Patrick looked shocked. “Huh? He’s a live-in husband? So he has been unemployed?” Kaze looked at Maxine and Patrick, who were obviously asking for trouble. He smirked and nodded. “I guess you can say so.” Everyone heard his answer. Those who were simply watching from the side were surprised that he admitted it so quickly. Their gazes at him showed a strong sense of contempt. How could a man like him deserve a woman like Darcy? Even if he did not manage to marry himself into Darcy’s family, he still should not be qualified to even be her follower. Patrick did not expect Kaze to be so witty. It caught him by surprise and it left him speechless for a moment. It was until Maxine nudged him, he regained his composure and scoffed. “Is it because you didn’t get any suitable jobs? “Why don’t you tell me what you are interested in, I can recommend you. My company has been recruiting lately, like security guards or janitors. “For Maxine’s sake, you can simply pick a job under ten
“Kaze, you bastard! How dare you ask Patrick to break up with Maxine? Who the hell are you to say that?!” “Patrick introduced you to a job, yet you ignored him and tried to convince him to break up with Maxine. How could you be so narrow-minded?!” “You’re living a terrible life but that doesn’t mean others should live the same!” Alex, Adam, and the others criticized Kaze for what he said as it was frustrating. How could he instigate Patrick to break up with Maxine in front of them? It was like pulling a treasure box away from their hands! It was disrespectful to the family! Patrick’s expression darkened. He hugged Maxine tightly and said coldly, “Maxine and I are tight. You don’t need to worry about that. Whatever problem that comes my way, I’ll just deal with it. “The more problems she gets me into, and I solve it, means I am more capable than other men. Only an incompetent man would dislike the woman causing problems for himself.” Maxine hugged Patrick even tighter.
Hanses’ tone clearly conveyed his disregard for Aaron. Previously, Aaron, the chief commander, was someone Hanses admired. Now, since he already got through the initial selection and probably would be selected to join the Flying Dragons, he became prouder and more confident. “What? Not even Chief Commander Krad?!” The people were shocked. The chief commander of the South River Strategic Department was second only to the governor of the state and had the same rank as the mayor of Riverbank, Kent Synder. Yet from Hanses’ words, the VIP that the Flying Dragons were expecting seemed to be more powerful than Aaron. “Could it be Chief Commander Draco Lang from the Lilyrose Strategic Department? He used to be the commander of the Battle Dragon Troops and also founded the elite battalion, Flying Dragons.” Someone came up with another guess. Hanses shook his head. “It’s not him. This VIP that we are expecting is more powerful than him.” People started to gasp in shock. The
The people looked eager, hoping to get the chance to see a war general in person. Alex was moved by the people’s eagerness. He looked at his son and said, “Hanses, since there’s still time before the feast starts, can you try to invite a war general from the Flying Dragons to join us?” Hanses hesitated but then he bit the bullet and said, “Okay, I’ll give it a try.” He had no confidence in inviting a war general to join their family gathering. After all, he just got through the initial selection and was not an official member of the Flying Dragons yet. He still did not get the chance to meet the war generals, so they might not answer his invitations. However, he did not make his concerns verbal since it was a big day for his family and also him being under the spotlight, he did not want to disappoint. He pulled his phone out and called the captain of the Flying Dragons—Jonas Asterisk. Jonas was the captain in charge of the recruitment and he was known for his hot temper.
“Mom, look who’s here!” Agatha brought Agnes and her family up to Madam Otter. “Mom, I am so sorry that I haven’t been able to come back earlier. It’s been a long time.” Agnes covered her mouth and broke down into tears; Hector’s eyes got teary. Many years ago, the entire Otter family strongly opposed her being with Hector and only Madam Otter supported them despite the overwhelming odds, which gave them enough courage to get married. Hector always felt in debt to his mother-in-law. Agnes did not get the chance to reunite with her mother earlier because the Lees had been oppressing them. As for Master Otter, he looked away. He still had lingering resentment for his daughter and her family. “Where’s my dear granddaughter?” Madam Otter hugged Agnes and cried for a while before she wiped her tears and asked for Darcy. “Grandmother.” Darcy went up and greeted the lady, her tone slightly stiff. It had been many years since she last saw Madam Otter. “You must be Darcy
Madam Otter’s gentle smile disappeared. However, after another glance at Darcy, and then the others like Patrick and Hanses, she ultimately decided to suppress her anger and simply said, “Mhmm. I see.” She sounded flat, seemingly expressing her disappointment for Kaze. “Mom, I’ll do something about it! I’ll make him go to work! He actually has a job back at Lilyrose! I won’t let him freeload and live off our family!” Agnes said, trying to comfort her mother. Madam Otter simply hummed a reply but it felt colder than usual. She was obviously displeased with her daughter having a useless son-in-law, though she did not want to ruin the mood because of Kaze. “Grandmother, this is my boyfriend, Patrick Weather. He’s from the Weather family and he’s currently helping his cousin, Casius Weather, to run a business. His cousin even gave him a new Rolls Royce for good performance!” Patrick came back from answering a phone call and Maxine brought him to Madam Otter. He took the opp
“Huh?” Besides Hanses who initially planned to skip Kaze in his introduction, the others were shocked too. Hanses quickly regained his composure and awkwardly said, “Sir, this is Darcy’s husband, Kaze Lee.” “Deputy Gwake.” Kaze simply nodded. Aegon gulped nervously and nodded awkwardly, not knowing what to say to the man. Kaze left a deep impression on him. He still could not forget the day Kaze took the train to Riverbank. When Kaze exited the station, the alarm rang and the guards found countless shrapnels inside Kaze’s back. More importantly, two war generals from South River Strategic Department met and told him in person that Kaze used to be Albert’s superior. Albert was the ex-chief commander of the South River Strategic Department. Only after that, Aegon managed to connect all the dots and figure out who Kaze really was. The thought made him shiver. “More guests have arrived!” Two jeeps painted in military green arrived at the entrance. Soldiers in un
Darcy and her family were seated at the corner, which upset Agnes. “Why?! Even Agatha and her family are seated in front. Why must we sit at the back here? Darcy is the head of the Quint family branch. Other than the few military personnel, who else here is stronger than you?” Hector sighed. “Agatha and her family are in front because Nelson is the right-hand man of Vanik Clifford of South River Strategic Department. Your brother needs him to entertain the people from the military, so they are in front. “Besides, Kaze said something wrong just now but your mother didn’t lash out at him. She has shown us enough grace already. Just bear with it. It’s just a meal, no big deal.” Ever since Darcy became the head of the Quint family branch, Agnes’ arrogance skyrocketed and she refused to be treated unfairly. However, the Otter family was her birth family after all and she could not just lash out at them. She turned to Kaze with a glare. “It’s all because of you!” “Mom, stop it.
“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