“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
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
Katie suddenly chuckled. “What’s the matter? You are after my daughter and you tried to give me advice? What are you trying to do?” She looked down on a man with no future. She stubbornly believed he approached her daughter because of her. If he said as such, he must have known something else. It was no secret that Katie was preparing the birthday banquet for Leah and one could easily find out about it with a little research. Katie took his words not as a suggestion but as a challenge to her power. “Whatever. You stubbornly believe that anyone who approaches you or your daughter is after your power, does that mean there’s no emotions or love throughout your life?” Kaze suddenly looked at Katie with a pitiful gaze. She had been consumed by the thirst for power and it wiped her humanity. Katie would eventually be a sacrifice of someone else before she knew it. “Don’t look at me with those eyes. Who do you think you are? I see through you right away! I’ve seen a lot of
Frustrated, Leah tried to shake her mother’s hand off, but Katie tightened the grip and did not let it happen. The more the girl resisted, the more Katie felt challenged. She felt that her authority was being shaken by her daughter’s defiance. “Stop it! I told you before that if you don’t listen to me, I will make you regret it! And, don’t let me catch you with this bastard anymore, or he won’t have a future here in Butterworth!” Katie shouted at the girl to silence her. Leah could resist her mother and defy her, but not at the expense of her friend’s well-being. She knew her mother always meant what she said, and once those words were spoken, she would certainly take action against Kaze. Therefore, she quickly fell silent and let her mother take control of the situation. Katie glared at Kaze resentfully. “Stay away from my daughter or I will make you pay!” she bellowed. She then dragged Leah to her car and told the girl to get in. Right after she closed the door, s
Without further ado, Katie stormed out of the car and dashed over to them. “Leah!” she shouted, startling her daughter. When Leah saw her mother, she knew doomsday was upon her. She was frightened and stunned on the spot. Kaze was surprised by the coincidence as well. He was not afraid of the woman but she was charging at them like a ferocious monster. “I told you not to be with this guy! Why didn’t you listen to me?!” Katie could not tolerate her daughter’s defiance. She saw it as a direct challenge to her authority and bottom line. She stepped up and dragged her daughter away. “I told you not to see this poor bastard. Why didn’t you listen to me?” She was consumed by rage and paid no attention to her choice of words. All she cared about was the fear that her daughter had nearly fallen into a stranger’s hands. Leah disliked her mother being unreasonable. She had no idea what changed her mother into an unreasonable wretched hag. “Mom, what are you talking about?” “W
“Katie’s daughter dined at my restaurant and she met the man Katie intended to match her with, yet Katie knew nothing and even threw a tantrum at the door. Why do you think that happened?” Master Fuller shook his head helplessly and poured himself a glass of beer. The last guest of the day had left and he could enjoy his rest peacefully. However, the last guest of the day was a rather interesting pair. “Isn’t it a little contradicting? She’s trying to get Mr. Lee to marry her daughter but she’s asking for trouble at the same time.” The woman was surprised but also found it interesting. “Do I have to deliver the meals to Mr. Lee?” “Let my disciple do it. Don’t you get involved in this, it’s better to stay away from trouble.” Master Fuller wanted to get back at Katie, yet he did not need to do anything because the woman was actively bringing trouble upon herself. The woman did not say anything and simply gazed into the distance. The wooden door at the entrance was ope
“It’s getting late. Let’s get you back.” Kaze knew that Leah had snuck out of the hotel, so it would not be good to let her stay out too late. Katie was a tough mother to deal with. If she found out her daughter snuck out without her permission and spent dinner with him, she would lose her mind. Kaze was not afraid but Leah would have to suffer her mother’s wrath. “It’s getting late. We have to go back.” Leah liked the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. She felt free of restraints while on the premises, but time flew by quickly, leaving her with little time to savor the experience. She wished she could enjoy more moments of peace and quiet while indulging in good food. “Do visit if you have time. We usually open at night only,” Master Fuller said when he noticed the heavy look on the girl’s face. “Great. I’m definitely coming again!” Leah then got up and headed out. Kaze then pulled his wallet out and wanted to pay for the meal. “Mr. Lee, what are you doing here?
Passersby would spare an extra glance at the expensive car but dared not pause to inspect further. The woman in the car looked anxious as she relentlessly tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Katie was still waiting, hoping to find out who Master Fuller’s guests were. Her patience was thinning by the second. Since she picked up her daughter, everything had gradually slipped out of her control, and she hated the feeling. Back at the restaurant, Master Fuller and his guests were still chatting over delicious dessert. Kaze had a bite and was amazed by the taste. As expected of a national-level chef, his culinary skills could turn the simplest ingredients into the most amazing delicacy. “I thought this was just a normal sweet potato but there’s something else added inside.” After an enjoyable dinner, Leah finally had the chance to taste the final dish—the dessert, which appeared to be an ordinary sweet potato. When she peeled the skin and took a bite, she realized