“There’s one more thing, Mr. Weather,” the aide uttered.Casius stared at the aid with bloodshot eyes. “What is it?” “Patrick took the liberty to transfer your shares worth two billion dollars to the company of Kaze’s wife. The transfer has been completed.” “What?” Flushed in the face, Casius spat out blood. He experienced a rush of blood to his head. Patrick had been holding the shares for Casius. It was the safest approach to protect his interest. Even if Casius’ dirty secrets were revealed, he could always throw Patrick under the bus and disassociate himself. It never occurred to him that Kaze would make Patrick transfer the shares away as an act of revenge after Casius pushed Kaze into transferring his wife’s company shares to him. The shares were worth two billion dollars. Two billion dollars was a lot of money. Over the years, Casius had amassed a fortune through the shadiest business, leveraging his family connections. He had accumulated a lot of wealth. Y
“Oh? Who is it?” Jude raised his brow in confusion. Cutting to the chase, Casius took his phone to dial a number and said, “Rio, come and meet Mr. Gwake.” Three minutes later, a stout figure in a Ryokanian outfit approached. The man emerged from the darkness, his dagger and long sword slinging from his waist, as he walked. Jude narrowed his eyes at the menacing presence. The Viper’s Den members gripped their weapons as the man approached intimidatingly. “You are…” Jude jolted to his feet and looked at the man in surprise. “You are from the Refined Blade Dojo across the road.” The Refined Blade Dojo was opposite Drake Gym. They saw each other all the time, so Jude recognized that the man was wearing the uniform of the Refined Blade Dojo. It was said that the Refined Blade Dojo was closely linked to Sanwell Finances. Jude, deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch, was aware Sanwell Finances had power over Riverbank’s economy behind the scenes. Desp
Casius looked at Jude with a smile. He trusted that Jude would make the right call. Sure enough, Jude took a moment to grimace before gritting his teeth. With a decision made, he turned to the Ryokanian. “Mr. Sho, can you promise to give me the win?” Casius grinned. “You should know the Refined Blade’s ranking in Ryokan. They dominated the art of self-defense in the country. “Rio is one of the Refined Blade’s top ten fighters. “He has gone around Arcadia, challenging the best. I’m confident that no one can beat him here in Riverbank. “Hannah shows promising talent in the Viper’s Den. The Viper Queen has bestowed her a Nether Viper Sword too. “But given her age, she probably can’t withstand a blow from Rio. “With Rio’s help, I’m sure you will win tomorrow and become the branch chief,” Casius said temptingly. He would not have revealed his relationship with Ryokanian if it had not been necessary. Arcadia and Ryokan had a long-standing feud. Casius would be in trouble
The next day, Kaze got a call from Buffy first thing in the morning. Buffy said on the phone that Jude brought the family meeting up by a day. He informed her late last night that she should head to the family residence today to find out the truth. Hence, Buffy got ready to go to the family residence. To uphold the last of her dignity and not to air her family’s dirty laundry, Buffy would head out alone as agreed with Kaze. Jude’s eagerness did not sit well with Kaze. For all Kaze knew, Jude could give up fighting him after Kaze stripped his power in public yesterday to push Buffy to take his place. Kaze felt that Jude was not the type to give up so easily. “Since your father has expressed his stance, I should be generous and cure Faith at the hospital today. “Take Dayton with you. Call me for anything,” Kaze said on the phone. Kaze was not so kind as to help Faith. Faith was only his pawn. If anything were to happen to Buffy, Kaze could use Faith against Jude.
The Viper’s Den member put away his phone and said, “Mr. Gwake said that you can go inside.” “Lead the way.” Kaze stepped inside with a smile. It was not as if the Viper’s Den members could stop him if he wanted to barge into the place. Kaze was simply sounding Jude out. For now, things were in the all-clear. Outside the ward, the Viper’s Den member announced Kaze’s arrival through the closed door. “Kaze may enter on his own.” Faith’s soft voice boomed. Kaze did not think Faith would want to see him alone. Kaze opened the door and saw Faith slouching against the couch. In just one day, Faith underwent a huge transformation. She no longer looked sickly. Instead, she was glowing in health. Kaze even noticed that Faith had light makeup on. She looked delectable. She had traded her hospital gown for a silk slip.The dress barely covered her thighs and legs, adding a thrilling and sensual vibe to her presence. Faith was like a ripe peach, sweet and ready to be sav
“Come here, Kaze. I made this for Jude when I was free. It’s for men to get stronger down there and gain more stamina. “Jude doesn’t need it anymore. Why don’t you have some? I’ll feed you myself.” Faith poured the soup into a bowl and carried it to Kaze. The aroma of the soup and the feminine scent of the woman could easily arouse a man. Even Kaze was slightly shaken. Fortunately, he saw the woman’s true color before and he knew it was nothing like her current self. She must be up to no good. Kaze subtly and calmly took a step back and said, “I’ve eaten breakfast before I came. Thank you for the offer.” “Are you really going to turn me down?” Faith pouted and groaned but did not pressure Kaze anymore. She put the bowl down. Her eyes, adorned with a faint touch of pink eyeshadow, blinked twice as she gazed at Kaze. “Kaze, I’ve misunderstood you before. I thought you approached Buffy and stood against me because you are trying to leech off us, trying to take over our
Looking at Faith’s pretentious side, Kaze smiled and asked, “What do you think? Do you think I’ll do something like that?” “If I’m letting you treat my condition, that means I believe in you. You won’t do something that terrible, right?” Faith said coquettishly. Kaze replied, “Since we had a deal, as long as you keep your side of the promise, I will keep mine. The root of your condition is your practice, and I can easily treat it.” He did not disclose that Faith’s condition was not solely due to her martial arts practice going awry but also stemmed from other underlying issues. Given her current condition, the main issue remained her wrong martial arts practice, so the other symptoms were not that obvious. However, once Faith’s current condition was cured, other symptoms might start to appear. If Faith kept her promise and stayed away from him and Buffy, he would, in time, help her address the underlying conditions and cure them one by one. If she broke her promise, then
“Buffy is a dull girl and she doesn’t know how to capture a man’s heart. She’s boring. Why don’t you be mine? I can make you my personal bodyguard. “You can do what bodyguards do, and I will also let you do what bodyguards cannot do. As long as you wish, I can satisfy you however you want…” Faith moved closer to Kaze, pressing her body against his and her soft fingers dancing on his chest. She licked her lips seductively, looking at him with temptation. Even if Kaze had a heart of steel, it trembled for a moment. Faith was stepping over the line. Kaze shook his shoulder, causing his chest muscles to bounce her hand off. “Mrs. Gwake, I have to say you do know your ways around a man, but if you think this is enough for me to turn my back on Buffy, then you must have underestimated me,” Kaze said calmly. “Turned your back on her? Who are you to her?” Faith scoffed. “Don’t try to hide it from me. When I last saw her, I could still tell from her eyes that she was still a vir
“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