Displeased with Darcy’s annoyance, Miya found her ungrateful. “I’ll cut to the chase then, Ms. Quint.” Miya took a sip of her drink and said indifferently, “I’m only asking for three things from Kaze after what he has done. “First, I expect him to pay 100 million dollars to cover St. Mary’s losses.“Secondly, my family in Geranium City took a financial hit of three billion dollars because of him. I don’t think I’m asking for much by asking for five billion dollars in compensation due to the shortfall of the plummeting shares. “Finally, I want him to lose one arm. He should repent his sins outside St. Mary’s as a warning to others not to mess with St. Mary’s. “Before your husband gets here, why don’t you tell me how you feel about my demands, Ms. Quint?” The Otters expressed their shock ahead of Darcy. Kaze was expected to pay five billion dollars. The Otters did not have assets worth that much. Caster and Bella looked grim. They were reluctant to say anything, give
“What?”Darcy’s response left everybody doubting their ears. She was willing to cough up five billion dollars in damages, but there was no way she would let Kaze break his arm and repent outside St. Mary’s. “Have you lost it, Darcy? Just leave Kaze be! Why pay five billion dollars for him? Do you even have the money?” Agnes was not having it. She was the first to express her anger. She believed Darcy had lost the plot. The Otters were in disbelief. Kaze was just a bluffing deadbeat. Yet, Darcy would go to lengths for him. Miya scowled in shock at Darcy. Darcy looked her straight in the eye. “Save me that look, Mrs. Heartano. I can compensate you, but you can’t insult my husband.” “Did you think it was a negotiation, Ms. Quint?” Miya smirked in rage, her eyes reflecting no emotion. “Kaze didn’t just attack my hospital staff, but he slapped me in front of everybody too. I may not be a big deal, but I hold a certain amount of social standing in Geranium City and Arca
The murderous intent in Miya’s eyes was abruptly replaced by wariness. Miya glanced at Hanses before uttering flatly, “But young man, this is between me and Kaze. It’s not your place to comment. Once you formally join the Flying Dragons, you might earn yourself the right to speak.” “I—”Hanses scoffed, having the right mind to tell Miya off. No one knew better than him who Kaze was. It did not matter that the Geranium Heartanos was one of the elites of Geranium City. Her family did not run the military anyway. “That’s enough, Hanses!” Bella abruptly cut Hanses off before turning to Miya. She said, “I know it would take a lot to make up for what Kaze has done. “I’m going to ask a favor of you, Mrs. Heartano. Given my age, can you be a little flexible with your terms? Darcy is committed to finding a solution. “Perhaps we can drop the demand to break an arm and kneel.” Darcy gave Bella a look of gratitude. Miya chuckled. “Alright then. I can show some leniency by lett
Tension rose to an all-time high in the living room of the Otters’ residence. Darcy’s reluctance to budge came out of nowhere. “How dare you, Darcy!” Miya slammed her fist on the table angrily and got up, shaking with rage. She glared at Darcy and said curtly, “Just because you’re the head of the Ridgesouth Quints, you have no right to dismiss me. “You should know that you’re just leading the family branch in Ridgesouth. You’re not a key member of the family. “The nerve of you to speak rudely to me. “Buck Bob, slap her!” “Easy there, Mrs. Heartano,” Bob blurted. While he was known for his arrogance as the underground boss, he knew better than to pick a fight with just anyone.He did not want to make an enemy out of the Otters or Darcy. Hanses was about to be a full-fledged member of the Flying Dragons. Darcy headed the Quints in Ridgesouth. “Oh?” Miya looked daggers at Bob, and the latter shuddered. He opened his mouth to say something but went ahead to Darcy i
“Eek!” The Otters gasped sharply.“What are you doing, Kaze? He’s the criminal boss of Golden Ray.”“How dare you attack Mr. Damian? You’re asking for it!” “The audacity! How could you hit him before figuring out who he is?” “Mr. Damian, Kaze attacked you. This has nothing to do with us.” Max, Maxine, and the others tore into Kaze, fearing revenge from Bob. “Bob!” Several of Bob’s men went to help him up. “Get lost!” Bob pushed his people away and rubbed his numb cheek. He spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at Kaze with gnashed teeth. “Do you know who I am, boy? Who do you think you are to attack me?” Bob asked menacingly. “I don’t care who you are. You will get it for hurting my wife.” Kaze said flatly, “Since you’re so proud of who you are, I can satisfy your need to show off. “Tell me. Who are you?” Bob grimaced without a word. His henchman pointed at Kaze and criticized. “You’re playing with fire, boy. Buck Bob calls the shots in Golden Ray. Even th
“Smack!” “There, I did it. What are you going to do about it?” “Smack!” “Kill my family?” “Smack!” “I’ll make you disappear from Golden Ray before you can make anything happen.” “Smack!” Kaze kept pounding Bob’s face, leaving him without a chance to catch his breath. Soon, Bob’s cheeks swelled, and he lost his buck teeth. The Otters were shocked by what they had witnessed. They had not expected such aggression from Kaze. Kaze had slapped Bob without considering the consequences. “Thud!” With Bob out of it, Kaze kicked him toward Miya, who was ashen by then. As Miya’s sidekicks exclaimed in fear, Kaze approached Miya and said callously, “I asked you a question, Miya. Haven’t you learned your lesson? Are you back for more slaps?” Kaze addressed her by her first name. The press in Geranium City coined Miya with her married name, and it stuck with the public. Her married name sounded more respectful anyway. For Kaze to address her by her first name, he must
“Do you think you have me in the palm of your hand because I have done nothing, Kaze?” Miya sneered. Kaze smiled. “Save me the talk.“Just get to the point why you’re here today.“Are you prepared to kneel and beg me not to take St. Mary’s away or are you demanding an answer from me? “If it’s the latter, you came all this way for nothing. “You won’t get anything from me.” As Kaze carried himself with confidence, Miya smirked harder and said grimacingly, “Don’t be so full of yourself and get ahead of yourself. “I must admit that I have underestimated you. You seem tough and unbreakable. “But there will always be others who are better than you, Kaze, even in Riverbank.“I met someone yesterday.“You are nothing compared to him.” While talking, Miya waved her arm. A sidekick in the back presented a case with both hands. The open case revealed a roll of paper inside. Miya wiped her hands clean before retrieving the paper from the case and handing it to Kaze. “I was
“Jesus. Mr. Yaphet sounds intimidating.” As the Otters expressed their dread, Agnes’ lips quivered, and color drained from her face. She turned to Kaze, her finger up his nose. “Goddamnit, Kaze. You will be the death of us all. Just how many people have you upset in days? “What spell has he gotten you under, Darcy? I want you to separate, but you won’t.” Agnes stamped her foot, tears threatening to fall. It was bad enough that Kaze got on Miya’s nerves. Somehow, Hunter was involved too. The Otters and Agnes were impressed with Kaze’s talent to screw everything up. Pleased with the Otters’ response, Miya said smugly, “What do you have to say for yourself, Kaze?” “Hm… It sounds like Mr. Yaphet is a badass.” Kaze nodded indifferently. “But what does he have to do with me?” “Are you asking that now?” Miya said with a smirk, “Are you playing dumb or honestly stupid, Kaze?“The message from Mr. Yaphet represents his command. “He sent me to you bearing a message. “You
Aloysius looked at the business venture at hand with a mix of emotions. Jet was supposed to make a comeback with the project, but the defeat was a huge slap to his face. “Can I ask whether Kaze was behind this?” Aloysius braced himself to ask the question. Even though Aloysius had an inkling, he feared receiving confirmation of his suspicion. “Chairman Lee helped me. If Jet hadn’t hurt my mother, I wouldn’t have rushed back to take his place. “He did this to himself,” Snow said blatantly. “How did you know about the island project? We have been discreet about it.” Aloysius was eager to find out. The question would burn on his mind unless he got some answers. “You can’t keep anything from the Viper’s Den, but this is the end of the matter. If you’re interested in the project, I can put you in charge of it.” Snow could not be bothered to explain herself. Aloysius played it smart. He had been carrying out Snow’s orders without a hitch. Snow was happy to honor her prom
“Tell them that the company is expecting funding, and all the projects will be launched in a few days. Everything will be back on track. It’s a good thing that the higher management is gone. We will be opening the positions for internal employees to apply.” Snow got the right solution to handle the situation. She had to give these employees hope to gain their dedication in return. Aloysius was surprised. “Who would pour money in when our finances are in a mess?” Having worked with Jet, Aloysius had a good understanding of the company’s ins and outs. Several business ventures were up in the air, and the company was bleeding money. Even with a relaunch, these projects would not bring in much of a profit. Most importantly, the relaunch had to be backed up by some funding. The business got a loan from the Viper’s Den. If payment was not made in time, the company’s shares would be used to make up for the loss. The whole thing spelled trouble. Snow just joined the company.
“This is the financial report you submitted today. Any intern can do a better job than you.” Snow mocked Jack. She was disappointed in his performance. A finance director who could not even get his basics right should not be working in finance in the first place. “Who do you think you are, doing this to us?” The others are only out to save their own asses. They did not sympathize with Jack. “I’m sure you are well aware of what you have done.” “You’re on your phone all day at work. You put your daily expenses on the company card, and we’re talking about tens of thousands of dollars a month. You only bought stuff for your personal use. “Let’s not forget about you. Your so-called business trips are to take your mistress out for expensive hotel stays and vacations.” Snow looked at each one of them while detailing their deeds. She shamed them in public, utterly humiliating them. “Why were these allowed before? Why are you stopping these practices now? If you can change
“No, Ms. Frost. I can do it,” Aloysius said right away. He did not want to miss out on a good opportunity. “I gave you a chance. It’s up to you to seize it.” Snow looked at them with a smile. “I’ll get right to it, Ms. Frost.” The HR manager nodded and took off. He had to prepare the paperwork. Those in upper management were on a higher pay grade with a cut of the shares. Following a termination, the HR manager had to calculate the final pay. There had to be a valid reason for the discharge from duties too. Though things were a little complicated, the HR manager was experienced in this aspect. The only issue was that the staff involved were not the low-ranking employees. They held high positions. Despite his unrest, Aloysius did not wear his heart on his sleeve. He had a good read of the situation. Snow was impartial in carrying out business. Those who contributed to the company would stay while the ones who bled the business dry would be sacked. Anyone would p
Sure enough, the mean would gather around the individual at their fall from grace. It was sad to grasp this reality. “I promise you to have everything in order. Don’t worry. You will get a nice promotion.” Snow knew when to give her employee encouragement. Only then would Aloysius feel motivated to work. Aloysius departed in dejection, but Snow did not mind it at all. He served the wrong person. Snow took on the leadership role the same day Jet left. Since she assumed the responsibilities without much experience, the employees did not take her seriously. The people doing the grunt work felt nothing toward the change of leadership. The upper management may experience shifts, but they were still obliged to finish their usual tasks. The only thing they hoped for was to be paid more for their overtime. Following the change of leadership, some leaders may receive a promotion or be transferred out. The employees at the bottom of the pyramid wondered if they could compet
Despite her unease, Snow trusted that Jet would not have the chance to hurt her. Hence, she put the matter aside. The dynamic shift within the Frosts caught the eye of elite families across the business world. They kicked Jet while he was down. Some even tried to get a piece of the pie. However, most of them stayed on the sidelines, observing. A fallen giant was still a giant. Even if these families were greedy, they had to assess the situation before moving in. These businesspeople were skeptical about Snow taking Jet’s place. They did not know what Snow was made of. Consequently, they tried to approach her. Snow had been kept busy in the office, dealing with the problems left behind by Jet. She worked late into the night every day. While being buried deep in paperwork, Snow refused to meet anyone. She had lived in Butterworth before, so she had peers from school and friends around. Snow’s sudden return caught many off guard. Everyone wanted to get close to he
If Jet had detected the problems early on, he could have prevented things from escalating. Yet now, everything was too late. Jet did not regret his actions, though. “Just sign this, Jet. At this rate, the shares will drop beyond the point of redemption,” Talon said. The Frosts were terrified at the stock market’s dropping numbers. They did not have time to lose. “I will sign the papers. I lost.” Jet did not want to give in just yet. However, he had to comply with the family elders’ pleas. Snow was relieved. The contract was quickly drawn up, and Jet signed the papers to give up the proprietorship. “Relax. I won’t do you wrong.” Snow made a promise. At least, Jet would still have a home to go back to. “Don’t get too cocky. I didn’t lose to you. I lost to Kaze.” Jet knew that he would face much resistance if his rival were Snow. It was a shame that he was up against Kaze, a strong and mysterious man. “Just sign the papers. I will take over the family empire, and
“Don’t project your filth on everyone else.” Snow was angry, but she knew that she had to keep her head cool. By jumping straight to defense mode, Snow would give others the wrong idea. She had been there before. Kaze sat still without a word. He furrowed his brows in annoyance when Jet painted his relationship with Snow dirty. “I’m not here for the drama.” Kaze looked at Talon. The senior members of the Frosts should back down before Kaze did something about it. “Who do you think you are? This is a family meeting. Why are you getting involved?“If you are unrelated to Snow, you shouldn’t be here in the first place.” Jet took out his anger on Kaze. Kaze was not part of the family anyway, so Jet did not have to consider his feelings. “Watch yourself, Jet. He’s a visitor.” Talon was smart enough to read the room. Despite the air of mystery shrouding Kaze, he managed to screw with most of Jet’s business ventures. The Frosts stood to lose more by crossing Kaze. Ta
Following Snow’s lead, Kaze entered a big conference room. The centerpiece of the conference room was a long, solid wood table, drawing out an air of solemnity. Various notable and valuable paintings hung on the wall. The expansive floor-to-ceiling window brought light into the room. Sunlight bounced off the window that displayed a picturesque view outside. “There you are.” Jet had been waiting. With the pair slowly making their way in, Jet could not hide the rage in his eyes. “Long time no see, Jet,” Snow greeted him and pulled a chair for Kaze. “It’ll take a bit of time, Chairman Lee. The senior members of my family are on their way.” Snow contacted the family elders while getting to the venue. Jet had not produced much results lately, and the Frosts were utterly humiliated. Since Jet would soon be replaced, the senior members of the family wanted to be kept in the loop. These family members had their own ideas. However, they would be happy to appoint the lea