“Are you telling us that Mr. Heartano doesn’t mind that you attacked him and would be delivering the contract to you himself? Do you take Mr. Heartano or us for fools?“You can count yourself lucky if Mr. Heartano lets you off the hook. You should stop daydreaming about the impossible.” Naix sneered. “I nearly forgot. “Kaze even threatened Mr. Heartano at the Royal Familia Hotel, saying that he’d leave Mrs. Heartano without a son if Mr. Heartano didn’t show up outside Gwake Corporation on his knees with the contract before three. “Oh, I’m so scared.“Mr. Heartano’s family runs one of the three biggest multinational organizations in Geranium City. Yet, Kaze had the nerve to intimidate him. It’s absurd.“Does he think he’s all that just because he won a few fights?” Naix laughed maniacally while the senior executives and directors looked at Kaze as if the latter was a clown. Kaze must be out of his mind. He was delusional. Kaze sure took bragging to a whole new level.
Jude clearly intended to use the wager as an opportunity to break Kaze’s limb, not only to appease Kiefer but also to get back at him for his past behavior. Besides, the incident should not deter Kaze from treating Faith. Jude was always looking for ways to turn a situation to his advantage and come out on top. Kaze looked at Jude with a pretentious smile. Just as Jude was about to get annoyed, he nodded. “Fine. We can go along with the wager.” “Ha. We should wait until three—” Jude smirked. “Wham!” The door to the meeting room was opened from the outside, interrupting Jude from talking. The president’s assistant showed up and reported confusedly, “I have a call from the lobby receptionist that a Mr. Heartano from Geranium City is outside the building on his knees, pleading to see you and Mr. Lee, Ms. Gwake.” “What?” The meeting room broke out in a clamor. As if on cue, the second hand of Jude’s Rolex ticked precisely to three o'clock.“What? Mr. Heartano is outsi
The group of men and women gathered around a poised lady.Despite her bearing, the lady gave off an intimidating presence from her harsh facial lines and piercing gaze. A young man kneeled by the lady’s feet, his arm hanging limply, and his face bruised. He shuddered on his knees with a mix of resentment and fear. Jude and everybody else were shocked. They recognized who the lady was. It was Miya. She was Kiefer’s mother, the lady of the Heartano household.The young man by her feet must be Kiefer. With Miya looking grim, Naix laughed in delight and drew close to Kaze and Buffy. He said with a menacing smile, “You’re dead meat, Kaze! “Do you actually think that Mr. Heartano would be here to hand you the contract and apologize? “Don’t be delusional!“Mrs. Heartano is clearly angry with her son because he couldn’t take care of a riffraff like you.“Even so, she’s here to stand up for her son.“We are safe since we can hand you, the culprit, over.” Jude and the comp
Thinking about it, Jude was convinced that Miya was nice because he was about to become the Viper’s Den South River State Branch chief. Miya must be here to apologize upon learning that her son upset his daughter. Given Miya’s business interest in Riverbank, she needed to know that Riverbank was the Viper’s Den’s turf despite her family’s influence. The Heartanos were in Jude’s territory as guests. With that in mind, Jude felt like he was on cloud nine. He burst out laughing and said, “You’re too kind, Mrs. Heartano. We’ve done business together before, and I’m sure there will be many more opportunities in the future.“It’s our honor to have you visit the company.” Feigning ignorance, Jude asked, “What brings you here today, Mrs. Heartano?“If anyone from Gwake Corporation has upset you in any way, please let me know. “I will address the issue to your satisfaction. “I will start with breaking his limbs,” Jude said angrily. Many directors and executives, including Naix
Despite her son’s suffering, Miya remained indifferent throughout. She behaved as if Kiefer was not her son. Miya said sternly, “Apologize to Ms. Gwake now. “Consider yourself dead if Ms. Gwake isn’t happy with your apology. “I have your coffin ready.” The group behind Miya spread out, and several burly men approached, lugging a coffin. The coffin was dropped to the ground with a loud thud. Jude and the others were in disbelief. While others watched in shock, Kiefer wiggled to straighten his back, despite his limp arm, and bowed to Buffy. “I’m sorry, Ms. Gwake. I was blind. “I shouldn’t have humiliated you in public or asked for sexual favors.“I was dumb and cocky. I was out of my mind. “Please see it in your heart to forgive me!” “Bam! Bam! Bam!” Kiefer smashed his head on the floor again and again. His forehead made solid contact with the hard ground each time. Soon, Kiefer was bleeding profusely out of his head, and blood smeared his handsome face. He c
Had Kaze not kept Miya in check, she would have been more aggressive and overbearing than her son. Kiefer was just a chip off the old block. Miya only kept her head down after Kaze put her in her place repeatedly. Hence, Miya was just playing the victim, showing everybody that Kaze could do anything to her son. However, by expressing remorse, Miya hoped Kaze would show mercy to her son and not kill him. Jude and the others took things the other way, though. They initially assumed that Miya had made a big scene and pushed her son to kneel to build up to a major confrontation. Now, they were confused. Even if it was just an act, Miya did not have to go to lengths to punish her son. They had to wonder if Miya had indeed brought her son along to apologize. Plus, Miya’s tearful eyes were rather convincing. In that case, Kaze and Buffy sure were lucky. It appeared that Miya did not intend to hold Buffy and Kaze accountable for the incident before. Kaze was just a hic
Still, Jude had seen worse. To smooth things over, he let out a nonchalant smile and turned to Buffy. “Mr. Heartano is sincere with his apology, Buffy. “As your father, I’m putting an end to this matter and forgiving Mr. Heartano.“What do you think?” Instead of responding to Judy, Buffy looked in Kaze’s direction. Though Buffy had no idea what was going on, she was sure about one thing. Miya and Kiefer were at Gwake Corporation, likely due to Kaze. It dawned on Buffy why Kaze was so certain Kiefer would show up outside Gwake Corporation on his knees at three o’clock sharp. Buffy said nothing, effectively putting the decision-making to Kaze. “It could be a lot better.” Kaze said to Jude crudely, “You weren’t the one publicly insulted and demanded of sexual favors. “What right do you have to forgive on behalf of Buffy?” Jude grimaced hard. Anger, resentment, humiliation, and confusion washed over him. Though baffled, the company staff believed Kaze was playing wit
Kiefer shuddered and looked up. He said with a crying face, “I should kneel outside Gwake Corporation with St. Mary’s agency rights before three.” “At least you remember.” Kaze extended his arm. “Did you bring the contract?” Kiefer turned to look at his mother pleadingly. Miya retrieved a stack of papers from her subordinate and drew close. “Mr. Lee, St. Mary’s belongs to you. Just say the word, and the agency contract is yours. “You could’ve called if you wanted the contract. I’d have delivered the paperwork to you. “You didn’t have to go all the way to the Royal Familia Hotel.” Miya presented the document, her head hanging low. She spoke ingratiatingly with a big smile. Silence hung heavy in the air. “Um…” “Uh, what did Mrs. Heartano say?” “What does she mean?” Gwake Corporation employees, including Jude, were dumbfounded. Kaze took the contract and said without looking up, “They didn’t hear you. Why don’t you repeat yourself?” Miya straightened her head a
“Just tell me what you need, Arthur. You wouldn’t be calling unless you have received orders.” Philip was surprised to get a call from Arthur. Though they were acquainted, they had only communicated because of work. “We have just left Rising Sun. Don’t approve the films for now.” Arthur was blunt. “I can do that, but can I ask why?” Philip was caught in a dilemma because he had just promised Jet to release the films. Philip needed to know if the orders to delay came from a high power who could cover his ass. “Since you got a call from me, you should know that there are eyes on Jet. “You should know what you can and cannot say. Otherwise, you never know when you’re going to lose your job.” Arthur threatened. Philip was reluctant. He accepted Jet’s payment, and now he had to go back on his word. Nevertheless, Arthur was part of the Viper’s Den, and his status was rather unique. Arthur provided services to confidential individuals. These individuals were elites among t
A balanced, profitable dynamic had been developed among the ports in Butterworth. Jet spotted his chance in the lucrative port business. He covertly took out some money to invest in a dying port. The port was situated in a more remote area. Some businesspeople favored more accessible ports. This drove shippers away from the dying port. Jet snagged the steal and improved the logistics and facilities around the area. The port was up and running again. Business at the port was decent enough. As the Frosts would run their business through the port, the local economy took off too. It was a good thing. However, Jet set his sights on several residential buildings around the area. He needed space to accommodate containers. The land was required to make business at the port more profitable. This triggered a whole new thing. Jet could spend some money to buy the residents out of their homes. However, the residents preferred to stay put in their long-time homes. No a
“I’ll keep the bank cards for now. I’ll talk to our superiors and give you a decision. Since the man said that the cards are meant for us, they won’t be going anywhere.” Knox had no idea who Kaze was, but he knew Arthur was with the Viper’s Den. Arthur must be someone from high places. Eli soon put the little incident behind him. He got a call from Aloysius yesterday and was made aware of Jet’s plans. The films had been put on hold for far too long, and the people above Eli were anxious to get things moving. Though Eli was surprised by the review board’s visit, everything was still in his control. Eli left the matter at that without reporting the incident to the higher-ups. The flashy, red car sped along the road. Arthur kept looking back at Kaze, eager to find out about the next plan. Arthur brought Kaze out today to witness how Eli and his team operated. As it happened, Eli adopted such a shallow ploy. Arthur was not surprised, though. Eli’s methods were common.
Eli dined offhandedly as if he had taken hold of the group. His words were layered with threat. “What? Are you trying to replace us?” Knox asked in disbelief. “I don’t have that power, but the investor does. I heard that he enjoyed dinner with your superiors. I’m sure the project will get the green light in no time. “Even if you didn’t approach me today, my team and I would have invited you out for a get-together.” Eli knew when to back down, easing the tension in the air. It was another type of reconciliation. Eli needed to go through the review board to get the rights to air the films. The carrot-and-stick approach was the best way forward. Kaze was surprised by the sophistication of Eli’s tactics. Still, he believed he had come to the right place. Sure enough, Jet would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Surely, he was bound to leave loose ends. Nevertheless, he probably did not care. Arthur cocked his head back to look at Kaze. Kaze grinned, unbothered
The purpose of the visit was to inform Rising Sun that the films did not make the cut. Since Rising Sun would not make the necessary amendments, the project would come to a halt. “Please, don’t. Since we are all here, we should talk it out.” It took Eli quite some effort to get the group to the hotel. Eli had plans to please the crowd, so he could not let them leave just yet. This went beyond getting the green light for the films. Eli needed to make the group happy. “There is nothing more to talk about. We can’t proceed unless you make the changes.” There was no way around it. Since Rising Sun refused to make the right amendments, and Knox had orders about putting a hold on Rising Sun’s films, that was one less problem for Knox to deal with. Eli could not let the group walk out on him. Hence, he quickly sent people in. Several thinly clad women entered, each holding a small bag. Despite the weightlessness, the bag appeared to be carrying something of substance. “You
For that reason, Rising Sun’s film productions were not cleared to be aired. “I told you the reason. The investor supplied us with the scripts, and we were told to base our productions on the scripts. Our hands are tied.”Eli would have made the amendments if he could. He knew where the problem lay. However, the company had to take the investor’s perspective into consideration. In the end, the films were yet to be approved for release. “I guess you won’t get the permission to air them then.” Knox was surprised that Rising Sun would not budge on the matter. Nevertheless, Knox and his team were not there to give the all-clear or talk some sense into Rising Sun. Knox and his team could care less about what Eli had to say. “We’re serious about getting the approval. “I’m sorry that we aren’t a better host for your visit today. Why don’t we move to the nearby hotel for a talk?” With the review board making an appearance, Eli knew there was still hope. If Eli did not grab
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