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
Color drained from Kiefer’s face. Faced with Kaze’s grilling, he nodded without hesitation and said, “Yes. I got off with a bargain.”“Please let me know if you need anything more from the little shit, Mr. Lee.” Miya added despite her grimacing face. Rising to his feet, Kaze glanced at the coffin and said indifferently, “Thanks to your mom, you won’t be needing the coffin. “You can just lose your other arm. “You can lie straight in the coffin the next time you get on my nerves.” Kiefer turned pale, his body shaking uncontrollably. It was agonizing enough when he lost an arm. Now, Kaze wanted to break his other arm too. “Thank you for showing mercy, Mr. Lee. Thank you!” Still, Miya was relieved and grateful. She kicked her son. “Thank Mr. Lee for sparing your life, little shit.” “Thank you, Mr. Lee.” Kiefer gritted his teeth and said, “I promise that I will never harass Ms. Gwake again.” While raising his right arm, Kiefer threw himself forward. His left arm sna
Kiefer could not hide the resentment in his tone. If it was not for Naix, Kiefer would not have lost both arms and pleaded for mercy on his knees in public. He and his mother would never live this down. Kiefer wanted to tear Naix apart if he could. Miya stared at Naix vilely, her tone brash as she said, “Mr. Lee, my little shit has admitted to his fault, but don’t spare this man.” Naix grew pale, his hands shaking. Buffy turned ashen, caught off guard by the turn of events. Naix offered Kiefer a night with her in exchange for the agency contract. He could not be more vile Jude scowled and said coldly, “Please back that statement with evidence, Mrs. Heartano. Slandering the executives of Gwake Corporation without any proof is unacceptable, even if we’re on the verge of a partnership with St. Mary’s.” Kaze raised his brow at Jude’s righteous speech. Buffy’s heart sank. Based on Naix’s behavior before and after the incident, anyone would have guessed that Kiefer was
“Don’t play the video. I don’t want to hear your disgusting conversation!” Buffy shouted angrily, her face grimacing and her body shaking. She was relieved that Kaze went with her to Kiefer’s drinking party today. Otherwise, she would not have the will to live if Kiefer got away with it.Buffy looked at Naix with an ashen face and hissed through clenched teeth. “You’re a monster, Naix!” The senior executives of Gwake Corporation were stunned. Some were outraged by Naix’s behavior. The audacity of Naix shocked others. As the vice president, Naix proposed to trade a night with his boss in exchange for the agency rights and claimed all the credit for himself. It was absurd of him to come up with the idea, to begin with. “Do you even have a heart, Naix? How could you do such a thing for your personal gain?” “You’re a monster!” “You claimed to work toward the benefit of the company, but you were only doing it for yourself. I can’t believe you tried to ruin Ms. Gwake t
“Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone harm you.“I promise that it won’t happen again.” As Jude apologized profusely, Buffy shuddered. Kaze looked at Jude with a pretentious smile. He knew right from the start that Naix acted on orders to single him and Buffy out. The orders either came from Jude or Faith. Since Jude silenced Naix, the answer was clear. Jude chuckled dryly at Buffy’s indifference before turning to Kaze. He said emotionally, “You always surprise me, Kaze. “I have always known that you were amazing. I see why my daughter, despite her high standards, is into you.“I didn’t expect you to be the owner of St. Mary’s. That’s a shocker.“Since you’ve acquired the agency right for Gwake Corporation, rest assured that the board and I appreciate your hard work—” “Hold it right there.” Kaze interrupted Jude’s long speech and glanced at Miya. “Miya, are the agency rights signed to Gwake Corporation?” “No, Mr. Lee.” Miya said respectfully, “The signing party for th
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