Buffy frowned and said with displeasure, “What does this have to do with Kaze? I called Naix cheap as well.” “Buffy, you can’t keep defending him.” Rayes looked serious as he explained, “You can call Naix cheap because you are his superior. Kaze is no one, yet he treats the guy terribly. “If not because of you, he’s not even qualified to be here. He doesn't know his place and he speaks recklessly. He’s not helping and is making things worse.” Buffy was displeased by how Rayes belittled Kaze again and again. “Rayes, if you don’t want to help, just say it…” Buffy wanted to reject Rayes but then Kaze tapped her shoulder and said, “It’s okay, Buffy. Rayes sounds like he’s super capable. Why not let him help us deal with Kiefer Heartano? If he insists on helping, let’s just let him try.” Rayes was displeased because Buffy almost argued with him because of the useless live-in husband. He mistook Kaze’s words as raising the white flag and Kaze trying to curry favor with him.
Kiefer smiled and raised his hand. A glass of champagne was delivered to him. As he cocked his head backward to drain the champagne, his eyes remained glued to Buffy’s long legs and snowy white neck. He even clicked his tongue in satisfaction, clearly pleased by the sight before his eyes. “Ms. Gwake, have you heard of the saying, ‘The gifts of fate come with a price.’ “Do you know what I mean? Us working on St. Mary Hospital is totally possible—I just have to give the word. But I wonder, how much are you prepared to pay?” He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Buffy like she was prey. Everyone in the room instantly understood his meaning. Kiefer was into Buffy and he wanted to get under her dress. “Ms. Gwake, say something. Mr. Heartano is ready to work with you, you just have to name your price.” “You have to show some sincerity.” Naix and the other executives sneered at her, gloating openly. If Buffy accepted Kiefer’s offer for the sake of the rights, then he woul
Kiefer’s grin showed confidence, especially when he spotted anger on Buffy’s face, it aroused him even more. Buffy instinctively took a step back and said coldly, “Mr. Heartano, there are people here, mind your words.” “Mind my words? What does that mean? Am I not talking about the deal? The terms you offered, I don’t like them and I don’t care. So, I made my own, it’s that simple. “Am I being rude? Aren’t you here to talk about working with St. Mary Hospital, making a lot of money? Money makes the world go round, so don’t tell me to mind my words!” He spoke arrogantly, not afraid of making Buffy mad or scaring her away. He knew she came here to ask him for a favor. He already found out about Buffy’s situation from Naix, so he was confident that he could control the woman. Even though he heard that Buffy’s fiancé was one of the Riverbank Seven, a powerful man, he believed nothing would happen even if he devoured her. It was Buffy who came to him, not the other way around.
Kiefer laughed. “Rayes, are you teaching me how to do things?” “Not to that extent.” Rayes put his hand around Kiefer’s shoulders and said with a smile, “I am just asking you not to give Buffy a hard time and give her the rights. You do this for me, I’ll show…” Thump! Before he could finish, Kiefer elbowed him in the chest. “Ugh!” Rayes groaned in pain but before he could respond, Kiefer slapped him in the face. Kiefer had been trained by the strongest fighters in his family since childhood. While he wasn’t a top-tier expert, his strength was far above average. Rayes was a tall man but the slap managed to send him to the floor. “What is the meaning of this, Kiefer?!” He covered his face as he glared at Kiefer, his eyes burning with rage and confusion. A moment ago, he was like the closest friend to Kiefer but before he knew it, he got elbowed in the chest. Bang! Kiefer raised his leg and delivered a powerful kick to Rayes’ face, slamming his head to the floor.
“Tsk. I heard Buffy is still a virgin. Not even Casius, one of the Riverbank Seven, manages to get into her pants. If Kiefer can claim her virginity, that’d be a real steal!” “Yeah! Claiming virginity from a woman like her? It’s even luckier than winning the jackpot!” “Buffy, if you are not experienced in sex, we can give you a tip or two.” Tiffany and the other young women in the room sneered at Buffy, laughing at her. They looked trampy compared to Buffy, so they gloated at her when Kiefer insulted her. Buffy’s face darkened when she heard Tiffany and the others, her eyes gleamed with icy sharpness. “Hoho? It seems like someone got Buffy angry.” Kiefer allowed Tiffany and the others to insult Buffy, trying to blunt her pride. He then grinned wickedly and said, “We haven’t even started and you can’t take it already? “Don’t you know the rules around here? If you want to do business with me, you have to sacrifice something, at least pay a price. You are already here and
Kaze was ruthless and did not hold back at all. Kiefer was the youngest son of the Geranium Heartanos. He came to Riverbank, representing his family and the power behind them. It was the reason young women sacrificed their bodies for a chance of getting hospital rights. As Kaze snapped Kiefer’s wrist, he basically cut off all possibilities of him obtaining the rights to St. Mary Hospital. He would be delusional if he still believed he could succeed. “Aaaargh! You fuck!” Kiefer’s men helped him up and he had to rely on them to be on his feet. He glared at Kaze with a vicious look and shouted, “You fuck! You snapped my wrist!? I don’t care who the fuck you are, you are fucking dead! “Not only you! Your entire family will be obliterated! You should know the consequences of attacking a member of the Heartano family!” In the past two days, the young and wealthy had surrounded Kiefer, flattering him. His confidence swelled and he had the illusion that everyone in Riverbank mu
Rayes was already terrified after Kiefer beat him up, so he was eager to solve the conflict before it snowballed out of control. Buffy bellowed, “Rayes, how could you! It’s Kiefer who has insulted me and tried to force me against my will. Kaze snapped his wrist because he got it coming! “You didn’t help at all. Kaze did what’s right and now you are blaming him? Stay out of my business with Kaze. If you still see me as a friend, shut your mouth!” Had Rayes not stood up for her when Kiefer insulted her the first time, she would have forsaken their friendship.“Even if Kiefer insulted you, he shouldn’t have snapped Kiefer’s wrist!” Tiffany then came over to Kiefer and pulled her phone out. “I’ll call the police to arrest you right now!” “No! Don’t call the police, that would be too easy on them,” Kiefer said through gritted teeth, slowly regaining his senses. Tiffany had a look at Kiefer’s twisted hand and it shocked her. “Kiefer, you should get to the hospital. I’ll deal wit
Kiefer’s men clamored, threatening to teach Kaze a lesson. “Kiefer, we don’t know this bastard at all! Crush him however you want, we support you!” As the others clamored angrily, Naix and his executives were shocked and paled, they quickly stepped away, afraid to be caught in the crossfire. Rayes stepped back as well. “Kiefer, I brought Buffy to you but this bastard chose to come along. I don’t know him!” Seeing her friend turn against her, a sense of disappointment flashed in Buffy’s eyes. Nevertheless, she bit the bullet and stepped up in front of Kaze. She said, “Kiefer, let’s talk.” “Fuck off bitch!” Jealousy consumed Kiefer when Buffy stepped up to defend Kaze. Since he had been training under the best fighters in his family from a young age, he was able to thrust the broken bottle at Buffy. However, before Tiffany and the others could cheer on him, Kaze appeared before Buffy and kicked the incoming attack away. Bang! The broken bottle did not even get close
Arthur chuckled, his smile carrying a touch of sleaziness. “Oh, I see.” A realization dawned on Kaze. “Are you with quality control?” Several individuals in dark blue suits approached. The men and women carried files and documents. Kaze nodded without a word. “We are just here to announce the results. We shouldn’t be long.” Arthur came forward to engage with them. The group was likely given the heads-up as they had the right number of people. They swaggered into Rising Sun’s building. The general manager straightened up his tie in a fluster and walked out. None of the film productions made the cut yet, and the delay was costing the company money by the day. At this rate, the project would go down under. Eli, the general manager, rushed to the entrance upon learning the news. The review team was there to do one final check. The films would get the green light if the board found that everything was up to par. The head office would stop putting pressure on
Given Kaze’s status, Alfonso knew better than to have him waiting under the hot sun. Of course, he would send his people to be on standby for Kaze’s arrival. Peter only came to the rescue when Kaze was pestered by some street gang. Alfonso’s omission of Kaze’s identity led to this hiccup. Kaze did not care one bit about the incident. Heck, he did not even bring it up. Arthur straightened his back nervously, becoming even more cautious behind the wheel. “You knew, but why didn’t you say anything, Mr. Lee? You didn’t even tell on us.” Arthur could not understand why. However, he had more respect for the man. “I didn’t see a point. You’ll learn what happens when you displease me, so I won’t bother telling you now.” Kaze was mild-mannered as ever. He spoke softly without a hint of anger. All the more Arthur revered him. “Mr. Lee, we didn’t do our jobs right. We didn’t know who you were.“But my duty is to protect you in the dark. “We saw you getting out of the train
“Rising Sun is a media company. Several of their films are about to be released. They are trying to get them approved to air due to some censorship issues.” Arthur took out a document. “Are there any issues with the films? Why aren’t they approved yet?” Kaze asked curiously. Kaze had no idea. “There are some issues. They aren’t fit to be aired. “Typically, there aren’t a lot of restrictions for film productions so long as the themes aren’t sensitive topics. “But these films featured altered history. The company has been asked multiple times to make revisions, but the films still don’t make the cut.” The Viper’s Den’s members were not privy to the information. The Frosts were insignificant. Kaze was after the Frosts. Otherwise, the Viper’s Den would not waste its resources on a mere film production company. Jet’s investment of nearly ten million bucks in Rising Sun caught the Viper’s Den’s attention. The delayed approval of the films would be catastrophic to the in
“It’s quite a bustle even when it’s late at night.” Kaze looked down from above and saw the bright lights. A street in the distance was brightly lit with many people working into the night. “The majority of people would do many things to make a living.” Arthur rarely observed these sights. “Thank you. Keep me in the loop of any progress. I’m curious as to what you’d do.” Kaze did not see a need to get involved with the minor stuff. He delegated the tasks to his people. “If you have time, why don’t you go out and have a bit of fun, Mr. Lee?” Arthur asked. The reason for Kaze’s trip was to deal with Jet. Kaze would get some satisfaction from upsetting Jet. “I don’t want to attract attention.” The last thing Kaze wanted was to blow his cover. From Kaze’s question, Arthur knew that Kaze was interested. “No. We can give you a whole new identity.” Arthur knew what to do. “I’ll leave you to it, but don’t take it too far,” Kaze replied. Still, Kaze was intrigued a
Katie was narrow-minded to spit out the unpleasant things. Her words would never harm Kaze. Kaze took the private elevator back to the penthouse for a rest. He had more important things to do. He needed to keep tabs on the Frosts. Leah’s business was none of Kaze’s concern. Sure, Leah was in a state, being manipulated by her mother and all. However, it was a family matter at the end of the day. Kaze had no rhyme or reason to get involved. Kaze soon put the whole thing behind him. Arthur was already there at the penthouse. As Kaze entered the room, Arthur jolted up from the couch. “Mr. Lee, this is the document you requested. It should have detailed information to give you a clearer idea of the situation.” Arthur put the papers in front of Kaze and grabbed him a bottle of water. Feeling hot from his walk back, Kaze took a sip and held the document up for a look. “I got to give it to the Frosts. They sure work in the shadows.” Kaze grinned. A strong opponent p
“Despite everything I’ve said, you still won’t listen! Kaze is a liar! He befriended you with a motive. Yet, you trust him. He’s a good friend to you? What do you take me for?” Katie could not put up with her daughter’s defiance. Leah must obey her because that was what a good daughter would do. “I see you as my mother. What about you? Am I a daughter to you?” Leah did not want to ask such a distressing question. However, there was no way around it. She was escaping reality. Still, she had to swallow the truth, however cruel. “What are you talking about? I wouldn’t raise you if I didn’t consider you my daughter.” Katie worked hard to keep a level head. The last thing she wanted was the whole thing to blow up into a bigger fight. She had a lot to do for the upcoming party. There was no time to lose in keeping her daughter happy. Besides, Leah was no longer a child. Yet, she was so defiant and rebellious. “Why do you plan on giving me away if I’m supposed to be your d
Katie proudly made the statement, convinced that she had done a lot for her daughter. It was only right for Leah to be grateful and understand her sacrifice. To Katie’s surprise, Leah chuckled. “What else have you done for me? You never showed me any attention. You don’t know what I like. You have no idea what I want.” Leah finally saw her mother as the person she was. This side of Katie was terrifying. “What more do you want? Am I not supposed to work? Should I be spending every waking minute of the day with you?” Katie understood Leah’s needs. However, there was no way she could make it happen. It was not easy for a woman to take hold in the Northborn Group, much less secure a high position there. Katie went through great pains to get where she was today. Alas, Leah could not understand where she was coming from. “I’m not asking you to be with me every day. I’ve tried my best to do everything you asked of me, but you can’t even be there for me during my birthdays.
“Everything I do, I do for you. Get this straight. The guy approached you because of what I could bring to the table.” Katie was pissed by her daughter’s defiance which was becoming worse with age. “I know the kind of person he is. Without Kaze’s help, I wouldn’t have escaped. Where were you then? You’re in no position to say that. “Even if there’s something he’s after, what would he want from me? I have nothing to offer.” Leah did not believe a word Katie said. Clearly, Katie was out to get Kaze. “He’s nothing but a poor kid. Why are you blowing this out of proportion? I’ve clearly stated what needed to be done. Why are you still being stubborn?”Katie believed she had not raised her daughter right. Leah turned out pretty naïve. “I told you. He has no ulterior motive. He doesn’t know who I am. He doesn’t have any other intentions. I approached him, not the other way around.” Leah kicked herself for pulling a reckless stunt. All she did was give Kaze more problems. Kat
Leah hated her mother being unreasonable. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I fed you, I gave you clothes, I put a roof over your head, I gave you life! The least you could do is to listen to me!” Katie did not expect her daughter to go so far as to defy her. Kaze remained silent, knowing that no matter what he said, it would be meaningless to someone unwilling to listen. “Kaze, I’m sorry. It was my fault that you are in this mess. I’m a jinx…” Leah blamed herself for getting Kaze in trouble with her mother. If not because of her, he would never encounter her mother. “Shut it! Why are you apologizing!? He approached you with purpose and you can’t even see that? He’s not worthy of your time!” Katie was livid. She felt her daughter was blinded by emotions, incapable of making the right decision. And to make matters worse, the girl even apologized to Kaze—what nonsense! A poor man without any background was no match for her daughter and her status. He approached the girl becaus