“As for Buffy, forget about the CEO. The company belongs to her father, so it belongs to her. She should leave the company and go back to Butterworth with Dayton so that they can prepare for their wedding in a month.” Alfonso looked at Jude. “Jude, as her uncle, I believe I have the right to make the decision on her behalf?” “Of course. You are her senior, of course you have the right to decide,” Jude said with a strong nod. To be honest, he wanted his son-in-law to be Casius but now it seemed like Buffy would rather follow a nameless, married man instead of marrying Casius. Since it would be meaningless to force her against her will, Jude might as well let her marry Dayton. After all, Casius suffered a significant loss when Kaze killed a dozen of his men. His influence should have been weakened, and his value likely diminished. If Buffy married Dayton, Jude could borrow Alfonso’s influence and power. Alfonso was the ex-branch chief of Butterworth Branch and he had a repu
“What’s the matter? Is there anything else you want to say, ex-Branch Chief Alfonso Longwind?” Kaze asked frivolously as he paused. The nonchalance in Kaze’s tone made Alfonso angry. With gritted teeth, he said, “You bastard! Believe me if I say I will call Dayton back right away. Without him protecting you, you won’t last till morning!” Even now, Alfonso still strongly believed that Kaze was bluffing and bragging, and as long as he used Dayton’s protection against him, Kaze would be forced to comply. “Hmph. Whatever.” Kaze scoffed and then walked out with Buffy. “You little bastard!” Alfonso shouted, his eyes burning with anger and murderous intent. His figure moved swiftly, appearing behind Kaze in a flash. “Flush!” He swung his hand at Kaze, causing his sleeves to flutter sharply with the motion, creating a loud, slicing sound through the air. Since Faith needed Kaze’s treatment to stay alive, Alfonso could not kill him but he was ready to teach Kaze a lesson that
“But I am sure that’s definitely stronger than Hannah Delmore. Hannah is considered one of the prodigies within the West State Viper’s Den. “Back when she visited Butterworth for official business, I had a spar with her before and it ended up as a draw, but I believe she was holding back. “That means, Kaze is a monster who is stronger than Hannah. It seems like I have underestimated the younger generations…” Alfonso sighed in disappointment. He was the one who learned a lesson from Kaze and it woke him up from his old-fashioned fantasy. “Gasp!” Jude, Serene, and the other agents gasped in shock at his words. There were only a handful of people in the country that Alfonso regarded so highly. If word got out, then Kaze’s name would be well-known across the entire Riverbank. Alfonso pulled his phone out. “I should call Dayton and tell him not to mess with Kaze.” Little did he knew, Dayton was already defeated by Kaze and became his humble follower. …After leaving t
Kaze looked at Dayton with a strange look and then nodded. “You’re right. The South River Branch is split into two factions now. One is led by Jude and the other one is the alliance between Hannah and Collier. “Hannah is extremely capable and Collier has the support and resources of the Ettingers. Probably the dream team. “Jude’s tactics and schemes to become the branch chief might not be enough. In the end, absolute power is necessary. “In addition, the promised date is around the corner, so Jude will certainly be more prepared than ever, calling more powerful people to his support.” Kaze sounded calm and relaxed as if he was chatting with a friend. It was also the reason why he was in no rush to deal with Jude or settle the score in the South River Branch. Now that the South River Branch was divided into two factions, it would act as bait to lure out the players from the dark. It would be a great clue for him to follow if he wanted to cleanse the entire West State Viper’s
Being a witness to the scene, Buffy looked at Kaze with a brazen sense of admiration. When she recalled the little argument back at the restaurant, she quickly spoke up and tried to dissuade Kaze. “Kaze, my father is cold-blooded. He can sacrifice me without a second thought for his own personal gain. You don’t need to do this for me, sacrificing your own benefits or whatnot, just do what you want. “If you feel the offer he made you is acceptable, just take it. Don’t feel pressured. Besides, he’s right. Even if you disregarded him, Faith still has the Krads as her support. “Kaze, I know you are kind to me and I appreciate it. You really don’t need to offend a big family because of me. “You have enough enemies already, like Casius, the Lees, and so on. All of them are fierce players and they have connections with many other powerful forces. “If it’s too rigid, it breaks easily, and I believe you know the meaning of it. Please, don’t make any more enemies because of me, or el
Buffy sighed. She knew Kaze was right. Even if Jude was ready to let go, Faith’s birth family, the Krads, would not allow it either. Unless Jude had the resolve to break away from the Krads but it was impossible. No matter how many connections Jude had, the strongest and the only reliable support was the Krads. Like Kaze said, desperate times require desperate measures. Whether Jude and Faith wanted it or not, they would eventually bow before Kaze and accept his terms. “Kaze, if my father holds his promise, will you really cure Faith?” Buffy asked out of curiosity. Kaze smiled. “Of course. I am not like your father. If I said I will do it, I intend to deliver, since curing Faith doesn’t cost me anything. If she comes after me, I’ll just swat her like a fly.” He sounded casual and calm as if it was a casual chat. Buffy was curious. She never understood how Kaze got the confidence to do everything as if there was no obstacle big enough in his life to stop him. “It’s mid
Darcy sounded calm but Kaze felt troubled. It was obvious that she was jealous. Kaze awkwardly chuckled and said, “Darcy, why would I stay outside while you are at home? Besides, Buffy has Dayton and his friends at her place.” As he spoke, he walked over to hug Darcy by the waist. Hearing him, Darcy’s jealous expression softened but she still tapped his hands away and said coldly, “Go take a shower.” Kaze breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to the bathroom. After his shower, he received a phone call from Draco. He answered it and asked, “What is it?” “Boss, the Battle Dragon Troops’ battalion, the Flying Dragon, just came back from the battlefield and was ordered to join the South River Strategic Department. “But you know how those fellas behave, arrogant and feisty. Other than the boys from the God of War Palace, they looked down on everyone. “They got into a little argument with Aaron Krad, the new guy in the South River Strategic Department. “I thought o
Kaze saw it as a mere errand, so he nodded and said, “I’ll drop by tomorrow.” “Haha, with Boss showing up, this is in the bag already. I’ll tell Ryken that you will be going there.” After the call, Kaze headed to the bedroom and tried to go in but the door was locked from the inside. “Why don’t you sleep in the other room? I have to work late and I don’t want to keep you up.” Darcy’s voice came from inside. It seemed like she was still jealous of Buffy. Kaze chuckled helplessly and then headed to the guest room. On the second morning, after his morning jog, Kaze came back to the villa and saw people delivering boxes to his door. “What are these? Who sent them?” Agnes asked. Her eyes lit up when she saw the boxes. She always had the bad habit of taking advantage of things whenever she could. The person from management said politely, “I’m sorry, we don’t know. A car came by earlier and left the boxes with us. The driver said they are tobacco and wine, specially prepared
Darcy frowned and said, “Grandaunt, we don’t need to be afraid of Aiden Krad’s dirty tricks. As a matter of fact, I dealt with the banks and their repayments last night. “Sky Ocean Corporation is fully prepared for the upcoming auction. All our funds are being diverted and we will receive them today…” “Shut up!” Phoenix shouted to cut Darcy off. Her eyes were sharp and fierce as she said, “You are more ignorant than I thought. The bank repayments are nothing! “I heard that the auction committee raised the deposit to ten billion. You can’t even afford to qualify for that, yet you dream of opposing the Krad family? You are delusional! “I don’t want to repeat myself. Call Aiden Krad right now and drop out of the auction!” The deposit alone was ten billion?!” Agnes and Hector, who were hiding behind the crowd, were shocked by the astronomical amount. “Darcy, what are you doing standing there? Make the call!” Noticing Darcy’s silence, Agnes finally lost her patience and de
“Hmph! You’re trying to hide it? How long do you think you can keep this up?” Joan crossed her arms and scoffed. “Everyone in Riverbank knows that you’ve offended the Krads and are being sanctioned right now. “The bank cut off your loans and the suppliers refused to work with you. Sky Ocean Corporation is in a huge financial crisis and might be facing bankruptcy!” Darcy frowned. “Joan, Sky Ocean Corporation’s financial status is none of your business.” “Yeah, but it’s Madam Quint’s business!” Joan scoffed. “Darcy, don’t you forget that you are the branch head of the Quints and your duty is to make money for the family. “Madam Quint came all the way here to Riverbank from Ridgesouth because she is representing the family to inspect your work! Yet look what you've done! Why don’t you look in the mirror and see who you are? How dare you offend Aiden Krad and oppose the Krads? You’re ignorant! “One word from them and Sky Ocean Corporation is facing bankruptcy! Don’t forget th
“Thank you, Ms. Quint!” Tess and the others were overjoyed. Darcy was the main reason why they did not resign or lash out at the old lady when they were slapped. Darcy treated the employees like family and even after Aiden’s intentional sabotage, only a few resigned from the company. “Where are they?” Darcy asked Pamela. “The main meeting room.” Darcy nodded and went straight to the meeting room. Kaze, on the other hand, pondered. He glanced at Tess and the others who went behind the counter to retrieve their phones and then said to Darcy, “You go ahead, I’ll be right there.” Darcy hummed a reply and went off with Pamela. When they arrived at the entrance, they saw Phoenix and the others from the Quints, sitting around the table like they owned the place. The executives of Sky Ocean Corporation were serving water to them like they were waiters. The other branch heads of the family ordered the executives around, giving them a hard time. “A small company with no man
“Aiden Krad? Why is a man like you threatening a woman? You call that capable?” Kaze took the phone and said, “Tomorrow at the auction, I will make you kneel and beg in front of me.” “Kaze Lee?” Aiden was taken aback for a moment before he realized he was speaking to Kaze. “How dare you speak to me like that? You must have a death wish.” “Fuck off.” Kaze hung up the phone immediately. “Don’t worry about that.” As he handed the phone to Darcy, he tapped her shoulder and said, “Tomorrow, Aiden Krad won’t even have the tears to shed.” Darcy might or might not have listened to Kaze. Her brows remained furrowed along the way back. She got a few calls during the journey but she did not answer them all. Kaze’s phone rang a few times as well. One was from Agnes, but since he did not know what his mother-in-law was up to, he refused to answer. When they almost reached Sky Ocean Corporation, Darcy slowly regained her composure and senses. “Ring!” Darcy’s phone rang
Aiden’s words carried obvious threats. His tone sounded like a bloodthirsty monster warning its prey. The arrogance and confidence that originated from his family were on full display during the conversation. It was as though Darcy must step away and let him take the land or else it would defy the laws of nature. “I don’t fucking care if your family is pissed.” Darcy spat out a rare vulgar word, showing neither respect nor courtesy to the man. “We’ll see what happens at the auction tomorrow.” “Ms. Quint, it seems like you are determined to oppose me and the Krads.” Aiden’s voice turned cold as he added, “If you continue down this path, you will only be my enemy. What I have done until now is nothing but child’s play. If you really become an enemy of my family, then…” A quick pause later, his voice turned sinister, and said, “Believe me, you will regret it.” “You’re threatening me?” Darcy scoffed in disdain. Aiden explained, “I am merely stating a fact. I know you are
“It’s like a fish in water, a tiger in the woods. To the Steelclaw Guild, at least in Riverbank, no one can stop them if they want to leave.” Kaze nodded, agreeing to Leron’s explanation. He quickly put the thought of pursuit aside. The Steelclaw Guild had been around for many years and its existence and strong influence became answers to many questions. “Let’s go back to Riverbank,” Kaze said to Darcy. Darcy looked hesitant. She carefully looked around and asked, “We’re just going back like that? Should we call the bodyguards or something?” She was terrified about what just happened and she still had not completely calmed down. She became aware of her surroundings and cautious of the people who appeared before her, assuming that they were people with malicious intentions. Kaze knew that she was under high pressure and anxiety for the past two days, especially after what happened. Siberian’s assassination attempt only made her condition worse. It all started with Aiden’
Leron said, “The Eight Tigers named themselves that just to look good. As a matter of fact, the four who died a while ago were just recruited to fill in the numbers. “As for the top four tigers such as Siberian, each of them has their own characteristics and traits. Siberian is responsible for the assassination and is one of the strongest and fastest members of the organization. “I believed Mr. Lee just experienced it first-hand.” Kaze narrowed his eyes. “So Siberian is after me?” He then pulled his phone out to dial a number. “Kaze, my brother, what can I do for you?” A while later, South’s voice came from the phone. Rumors about Casius dying at Kaze’s hands had been circulating around these days, but most of the common citizens did not believe it. No one believed a useless live-in husband could do something that atrocious. However, South believed otherwise because he saw what Kaze could do with his own eyes. It explained why he kept his arrogance and confidence of
It was the familiar sound of a handgun equipped with a silencer. Kaze breathed a sigh of relief. Leron had arrived! He had been tailing them, secretly protecting them from the shadows. Right after the first shot, two more shots sounded. It was Leron’s signature triangle shot, used to block a target from escaping. The old killer initially charged at Kaze from the left but he quickly did a side flip, twisting his body in a freaky manner, and escaped from the trajectory of the triangle shot. All three shots missed—two shots hit the wall, and one hit the ground. The impact chipped off a small part of the wall and ground, leaving behind deep holes. “Huh? Interesting.” Even Kaze was surprised by the old killer’s response. The killer was not just good at assassination, but his body was also agile and extraordinarily nimble. Leron had been following Kaze for a while now and participated in multiple fights. Other than Kaze himself, he had never seen anyone who could do
“Whoosh!” The swift swing of the dagger left a huge cut on Kaze’s shirt at the abdomen. The old man had switched his stance to kneeling on one knee. The pain in his eyes had been replaced by frosty murderous intent, with a hint of shock and resentment as if he did not expect Kaze to dodge the lethal blow. “Old man, you’re a wicked one.” Kaze was also shocked. He looked down at his collar T-shirt and the wide opening at his stomach. The chilling wind on his skin sent chills down his spine. A split second later he would be gutted on the spot. “Swoosh!” After missing the ambush, the old man jumped like a nimble fox for a follow-up attack. This time, he switched his target from Kaze to Darcy. The dagger in his hand glared coldly as it thrusted toward Kaze’s chest. He was shocked that Kaze was able to dodge his lethal blow. He also realized Kaze was a tough opponent, so he switched to an easier one—Darcy. He acted like a gambler who had lost everything. With nothing