Kaze was unaware that Miya's offer to introduce Sasha into the entertainment industry was driven by malicious intent. The entertainment industry was a rabbit hole with endless temptation, especially for a girl like Sasha. The temptation that she might face in the industry could be lethal because it was almost every girl’s dream to live under the spotlight and be adored by many. If Sasha entered the entertainment industry, it might be difficult for her to escape. Given the Heartanos’ influence in the industry, they could easily control her. Until then, Miya would have direct access to Kaze’s weak spot. After the scene that Kaze caused at St. Mary’s, there was no way Miya would simply let him off the hook. The reason why Miya decided to take a softer approach to deal with the matter was because she had not figured out Kaze’s background. If she found out Kaze had no background whatsoever, she would retaliate fiercely. Kaze was unaware of the evil thoughts in her mind but
Miya’s tone screamed of disdain and contempt. To her, Kaze might be competent to destroy Leron and crush Cole, but it was not enough to make her bow before him. He would be too naïve to believe that. “Fine. You want me to show off what I can do? I hope you won’t regret it.” Under Miya’s scornful look, Kaze pulled his phone out and dialed a number. “M-Mr. Lee?!” The call took a while to connect, but when it did, the voice on the other end belonged to Samson Hobbs, someone Kaze had not been in touch with for some time. Ever since Samson got back the five percent shares of Lee Investment from Kaze, he went back to Sunrise City and managed to satisfy the Lees. Riverbank, also known as Sunrise City, was the first city in the country to greet the dawn. Therefore, while Riverbank was its official name, many refer to it as the city where the sun first rose, or simply Sunrise City. However, after that, Kaze never got the time, or the initiative, to contact Samson, the sleepe
Kaze said, “It’s okay if you don’t believe me, but I hope you still can laugh tomorrow.” “Hmph!” Miya grunted coldly and then got up on her feet. “Then we’ll see what happens tomorrow. “And I’m telling you, just so I can see you eat your words tomorrow, I’ll tolerate you until then. I won’t do anything to you or discharge your sister, I will make sure she gets the treatment she deserves. “But, at the same time tomorrow, I hope to see you kneel in front of the hospital for what you have done today. “Or else, not only you, even your little sister, and your family will pay a dear price for offending me today!” Kaze said, “Then let me tell you that tomorrow, at this time, you better get down on your knees until I’m satisfied, or else the share price of your companies will keep dropping.” Then, he turned around and went back to Sasha’s ward. Miya’s expression darkened, and her eyes overflowed with murderous intent as she stared at Kaze’s figure walking away. It had been ye
Having said his piece, Cole’s knees had recovered and he quickly ran toward Sasha’s ward to catch up to Kaze. Miya was left behind with a frosty expression. After a brief pause, she cackled and said, “A nameless bastard! What can a nameless bastard do?!” She grunted scornfully. She was not afraid of Cole’s threats. Aside from being Kent’s nephew, Cole was simply a useless trust fund baby, a coward. Cole might be scared of Kaze but not Miya. Miya was a part of the Heartanos and together with the top four families in Geranium, they were a force to be reckoned with. On the other hand, when Kaze returned to Sasha’s ward, he realized the girl had packed her stuff. “Kaze, why don’t we just leave? I can discharge right away. Don’t worry, the medical fee that you paid for me, I’ll do my best to return it. I just need some time…” Sasha’s eyes turned red. She blamed herself for what happened and caused so much trouble for Kaze right after she was admitted to the hospital. “
Agnes sat on the couch with her legs crossed on the tea table. She shouted in the direction of the kitchen, “My family’s money is my family’s money, it has nothing to do with you! Don’t try to scam me with that!” Emiko dared not argue or make a noise. She was busy cooking and did not have time to even feel anything. “Mom, what are you doing?!” Darcy frowned. “Emiko said she wants to thank Kaze for helping her niece and getting her into a hospital, that’s why she’s spending her own money to make a feast for us. She’s not using your money! “Before you speak, can you find out about the truth first?” Agnes instantly looked awkward and embarrassed, but she quickly looked at Kaze cautiously. “You helped Emiko’s niece find a hospital? How much did you spend? Did you use our money?” “You don’t have to worry about that,” Kaze answered indifferently. “What’s with your attitude?!” Agnes raised her brows in anger. “I haven’t even held you accountable for stealing our money to b
“Thank you, Mr. Lee. If not for your help, Sasha might not make it until the end of this year.” Emiko bowed and thanked Kaze repeatedly for his help. “It’s no big deal. You’re welcome, Emiko.” Kaze then said, “Besides, Sasha is an adorable girl and I treated her like my little sister. I’m sure she will recover soon. I have some friends at the hospital and they will take care of her. No one will hurt her now.” Emiko nodded repeatedly. “Mr. Lee, I really don’t know how to thank you anymore. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to take care of you and Darcy, I’ll do whatever it takes to repay you!” Kaze smiled. Curious, he asked, “Emiko, where are Sasha’s parents?” After he spent some time with Sasha, he realized the girl’s condition was slightly unusual. It did not seem natural, more like caused by external factors, or someone. “They are gone. The girl lived a sad life.” Emiko’s expression turned gloomy. “Her parents passed away when she was young. Her grandparents took her in bu
Sky went out with his friends, so only Kaze, Darcy, and her parents stayed home for dinner. “Emiko, wait. Why don’t you have dinner with us?” After the dishes were served, Emiko wanted to return to the kitchen to clean up. She wanted to eat her dinner after Kaze and the others had finished, but Darcy stopped her. Their house was not that strict with rules. Emiko had been busy with dinner preparation, and if they sent her back to the kitchen to eat only after they had finished, then it would seem cold of them. “Emiko, come on. Sit down and eat with us. We are family after all,” Hector said. Emiko eventually accepted the invitation to dine with them. She grabbed her plate and spoon and sat at the very end of the table while thanking the family. It was then Agnes came back from washing her hand and when she saw Emiko at the table, her expression darkened. “Who allowed you to sit here? You are a servant, you have no right to dine with the masters! Get into the kitchen! Know y
As anger took over, Agnes’ twisted features made her look ferocious. Darcy knew the situation had gone out of hand. She quickly stepped in, standing between her husband and mother. “Mom, Emiko worked hard and she’s only getting minimum wage. She even prepared a feast for us from her own pocket. “Yet you slapped her, and shoved her away? Where is your conscience? Kaze did what he had to do, and he’s right!” “Get out of my way!” Anger consumed Agnes. She could no longer be reasoned with. She shoved her daughter away and shouted at Kaze, “You little bastard! You slapped me! I’ll get you!” She charged at Kaze like a mad woman, raising her hand for a slap. However, before she could land her slap, Kaze caught her wrist and held her down like a clamp. Slap! Kaze slapped her again, forcing her to stagger backward. “Agnes, you have always been unreasonable. I have endured your nonsense for Darcy’s sake. I want to believe you’ve been causing a scene for her own good. “Now,
“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