“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.
Kaze got a general idea of why Buffy brought him to meet Faith. Faith likely had been setting Buffy up with Casius. In addition, Faith’s snobbish remarks rubbed Kaze the wrong way. He wanted to slap the arrogance out of her. Before Kaze could speak, Buffy took Kaze’s arm once more and leaned closer in an act to be more intimate. Facing Faith’s burning eyes, Buffy said icily, “You are mistaken, Faith. “Kaze isn’t my new driver or a bodyguard. He doesn’t work for me.“He’s my boyfriend. “I brought him here to tell you that we’re officially dating. “Stop setting me up with Casius, talking my dad into it, and tipping Casius off to chance an encounter with me. “It’s never going to work between Casius and me,” Buffy said firmly, sending her message loud and clear. With Buffy expressing her stance strongly, the other women looked at Kaze in surprise. What did Kaze do to deserve Buffy? She turned away from an eligible bachelor like Casius and picked Kaze instead. “Hmph
Picking up manic vibes from Buffy’s tone, Kaze frowned. The Gwakes were more than met the eye. Buffy’s mother seemed to be in the picture, but she seemed to be in some sort of trouble and bound by Faith. Faith had a say in Buffy’s marriage.Kaze’s doubts were quickly answered soon enough. “Smack!”Faith rose to her feet and slapped Buffy in the face. A stinging red handprint marred Buffy’s soft skin. Buffy was caught in surprise. Even Kaze did not see it coming. He did not expect Faith to be trained in the art of self-defense, and she was pretty skilled. Kaze took another glance at Faith. She wore a dress with a thigh-high slit, lounging on the couch without a care. Hence, Kaze failed to pick up on a few key details. Now that he took another look at Faith, he found things he had missed before. When Kaze’s gaze fell on the steaming hot drink in front of Faith, he pulled a smirk. Faith took a step and ripped Buffy a new one. “You have the nerve, slut!“Who do y
“Your big talk doesn’t scare me, boy.” Faith folded her arms, her gaze menacing. “Just ask around about me and the Gwakes. You’ll regret what you just said. “Get lost. I’m not going to say this again.” The other four ladies swirled their wine glasses and looked at Kaze amusedly. “You should leave before Faith blows up, boy.” “Know your place. Faith can squash you like a bug.” “We don’t even concern ourselves in the Gwakes’ affair. Who are you to get involved?” The mockery and taunts were directed at Kaze. “Really? Are the Gwakes really that awesome?” Kaze smiled nonchalantly and looked at Faith. “I slapped Jude at Drake Gym last night.“How are you, the wife, planning on getting even on behalf of your husband?”Faith and the other four ladies froze. He slapped Jude. His words stirred a wave of emotions in them. Who was Jude? He was the deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch, an influential figure in Riverbank. Yet, Kaze claimed to have sm
“Your pride and joy are nothing but a joke to me, Faith. “Jude didn’t dare say a word when I slapped him in public and took his daughter away. “What makes you think you are any better, bitches?” Faith and the other ladies’ expressions turned ashen, their bodies shaking. They were well-known in the Riverbank high society. Their men were powerful in Riverbank. The public would always walk on eggshells around these ladies for fear of upsetting them. They could sweet-talk their husband into getting revenge for them. Yet now, some poverty-stricken guy just called them bitches. These women stared at Kaze murderously. Kaze dismissed them. He looked at Faith offhandedly and said, “I don’t mind letting you in on a little something. “That’s right. Buffy is just using me. We aren’t dating. “But that doesn’t mean you get to push her into marrying a loser like Casius. “Why am I doing this? It’s simple, really. I just don’t like Casius. I’m happy to insult him. “I’ll k
“Ahhhh! You’re asking for it, asshole!“If it weren’t for Buffy, you couldn’t even step foot in here. “Who do you think you are?” Faith exclaimed furiously. The Golden Retriever in her arms whimpered in fear and scurried off somewhere. Faith, her presence menacing, stared at Kaze murderously. Moments later, her grim gaze fell on Buffy. “You have two choices.“He can break his leg, and you will get engaged to Casius when he gets back. “Otherwise, my bodyguards will break his limbs and lock you up until Casius returns.“Security!” The estate’s security team swamped the room. A dozen burly men stared Kaze and Buffy down. They only took orders from Faith. These security officers would not hesitate to hurt Buffy at Faith’s command. “I’ll pass on all of them.” Buffy met Faith’s gaze with determination and said icily, “I came with Kaze. I will leave with him. “I didn’t come here to discuss the matter. I’m not relenting either. “I just want to tell you that I found
Sky Ocean Corporation had always been under Darcy’s command and the Quint family of Ridgesouth was not part of it, externally and internally. Other than the executives turning on Darcy, Kaze could not think of a reason that Phoenix was able to remove Darcy from her position in such a short time. “No. The execs are all loyal to Ms. Quint, but Phoenix used the incident of you beating Joan against her as an excuse to remove her, allowing Joan to take her place. “She called all the execs to the hospital, but no one was willing to turn on Ms. Quint. Then there was Shadow, the woman who served her. This woman is powerful and ruthless. The execs who disagreed were all beaten, their arms and legs broken. “Ms. Quint doesn’t want the execs to suffer and ultimately decides to step down. Joan then replaced her…” “She forced Darcy to come down from her position? It does sound like something that old hag would do,” Kaze said coldly. “What should we do now, Kaze?” Riley asked. She knew
“Captain Blunick, was it?” Kaze looked at Thomas with slight confusion. If he had not taken the initiative to speak, Kaze would have forgotten about him. Too many things happened at once and too many people were at the scene. “Just Thomas is okay!” His face was swollen due to the slap and coupled with his curled-up lips that were supposed to resemble a smile, he looked funny. In addition, he was in his 40s. His age somehow became a subject of ridicule to the other South River Branch agents, all looking at him scornfully. “No need to be nervous.” Kaze tapped his shoulders and said, “Herbal Spring’s safety is in your hands now and they are relying on you. The least you can do is prevent something like this from happening again.” He did not look down on Thomas because everyone had their own way of surviving the harsh world. As long as they were friendly and harbored no malicious intentions, he would never judge others based on their looks. Thomas was the security capta
Poking a few needles into Rory’s body and it cost him ten million! Bastard! Rory was deeply aggrieved, but he could not do anything. He should be grateful that Kaze did not choose to kill him. “Go.” Kaze finally allowed them to leave. He then said to Rory as the man was walking out, “I am letting you live because I want you to deliver a message to your master. “If he wants to live a good life, then be a good person. Don’t get himself in trouble just because he wants to repay some debt of gratitude.” Rory was sent on this mission by Marcus because Boris made a request. The man known as the Godfather did not bother to find out who was wrong and simply sent the captain of the Execution Hall to carry out private business. Kaze only said this out of respect for his reputable status in the West State Viper’s Den, and it would be the final piece of advice. With that, his duty of kindness would be fulfilled. After Rory and his men left, everyone back at Herbal Spring breath
Hearing Kaze, the agents of the Execution Hall stopped abruptly, looking at him in horror. Rory’s face twitched in pain. He shouted, “What do you want?!” He knew Kaze was not planning to kill him, but if death was not the goal, then why was he being pushed to the brink of it? He had no idea what Kaze was trying to do. The helplessness made him terribly aggrieved. Kaze pointed at the doctor on duty at Herbal Spring and said, “Ask the doctor to use acupuncture to stop the blood flow and you can pull the knives out.” It was the reason why he said Rory could not go to a common hospital. The doctor nodded. “Mr. Lee is right. If we don’t stop the blood flow, it’s going to get dangerous.” Rory was being tormented by the pain and his patience was running low. He shouted, “Then get on with it!” The doctor grunted, his brows furrowed. He had never seen such a rude demand to save a life. However, his duty and responsibility as a doctor drove him to his needle box. “There’s no
Rory never took Kaze seriously. He believed if not for Hannah’s intervention, he would have taken Kaze away and tortured him. Yet Kaze spoke to him in such arrogance—making him nothing more than a clown using borrowed powers. “You!” Seeing the disrespect toward Kaze, Hannah’s expression darkened, and wanted to teach him another lesson. Kaze raised his hand to stop her. He then walked over to the two knives coated with blood on the floor. Rory was alarmed. Recalling how Kaze defeated one of his men earlier, he quickly got into a battle stance. His shoulders might be hurt but his legs were fine. With his speed, he might not be able to dodge a hit from Hannah but he was confident that Kaze could not lay a finger on him. At the next moment, Kaze swiftly extended his right foot and tapped twice in succession. “Swoosh! Swoosh!” The two knives seemed to come alive as they flew toward Rory, slicing the air with a sharp, whirling shriek. Although surprised that Kaze did
Like how Rory attacked Collier earlier, the knives did not slow down after striking his shoulder. The momentum dragged his body backward and ultimately pinned him against the wall. The pain from both his shoulders caused his body to tremble but the pain was not Rory’s main concern. He could not accept that he ended up exactly like Collier when he faced Hannah. He endured the pain as he stared at her, his expression turned ashen. Collier and the others might not see how Hannah countered the attack but Rory saw everything clearly. It was simple. When Rory launched his knives at Hannah, before the blade could even touch her, she swung her sword forward. It was just one simple swing of the sword and she deflected his strongest attack, using it to hit him on the shoulders. It was at that moment, Rory realized how ridiculously powerful Hannah was. She lived up to the name of one of the top ten prodigies of West State Viper’s Den. Looking at Rory being pinned on the wall
No one cared about the thoughts in Collier’s head. Rory looked at Hannah and said heavily, “I wonder what you mean by that, Chief Delmore.” Hannah nodded at Kaze and then said coldly, “Cut the crap. Take your men and leave!” Rory furrowed his brows, his lips still curled. “Chief Delmore, that doesn’t sound right. I am here on legal Execution Hall’s business. Even if you are the chief of the South River Branch, you have no right to stop me. Or is the South River Branch no longer under the West State Viper’s Den jurisdiction?” Hannah did not even flinch when Rory tried to accuse her. She said, “I said, cut the crap. Come on, show me what you got. I’ll let you go first.” Rory’s lips twitched helplessly. He knew Hannah was known for her quick sword stance in the West State Viper’s Den. According to the agents who once went on a mission with her, many experienced fighters and experts could not even see her moves before they were killed on the spot. Now that Hannah had recove
“Swoosh!” The knife hit Collier in the shoulder, pushing him back against the wall. He tried to move his body but when he felt the pain in his shoulder, his face paled. He was shocked that the knife perforated his shoulder and pinned him onto the wall, like how Kaze pinned the Execution Hall’s agent to the wall earlier. Rory did it as payback to Kaze for what he had done earlier. Collier did not want to look bad in front of Kaze. He steeled himself up as he held the knife. With his teeth clenched, he pulled it out from his shoulder, drawing an arch of blood in the air. “Deputy Chief!” It was only then Collier’s men reacted to the situation and drew their weapons. “Hmph!” Collier grunted without looking at his men. “Clank!” The agents from the Execution Hall armed themselves as well and dashed forward. “Thump! Thud! Sheen!” The two groups of agents engaged in a fight with cries and clanks sounding ceaseless. Amid the painful cries, Collier’s men were struck
Once again, Rory looked at Kaze with surprise. “Young Man, I must admit that I’ve underestimated you again.” The deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River Branch was certainly an officer with a higher rank than him. However, Rory was merely surprised, not deterred or scared as if he was not afraid of Kaze who brought Collier into the conflict. Kaze smiled. “You’ve underestimated a whole bunch as well.” Rory grunted heavily and then turned to Collier and his men walking into the lobby. Without even standing up, he curled his lips into a fake smile and said, “Mr. Ettinger, of what do I owe the visit? You and your men are here to see the doctor? Too bad. You are one step late. Scorpion and his men had already thrashed the…” Scorpion simply smiled awkwardly, afraid to make a noise. He could not afford to mess with the deputy chief. ‘I’ll thrash your skull if I can!’—if it was some other time, Collier would certainly argue with Rory and scold him in the face. However, his