“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
A talent agency quickly approached Draig and signed him. The agency set him up with a TikTok account.In less than three days, Draig gained over ten million followers. Draig was the talk of the town. Even Golden Scale Corporation sought Draig to feature both Cyan and Draig in a live stream. At first, Cyan took a romantic interest in Draig. Draig was hot, bulky, and famous. He was the perfect man in Cyan’s books. However, Draig only had eyes for Snow. He did not fancy Cyan. Once Cyan learned of Draig’s crush, she tried to play matchmaker and get Draig back as Snow’s bodyguard. She connected with Snow through a mutual friend.While Cyan and the influencers were busy chatting, Snow approached Kaze to give him the full story. Kaze was caught in the middle. He hired Draig’s service for Snow, and Draig turned out to be unreliable. It was no surprise that Draig was attracted to Snow, considering her looks and charm. However, it was inappropriate of Draig to let his pe
Not having it, Snow turned grim. “I told you that I don’t need Draig to protect me, Cyan. Kaze is all the protection I need.” “Kaze?” Cyan chuckled and said secretively, “I have attended a social event lately, Snow. “I heard that Aiden, one of the Krad heirs will be in Riverbank in the next two days. “Everybody thinks that he’s here for your marriage to Aaron.“With Mr. Krad leading the South River Strategic Department, Aiden must be taking over his brother to sort out the wedding affairs.” Cyan shared gossip she had heard during the event. “Aiden will turn the heat on the Frosts once he gets here. “The Frosts will surely make you go through with the wedding, and they won’t hesitate to use force.“Do you think Kaze could protect you then? “You need Draig. He is strong and has connections to the Arcadian community in Uleania. He can go up against the Krads. “With Draig by your side, you can confront the Krads, and your family won’t make you do anything you don’t want t
It took a lot of effort for Agnes to break her daughter up with Kaze. There was no way she would allow Kaze to have a second shot with Darcy. The way Agnes saw it, her daughter was the head of the Quints in the South River State and the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation. Darcy was beautiful and a great catch. Kaze did not mean squat. While Agnes danced with joy, several vehicles turned up outside the villa. These cars belonged to two different parties. The first group was in fancy cars while the other group was much more discreet. Still, nobody would dismiss government vehicles. Though surprised, Darcy quickly went up to greet the people. “Chief Yaphet, Mr. Jayne, what brings you here?” The alphas of both groups were not some big VIP to Darcy’s family. However, they had control over Sky Ocean Corporation’s future. More accurately, the entities that these people worked for held the fate of Sky Ocean Corporation in their hands. Welson, a middle-ranking official in the
“No way! Madam Quint had no reason to kill Madam Dark.” There was a bustle at Villa No. 1. Despite the statement coming from the police, the crowd was skeptical that Phoenix would kill anyone. Agnes and Darcy found the truth hard to swallow. If Phoenix were behind the evil assassination, they would be wrong about Kaze. The police officer said, “We learned that the dump truck driver received 1.2 million dollars before the accident. We tracked the money to one of Phoenix’s people in Ridgesouth. “We looked into Phoenix’s phone records and discovered that she contacted the Steelclaw Guild through the dark web. “She had no idea that we have eyes on the dark web. Though we don’t know the specifics of her deal with the Steelclaw Guild, she would only have one reason to contact an assassination organization.“The Steelclaw Guild’s killer then showed up at the funeral parlor.“We are linking these two incidents, and our prime suspect is Phoenix, who is now deceased.“We didn’t de
“Kaze, do you know how unfamiliar and frightened you’re making me feel right now?“Why was the Steelclaw Guild’s killer after you? If today didn’t happen, I wouldn’t know that you had gotten yourself in deep trouble. “I don’t know what else you are hiding from me. I even wonder if you were behind Madam Dark’s car accident. “My feelings toward you have been true, but family is equally important to me. “I’m afraid that one day, you will get my parents and brother killed.” Darcy let everything out. The storm in Kaze’s eyes quelled.He grabbed a pen and signed his name before taking his copy. Kaze placed the other copy on the table before walking away. As the people in the villa watched on in shock, Agnes dropped her jaw in joy. Agnes thought that it would take a lot of talking and crying to push Darcy in the right direction. To her surprise, Darcy filed for divorce right away. Nevertheless, she was quick to complain. “You are silly, Darcy. You should have asked for V
“Oh, don’t give me that!” Agnes said without a care, “All I know is that you stood by and got Madam Quint killed. “Why can’t you think before you act, Kaze? What are you going to do when the Quints hold you responsible?“Do you think this is the end of the matter? With Madam Quint dead, the Quints would demand answers.“Here you are, saying that you weren’t trying to get us killed. “You should set my daughter free now! I demand a divorce.” Agnes clamored. “I can’t sleep well at night, thinking I have to spend another day with a snake. “The ball is in your court, Darcy. Either he stays, or I go.” Agnes was determined to force her daughter into dumping Kaze’s sorry ass. Kaze turned to Darcy. “Let’s move out, babe. We can buy another house to live in.” He looked weary for once. Kaze felt drained. There was never a moment of peace whenever he was at home. Agnes would push Darcy into getting a divorce every time Kaze showed his face. Kaze had tried addressing the iss
Kaze said indifferently, “I don’t want to talk to you about this. Just carry on living in their own world.” “What? You have nothing to say for yourself, so you shut up?” Agnes was on full steam ahead. “Why didn’t you kneel when we were on our knees? Don’t you care whether we die?“Are you wishing we were dead?” Despite the grilling, Kaze remained indifferent. Agnes took things far and pressed on. “Were you trying to egg the killer into killing Madam Quint and Joan?“You were afraid of Madam Quint’s retaliation once the word about Madam Dark and Shadow’s accident got out, so you wanted to silence her.” Sky could not stand by anymore. “That’s extreme, Mom. K-Kaze—” “Was what?” Agnes glared at him. “The killer broke Madam Quint’s fingers, fractured her leg, and killed her and Joan. It’s clear that she was triggered by Kaze. “Once or twice might be a coincidence, but we’re talking about this happening multiple times. Isn’t it a deliberate act?” Agnes was witty to make
It had only been an hour since Phoenix met her demise. Yet the Ridgesouth Quints had already come to a decision. Even Kaze had to admit that the Ridgesouth Quints were highly efficient. The Quints’ approach was simple but highly effective. With Phoenix dead, the Quint family members in the South River State were without a leader. As the situation remained unclear and loomed with potential threats, it was best to put Darcy in charge of picking up the pieces. One thing stood out when the Quints handled business. It showed the Quints prioritized their own interest above all else. The Quints were not in a rush to investigate Phoenix’s death, avenge her, or question Hector’s family. Their aim was to cut their losses and reassure the family. The Ridgesouth Quints did not even mention Phoenix’s funeral. Different from Hector’s family’s joy, the other family members were horrified. “I’m sorry to upset you before, Darcy. Please forgive us.” “We were wrong. We are terribly so
“The head honcho made a wise choice.” South talked as if the plan benefited them all. The Steelclaw Guild did not consider the risk of sending Anzu after Kaze and his loved ones. Kaze survived the assassination and proved to the Steelclaw Guild that he was worth the risk. However, what if he had died? The Steelclaw Guild would let Phoenix know that she owed them one. Either way, the Steelclaw Guild would not be losing out on anything. The Steelclaw Guild had a collaboration with Kaze, but they were not in on it together. Kaze shook his head. The Steelclaw Guild was an assassination organization for a reason. They only worked for themselves and were not worth Kaze’s trust. He said curtly, “Tell your head honcho that I don’t owe your people anything anymore. “But you owe me one.” No one else but Kaze would demand something from the Steelclaw Guild. Anyone else in Kaze’s place would swallow the bitter pill and move on. Not Kaze, though. He was not scared of the
With Anzu dead, Kaze got rid of one major problem. Since the police would tie up loose ends at the funeral parlor, Kaze and Darcy’s family were free to leave under the escort of police officers. Other Quint family members in the South River State departed alongside Kaze and Darcy’s family. These people feared for their lives. It dawned on them that they were safe with Darcy’s family, especially since the police were determined to keep Darcy’s family safe and sound before. They followed Darcy’s family, not leaving them out of their sight. Dozens of members swarmed into Villa No. 1, leaving the residence rather cramped. “It’s such a waste of space for a small family to live in a big, luxurious place.” “I guess there are perks to kissing up to the mayor.” The Quint family members, making themselves too at home, occupied the space and made snide remarks. Darcy did not possess power or influence after losing Sky Ocean Corporation. They did not care what Darcy’s family t
Like Joan, Phoenix never would have imagined that she would die in such a humiliating way. Kaze did not even move his hands. He simply said a few words and Anzu killed her. Phoenix died with her eyes wide open, but the light quickly faded. The last image reflected upon her eyes was Kaze grinning brightly with his teeth gleaming under the light. “Bastard…” That was Phoenix’s last word. In just the blink of an eye, the respected elder of the Quint family had turned into a lifeless corpse. Every other family member at the scene gasped in shock. “Die, Kaze Lee!” Anzu’s killing spree did not stop with just two deaths. She shouted at Kaze but she dashed toward Darcy. Swoosh! Kaze had anticipated this. With a swift movement, he shifted sideways to position himself in front of Anzu, blocking her. Anzu swung her arms forward, launching multiple poisoned shurikens at him. Darcy was right behind him, so Kaze dared not dodge the shurikens. It was either him or Darcy. Howe