No one came forward. Faced with Jude’s grim eyes, the board either looked away or put their heads down. Most of them shied away from Jude’s gaze. It was clear that Jude had lost his influence in the company. The fact was written in ink the moment Buffy secured the exclusive agency rights. A handful of directors felt uneasy about the situation as Jude had been in power for too long. They needed time to adapt to change. Jude grimaced hard. Kaze chuckled. “Seeing that nobody stepped forward, everybody must be in support of Buffy becoming the chairwoman. So that’s decided then. “I expect the minutes to be documented right away. The assistant should get everybody to sign as proof of today’s decision at the next board meeting,” Kaze said while waving his arm. Soon, the assistant of the president’s office drafted the minutes, and the board bit the bullet to put their names on the document. The board even bowed to Buffy. After the board, the senior executives followed suit.
“The senior members of the Gwake family will make things right for Mom and me.“So… Maybe you shouldn’t go, Kaze.“It’s a bad idea to air dirty laundry anyway.” Buffy looked away, avoiding eye contact with Kaze. Kaze was taken aback at first, but he quickly understood. Buffy had a good idea about the truth behind her mother’s coma. She may not know the specifics, but she had her suspicions. Hence, Buffy did not want Kaze to know the truth. It was all that was left of her dignity. She could not bear the thought of being exposed to Kaze. With that in mind, Kaze nodded. “Alright. You can head on to your family home. Dayton will go with you. You can call me if you need me for anything.” “Sure.” Buffy nodded and said, “I need to ask you of one thing, Kaze. Dad has lost power over Gwake Corporation. As you said, he won’t become the South River State Branch chief. He will lose everything. “He will be devastated if Faith can’t be saved. “I hope you can help Faith to the
“So you’re in?” Rose asked excitedly, her tone relieved. She did not get along with many of the young family members because she could not stand their behaviors. They were too pretentious. These family members lacked substance. All they cared about was showing off. Since Bella had urged the younger members to stand as one, Nelson and Agatha called to make sure Rose would go. Given Hanses’ rising influence within the family and invite, Rose felt compelled to attend too. She hoped Kaze would go with her. Having Kaze around would put her at ease. “Okay.” Kaze gave a nod. Understanding Rose’s reservations, Kaze patted her head with a smile and asked, “When and where?” “It’s at Buckridge Lounge at eight tonight,” Rose said happily. Thrilled, she went to get dressed and doll up.The Otter girls loved to dress for the occasion. Rose did not want to be outshined. Kaze simply smiled. He did not mind stuff like that. All he would do for the gathering was take a shower and sl
Rose and Kaze walked over and saw a huge group sitting in the booth. Of the group, Kaze only recognized Maxine and Patrick. The rest were unfamiliar faces. The men and women of the group were dressed to the nines, their clothes suggesting their wealth and power.As the group walked on eggshells around Patrick and Maxine, the couple must hold a higher position of authority. “Maxine, Patrick.” Rose said hello and asked curiously, “Where is Hanses? I have not seen him.” She was closest to Hanses among the young family members. “Oh, Hanses has a night drill with the Flying Dragons. He was called away when he just arrived. Max went to drop him off.” Maxine explained before glancing at Kaze. She said with a frown, “Where’s Darcy, Rose? Why isn’t she here?”“Are you talking about the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation who has just been accepted back to your family, Maxine? She’s the head of the Ridgesouth Quints in the South River State.” Those sitting in the booth and all
“Kaze Lee! How dare you scold Maxine!” Patrick’s expression darkened, his eyes burning with rage as he bellowed, “You piece of shit! Don’t you know who owns Buckridge Lounge?” “Who?” Kaze raised his brows, asking in an intrigued manner. “You don’t even know who owns Buckridge Lounge? You’re really a bumpkin!” Then, a woman with meticulous makeup stood up from the couch elegantly with a wine glass in her hand. She looked at Kaze with disdain and said, “The owner of Buckridge Lounge is one of the big four gangster bosses in the underworld of Riverbank, Everett Techman! “Have you heard of Zoro, the general manager of Bronze Sparrow? If you haven’t even heard of the high-profiled Zoro, you should really bury yourself.” “Zoro?” Kaze scoffed. “I thought he’s dead.” “Hmph. I guess you are not that outdated after all.” The woman grunted and added, “Zoro is dead but when he was alive, he was one of the big four gangster bosses too. You are not even worthy of being his slave. “
“Don’t you run!” “Can’t you hear Maxine? Stay!” As Maxine bellowed, the young men and women in the booth bolted up and quickly surrounded Kaze and Rose. Rose argued, “What are you people doing? Are you holding us back? What are you people, kidnappers?!” “Don’t think about leaving without apologizing!” “Slap yourself and say that you are sorry!” The young men and women crossed their arms, surrounding Kaze and Rose in the center. Kaze looked at them indifferently and then turned around to Patrick and Maxine. He scoffed. “You really think these pieces of trash can stop us?” Patrick and Maxine knew how powerful Kaze was. In fact, even if everyone in the lounge jumped on him, they might not be able to hold him back at all, let alone the few men and women. Patrick grunted and said sinisterly, “Kaze Lee, you might be a little strong but that doesn’t give you the right to do whatever you want! They can’t stop you, but I know someone who could! “Waiter!” he cried. A wait
Maxine looked at Rose as if she was a baby. She teased. “How are we not respecting each other? Not uniting? “It’s him who’s acting all powerful and stuff, he disrespects us! That’s why we’ve decided that before we see him as a family member, we have to blunt his arrogance and fix his damn temper! “What’s the problem with that?” Rose was frustrated by Maxine’s unreasonable excuses. She breathed heavily, trying to calm herself down. “Blackie is here!” someone exclaimed. Then, a group of men swaggered into the lobby. The man at the center, their leader, stood at an imposing two meters tall. His muscular frame was complemented by tanned skin, and his bald head gleamed like polished obsidian under the light. His eyes were frosty, the aura that he exuded was as intimidating as a tiger and his appearance silenced the noisy lobby instantly. As the man walked, the crowd moved to the side, making way for him. “Kaze Lee, that’s Blackie, the general manager of Buckridge Lounge! T
Noticing Blackie’s displeasure toward Kaze, the men and women gloated at him. Patrick and Maxine were delighted. Aside from Blackie’s position and status, his towering physique and intimidating aura alone were pressuring enough. Kaze was tall as well but he looked like a child beside the giant. He looked emotionless but others assumed that he was trembling inside. “Kaze, Blackie is asking you a question! Speak!” Maxine said scornfully. Kaze glanced at Blackie and said, “I’ve never heard of the man’s name until today before I stepped into this lounge.” Everyone gasped in shock at his words. No one expected him to be so bold with his words in front of Blackie. Had he lost his mind? Could he not tell that Blackie was displeased that he had never heard of Everett? Anyone with a sane mind would start bowing and apologizing, flattering Blackie by saying good things about Everett. Was he really bold enough to think that he could fight Blackie with that massive, muscula
“If you won’t listen to reason, I’ll have to send you abroad and leave you to fend for yourself.” Katie would have no choice but to ditch Leah if she became too hard to manage. Leah never thought that her mother would say such a thing. While Katie was a callous mother to her, it never crossed Leah’s mind that Katie would send her away. Leah did not want to leave Arcadia. It would cut her off from the person she wanted to meet. Though it was uncertain whether she could see Kaze again, the odds would be in her favor if she stayed. Leah was defenseless against Katie’s coercion. With Leah falling silent, Katie knew that she was moving in the right direction. “Be a good girl, and I’ll make it worth your while. You’re my daughter. Of course, I love you and want what’s best for you.” Katie backed up a little to ease the tension. “You don’t have to do anything. Just stay with me. There’s still room for discussion if marriage isn’t for you right now.” Katie knew her daught
Katie, taking off in the car, was not in the best mood. The smile on her face quickly vanished as soon as the car was out of sight. “What’s wrong with you today?” Katie questioned. “What do you mean?” Leah talked smack. “I’m sure you know full well why I took you with me.” Katie had conceded, but Leah just would not take her win and leave it at it. The nerve of her to defy. “I did. You’re trying to sell me, aren’t you?” Holding a grudge on the earlier slap, Leah was pretty rude to her mother. “Since you can’t accept the big man from the Viper’s Den, I set you up with a young, handsome man. There’s no pleasing you.“Jet is the whole package. He has the looks and wealth. Is he not good enough for you?” Katie felt put in the spot. Leah was getting more unruly by the day. “I want to live life on my own terms.” Leah voiced her thoughts. She was nobody’s puppet. “Oh, you want to dictate your life. As you can see, everything you have comes from me. You’ll lose eve
“I am just telling the truth. Thank you for your enlightenment, Madam Loren,” Jet said humbly. “It’s getting late. We should be going. My daughter easily gets tired at night. She’s like a little rabbit at home. “If you have any other gathering in the future, remember to bring her alone and let her make some friends.” Katie once again pushed her daughter to the forefront, hoping to matchmake the two of them. “Let’s keep in touch, Leah. If you want to have some fun, just call me. I’ll arrange everything,” Jet said. “Thank you. As for your problem, don’t worry about it. I’ll go ask around,” Katie added. Jet had already achieved his objective, so he stood up and sent them out. After the mother and daughter went into the car and drove off, the humble smile on his face disappeared. Aloysius then came from the side. “Have you prepared the present?” Jet rubbed his stiff cheeks and then lit up a cigarette. “Yes, sir. It’s a set of jewelry.” Aloysius had prepared a presen
“That means we share the same taste, which is great because I can ask her out for dinner next time.” Jet seemed to have understood Katie’s intention, and he started to carefully scrutinize the girl. Leah wore a pale yellow strapless dress, looking stunning with her fair skin. Only a few could carry such a dress and looked amazing. Leah might be quiet but she was beautiful, especially with her neck exposed. “Thank you. It’s just that my daughter really likes to stay at home and doesn’t go out a lot. If you can bring her out, I would be so happy.” Katie was even fonder of Jet, as his sharp perception exceeded her expectations. “Not a problem, but I’m quite busy lately. When I settle my work, I can bring her to meet my friends,” Jet said. He even took the initiative to offer to take the girl out. Katie saw no problem with that. As expected, Jet was smart and perceptive. “Don’t worry about your projects. I’ll do whatever I can to help.” Katie saw it as a trade and a
“It just feels right to talk to you in person.” Jet stood up and served the dishes onto their plates, making an effort to appear polite and considerate. Katie grew fond of her future son-in-law. “I heard a few of your projects were canceled. Did anything happen?” As the CEO of Northborn Group, she was aware of the news circulating around. She heard about the Frost family as well but she had never gotten to know Jet, so she was not concerned. “Yes. We are in a little trouble. Everything was progressing smoothly and we should be able to see profit soon but something held us up,” Jet explained with a smile on his face, his tone casual. He made it sound like the delay and seizure of the operation was no big deal. “You are still young and maybe it’s because you don’t have enough experience. Don’t worry, take it slow.” “I understand. I should learn from you, Madam Loren,” Jet said politely. “If you need any help, let me know. I’ll do what I can,” Katie said. Jet had bee
“I’m okay with anything. Thank you,” Leah said. “I’ve spoiled my daughter. Please don’t mind her,” Katie said, trying to ease the tension. The three of them entered the VIP room with dishes already served on the table. Jet came early to prepare for the dinner. “It seems like you’ve been waiting for us for a while. I should have urged the girl to be quicker just now.” Katie was happy with Jet’s attentiveness. “I don’t have anything particular today, so it’s okay that I wait. Leah is really beautiful in her dress. It’s only normal for a girl to doll up and look great,” Jet answered. His tone sounded casual and it was his attitude that won Katie’s fondness. “You are really kind. I bet you are a great boyfriend,” Katie asked, hoping to find out more. “Madam Loren, I am solely focused on my career, I do not have a girlfriend,” Jet said as he got up and poured them water. “You are young and successful, how could you be alone and single? What a waste!” “A man should alwa
Katie was a woman and it was not easy for her to become the CEO of Northborn Group and a member of the Viper’s Den all at once. Jet invited her to dinner because he wanted her to find out who was behind the malicious attacks on his projects. Leah knew her mother had brought her to this dinner for matchmaking, but the moment she saw Jet, she felt less than satisfied. Before she met Kaze, she might have been interested in Jet. Jet was a well-known figure in Butterworth and his presence could easily attract young ladies. He was a tall and handsome man; a gentleman who exuded elegance, an ideal man who could capture any young lady’s heart. In addition to his family background and his position as heir, he became the ideal candidate for husband and son-in-law to many. Leah used to fantasize about him but she had a boyfriend back then and did not want to cheat. However, when she saw Jet in person, she did not feel anything, not even the slightest excitement. Looking at Jet,
Leah was naturally beautiful and with meticulous makeup coupled with a beautiful dress, she looked stunning. “It’s getting late. We have to leave now. Your mother is already there and she’s expecting us soon,” Joey said. Leah had planned to make a fuss by changing into a different dress, showing her unwillingness to take the dinner seriously. However, after hearing Joey’s words, she realized she was out of time. “Don’t try to defy your mother anymore. It’s over now. Just let it be in the past,” Joey said, afraid that the girl would get into a fight with her mother again. “I’ll just zip my mouth,” Leah said. That was the only thing she could do now. Katie changed into something formal for the dinner as well. The person she and her daughter would be meeting was her ideal son-in-law candidate. She wanted Leah to meet him because she wanted her daughter to develop a relationship with the man. Ever since she slapped Leah, she had been feeling sorry and she wanted to use this
Leah grew up surrounded by luxury brands. Be it luxurious, tailored brands or the latest designs from famous designers, every new piece of clothing came with the question of whether she wanted it or not. After she made her selection, only the other young ladies could browse through whatever she had discarded. Leah could not live a normal life. She was slightly displeased but did not argue with Joey. Maybe she was clear that she could not live without the luxury that she grew up with. Joey looked at the quiet girl and thought she had returned to her obedient self. Even an obedient girl like Leah would sometimes be rebellious. Joey brought Leah to the car and soon reached a fashion house. The fashion house was a white building with a classic architectural style. The designers here specialized in styling wealthy young ladies, sometimes providing door-to-door services. Joey had booked a slot, so they did not have to wait for the designers and stylists. After Leah had