“Thank you, Dad.” Kaze was not going to leave his father-in-law hanging. Following his father’s suit, Sky toasted Kaze as well. He was impressed with Kaze. Agnes rolled her eyes at Hector. “He’s going to get a big head if you keep on praising him.” The atmosphere was rather pleasant at the dinner table, except for when Agnes picked on Kaze. However, the lovely mood did not last long. After dinner, Emiko cleared the table and washed the dishes in the kitchen. She had not had a break since rushing from the hotel. A clang in the kitchen ensued soon after. She broke a few plates.“Goddamnit! Can’t you do anything right?” Interrupted from having her after-dinner tea, Agnes scowled. “She’s so clumsy and makes so many mistakes. I only keep her around because she’s honest and hardworking.“I’ve told her off so many times. Here she goes again, breaking more plates. “I’m docking her pay this time.” Agnes hired Emiko from the labor market. Hailing from the countryside, E
Darcy smirked angrily. “If you are the queen of the castle, why didn’t you stand up for Sky when Grandpa hit him?” Taken aback at first, Agnes quickly refuted angrily, “He’s my father and your grandfather. What’s wrong with a little bit of discipline? He can teach you some manners.“If I hit Kaze, are you going to hit me back?” The family was at wit’s end with Agnes’ unreasonable behavior. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Quint. I’m really sorry. I wasn’t paying attention when I got an urgent call.” Emiko ran out of the kitchen, her phone in hand. She was quick to apologize and looked at Agnes anxiously. “Mrs. Quint, things are not looking good for my niece. She hasn’t found a hospital yet. She has no family in Riverbank, or anyone to take care of her. I want to take a day off and find her a doctor. “Rest assured that I’ll be back tomorrow to make you dinner.” Emiko pleaded desperately. “You can forget it!” Agnes said curtly, “Remind me how many times you have taken off since working
Color drained from Emiko’s face, and she apologized, “I’m so—” “Smack!” Agnes cut Emiko off with a slap on the face. “You’re getting back at me, aren’t you?“Get out if you don’t want to work here. Don’t expect to get a penny out of your pay!” Agnes gritted her teeth and yelled, “Poor people are so petty.” “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Quint. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.” Feeling hurt, Emiko covered her cheeks and apologized profusely. “Quit with the excuses. Get lost!” Agnes raised her hand to slap Emiko again. However, Kaze grabbed Agnes’ hand to stop her. “That’s enough!” Kaze uttered grimly, “What happened to you, Mom? You were so meek around the Otters, but you are so harsh on your family.” Reminded by Agnes’ hounding today, Kaze grew angry. “It’s bad enough that you pick on me. Why are you hitting Emiko? “She’s paid to do a job, not sold to you to be a slave.” Hector pulled a long face. “You have gone too far, Agnes. Don’t take your grievance from the
Soon, Emiko contacted her niece to get an exact location. Kaze called Conan to ask him to pick up the girl and take her to the private hospital where Bass was. The hospital's equipment and facilities were state-of-the-art. However, it was a lot more expensive than the general hospital. Fortunately, Kaze was overseeing the place and Emiko did not need to worry about the cost. It was a token of appreciation for Emiko, who took a slap from Agnes on Kaze’s behalf. Agnes hit someone without a valid reason and as the son-in-law, Kaze refused to just stay down. Even Hector and the others agreed and supported Kaze's kind gesture. Darcy even told him to find her if he had any problems with the medical fee. Of course, they would not let the honest and humble Emiko know about the kind gesture or else she would feel deeply indebted to them. “Thank you, Mr. Lee! Thank you!” Emiko poured a cup of tea for Kaze and thanked him for his kind gesture. “You’re welcome.” Kaze waved in
“Kaze? What are you doing here?” Kaze’s surprise arrival at a mansion in Rivermouth’s residential area excited Buffy. The two days she spent at Kaze’s villa were the most relaxed and comfortable time in her life. She did not need to worry about anything and had an unprecedented sense of security. When she returned to her own place, which was also a huge and expensive mansion, all she felt was loneliness and coldness. She thought she had gotten used to the solitude but just a few hours after she unpacked, she felt scared and wanted to escape. Suddenly, Kaze arrived. The moment she saw Kaze, her heart pounded wildly. “You live alone, right? So I came to check on you. What if Casius is still after you? Don’t forget that we are on the same boat now.” Kaze did not know what Buffy was thinking so he simply walked into the house. “We are merely allies?” Buffy asked instinctively, not knowing what drove her to ask the question. However, the moment the words escaped her mout
“Hi Buffy. Dayton is worried about you when he knows that you are in trouble, so he contacted us and we came as soon as we could.” “Yeah, Dayton is fully focused on training and barely pays attention to anything else. He’s so uninterested in romance that we even thought he might like men. This is the first time we’ve seen him pay so much attention to a woman.”The five men and women looked up to Dayton. When they saw Buffy and realized how beautiful she was, they understood why Dayton urged them to come to Riverbank in a hurry. They became the best wingmen that one could ask for and made sure Buffy knew Dayton cared about her. Buffy nodded indifferently and said with a smile, “Thank you, Dayton. I appreciate your kind gesture.” “Buffy, we are beyond saying thank you.” Dayton waved his hand heartily. “Your mother is my master’s junior and they have been close since they were young. Once my master received your call for help, he sent me to protect you. “I bet you know my m
“Dayton! No!” Buffy took a step back and responded with anger. Dayton was left stunned on the spot. He looked awkward. He did not expect Buffy, who he thought liked him, would reject him without any consideration. “Buffy, what’s the matter? Dayton came here right after he heard about your situation. Do you know how much he cares about you?” “Dayton is young, handsome, and is the disciple of the ex-branch chief of Butterworth Branch. He’s one of the best there is. If you reject him, you’ll regret it.” “Do you know how many women are trying to chase him in Butterworth? Yet he only cares about you. Are you really going to turn him down just like that?” The men and women behind Dayton spoke up, supporting their friend. They described Dayton as the best man in the world and if Buffy rejected his proposal, then she would be labeled ungrateful. Buffy furrowed her brows. She looked angry and wanted to argue but since Dayton came on such short notice just to help her, she did no
Kaze had no good impression of Buffy’s senior, Dayton. The man was unreasonable and arrogant. He also seemed to take advantage of Buffy’s misfortune. If he was not concerned about Buffy's position, he would have kicked Dayton out of the door right away. Hmph! Dayton did not anticipate an argument from Kaze. His expression darkened as he strode over to glare at him. “Delivery Boy, I bet you’ve heard who I am. I ask you to leave with the tip because I respect Buffy. “If you don’t appreciate it, then don’t blame me for being rude! Believe me when I say my friends will break your limbs and throw you out, and you can’t even do anything about it.” Dayton raised his fists, seemingly trying to attack. Kaze’s expression turned frosty and was ready to retaliate. Buffy immediately stepped in between them to prevent the situation from going out of hand. She said, “Dayton, calm down. This is Kaze, the friend that I mentioned on the phone with your master. “He has helped me many
Even though Aloysius saw it coming, he was surprised to learn the truth from Murray. “It’s not what you think. We were simply trying to find out if someone was sabotaging those projects since problems came all at once. We were also trying to gather intel.” “So what? It’s my money, but you and the Frosts don’t seem to appreciate that fact. I don’t see a point in working together.” Murray made up his mind to cut business ties with the Frosts, and nothing they said or did could change his mind. More infuriatingly, the ninety million dollars was taken out of the business account for investors. Jet sure took the investors for a ride. “I can offer an explanation for this. You don’t have to be mad about this. It was just to keep it in the books, but the money will be put back.” Aloysius was not there to upset Murray. His intention was to iron out issues in a peaceful manner. However, Aloysius just made Murray angrier, and they were nowhere close to solving anything. “I don’t
“We are facing a minor issue, but it’s no biggie. With some alterations, we will see profits in no time. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Plus, when have the Frosts ever let anyone down when doing business together?” Aloysius continued to persuade Murray. For some reason, Murray was determined to pull out anyway. How did Murray find out about the issues regarding the projects? Jet had blocked any news from leaking out. No one would have known. “As you said, no one knows what tomorrow will bring, so you better give me back my money. I want to cut my losses.” Murray’s mind was set. Aloysius was disappointed. From the meeting, Aloysius could see that Murray had made himself clear. “That reminds me. You have five days to return the investment, or I’ll spread the news and ruin your business.” Murray understood that intimidation would get what he wanted. Integrity was important to businesspeople, but without the right strategies, it was hard to stay on top. “We have
“Anger won’t get us anywhere. We should brainstorm strategies,” Aloysius said. Jet was already struggling with injuries. The mental strain only added to his burden. However, they were bold to run multiple business ventures all at once. The Frosts were able to keep the operation going with the support of business partners. Unfortunately, when it rained, it poured. If one project had issues, Jet and the Frosts could still weather through, but the problems in various projects proved too much to handle. “Do you think I don’t want to? Our hands are tied right now.” Jet was hurt, and he could not even rest. As if things were not bad enough, the shareholders did the unthinkable. “Maybe we should give up on getting the films released. We can sell that business off. “We can abandon the piece of land near the port or offer those old people some compensation.” Aloysius believed the issues with these projects were easy fixes. Most importantly, they were able to sustain the losses.
“You are all a bunch of losers. What happened to those fighters? Didn’t I pay them to do a job?” Jet believed he had prepared for every eventuality. Yet, Kaze came on strong and fast. Before Jet could get his team to protect him, Kaze pulled the first punch. “When I took you to the hospital, these fighters were still lying on the cold, hard floor. They were all down and out.” Aloysius grimaced, recalling the incident. He was lost for words. The incident was etched in his mind forever. He could never forget the tragic scene. Jet was not too happy with the brawlers, but the news took him by surprise. “Kaze came alone. How could he fend off so many?” Jet was skeptical that Kaze could be so powerful. “I later heard that Kaze had backup. He might have had help.” Aloysius refused to believe the truth, so he asked around. Another group barged into Kurosawa Club and possibly helped Kaze. There was no way Kaze could finish the fighting crew off all by himself. Jet was re
The group shook their heads, not carrying much thought about the incident. However, the dynamics were shifting in Butterworth. Several cars fleeted across the road, not causing much notice. The pedestrians went about their ways. Life was as mundane as it ever was. Yet, behind the scenes, the city underwent a silent upheaval. Jet was a seasoned businessman with experience spanning across numerous industries. His position of power earned him the favor and flattery of many. However, the recent events surrounding the Frosts cautioned many businesspeople and potential business partners against doing business with them. Some businesspeople who had yet to secure a deal with the Frosts were not too eager anymore. They had pursued a collaboration before, but now they would think twice before engaging with the Frosts. Some of Jet’s existing business partners were concerned. Jet came from a prestigious and resourceful family. He had the guts and judgment to procure the most pr
After a series of examinations, it was determined that Jet had an open wound on his forehead. Otherwise, he was doing fine health-wise. Jet was unconscious, and it was for the better. At least he would not feel any pain. The chatter outside put Aloysius on edge. Aloysius guessed that Kaze came from power, and Jet had upset him this time. Kaze’s wrath was likely upon them. Aloysius worried about the business. However, he took a glance at his unconscious employer before realizing that Jet should be the one to feel concerned. He called the number of a private hospital, and an ambulance was dispatched right away. With the help of others, Aloysius managed to get Jet on a stretcher. He glanced at the out-cold fighters in disdain. “Get their boss here to take his useless members back. They can take care of their own injuries,” Aloysius said before promptly leaving. The news about Jet’s injuries was shut down. Kurosawa Club’s owner was close enough with Jet to know that any
Oblivious to the situation, Aloysius felt a shiver down his spine. It was as if the world had crumbled. “What happened? Did we hire protection? How did Mr. Frost get hurt?” Aloysius heard the commotion, but he did not expect his employer to be the victim. Jet was talking smack at the time, and Aloysius assumed that he had the upper hand. Kaze was on his own. How could he take the win despite being outnumbered? Aloysius was baffled and curious about what had transpired. Nevertheless, now was not the time to ask questions. Aloysius had to get Jet medical treatment for his bleeding wound. Things were the opposite of what was planned. They intended to bribe Kaze into telling the truth. If Kaze refused to cooperate, they would resort to force. The horrible conflict was the last thing Aloysius expected to see. The plan went through, but the roles were reversed. Jet lay on the ground heavily wounded, and the brawlers were down too. Kaze, who was supposed to be rest
Kaze sat by the table and dumped an unconscious man sprawling across the surface to the ground. He then opened a new bottle of liquor to take big gulps. “Sorry we’re late, Mr. Lee.” Arthur rushed to the scene, only to find such a bloody mess. He felt bad because he and his team were tasked to protect Kaze. Yet, Kaze had to get his hands dirty with these low-life scums. “Mr. Lee, why didn’t you wait for us? You didn’t have to do it yourself.” Arthur and his team came as quickly as they could when they picked up on the commotion, but it was too late. Nothing could stop Kaze when the fight started. He acted swiftly, and help could not come in time. Arthur and his crew felt sorry. The Viper’s Den’s members took in the aftermath and stared at Kaze in reverence. They had no idea that Kaze was amazing. They did not even know who he was. The only thing they were told to do was protect him. It only dawned on them now that Kaze was a terrifying force. “I could use a little
“Who the hell is he? He must be trained because he’s one hell of a fighter.” “I think he might be military.” “What do we do now? Do we still fight him?” The brawlers grew scared. “Things won’t end well for us if we cross the Frosts. You can hide and choose not to attack him, but you’re doing it at your own risk,” the head of the fighters uttered.They were not given the option to back down the moment they took the job. “How do we approach this? This is strange.” “He’s aggressive.” The fighters looked at their injuries. Despite the extent of the damage, they could not walk away from the conflict. “What do we do? Are we fighting him?” Once fear took over, the brawlers lost the will to win. Kaze let out a mocking smile as the fighters turned into cowards. “Are we doing this or what? If you’re not, I can save my energy.” Kaze sneered at the group, finding them disinteresting. Here he thought he could get a good workout with these guys. Kaze guessed he gave them t