“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
Like Cyan, the influencers tried to convince Snow to accept Draig. Many socialites would die for a chance to meet a man like Draig. Yet, Snow had the nerve to drive him away. Kaze was invisible to them. “Are you kicking yourself for coming here, Kaze?” With Kaze becoming an outcast, Natalie stood on the sidelines and taunted him. If she had known that Kaze was a loser, she would not have wasted her time to pick him up. Natalie was seriously considering getting a full valet for her car. She felt as if Kaze had contaminated her car. Natalie’s phone rang, and she answered the call before hurrying to Cyan. She said, “Mr. Tenby is here, Cyan.” “Cyan, did you invite Draig here?” Snow’s expression turned grim. She had no idea that Cyan would invite Draig over too. Otherwise, Snow would not have joined Cyan on the trip. Picking up on Snow’s frustration, Cyan explained, “I guess I didn’t let you know that I was able to reserve a time slot at this exclusive vegan plac
“We can’t possibly do that. Dinner won’t be the same without you, Draig,” Cyan said with a smile. She glanced at Snow before uttering, “Snow is happy that you went out of your way to organize this vegan dinner.” Snow furrowed her brows. She was not pleased with Cyan’s pushiness to bring her and Draig together. “Really?” Overjoyed, Draig approached Snow and fixated on her. “I want to apologize to you for before, Ms. Frost. “Growing up in Uleania, I’ve been taught to express myself, and I had been too forthcoming.“I’ve been feeling terrible, hoping I hadn’t upset you. “I’m so glad to hear that you’ve forgiven me. You’re the greatest. You didn’t say anything bad about me.“Will you give me another chance to get to know you?” Draig extended his hand. Snow kept her hands to herself with a frown. She disliked Draig. She did not buy his story about the Uleanian culture. Still, Snow did not want to be hung up on the matter. Since Draig apologized, and Cyan would not s
Even though Aloysius saw it coming, he was surprised to learn the truth from Murray. “It’s not what you think. We were simply trying to find out if someone was sabotaging those projects since problems came all at once. We were also trying to gather intel.” “So what? It’s my money, but you and the Frosts don’t seem to appreciate that fact. I don’t see a point in working together.” Murray made up his mind to cut business ties with the Frosts, and nothing they said or did could change his mind. More infuriatingly, the ninety million dollars was taken out of the business account for investors. Jet sure took the investors for a ride. “I can offer an explanation for this. You don’t have to be mad about this. It was just to keep it in the books, but the money will be put back.” Aloysius was not there to upset Murray. His intention was to iron out issues in a peaceful manner. However, Aloysius just made Murray angrier, and they were nowhere close to solving anything. “I don’t
“We are facing a minor issue, but it’s no biggie. With some alterations, we will see profits in no time. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Plus, when have the Frosts ever let anyone down when doing business together?” Aloysius continued to persuade Murray. For some reason, Murray was determined to pull out anyway. How did Murray find out about the issues regarding the projects? Jet had blocked any news from leaking out. No one would have known. “As you said, no one knows what tomorrow will bring, so you better give me back my money. I want to cut my losses.” Murray’s mind was set. Aloysius was disappointed. From the meeting, Aloysius could see that Murray had made himself clear. “That reminds me. You have five days to return the investment, or I’ll spread the news and ruin your business.” Murray understood that intimidation would get what he wanted. Integrity was important to businesspeople, but without the right strategies, it was hard to stay on top. “We have
“Anger won’t get us anywhere. We should brainstorm strategies,” Aloysius said. Jet was already struggling with injuries. The mental strain only added to his burden. However, they were bold to run multiple business ventures all at once. The Frosts were able to keep the operation going with the support of business partners. Unfortunately, when it rained, it poured. If one project had issues, Jet and the Frosts could still weather through, but the problems in various projects proved too much to handle. “Do you think I don’t want to? Our hands are tied right now.” Jet was hurt, and he could not even rest. As if things were not bad enough, the shareholders did the unthinkable. “Maybe we should give up on getting the films released. We can sell that business off. “We can abandon the piece of land near the port or offer those old people some compensation.” Aloysius believed the issues with these projects were easy fixes. Most importantly, they were able to sustain the losses.
“You are all a bunch of losers. What happened to those fighters? Didn’t I pay them to do a job?” Jet believed he had prepared for every eventuality. Yet, Kaze came on strong and fast. Before Jet could get his team to protect him, Kaze pulled the first punch. “When I took you to the hospital, these fighters were still lying on the cold, hard floor. They were all down and out.” Aloysius grimaced, recalling the incident. He was lost for words. The incident was etched in his mind forever. He could never forget the tragic scene. Jet was not too happy with the brawlers, but the news took him by surprise. “Kaze came alone. How could he fend off so many?” Jet was skeptical that Kaze could be so powerful. “I later heard that Kaze had backup. He might have had help.” Aloysius refused to believe the truth, so he asked around. Another group barged into Kurosawa Club and possibly helped Kaze. There was no way Kaze could finish the fighting crew off all by himself. Jet was re
The group shook their heads, not carrying much thought about the incident. However, the dynamics were shifting in Butterworth. Several cars fleeted across the road, not causing much notice. The pedestrians went about their ways. Life was as mundane as it ever was. Yet, behind the scenes, the city underwent a silent upheaval. Jet was a seasoned businessman with experience spanning across numerous industries. His position of power earned him the favor and flattery of many. However, the recent events surrounding the Frosts cautioned many businesspeople and potential business partners against doing business with them. Some businesspeople who had yet to secure a deal with the Frosts were not too eager anymore. They had pursued a collaboration before, but now they would think twice before engaging with the Frosts. Some of Jet’s existing business partners were concerned. Jet came from a prestigious and resourceful family. He had the guts and judgment to procure the most pr
After a series of examinations, it was determined that Jet had an open wound on his forehead. Otherwise, he was doing fine health-wise. Jet was unconscious, and it was for the better. At least he would not feel any pain. The chatter outside put Aloysius on edge. Aloysius guessed that Kaze came from power, and Jet had upset him this time. Kaze’s wrath was likely upon them. Aloysius worried about the business. However, he took a glance at his unconscious employer before realizing that Jet should be the one to feel concerned. He called the number of a private hospital, and an ambulance was dispatched right away. With the help of others, Aloysius managed to get Jet on a stretcher. He glanced at the out-cold fighters in disdain. “Get their boss here to take his useless members back. They can take care of their own injuries,” Aloysius said before promptly leaving. The news about Jet’s injuries was shut down. Kurosawa Club’s owner was close enough with Jet to know that any
Oblivious to the situation, Aloysius felt a shiver down his spine. It was as if the world had crumbled. “What happened? Did we hire protection? How did Mr. Frost get hurt?” Aloysius heard the commotion, but he did not expect his employer to be the victim. Jet was talking smack at the time, and Aloysius assumed that he had the upper hand. Kaze was on his own. How could he take the win despite being outnumbered? Aloysius was baffled and curious about what had transpired. Nevertheless, now was not the time to ask questions. Aloysius had to get Jet medical treatment for his bleeding wound. Things were the opposite of what was planned. They intended to bribe Kaze into telling the truth. If Kaze refused to cooperate, they would resort to force. The horrible conflict was the last thing Aloysius expected to see. The plan went through, but the roles were reversed. Jet lay on the ground heavily wounded, and the brawlers were down too. Kaze, who was supposed to be rest
Kaze sat by the table and dumped an unconscious man sprawling across the surface to the ground. He then opened a new bottle of liquor to take big gulps. “Sorry we’re late, Mr. Lee.” Arthur rushed to the scene, only to find such a bloody mess. He felt bad because he and his team were tasked to protect Kaze. Yet, Kaze had to get his hands dirty with these low-life scums. “Mr. Lee, why didn’t you wait for us? You didn’t have to do it yourself.” Arthur and his team came as quickly as they could when they picked up on the commotion, but it was too late. Nothing could stop Kaze when the fight started. He acted swiftly, and help could not come in time. Arthur and his crew felt sorry. The Viper’s Den’s members took in the aftermath and stared at Kaze in reverence. They had no idea that Kaze was amazing. They did not even know who he was. The only thing they were told to do was protect him. It only dawned on them now that Kaze was a terrifying force. “I could use a little
“Who the hell is he? He must be trained because he’s one hell of a fighter.” “I think he might be military.” “What do we do now? Do we still fight him?” The brawlers grew scared. “Things won’t end well for us if we cross the Frosts. You can hide and choose not to attack him, but you’re doing it at your own risk,” the head of the fighters uttered.They were not given the option to back down the moment they took the job. “How do we approach this? This is strange.” “He’s aggressive.” The fighters looked at their injuries. Despite the extent of the damage, they could not walk away from the conflict. “What do we do? Are we fighting him?” Once fear took over, the brawlers lost the will to win. Kaze let out a mocking smile as the fighters turned into cowards. “Are we doing this or what? If you’re not, I can save my energy.” Kaze sneered at the group, finding them disinteresting. Here he thought he could get a good workout with these guys. Kaze guessed he gave them t