“Ask yourself, do you think you deserve to take that much? “You even go after the employees’ bonuses. It’s not that difficult to know how much you’ve taken with some calculations. “You’re greedy. You're like a vampire, sucking out the blood of the employees and executives. “Frankly speaking, the fact that Gwake Corporation hasn’t been brought down is because the executives were too weak and gullible.” Buffy personally collected the information. She was not going to fight an unprepared battle. She knew Naix represented Faith. Before Buffy took up her position, she had already prepared to suppress Naix or even take him down to establish a strong image within the company. However, if she revealed the evidence that she had gotten right away, the other senior executives would not take her seriously. After Kaze slapped him in the face and seized the initiative, taking control of the situation, things were different. Kaze successfully stirred up the anger and resentment that h
“Mr. Krad, you shouldn’t be that shameless…” Kaze did not even need to speak and the other senior executives started to mock and sneer at Naix. Mock after mock, Naix’s expression grew darker. Everyone at the table knew the circumstances clearly. If they did not band together to overthrow Naix, they would either face even worse oppression or suffer retaliation afterward. Therefore, they might as well take their bets with Kaze and Buffy. Seeing his influence fade, Naix stood stiffly as he stared at Kaze and Buffy, his gaze gleaming with mixed emotions. A while later, he took a deep breath and bowed. “I am sorry, Mr. Lee, Ms. Gwake. I was wrong. I was incompetent. It was all my fault. I hereby apologize.” An unprecedented insult drowned him as he apologized. His mind was not filled with apology but the thought of ripping Kaze and Buffy apart. The meeting today was prepared for Buffy. He was confident that she would step into the trap, thus suppressing her. Yet Kaze j
Manipulating the situation with ease. That was the only phrase Buffy could think of when she looked at Kaze. Kaze’s method was straightforward and effective. However, not everyone could execute it as perfectly as he did. Only Kaze, who had skills and the right mental state, could overpower his opponent in every aspect. When he used those methods on people, it worked naturally. It was why Naix was overthrown so easily and could not make a comeback anymore. The executives quickly forgot about teaming up with Naix to oppose Buffy. No one would stand against money. Compared to the vampire, Naix, Buffy and Kaze were generous. If the executives could perform, they would be rewarded. Even though nothing had been carried out yet and those were mere words from Kaze’s mouth, they did it better than Naix. The tides had changed. Naix was humiliated and even the executives who saw him as a king sneered at him scornfully. The anger in him almost erupted like a volcano. He t
“Hmph! Kaze Lee, you talk big. Let’s see how you are going to settle the deal with St. Mary’s today. “If you can get the rights before midnight, I’ll crawl out of the building even if it takes me a day! Every executive here can be a witness!” Kaze smiled. “It’s a deal.” As the conflict between Kaze and Naix escalated, the executives simply nodded and stayed back to watch the show. Before the dust settled, none of them dared to take sides. “The meeting is adjourned.” Buffy got up and announced the end of the meeting before she left. Back at the office, Buffy made a cup of tea for Kaze knowing that he disliked coffee. She said with a smile, “Thank you for what you did just now. If you didn’t argue with Naix, my first day might be my last.” She was glad that Kaze was here with her because she could not handle someone as pushy as Naix. “There’s no need for courtesy.” Kaze sipped on his tea and said with a smile, “You don’t need to worry about Naix either. After today,
Buffy raised her brows. “Let him in.” A moment later, Naix, whose face was covered in cream and iodine, came in. He shot a resentful glare at Kaze before he tossed two invitation cards to Buffy. “Royal Familia Hotel, 12 P.M., a drinking party?” Buffy glanced at the invitation card and then looked at Naix indifferently. “What is the meaning of this, Mr. Krad? You’re inviting me and Kaze to a drinking party? I don’t think we are that close yet.” Naix scrutinized Buffy from top to bottom with a strange look and it made her sick. “If there’s nothing else, you know where the exit is. I have work to do,” Buffy said coldly. Naix then put his disgusting gaze away and smiled. “Ms. Gwake, you sound so distant and cold. We are colleagues, aren’t we? “I know we are having a bet but I am a generous and magnanimous man. I asked Mr. Kiefer Heartano of the Heartanos for two invitations to his drinking party. “He is hosting the party later in the afternoon and many influential people wi
“Kaze, are we really going to attend the drinking party? Is there going to be a trap? Why not let me make some calls first.” Buffy picked up her phone, looking worried. She had many friends in Riveria and if Naix said there would be many influential figures there, then some of her friends might be there too. A while later, Buffy put her phone down. “I’ve asked some of my friends who got invited. It seems like it’s a legit drinking party, not a trap for us. “I’ve also asked around about this Kiefer Heartano. He’s the youngest son of the head of the family and he has an older brother named Khan. “He’s capable and he has been contributing to the family business in Geranium. He lived a high-profile life and is known to be impatient.“He just arrived at Riverbank yesterday and found out what happened to St. Mary’s. That’s why he is hosting the drinking party to build connections with the folks in the upper circle…” “An impatient person?” Kaze pondered for a moment and then sa
Naix was not in the mood to argue with Kaze because, to him, Kaze was already a dead man. He knew Kiefer back in Geranium City, where they used to hang out and drink. In addition to his excessive flattery, Kiefer had already viewed him as a good friend. On top of that, Naix also knew that Kiefer was the favorite child in the Heartano family and his parents always gave him what he wanted. If he could just make Kiefer happy, then getting the rights to St. Mary Hospital would be a piece of cake. It was the reason Naix was overflowing with confidence. The only thing he needed to think about was how to make Kiefer happy. He used to do the same to earn favors but always felt something was missing. Kiefer was a cautious man. He would not act before seeing what he would gain. He always remained ambiguous, so he never fully agreed to give Naix the rights to the hospital. However, Naix came up with an idea that he believed could work. With that, he had another glance at Buffy a
Back at Bronze Sparrow, Kaze beat Buffy in a game of cards, which got him a night with her. The news spread like wildfire in the circle and sparked a heated debate. It was no secret that Casius saw Buffy as his future playtoy. Anyone who had the nerve to go after her would end up dead. It was said that Buffy’s parents already agreed for them to get married. Just when everyone expected things to end badly for Kaze, a few days later, they saw Buffy and Kaze together, attending a party hosted by Kiefer. Were they making a statement to Casius, telling him that his little plaything was no more? The young men and women surrounded Kaze, scrutinizing him. They wanted to know what was so special with the bumpkin that Buffy fell for him. However, no matter how they looked, they found nothing stellar about him; he was just another man. Maybe he was brave and meticulous, two aspects men could use to win most women’s hearts. However, Buffy was not just any ordinary woman and she
The hostages were locked up in the containers. Some of them were elites in their own field while some were ordinary people with average income, yet all of them got into trouble when they boarded the plane. Most of them could not accept their fate. Yet they dared not defy or resist the mercenaries. When things started to calm down, they broke down in tears, weeping in silence as resentment consumed them. Kaze sat down at a clean corner that allowed him to look outside the window. The window was dirty but at least he could see outside. The space inside the container was filled with people sitting closely, offering comfort to one another. They were aware they were just temporarily safe in this container. No one knew what the mercenaries would do to them at the next moment. “My parents must be worried. I said I would call them when I land but now I can’t even get in touch,” Barney muttered as he sat beside Kaze. He too looked outside the window, his feelings mixed. He watc
Kaze thought of what he had overheard in the toilet. If he told the hostages about that, they would probably panic. “It’s nothing. They are just going to separate us into different rooms or containers. They said the buses would be disposed of,” he said. He did not want to reveal too much because it would cause panic. Once the hostages knew their lives were on the line, things might spiral out of control. The mercenaries could kill a few of them to make an example, and none of the hostages would dare to cause problems anymore. Kaze kept it a secret because he wanted to protect the people. “That’s it?” “Is there anything else? How many men are there? What is their plan? Who are they looking for?” “We want to know because we want to survive. This isn't our problem—we just got caught up in it.” The hostages looked at Kaze, their eyes filled with worry. They felt aggrieved because they should not be caught in such a huge problem. “I don’t know either.” No matter how m
“There’s a room there. Get in.” The mercenary pointed his gun at the mother and son, which led them to look at Kaze nervously, seemingly asking for help. “What do you want?” The mother was nervous. She clutched her son’s hand tightly, nearly making him cry, but she reacted quickly enough to cover her son’s mouth to prevent him from doing so. “All women must go into that room. You go in now,” the mercenary explained. He did not want the woman to get the wrong idea. “You people won’t hurt me, right?” the mother asked, worried that she might be ravaged. “We are not into MILF,” said the other mercenary who was escorting Kaze, indirectly assuring the mother. Kaze shot a glance at the mother and nodded at her. “They told us they were going to separate us, so there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, worried that the mother and son would not cooperate. The mother then carried her son and followed the other mercenary into the room. It was called a room but it was actually ju
“Can you make him stop? If the man comes back, we’ll be done for,” someone said. The kid’s crying made everyone anxious. “What can I do? He’s crying because he’s scared. I can’t just stop him.” The mother was afraid as well, and she did not want her son to be taken advantage of. “Calm down. Just don’t alert the men and we’ll be fine,” Miguel said, hoping to ease the situation. “I’ll fight him if he comes in. I believe I can make it,” someone said. Those with an impulsive nature grew restless from being kept on the bus for too long, feeling like livestock being kept in cages. “Shut it. They are coming,” Barney said after a glance outside the window. The other passengers fell silent, sat back down, lowered their heads, and tried their best not to look out the window. The mother quickly hugged her son and covered his mouth to prevent him from crying. Kaze felt peace and quiet once more, even the air felt smoother. He knew the passengers were merely ordinary people and
Unfortunately, Leah knew she would not get an answer out of Snow since she was refusing to help. Everything seemed to have changed following her mother’s disappearance. She tried to stay for answers but when security came in, she could not resist them anymore. It was the first time she was escorted out by security guards and it impacted her. She used to be the daughter of the CEO of Northborn Group—everyone respected her. She used to enjoy a privileged status. No matter where she went, she was the star of the event. Yet when her mother disappeared, everything changed. She wanted to look for Kaze but she had just lost the chance. Snow turned her down and gazed at her with contempt and irritation. Leah could not accept the changes but some things felt like they were destined to change. She was forced to leave the branch office but then had no idea where else to go. She felt abandoned by the world. Before this, she could still hope for Kaze’s help, but now she had no
Leah went to her mother’s company but did not find her anywhere. Joey was busy working in the CEO’s office. Leah went over and asked, “Joey, where’s my mother? I can’t reach her.” She wanted to know what happened to her mother. “I don’t know about your mother either. We went out together earlier in the day but I don’t know where she went. I can’t get in touch with her.” Joey was so busy that she could not even free herself from the desk to explain to the girl. “Where did she go? How am I supposed to find her?” Leah panicked. If even Joey did not know where her mother went, then something must have happened. A bad feeling rose from her heart. Things just got serious. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask someone else?” Joey did not have time to deal with the girl. Leah was unfamiliar with Joey’s coldness. Joey had always treated her with kindness and flattery, so the sudden coldness caught her off guard. She felt like something had changed. “Who should I be looking f
“No! My daughter is still in the hospital!” Katie refused to accept her punishment. She started to regret her decision but it was too late. “Now only you think about your daughter? I guess you are not that foolish, but have you thought about her when you betrayed Chairman Lee? “Don’t worry. Leah knew Chairman Lee personally and we won’t hurt her, but she might not live a good life anymore,” Snow said coldly. She did not want to put the girl in a difficult situation but her life as a princess would come to an end. “You can’t do that!” Katie could not believe Snow would do that. “I bet you never thought of the consequences when you leaked the information. Too bad. You’ve lost.” Snow revealed the truth because she wanted Katie to suffer for the decision she made. Katie would now regret every decision she made because she knew she had jeopardized her daughter’s life. She would feel like a fool. She devoted her life to climbing higher to gain more power but she ignored the
“I went to a bar to have a drink and I bumped into an informant of the Viper’s Den.” Katie looked helpless as she explained as if everything that had happened was planned out for her, pushing her to the edge step by step. It was a lively night at the bar. The atmosphere was pleasant and most of the guests were having a good time. Katie was a single woman. She needed care and love at times. She was alone when she visited the bar. She started off by ordering some drinks at the counter, waiting for a chance to meet a man who shared the same ideals. A drink or two later, maybe she could get herself a company for the night. As a grown-up woman, she had her desires. It was a way to release her stress. Katie entered the bar in a casual outfit but it did not diminish her elegant demeanor. When she sat down at the counter, a few young men approached her but she was not interested in immature boys. She continued drinking. She looked at the dance floor occasionally, searching for a
“Who do you think will believe you?” Arthur frowned. There were too many coincidences that it felt like a giant setup. “I’ve explained what I need to. Don’t interrogate me like I’m a criminal. I am the CEO of the Northborn Group.” Katie left them speechless. She had said the necessary and it was up to them whether they wanted to believe it or not. They did not have the evidence to charge her anyway. “You really think we can’t hold you responsible?” Snow was not really looking for a definite answer. The moment she suspected Katie, whether or not she was truly the traitor, Snow already had the right to hold her accountable. It was necessary to make things clear and it was to find out who Katie leaked Kaze’s information to. “It has come down to this. No matter how you deny it, it’s useless. We already know what you have done and you can’t escape. Even if you don’t want to confess, we can continue the investigation, and we’ll eventually find out the truth. “If you come clean