“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
“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