The call connected moments later. Upon learning that Kaze was at the hospital, Snow said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Chairman Lee. I’m in Emerald Bull Palace. “I have a new friend, Ms. Yemen. She’s with Golden Scale Corporation. Her plan today is to make a reel in Emerald Bull Palace. She insisted that I came along.“I couldn’t refuse. I thought a change of scenery would help, so I accepted her invite.” Kaze raised a brow. “Ms. Yemen? Is she Golden Scale Corporation's signed influencer?” The last name and association with the company gave Kaze everything he needed to know about the person. “That’s right. Her name is Cyan. She works for Golden Scale Corporation as an influencer. She went viral lately for her sweet looks.“I’ve been bored lately, so I’ve been looking into this new live streaming sales thing. A friend then introduced me to Ms. Yemen. “Are you coming, Chairman Lee? Emerald Bull Palace is a nice place to walk around.” Snow asked in anticipation. Kaze was hes
Kaze enjoyed the live stream with intrigue for a moment. It would be nice if Cyan stayed chilled and relaxed. He generously gifted Cyan ten virtual stars to show his support.The screen lit up with a dazzling display of animations. “Thank you for your stars, Sponge.” The generous cash tip took Cyan’s attention away from calligraphy, and she beamed. “Sponge has always been my number one supporter. He is always busy with his business to be online, but when he does, he supports me with his generous gifts. “Thank you, Sponge!” Cyan was a major influencer now. Kaze could remember Cyan jumping with joy when he first sent her a virtual star. She would readily do whatever Kaze asked of her, even if it meant performing a sexy dance. Now, Cyan could remain unfazed when rewarded ten virtual stars. At least, Cyan could carry herself in a more graceful manner. Her loud and boisterous behavior would come off tacky. Cyan got up and dragged Snow over to say hello to Sponge. She j
“Mr. Aiden Krad, what brings you to Riverbank?”“You are one of Westeros’ ten best young entrepreneurs. You run a multi-billion-dollar business before hitting 30. Could you share some insights into the investment opportunities you’re exploring in Riverbank?” “Mr. Krad, rumors have it that you’re single. Do you have plans to settle down?” The press was all over the towering man, bombarding him with questions. “Aiden Krad?” Kaze raised a brow. Judging by the name, Aiden must be Aaron’s brother. When Midas King called for a hit on the Hidens, the Hidens turned to the Krads for help. The Krads would only interfere if Snow married Aaron. Due to Kaze’s involvement, Venom escorted May back home. Aaron and Snow’s date ended without any further developments. Later, Aaron was transferred to the South River Strategic Department as commander. Unlike Albert who had a distinguished military record to back him up, Aaron lacked the credibility to command the respect of his subordina
With that in mind, Natalie could care less about Kaze. She said peevishly, “You sure have an attitude for a nobody. Can’t you wait for me by the road? I had to make a U-turn just to get into the hospital.“Don’t you know how expensive the parking at St. Mary’s is? It’s 50 bucks just to stop for a bit. “You don’t look like you can afford St. Mary’s anyway. Jesus.“Don’t just stand there. Get in! “I don’t get why Ms. Frost has a friend like you. You don’t even own a car. I can’t believe I had to drive all the way here for you.” Natalie mumbled disgruntledly, her disdain for Kaze showing. She even powdered her nose before making the drive. Kaze did not look like he was made of money. Natalie had encountered many members of the rich and powerful while working for Cyan. Nothing about Kaze caught her eye. As Kaze opened the door to the front passenger seat, Natalie sulked and uttered, “Be gentle with the seat. It’s made of genuine leather. You can’t afford to pay for the
“Emerald Bull Palace? Oh, got.” Kaze raised a brow and nodded. The area of his apprentice, Juan’s territory. Juan often organized retreats there with his disciples. His persona as a spiritual retreat leader was a deliberate deception.There was nothing meditative about Juan. Juan was greedy, lustful, and shameless. Kaze had a good understanding of Juan’s character during those few days at the hillside villa. Juan had been too busy studying the Oracle to bother Kaze back then. “Ha! You must have known about the place through reels. It’s a must-visit place for influencers. “I doubt you can afford the food in the tourist spot. “But you’re in luck today. Ms. Yemen dug deep into her connections to reserve some great vegan food for Ms. Frost. “Ms. Frost doesn’t seem like the kind to be associated with you.” Natalie went on while driving. She took out all the frustrations she had experienced with Cyan on Kaze.Natalie did not mind hurting Kaze’s feelings since he
Apart from Snow and Cyan, the courtyard was filled with other decked-out influencers. The other women lacked refinement and elegance next to Snow and Cyan. There was a certain vulgarity about them that made Snow frown, and she rarely engaged with them.Cyan, on the other hand, enjoyed the attention of her peers. The other influencers treated her like a star. A line of well-dressed men stood guard near the courtyard wall, their build and attire reflecting an air of authority. Once inside, Natalie dropped the attitude. Different from her annoyance toward Kaze, Natalie carried an ingratiating smile. Natalie went up to Cyan and said, “I have brought Ms. Frost’s bodyguard here, Cyan.” She had overheard the conversation between Cyan and Snow. Since Snow had dismissed her security detail two days ago, Kaze was likely her new hire. Kaze’s physique, though not as impressive as the professional security team Golden Scale Corporation had hired for Cyan, looked the part. The women
Cyan had a point. A sales manager at Golden Scale Corporation was likely earning millions of dollars annually with bonuses and all. If Kaze earned the position, Cyan had no reason to embarrass him in public.Though Cyan was Golden Scale Corporation’s top influencer, she would not be disrespectful toward a decent sales manager. It was no secret that Golden Scale Corporation had ties to the Viper’s Den. Many members of high management were part of the Viper’s Den network. Cyan looked at Snow and said, “I’m sure you know by now that I’ve met Kaze before, Snow.“It’s embarrassing for me to say this out loud, but he used to be one of my dad’s charity work.“He’s married, and he has taken his wife’s family name.“He’s a real moocher and a liar. “His wife kicked him out of the family, and he turned to my family for help. “One more thing. He stole his wife’s money before coming to Riverbank. He talked about buying a villa for my family to appease my dad because my dad wanted t
“The security firm sure fobbed you off by introducing Kaze to you. “He’s good for nothing. All he does is brag and show off. Are you sure you want to entrust your safety to him? “I got it. The security firm didn’t conspire with you to scam you. He had the security firm fooled too. “I know his type. He’s only good for bragging. I bet he told the security firm how great he was, so the firm sent him to protect you. “How is he supposed to protect you? Talk you to safety? “You should get rid of him, Snow. Draig is a better fit for you.“His father is a leader of our people in Uleania. The video of his heroic act gained him more than 10 million followers in three days. “Kaze has nothing on him.” Not hiding her contempt for Kaze, Cyan recommended Draig. Clearly, a lot had happened in the few days Kaze had not been in touch with Snow. Kaze still had no idea how Snow had met Cyan. Apparently, Snow had dismissed Draig away too. Draig appeared to go viral because of a heroi
Aloysius looked at the business venture at hand with a mix of emotions. Jet was supposed to make a comeback with the project, but the defeat was a huge slap to his face. “Can I ask whether Kaze was behind this?” Aloysius braced himself to ask the question. Even though Aloysius had an inkling, he feared receiving confirmation of his suspicion. “Chairman Lee helped me. If Jet hadn’t hurt my mother, I wouldn’t have rushed back to take his place. “He did this to himself,” Snow said blatantly. “How did you know about the island project? We have been discreet about it.” Aloysius was eager to find out. The question would burn on his mind unless he got some answers. “You can’t keep anything from the Viper’s Den, but this is the end of the matter. If you’re interested in the project, I can put you in charge of it.” Snow could not be bothered to explain herself. Aloysius played it smart. He had been carrying out Snow’s orders without a hitch. Snow was happy to honor her prom
“Tell them that the company is expecting funding, and all the projects will be launched in a few days. Everything will be back on track. It’s a good thing that the higher management is gone. We will be opening the positions for internal employees to apply.” Snow got the right solution to handle the situation. She had to give these employees hope to gain their dedication in return. Aloysius was surprised. “Who would pour money in when our finances are in a mess?” Having worked with Jet, Aloysius had a good understanding of the company’s ins and outs. Several business ventures were up in the air, and the company was bleeding money. Even with a relaunch, these projects would not bring in much of a profit. Most importantly, the relaunch had to be backed up by some funding. The business got a loan from the Viper’s Den. If payment was not made in time, the company’s shares would be used to make up for the loss. The whole thing spelled trouble. Snow just joined the company.
“This is the financial report you submitted today. Any intern can do a better job than you.” Snow mocked Jack. She was disappointed in his performance. A finance director who could not even get his basics right should not be working in finance in the first place. “Who do you think you are, doing this to us?” The others are only out to save their own asses. They did not sympathize with Jack. “I’m sure you are well aware of what you have done.” “You’re on your phone all day at work. You put your daily expenses on the company card, and we’re talking about tens of thousands of dollars a month. You only bought stuff for your personal use. “Let’s not forget about you. Your so-called business trips are to take your mistress out for expensive hotel stays and vacations.” Snow looked at each one of them while detailing their deeds. She shamed them in public, utterly humiliating them. “Why were these allowed before? Why are you stopping these practices now? If you can change
“No, Ms. Frost. I can do it,” Aloysius said right away. He did not want to miss out on a good opportunity. “I gave you a chance. It’s up to you to seize it.” Snow looked at them with a smile. “I’ll get right to it, Ms. Frost.” The HR manager nodded and took off. He had to prepare the paperwork. Those in upper management were on a higher pay grade with a cut of the shares. Following a termination, the HR manager had to calculate the final pay. There had to be a valid reason for the discharge from duties too. Though things were a little complicated, the HR manager was experienced in this aspect. The only issue was that the staff involved were not the low-ranking employees. They held high positions. Despite his unrest, Aloysius did not wear his heart on his sleeve. He had a good read of the situation. Snow was impartial in carrying out business. Those who contributed to the company would stay while the ones who bled the business dry would be sacked. Anyone would p
Sure enough, the mean would gather around the individual at their fall from grace. It was sad to grasp this reality. “I promise you to have everything in order. Don’t worry. You will get a nice promotion.” Snow knew when to give her employee encouragement. Only then would Aloysius feel motivated to work. Aloysius departed in dejection, but Snow did not mind it at all. He served the wrong person. Snow took on the leadership role the same day Jet left. Since she assumed the responsibilities without much experience, the employees did not take her seriously. The people doing the grunt work felt nothing toward the change of leadership. The upper management may experience shifts, but they were still obliged to finish their usual tasks. The only thing they hoped for was to be paid more for their overtime. Following the change of leadership, some leaders may receive a promotion or be transferred out. The employees at the bottom of the pyramid wondered if they could compet
Despite her unease, Snow trusted that Jet would not have the chance to hurt her. Hence, she put the matter aside. The dynamic shift within the Frosts caught the eye of elite families across the business world. They kicked Jet while he was down. Some even tried to get a piece of the pie. However, most of them stayed on the sidelines, observing. A fallen giant was still a giant. Even if these families were greedy, they had to assess the situation before moving in. These businesspeople were skeptical about Snow taking Jet’s place. They did not know what Snow was made of. Consequently, they tried to approach her. Snow had been kept busy in the office, dealing with the problems left behind by Jet. She worked late into the night every day. While being buried deep in paperwork, Snow refused to meet anyone. She had lived in Butterworth before, so she had peers from school and friends around. Snow’s sudden return caught many off guard. Everyone wanted to get close to he
If Jet had detected the problems early on, he could have prevented things from escalating. Yet now, everything was too late. Jet did not regret his actions, though. “Just sign this, Jet. At this rate, the shares will drop beyond the point of redemption,” Talon said. The Frosts were terrified at the stock market’s dropping numbers. They did not have time to lose. “I will sign the papers. I lost.” Jet did not want to give in just yet. However, he had to comply with the family elders’ pleas. Snow was relieved. The contract was quickly drawn up, and Jet signed the papers to give up the proprietorship. “Relax. I won’t do you wrong.” Snow made a promise. At least, Jet would still have a home to go back to. “Don’t get too cocky. I didn’t lose to you. I lost to Kaze.” Jet knew that he would face much resistance if his rival were Snow. It was a shame that he was up against Kaze, a strong and mysterious man. “Just sign the papers. I will take over the family empire, and
“Don’t project your filth on everyone else.” Snow was angry, but she knew that she had to keep her head cool. By jumping straight to defense mode, Snow would give others the wrong idea. She had been there before. Kaze sat still without a word. He furrowed his brows in annoyance when Jet painted his relationship with Snow dirty. “I’m not here for the drama.” Kaze looked at Talon. The senior members of the Frosts should back down before Kaze did something about it. “Who do you think you are? This is a family meeting. Why are you getting involved?“If you are unrelated to Snow, you shouldn’t be here in the first place.” Jet took out his anger on Kaze. Kaze was not part of the family anyway, so Jet did not have to consider his feelings. “Watch yourself, Jet. He’s a visitor.” Talon was smart enough to read the room. Despite the air of mystery shrouding Kaze, he managed to screw with most of Jet’s business ventures. The Frosts stood to lose more by crossing Kaze. Ta
Following Snow’s lead, Kaze entered a big conference room. The centerpiece of the conference room was a long, solid wood table, drawing out an air of solemnity. Various notable and valuable paintings hung on the wall. The expansive floor-to-ceiling window brought light into the room. Sunlight bounced off the window that displayed a picturesque view outside. “There you are.” Jet had been waiting. With the pair slowly making their way in, Jet could not hide the rage in his eyes. “Long time no see, Jet,” Snow greeted him and pulled a chair for Kaze. “It’ll take a bit of time, Chairman Lee. The senior members of my family are on their way.” Snow contacted the family elders while getting to the venue. Jet had not produced much results lately, and the Frosts were utterly humiliated. Since Jet would soon be replaced, the senior members of the family wanted to be kept in the loop. These family members had their own ideas. However, they would be happy to appoint the lea