Zoro shouted. He lifted the broadsword one of his men had left behind with his foot and jumped forward like a leopard, darting toward Kaze. While he was still in mid-air, he raised his arm high and swung the sword down at Kaze’s face with a formidable force. “Kaze Lee, have a taste of my strongest slash!” Zoro peered down at Kaze condescendingly in mid-air as he bellowed with power and confidence. His anger fueled him to make the most powerful slash he had ever made. Even though there was no audience to witness his strongest attack, he believed even Kaze with his monstrous capabilities could not take the slash. Swoosh! The blade glared and swung down like a silver meteor, attempting to crush Kaze and consume him. Kaze stood expressionlessly. The moment Zoro jumped at him with the sword, he also lifted another sword off the floor with his foot. With a twist of his wrist, he performed an upper slash to counter the downward slash. Clank! When the blades clashed, spar
Clank! Zoro’s blade broke in front of his eyes, while Kaze’s remained intact. The two swords were simply picked from the weapon rack. The materials or methods of forging were exactly the same. Yet only the one Zoro wielded broke. In other words, Kaze could turn the simplest weapon into a godly killing device. The thought only lasted for a moment in Zoro’s mind because he was distracted by what happened next. After Kaze’s sword cut through Zoro’s, it continued downward with the same momentum. “NO!” Zoro screamed at the top of his lungs. He had never felt so pressured before, so pressured that he started crying blood. The last thought he had in mind was to beg for mercy. The sword slashed downward without delay, drawing a perfectly straight line in between Zoro’s brows. Kaze turned around while sheathing his sword. A few steps later, Zoro’s body split in half and fell on the floor. A few more twitches later, both parts of the body started to bleed from the perfe
Hamlin nodded. Up until this point, he had realized Kaze’s background and identity were more than met the eye. He was not the live-in husband who got kicked out of his wife’s family in Lilyrose and came to Riverbank to seek refuge. “Mr. Lee, what are your thoughts on Bronze Sparrow after this?” Hamlin asked again to learn of Kaze’s opinion. “Zoro is just the general manager, the boss on the front. The real boss is Casius Weather and this place can provide him a massive profit annually.” He was trying to warn Kaze of Casius’ retaliation. What Hamlin did not know was that this whole conflict with Bronze Sparrow was actually orchestrated by Casius to get rid of Kaze. “Since the boss of Bronze Sparrow is dead, then this place is mine.” Kaze smiled as he took his phone out for a call. “Kaze?” Miru’s voice came from the phone. She sounded slightly baffled. She had arrived in Riverbank for some time now and had been concentrating on the turf war of the underworld. She
The police were in a difficult spot because the Viper’s Den was a pain in the neck. Miru came forward and lifted the cloth, revealing Luis’ body under. “This is Joel’s killer!” “Woah!”The Viper’s Den members were bewildered by the sudden loss of Luis. They had seen a photo of Luis before, so they could identify the body as his. In the crowd, Jude’s confidante grimaced and said angrily, “Who are you? Do you think we will buy your story just because you put the blame on Luis? “I thought someone else killed Joel. Luis was just hypnotized.” Miru glanced at the speaker with a raised brow. “Oh? Says who?” Jude’s confidante said curtly, “Zoro, the GM of Bronze Sparrow said so. We gave him a day to catch the killer, or we would attack his establishment. “He’s a well-known underground kingpin of Riverbank. He won’t lie to us.” The agent stirred up trouble. He knew that Jude’s intention was for Bronze Sparrow to make Kaze the scapegoat. That way, Jude could get back at
“I need your guidance on the ring fight against Jude three days later. “Should I refuse or fight Jude?” Hannah asked Kaze for his opinion. Kaze replied indifferently, “Since Jude wants to make a comeback through the ring, just give him what he wishes for. He can get over it soon enough. “Don’t sit back and do nothing in the days leading up to the fight, though. He might try something.“You and Collier should clip Jude’s wings and take away his assets and territories. Leave him with nothing. “Even better, drive him to desperation.”Kaze’s voice was icy. Zoro abducted Rose, forcing Kaze to kill him at Bronze Sparrow. There was no doubt Jude played a part in the kidnapping. Kaze was not going to drop the matter. “Got it.” Hannah nodded and said, “Our biggest problem for our plans with the Viper’s Den is not Jude, but Casius. “He has been active in the West State, befriending the senior members there to dip his fingers in the South River State Branch. To get what he w
“Your man?” Nelson and Agatha were taken aback as Buffy came down the stairs. The beautiful, graceful woman turned up in Kaze’s residence. Snapping out of her trance, Agatha tore into Kaze. “Well, well, well. You were mooching off Agnes when you were living in Lilyrose. “I can’t believe you would hit on another woman behind Darcy’s back. “Darcy is pretty, rich, and gives you the world. The skank has nothing on her.” Agatha’s remark upset Buffy. Skank? In what way was Kaze’s wife better than her? Buffy believed she was far superior. “Mom!” Rose pulled her mother back and explained, “You got the wrong idea. Kaze did not betray Darcy. “Ms. Gwake’s father is Jude Gwake, the deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch.” “I don’t care who she is. She’s a sl—” Agatha could not care less. Nelson grimaced. “Shut up!” Nelson cried before turning to Buffy. “I’m sorry, Ms. Gwake. My wife was just acting out of ignorance. She is mistaken. Please pardon
Kaze figured out what was going on the moment he walked out of the villa. Coming from power and money, Buffy did not need to use Kaze as a cover against other socialites. From the few encounters Kaze had with Buffy, he observed her to be a proud woman. When she needed Kaze’s help in getting Jude treated, she wanted to do so by winning a gamble. Alas, Buffy did not have the best of luck, and things did not go as planned. “It must be Casius who pressured you into using me as a shield.” Kaze pulled his arm out of Buffy’s grip. The touch of her girls grazed his arm, stirring something deep within him even with his strong will. Without hesitation, Buffy stood firm and gave him a defiant look. “What? Scared? “Didn’t you cause a scene at Bronze Sparrow? Now, Zoro is dead, and Bronze Sparrow is under new management.“Even if you aren’t the cause, Casius will still make you pay for starting it. “Casius may look like the most charitable gentleman, but he’s the pettiest guy I k
The reception area was charged with sensual energy. It would not be a great time for a young man to walk in on these ladies. Yet, Kaze kept his composure. He followed Buffy’s line of vision to a striking woman at the center of the group. The woman was Buffy’s stepmother, Faith Gwake.With Buffy walking in, her arm linked with Kaze’s, the cheers and laughter in the room stopped. The other four women sized Kaze up before looking at Faith, who was upset, with intrigue. Buffy was thrilled with Faith’s reaction. “Hello, Stepmother. Hello, everyone.” She pulled Kaze along and said hello with a wave. Faith pulled her grim eyes away from Kaze and turned to Buffy with a smirk. “Oh, I guess pigs fly. I didn’t think I’d ever hear you call me Mom. “I thought you wouldn’t step foot at my place even on the day I die,” Faith said sarcastically. Buffy was not on good terms with her stepmother. Heck, they were like enemies. She answered with a smile, “Don’t be ridiculous, Faith.
The hostages were locked up in the containers. Some of them were elites in their own field while some were ordinary people with average income, yet all of them got into trouble when they boarded the plane. Most of them could not accept their fate. Yet they dared not defy or resist the mercenaries. When things started to calm down, they broke down in tears, weeping in silence as resentment consumed them. Kaze sat down at a clean corner that allowed him to look outside the window. The window was dirty but at least he could see outside. The space inside the container was filled with people sitting closely, offering comfort to one another. They were aware they were just temporarily safe in this container. No one knew what the mercenaries would do to them at the next moment. “My parents must be worried. I said I would call them when I land but now I can’t even get in touch,” Barney muttered as he sat beside Kaze. He too looked outside the window, his feelings mixed. He watc
Kaze thought of what he had overheard in the toilet. If he told the hostages about that, they would probably panic. “It’s nothing. They are just going to separate us into different rooms or containers. They said the buses would be disposed of,” he said. He did not want to reveal too much because it would cause panic. Once the hostages knew their lives were on the line, things might spiral out of control. The mercenaries could kill a few of them to make an example, and none of the hostages would dare to cause problems anymore. Kaze kept it a secret because he wanted to protect the people. “That’s it?” “Is there anything else? How many men are there? What is their plan? Who are they looking for?” “We want to know because we want to survive. This isn't our problem—we just got caught up in it.” The hostages looked at Kaze, their eyes filled with worry. They felt aggrieved because they should not be caught in such a huge problem. “I don’t know either.” No matter how m
“There’s a room there. Get in.” The mercenary pointed his gun at the mother and son, which led them to look at Kaze nervously, seemingly asking for help. “What do you want?” The mother was nervous. She clutched her son’s hand tightly, nearly making him cry, but she reacted quickly enough to cover her son’s mouth to prevent him from doing so. “All women must go into that room. You go in now,” the mercenary explained. He did not want the woman to get the wrong idea. “You people won’t hurt me, right?” the mother asked, worried that she might be ravaged. “We are not into MILF,” said the other mercenary who was escorting Kaze, indirectly assuring the mother. Kaze shot a glance at the mother and nodded at her. “They told us they were going to separate us, so there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, worried that the mother and son would not cooperate. The mother then carried her son and followed the other mercenary into the room. It was called a room but it was actually ju
“Can you make him stop? If the man comes back, we’ll be done for,” someone said. The kid’s crying made everyone anxious. “What can I do? He’s crying because he’s scared. I can’t just stop him.” The mother was afraid as well, and she did not want her son to be taken advantage of. “Calm down. Just don’t alert the men and we’ll be fine,” Miguel said, hoping to ease the situation. “I’ll fight him if he comes in. I believe I can make it,” someone said. Those with an impulsive nature grew restless from being kept on the bus for too long, feeling like livestock being kept in cages. “Shut it. They are coming,” Barney said after a glance outside the window. The other passengers fell silent, sat back down, lowered their heads, and tried their best not to look out the window. The mother quickly hugged her son and covered his mouth to prevent him from crying. Kaze felt peace and quiet once more, even the air felt smoother. He knew the passengers were merely ordinary people and
Unfortunately, Leah knew she would not get an answer out of Snow since she was refusing to help. Everything seemed to have changed following her mother’s disappearance. She tried to stay for answers but when security came in, she could not resist them anymore. It was the first time she was escorted out by security guards and it impacted her. She used to be the daughter of the CEO of Northborn Group—everyone respected her. She used to enjoy a privileged status. No matter where she went, she was the star of the event. Yet when her mother disappeared, everything changed. She wanted to look for Kaze but she had just lost the chance. Snow turned her down and gazed at her with contempt and irritation. Leah could not accept the changes but some things felt like they were destined to change. She was forced to leave the branch office but then had no idea where else to go. She felt abandoned by the world. Before this, she could still hope for Kaze’s help, but now she had no
Leah went to her mother’s company but did not find her anywhere. Joey was busy working in the CEO’s office. Leah went over and asked, “Joey, where’s my mother? I can’t reach her.” She wanted to know what happened to her mother. “I don’t know about your mother either. We went out together earlier in the day but I don’t know where she went. I can’t get in touch with her.” Joey was so busy that she could not even free herself from the desk to explain to the girl. “Where did she go? How am I supposed to find her?” Leah panicked. If even Joey did not know where her mother went, then something must have happened. A bad feeling rose from her heart. Things just got serious. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask someone else?” Joey did not have time to deal with the girl. Leah was unfamiliar with Joey’s coldness. Joey had always treated her with kindness and flattery, so the sudden coldness caught her off guard. She felt like something had changed. “Who should I be looking f
“No! My daughter is still in the hospital!” Katie refused to accept her punishment. She started to regret her decision but it was too late. “Now only you think about your daughter? I guess you are not that foolish, but have you thought about her when you betrayed Chairman Lee? “Don’t worry. Leah knew Chairman Lee personally and we won’t hurt her, but she might not live a good life anymore,” Snow said coldly. She did not want to put the girl in a difficult situation but her life as a princess would come to an end. “You can’t do that!” Katie could not believe Snow would do that. “I bet you never thought of the consequences when you leaked the information. Too bad. You’ve lost.” Snow revealed the truth because she wanted Katie to suffer for the decision she made. Katie would now regret every decision she made because she knew she had jeopardized her daughter’s life. She would feel like a fool. She devoted her life to climbing higher to gain more power but she ignored the
“I went to a bar to have a drink and I bumped into an informant of the Viper’s Den.” Katie looked helpless as she explained as if everything that had happened was planned out for her, pushing her to the edge step by step. It was a lively night at the bar. The atmosphere was pleasant and most of the guests were having a good time. Katie was a single woman. She needed care and love at times. She was alone when she visited the bar. She started off by ordering some drinks at the counter, waiting for a chance to meet a man who shared the same ideals. A drink or two later, maybe she could get herself a company for the night. As a grown-up woman, she had her desires. It was a way to release her stress. Katie entered the bar in a casual outfit but it did not diminish her elegant demeanor. When she sat down at the counter, a few young men approached her but she was not interested in immature boys. She continued drinking. She looked at the dance floor occasionally, searching for a
“Who do you think will believe you?” Arthur frowned. There were too many coincidences that it felt like a giant setup. “I’ve explained what I need to. Don’t interrogate me like I’m a criminal. I am the CEO of the Northborn Group.” Katie left them speechless. She had said the necessary and it was up to them whether they wanted to believe it or not. They did not have the evidence to charge her anyway. “You really think we can’t hold you responsible?” Snow was not really looking for a definite answer. The moment she suspected Katie, whether or not she was truly the traitor, Snow already had the right to hold her accountable. It was necessary to make things clear and it was to find out who Katie leaked Kaze’s information to. “It has come down to this. No matter how you deny it, it’s useless. We already know what you have done and you can’t escape. Even if you don’t want to confess, we can continue the investigation, and we’ll eventually find out the truth. “If you come clean