bit about the incident. Heck, he did not even bring it up. Arthur straightened his back nervously, becoming even more cautious behind the wheel. “You knew, but why didn’t you say anything, Mr. Lee? You didn’t even tell on us.” Arthur could not understand why. However, he had more respect for the man. “I didn’t see a point. You’ll learn what happens when you displease me, so I won’t bother telling you now.” Kaze was mild-mannered as ever. He spoke softly without a hint of anger. All the more Arthur revered him. “Mr. Lee, we didn’t do our jobs right. We didn’t know who you were.“But my duty is to protect you in the dark. “We saw you getting out of the train
“Rising Sun is a media company. Several of their films are about to be released. They are trying to get them approved to air due to some censorship issues.” Arthur took out a document. “Are there any issues with the films? Why aren’t they approved yet?” Kaze asked curiously. Kaze had no idea. “There are some issues. They aren’t fit to be aired. “Typically, there aren’t a lot of restrictions for film productions so long as the themes aren’t sensitive topics. “But these films featured altered history. The company has been asked multiple times to make revisions, but the films still don’t make the cut.” The Viper’s Den’s members were not privy to the information. The Frosts were insignificant. Kaze was after the Frosts. Otherwise, the Viper’s Den would not waste its resources on a mere film production company. Jet’s investment of nearly ten million bucks in Rising Sun caught the Viper’s Den’s attention. The delayed approval of the films would be catastrophic to the in
“It’s quite a bustle even when it’s late at night.” Kaze looked down from above and saw the bright lights. A street in the distance was brightly lit with many people working into the night. “The majority of people would do many things to make a living.” Arthur rarely observed these sights. “Thank you. Keep me in the loop of any progress. I’m curious as to what you’d do.” Kaze did not see a need to get involved with the minor stuff. He delegated the tasks to his people. “If you have time, why don’t you go out and have a bit of fun, Mr. Lee?” Arthur asked. The reason for Kaze’s trip was to deal with Jet. Kaze would get some satisfaction from upsetting Jet. “I don’t want to attract attention.” The last thing Kaze wanted was to blow his cover. From Kaze’s question, Arthur knew that Kaze was interested. “No. We can give you a whole new identity.” Arthur knew what to do. “I’ll leave you to it, but don’t take it too far,” Kaze replied. Still, Kaze was intrigued a
Katie was narrow-minded to spit out the unpleasant things. Her words would never harm Kaze. Kaze took the private elevator back to the penthouse for a rest. He had more important things to do. He needed to keep tabs on the Frosts. Leah’s business was none of Kaze’s concern. Sure, Leah was in a state, being manipulated by her mother and all. However, it was a family matter at the end of the day. Kaze had no rhyme or reason to get involved. Kaze soon put the whole thing behind him. Arthur was already there at the penthouse. As Kaze entered the room, Arthur jolted up from the couch. “Mr. Lee, this is the document you requested. It should have detailed information to give you a clearer idea of the situation.” Arthur put the papers in front of Kaze and grabbed him a bottle of water. Feeling hot from his walk back, Kaze took a sip and held the document up for a look. “I got to give it to the Frosts. They sure work in the shadows.” Kaze grinned. A strong opponent p
“Despite everything I’ve said, you still won’t listen! Kaze is a liar! He befriended you with a motive. Yet, you trust him. He’s a good friend to you? What do you take me for?” Katie could not put up with her daughter’s defiance. Leah must obey her because that was what a good daughter would do. “I see you as my mother. What about you? Am I a daughter to you?” Leah did not want to ask such a distressing question. However, there was no way around it. She was escaping reality. Still, she had to swallow the truth, however cruel. “What are you talking about? I wouldn’t raise you if I didn’t consider you my daughter.” Katie worked hard to keep a level head. The last thing she wanted was the whole thing to blow up into a bigger fight. She had a lot to do for the upcoming party. There was no time to lose in keeping her daughter happy. Besides, Leah was no longer a child. Yet, she was so defiant and rebellious. “Why do you plan on giving me away if I’m supposed to be your d
Katie proudly made the statement, convinced that she had done a lot for her daughter. It was only right for Leah to be grateful and understand her sacrifice. To Katie’s surprise, Leah chuckled. “What else have you done for me? You never showed me any attention. You don’t know what I like. You have no idea what I want.” Leah finally saw her mother as the person she was. This side of Katie was terrifying. “What more do you want? Am I not supposed to work? Should I be spending every waking minute of the day with you?” Katie understood Leah’s needs. However, there was no way she could make it happen. It was not easy for a woman to take hold in the Northborn Group, much less secure a high position there. Katie went through great pains to get where she was today. Alas, Leah could not understand where she was coming from. “I’m not asking you to be with me every day. I’ve tried my best to do everything you asked of me, but you can’t even be there for me during my birthdays.
“Everything I do, I do for you. Get this straight. The guy approached you because of what I could bring to the table.” Katie was pissed by her daughter’s defiance which was becoming worse with age. “I know the kind of person he is. Without Kaze’s help, I wouldn’t have escaped. Where were you then? You’re in no position to say that. “Even if there’s something he’s after, what would he want from me? I have nothing to offer.” Leah did not believe a word Katie said. Clearly, Katie was out to get Kaze. “He’s nothing but a poor kid. Why are you blowing this out of proportion? I’ve clearly stated what needed to be done. Why are you still being stubborn?”Katie believed she had not raised her daughter right. Leah turned out pretty naïve. “I told you. He has no ulterior motive. He doesn’t know who I am. He doesn’t have any other intentions. I approached him, not the other way around.” Leah kicked herself for pulling a reckless stunt. All she did was give Kaze more problems. Kat
Leah hated her mother being unreasonable. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I fed you, I gave you clothes, I put a roof over your head, I gave you life! The least you could do is to listen to me!” Katie did not expect her daughter to go so far as to defy her. Kaze remained silent, knowing that no matter what he said, it would be meaningless to someone unwilling to listen. “Kaze, I’m sorry. It was my fault that you are in this mess. I’m a jinx…” Leah blamed herself for getting Kaze in trouble with her mother. If not because of her, he would never encounter her mother. “Shut it! Why are you apologizing!? He approached you with purpose and you can’t even see that? He’s not worthy of your time!” Katie was livid. She felt her daughter was blinded by emotions, incapable of making the right decision. And to make matters worse, the girl even apologized to Kaze—what nonsense! A poor man without any background was no match for her daughter and her status. He approached the girl becaus