“Hahaha!” Samus and the others burst out laughing. “Who do you think you are, Kaze? Are you trying to take the car from me? Dream on!” “It’s not like he can afford it even if he takes the car from you. He was so embarrassed by what he said, so he spoke without thinking.” The party threw sarcastic remarks at Kaze. They were pleased to see Kaze make a fool of himself. “Stop it, Kaze. Come on. Let’s just leave.Sky pulled Kaze, but the latter would not budge. “You are shameless. Even when we humiliate you, you still refuse to leave.” Celine scoffed. It was bad enough that Sky’s family had no money, but he was related to a disgrace of a brother-in-law too. Celine was relieved that she did not date Sky, or she would end up the laughingstock. Samus was a better choice anyway. She clung tightly to Samus’ arm. “You don’t know him well enough, Celine. He’s shameless to mooch off the Quints.” Deborah folded her arms and sneered at Kaze. “I reserved a Maserati Quattroport
The security guards were hesitant. The shop attendant said, “Don't just stand there. That's Vincent from the Hanser family. Just do what he says. He’ll protect you from any consequences.” Oh. He was Vincent Hanser. They could do no wrong by getting in Vincent’s good graces. The two security guards whipped out their batons and lunged at Kaze. Sky turned white as a sheet. “Stop!” An angry voice came from behind everybody. The two security guards shuddered in fear at the voice. With their batons hanging in the air, they froze. The others turned their heads to the source of the voice. A plump middle-aged man in a suit approached in rage. “Mr. Dot!” the shop attendant cried. William Dot asked sternly, “What are you doing? Why is my security team hitting a customer?” The shop attendant made a wry face while thinking of an excuse. Kaze uttered curtly, “Mr. Dot, right? Is this how you treat customers? I expect a satisfactory answer from you.” “Sir, I apologize fo
The voice was icy. Tension rose in the showroom. Everybody looked up in shock. A slender man with menacing eyes turned up at the door. His face bore a faint bruise. Kaze was not surprised to see the man. He said indifferently, “If you were late another minute, I would’ve trashed Taurus Automobiles, Hunter.” Hunter was speechless, remembering the event that took place last night. He nodded at Kaze to express his apology before taking large strides over. “Is this your backup, Kaze?” Samus and the others smirked at Kaze, not taking Hunter seriously. An ingratiating voice came from behind. “Oh, Mr. Hunter, sir. What brings you here?” Shuddering at the sight of Hunter, William rushed to greet him. Hunter, the general manager of Taurus Automobiles, held a higher post than a showroom manager. William was more terrified that Hunter worked for Cronus. A man of his stature had only heard rumors of Cronus, the big boss of Taurus Automobiles.As Hunter approached Willi
The slap left Vincent dumbfounded. The others were stunned too. Vincent introduced himself, saying that he was a member of the Hansers, a prestigious family. Why did Hunter hit him? “I don’t think I have offended you, sir. Why did you attack me?” Dumbstruck, Hunter covered his face and glared at Hunter angrily. Hunter scoffed. “You didn’t offend me, but you crossed K.” “Kaze?” Vincent stared at Kaze in disbelief. Hunter humiliated him in public with a slap for dissing Kaze. It did not make sense. It was no secret that Kaze was a dimwit and a liar. Vincent grimaced and asked angrily, “Are you fooled by the idiot, sir?” “That’s right, sir. The dummy is the son-in-law of our family. He loves to impersonate important people to scam others. Don’t be fooled by him!” “He pretended to be a military commander, but we saw through him.” Deborah, Samus, and Celine backed Vincent up. They taunted Kaze moments ago. A heavyweight like Hunter arrived on the scene and too
“No, no. No problem at all. The car belongs to Sky.” Samus’ heart ached when he said that. Kaze said, “I want to buy my wife a Maserati Quattroporte.” “No problem.” Hunter pulled out his phone to call the manager of the Maserati showroom next door. Stuart the manager rushed over and was in a dilemma by the request. “We only have one Maserati Quattroporte available for collection now, and Ms. Deborah Quint has reserved it. She will be collecting the car today. Oh, there you are, Ms. Quint.” He spotted Deborah in the crowd. Deborah was about to speak when Kaze cut her off. “I don’t care who reserved the car, but it is now mine. I’m taking it with me,” Kaze said sternly. “I can’t believe you’re taking my car, Kaze,” Deborah yelled angrily. Kaze smiled. “That’s right. I’m taking your car. What are you going to do about it?” “Uh, you. Don’t push it, Kaze!” Deborah was livid. Hunter flicked his arm at Stuart. “The car is now Ms. Quint’s, but I’m talking about Darcy
Kaze’s slap snapped Deborah out of an angry trance. She covered her face and glared at Kaze with gritted teeth. “Don’t celebrate too soon, Kaze. Your wife is about to get it—” “Shut up, Deborah!” Vincent scowled and interrupted her. Not too long ago, Vincent and Rudy’s family conspired with Liam to oust Darcy from Quintessential Group.After days of searching, the Hansers finally located Jean’s hiding place. They had sent men to fetch the woman. With Jean back, Darcy would be kicked out of Quintessential Group. The Hansers would take over the group through Rudy’s family. Deborah was an idiot to nearly let slip this crucial information. Their efforts would be for nothing if Darcy braced herself for the takeover. “What are you plotting against my wife again?” Although Deborah did not reveal much, Kaze could tell something was amiss from Vincent’s reaction. Flustered, Deborah said angrily, “What are you talking about? I’m saying that your wife will get what’s coming
Kaze was not keen on associating with Celine. Despite her age, she was rather manipulative. As color drained from her face, Celine walked away grimacingly. Kaze looked at Celine’s back and said indifferently, “You should stay away from Celine, Sky. You’re a simple guy. You might get taken advantage of without knowing it.” “Oh. Got it, Kaze.” Sky nodded cluelessly. He had utmost trust in Kaze, so he would do no wrong by taking his advice. Celine’s eyes flickered with menace when she heard the comment. Kaze wanted to drive away with Sky without any intention of paying. Hunter promised to compensate him last night. “Someone would like to see you for a talk, K. Can you come with me?” Hunter asked. Kaze was not in a hurry to give his word. He asked, “Who is it?” “Just a veteran in the business. He’s waiting for you.” Kaze eyed Hunter, who seemed suspicious. He wanted to see what the man was up to. “Alright. I’ll meet him.” Kaze patted Sky’s shoulder. “Go and take y
Samus, Deborah, and Vincent led the way on foot. Despite their frustration, they were thrilled. Judging by the security team’s aloof and distant attitudes, they believed that these people came to mess Kaze up. Meanwhile, Hunter led Kaze outside a VIP lounge. “Wait here, K. I’ll tell them you’re here.” Hunter knocked on the door and entered the room. The lounge was spacious and luxurious. A rosy-cheeked man in his fifties sat on the leather couch, a tunic draped his frame. “I brought Kaze here, Mr. White.” Hunter nodded at the bodyguards standing by the old man before approaching with respect. It was Angel White, the Angel of Death. Anybody with association to Lilyrose underworld would know his name. Angel was the brains behind Cronus’ rise in the underworld.Two decades ago, Angel’s strategic brilliance drove Cronus to power, challenging Alan’s dominance in the underworld.Ignoring Hunter, Angel fixated his gaze on the TV screen. The video of Kaze knocking T
“I have pointed you in a direction. If you still can’t trust your team, you can go to the Viper’s Den.“There’s one thing, though. Don’t rely too heavily on the Viper’s Den, or your company will be left without secrets.” Kaze’s suggestion gave Snow assurance. She considered tapping into the Viper’s Den’s resources. However, Kaze warned her against excessive dependence. “Why did you say that, Chairman Lee? Will the Viper’s Den stab me in the back?” Surely, the Viper’s Den took orders from Kaze. The Viper’s Den would always be an ally so long as Kaze was the branch leader. “I just don’t want you to put too much faith in others. You find loyalty by developing your own team. Those who revere me will never trust you completely.” Kaze analyzed the situation. Snow ate her supper and looked at Kaze in confusion. “You can only count on the people you win over. You can’t trust anyone else, and that includes me.” Kaze would never hurt Snow. However, he hoped that she would fin
“As you said, all is in the past. What’s the point of dwelling on it?” Leah perked up. Such was life, but it took her too long to understand the harsh reality. She guessed things were just not meant to be. “I’ll think about what to get Kaze. Rest well. We’ll visit him in a few days.” Taking the matter seriously, Katie wanted to get gifts ready ahead of time to thank Kaze. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do too. I want to be in touch with the outside world. I don’t care what they have to say. This is not my fault. I won’t blame myself.” Leah wanted her phone back to contact her former friends. Ultimately, she needed to move forward instead of backward. She had to face and fight back the rumors with courage. It was the crucial step to kick trauma in the face. The abduction was kept hush-hush for the most part, but Katie’s frantic search for her daughter at the cocktail party did not go unnoticed. Hearing about the incident, the influential people were keen to find out
“When did Kaze start setting it all up? I get the feeling that everybody played into his hands right from the start, and he had controlled every step of the way.” Leah realized that Kaze was an amazing man. Nothing could go past his eyes. “I don’t know.” Katie feared someone like Kaze. She would not be caught dead near him. Even when grasping the situation, Katie dared not look into Kaze for fear she would be targeted. Katie was careful not to show her face around Kaze. For all she knew, Kaze might get back at her. “But he came to Butterworth alone. We met at the train station, and he helped me out of a bad situation.” Leah felt warm and cozy inside just remembering the events. They did not know each other then. Kaze was kind to help a stranger out. From then on, Kaze could do no wrong in Leah’s eyes. Leah befriended him and found him nice. Her interest in him grew. They also got along well. Her memories of Kaze were sweet. Anyone could hurt her in the world, but
Even though Katie was the CEO of the Northborn Group, many eyed her position. There were too many vying to replace her. Without dedicating herself to her work, Katie risked falling from grace. Katie had been too eager to find success to give her daughter the best life. Leah could not understand the pain Katie had to go through. “I understand it now. I explained the nature of my relationship with Kaze to you, but you just wouldn’t get it.” Leah stubbornly expressed herself in hopes her mother would understand. “I just couldn’t get it through my head that you have grown up. You make an easy target since you just graduated and have not stepped into the real world.” Katie would not always be there for Leah. Hence, Katie did her best to get rid of potential danger. Her overprotectiveness triggered Leah’s defiance. It was Katie’s fault for not realizing it sooner. “I’m not angry with you. I didn’t understand a mother’s good intentions, but I understand now. I will listen to
Leah’s face beamed, but her mother’s words threw her into a daze. In the end, she tried to squeeze a smile to assure her mother. However, Leah could not muster a smile. Those days lingered with her like a recurring bad dream. Whenever she recalled the incident, she felt trapped in that nightmare again. Leah wanted to let those memories fade away, but she just could not do it. She would get startled awake late at night and trace the scars across her skin. During moments like this, she resented Perry. Leah was rather cheerful during the day as if the past was behind her. However, it was simply a way for her to escape the pain. By the way Leah was behaving, Katie instantly regretted the question. She should not have probed. Even if they avoided the elephant in the room, they could pretend like nothing ever happened. Nevertheless, the act of asking brought up unsettling times for Leah. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have asked.” Katie gently held Leah, hoping to cast
When the ambulance door closed shut, Leah wailed once more. The reality of her rescue finally sank in, and she grasped that it was not just a dream. It was a pity that she did not have much time with Kaze. She longed to spend more time with him. “Don’t cry, young lady. You’ll get better soon enough. Don’t worry about the scars on your face. I can administer medicine to help you,” the doctor said while wiping her tears. “Thank you. I’m finally out of the hell hole.” Leah’s worst nightmare would be to be trapped in there forever. Kaze watched as the ambulance disappeared into the night. He then turned to face the villa. “Apprehend everybody in there. Perry should be punished for his crimes.” Kaze had not intended to go after the Duncans, but the family had crossed the line this time. Leah was an adorable and vulnerable woman. She was abused beyond recognition. It never occurred to Kaze that the Duncans could be so cruel. “Perry has passed out in there. Where should
With the secret out in the open, the housekeeper dropped his attitude. He pointed at the basement not too far away. “My employer is in there.” The housekeeper grimaced and kept his head down. Kaze laughed. Unaware of his impending doom, Perry was still living it up. It was absurd. Perry was playing with fire by hurting Leah. “About time you wise up.” Arthur smiled and patted the housekeeper’s face. He opened the door to the basement. Kaze walked to the bar counter and picked up the best bottle of champagne there. He fiddled with the bottle before carrying it to the basement. The other Viper’s Den members followed him. Kaze took a stride down the steps, to the basement. The noisy music was blasting before they reached the entry. Kaze was filled with a mix of emotions. Nevertheless, he said nothing. He opened the door and walked in. The light in the basement was bright, making everything perfectly clear. However, the people inside were not bothered by the
“You know him. It’s Perry Duncan, Leah’s ex-boyfriend.” Snow did not see the point of hiding the truth, so she laid everything out. “Leah must be feeling foul because she was unaware that she was being stalked. By the time she realized what was going on, she was taken into a vehicle. “We spotted the vehicle they departed in from the surveillance footage. They headed to the mountain up north.” Snow had a general idea of the location. “I got Arthur on the job. He’s putting up a team from the Viper’s Den.” Snow was uncertain of Kaze’s stance toward Leah, but now that she was made aware of the situation, the least she could do was help. Katie belonged to the Viper’s Den, so Snow was lending a hand to a friend in business. “Thank you. Please save my daughter.” Katie was nervous. The Viper’s Den was the people she could count on. “Arthur is good, but he’s slow. I’ll do it,” Kaze said. The whole thing was unrelated to him. Kaze was well within his right to stand on the si
Even so, Elsie was out to get Leah. Elsie could pick up on Perry’s delight when she took a swing at Leah. Poor Elsie was just trying to survive by catering to others. People like her learned to pick up social cues and read body language to please customers for money in return. Their income would double if their customers were happy. Leah was the obstacle. If the women could not get rid of her, they would lose their profit. They had no hard feelings for Leah, but they stood on opposing ends. “You should be fawning over Mr. Duncan, not begging me,” Elsie said while grabbing Leah’s hair to pull her up. Leah snatched Elsie’s wrist to try and break free. “Let me go. I never did anything to you.” Leah was no doormat. She did not want to cross these people or get involved with them. She still hoped that by waiting here, her prince would arrive to save her. However, all she got was a cruel beating, and she had enough. “This isn’t my fault. Blame Mr. Duncan for your cir