Hannah’s aggression only made Reuben grimace harder. He looked Hannah dead in the eye and hissed through clenched teeth. “So you’re determined to stand by Kaze Lee?” “Let me correct you there again. I am not qualified to protect Kaze.” Hannah said in a flat but firm tone, “As I said, I don’t care who from your organization gets in my way. No one can take Kaze away, not on my watch.” Reuben’s gaze fell on Kaze. If he heard it right, Hannah said that Kaze was one of the Viper’s Den. Yet, Hannah mentioned that she was not qualified to protect Kaze. Did Kaze hold a higher position than Hannah in the Viper’s Den? It was impossible. There was no way. Kaze was a guy who had to take his wife’s family name. He could not possibly earn a high-ranking position. Reuben believed that Kaze had the support of someone more powerful than Hannah within the organization. Who could it be? Hannah was the branch chief, so the individual had to be a deputy leader or branch leader to
The ward was a scene of utter chaos with screams of the injured. Reuben thought that Kaze’s assault gave him an opportunity to kill, but before he could point his gun, he was knocked off his feet. The slap came on too fast and strong, throwing Reuben into a daze. Not realizing that he dropped his weapon, Reuben held his cheek and wobbled to his feet. He fixated on Kaze, feeling enraged and humiliated. “How dare you, Lee! You’re asking for it!“Don’t just stand there! Get him! Arrest the bastard. Shoot him if he resists arrest!” Reuben stamped his foot and yelled. He blew his top. It was bad enough that Hannah slapped him in public. However, Kaze did the same to him too. Kaze had some nerves. He was a loser who took his wife’s family name. Yet, Kaze had the cheek to attack him. Reuben’s ego would not allow it. He would never live it down if word ever got out. Reuben’s shouting came to an abrupt halt. There was no response from his people. Some Tiger’s Cave
“Is that a threat to me?” Kaze shook his head and laughed. “It seems that this needs to end today.” “How are you going to do that?” Reuben smirked and said in disdain, “Just because Hannah has your back, it doesn’t mean you can disrespect me, Lee. “My job with the Tiger’s Cave aside, my family prestige can shut you down. “You are not worth my time.” Reuben looked at Kaze in contempt. His privileged upbringing and social standing gave him a sense of entitlement over Kaze. “Oh, really?” Kaze said indifferently, “If I remember correctly, you belong to the Westeros Swans. Are you that confident with your upbringing?” “Confident?” Reuben shook his head. “No, no. My upbringing doesn’t hold a candle to the real heirs because everybody is the same. “You’re just a loser who lives off your wife. All I have to do is drop a name and many will come crawling to do my dirty work and crush you like a bug.“Don’t take this as a threat. I’m just stating a fact.“From birth, it’
“Why am I here?”Mitchell grimaced and looked his nephew straight in the face. “You are going to ruin everything if I don’t get here soon enough.” Ignoring the sour look on Reuben’s face, Mitchell looked over at Kaze. Having spent years navigating the system, Mitchell could pick out the key player in any group. He assessed the situation in no time. Kaze appeared composed like nothing could pull him down. On the other hand, Reuben’s swollen cheek gave the story away. Mitchell was seething. Reuben was a rising star among his peers in the family. He, along with the Tiger’s Cave agents, were working a case when he had been utterly humiliated with a slap in the face. He was a disgrace. Still, Mitchell was relieved. Since Kaze did not lose out on anything, things were not beyond reconciliation. “You must be Mr. Lee.” Mitchell approached Kaze and extended his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. The kid doesn’t know the rules. I must apologize for any offense. “I’m h
Mitchell quickly eased his frown and asked grimly, “I’m not quite sure what you have in mind, Mr. Lee.” Kaze grinned without a word. Mitchell realized that nothing could go past Kaze. Kaze expected some sort of compensation, but he would not specify what he wanted. It was all on Mitchell to appease Kaze. Kaze was a young man with great depth. With that in mind, Mitchell gritted his teeth and pointed at Reuben. “Get over here.” “Uncle Mitchell…” Biting the bullet, Reuben approached Mitchell. “Smack!” Mitchell swung his fist and pulled a punch without holding back. Staggering back, Reuben found his cheek more swollen than ever. “Uncle Mitchell!” Reuben held his cheek and yelled in despair. He was going to call Mitchell to get support. To his dismay, Mitchell arrived at the scene only to help Kaze. Mitchell even slapped him in front of everybody. Reuben was devastated. “Smack!” Mitchell did not stop with one slap. “Bastard! Who gave you the right to
Reuben grimaced hard. Mitchell did not take the news well either. Kaze’s statement was directed at Reuben and likely at Mitchell as well. It appeared that Mitchell’s attack on Reuben did not appease Kaze. Before Mitchell said anything, Reuben jumped in and hissed through clenched teeth, “How do you propose we fix this?” His tone harbored resentment. Raising a brow, Kaze let out a faint smile before turning to Mitchell. He said in a flat tone, “Hear that, Assistant Governor Swan? Your nephew doesn’t seem to realize his mistake.“You should break his leg as you said you would. “He was disrespectful to me.“I expected ten million dollars for each slap he has done to my friend.“My friend’s face cannot be valued with money. Consider this as compensation for her medication.” Kaze was aware that Reuben was seething with rage. He bet that Reuben hated his guts. Reuben was born into privilege, not one to face adversity. A tiny punishment would not set him straight. Give
Reuben shuddered in fear by the never-before-seen terrifying look on Mitchell’s face. Mitchell cocked his head and took a deep breath before uttering gravely, “Thank you for being lenient, Mr. Lee, but can you do me another favor? “I wish to save Reuben’s leg, but we are happy to increase the compensation for Ms. Frost.“I’ll make sure to set the bastard straight too. I promise that he won’t show his face to you again.” Despite Kaze’s promise not to personally hurt Reuben which would lead to permanent injuries, it would take forever to bounce back. In a cutthroat environment like the Tiger’s Cave, Reuben would be out of the game if he took the time off. Though Reuben was not the top talent within the family, he was one of the best. Hence, Mitchell had to bail him out as best as he could. If there was no point in saving Reuben, Mitchell would have given up a long time ago. After intimidating his nephew, Mitchell turned his head back around to Kaze. “If you could be so k
As Kaze placed the phone against his ear, Mitchell felt a knot in his stomach. The assistant governor of the South River State lost composure and said frantically, “Don’t, Mr. Lee! Don’t make the phone call. I might have gotten the wrong idea.” Mitchell picked up on something. When Kaze addressed Neegan by his first name, Mitchell could assume that Kaze was trying to act like a tough man. However, Kaze claimed that he was going to get Neegan involved now. He seemed to be bossing Neegan around. Kaze was playing with fire by making such a huge claim even without Neegan present. Hence, Mitchell made a bold assumption. Kaze could possibly be associated with the lordship. Other than that, Mitchell simply could not figure out how Kaze could run the governor’s life. Given his age, Kaze did not seem like he had accomplished much in life. Yet, he gave orders to the governor like a superior would to a subordinate. Kaze even wanted to ask Neegan if he had got way ahead of
“I have pointed you in a direction. If you still can’t trust your team, you can go to the Viper’s Den.“There’s one thing, though. Don’t rely too heavily on the Viper’s Den, or your company will be left without secrets.” Kaze’s suggestion gave Snow assurance. She considered tapping into the Viper’s Den’s resources. However, Kaze warned her against excessive dependence. “Why did you say that, Chairman Lee? Will the Viper’s Den stab me in the back?” Surely, the Viper’s Den took orders from Kaze. The Viper’s Den would always be an ally so long as Kaze was the branch leader. “I just don’t want you to put too much faith in others. You find loyalty by developing your own team. Those who revere me will never trust you completely.” Kaze analyzed the situation. Snow ate her supper and looked at Kaze in confusion. “You can only count on the people you win over. You can’t trust anyone else, and that includes me.” Kaze would never hurt Snow. However, he hoped that she would fin
“As you said, all is in the past. What’s the point of dwelling on it?” Leah perked up. Such was life, but it took her too long to understand the harsh reality. She guessed things were just not meant to be. “I’ll think about what to get Kaze. Rest well. We’ll visit him in a few days.” Taking the matter seriously, Katie wanted to get gifts ready ahead of time to thank Kaze. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do too. I want to be in touch with the outside world. I don’t care what they have to say. This is not my fault. I won’t blame myself.” Leah wanted her phone back to contact her former friends. Ultimately, she needed to move forward instead of backward. She had to face and fight back the rumors with courage. It was the crucial step to kick trauma in the face. The abduction was kept hush-hush for the most part, but Katie’s frantic search for her daughter at the cocktail party did not go unnoticed. Hearing about the incident, the influential people were keen to find out
“When did Kaze start setting it all up? I get the feeling that everybody played into his hands right from the start, and he had controlled every step of the way.” Leah realized that Kaze was an amazing man. Nothing could go past his eyes. “I don’t know.” Katie feared someone like Kaze. She would not be caught dead near him. Even when grasping the situation, Katie dared not look into Kaze for fear she would be targeted. Katie was careful not to show her face around Kaze. For all she knew, Kaze might get back at her. “But he came to Butterworth alone. We met at the train station, and he helped me out of a bad situation.” Leah felt warm and cozy inside just remembering the events. They did not know each other then. Kaze was kind to help a stranger out. From then on, Kaze could do no wrong in Leah’s eyes. Leah befriended him and found him nice. Her interest in him grew. They also got along well. Her memories of Kaze were sweet. Anyone could hurt her in the world, but
Even though Katie was the CEO of the Northborn Group, many eyed her position. There were too many vying to replace her. Without dedicating herself to her work, Katie risked falling from grace. Katie had been too eager to find success to give her daughter the best life. Leah could not understand the pain Katie had to go through. “I understand it now. I explained the nature of my relationship with Kaze to you, but you just wouldn’t get it.” Leah stubbornly expressed herself in hopes her mother would understand. “I just couldn’t get it through my head that you have grown up. You make an easy target since you just graduated and have not stepped into the real world.” Katie would not always be there for Leah. Hence, Katie did her best to get rid of potential danger. Her overprotectiveness triggered Leah’s defiance. It was Katie’s fault for not realizing it sooner. “I’m not angry with you. I didn’t understand a mother’s good intentions, but I understand now. I will listen to
Leah’s face beamed, but her mother’s words threw her into a daze. In the end, she tried to squeeze a smile to assure her mother. However, Leah could not muster a smile. Those days lingered with her like a recurring bad dream. Whenever she recalled the incident, she felt trapped in that nightmare again. Leah wanted to let those memories fade away, but she just could not do it. She would get startled awake late at night and trace the scars across her skin. During moments like this, she resented Perry. Leah was rather cheerful during the day as if the past was behind her. However, it was simply a way for her to escape the pain. By the way Leah was behaving, Katie instantly regretted the question. She should not have probed. Even if they avoided the elephant in the room, they could pretend like nothing ever happened. Nevertheless, the act of asking brought up unsettling times for Leah. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have asked.” Katie gently held Leah, hoping to cast
When the ambulance door closed shut, Leah wailed once more. The reality of her rescue finally sank in, and she grasped that it was not just a dream. It was a pity that she did not have much time with Kaze. She longed to spend more time with him. “Don’t cry, young lady. You’ll get better soon enough. Don’t worry about the scars on your face. I can administer medicine to help you,” the doctor said while wiping her tears. “Thank you. I’m finally out of the hell hole.” Leah’s worst nightmare would be to be trapped in there forever. Kaze watched as the ambulance disappeared into the night. He then turned to face the villa. “Apprehend everybody in there. Perry should be punished for his crimes.” Kaze had not intended to go after the Duncans, but the family had crossed the line this time. Leah was an adorable and vulnerable woman. She was abused beyond recognition. It never occurred to Kaze that the Duncans could be so cruel. “Perry has passed out in there. Where should
With the secret out in the open, the housekeeper dropped his attitude. He pointed at the basement not too far away. “My employer is in there.” The housekeeper grimaced and kept his head down. Kaze laughed. Unaware of his impending doom, Perry was still living it up. It was absurd. Perry was playing with fire by hurting Leah. “About time you wise up.” Arthur smiled and patted the housekeeper’s face. He opened the door to the basement. Kaze walked to the bar counter and picked up the best bottle of champagne there. He fiddled with the bottle before carrying it to the basement. The other Viper’s Den members followed him. Kaze took a stride down the steps, to the basement. The noisy music was blasting before they reached the entry. Kaze was filled with a mix of emotions. Nevertheless, he said nothing. He opened the door and walked in. The light in the basement was bright, making everything perfectly clear. However, the people inside were not bothered by the
“You know him. It’s Perry Duncan, Leah’s ex-boyfriend.” Snow did not see the point of hiding the truth, so she laid everything out. “Leah must be feeling foul because she was unaware that she was being stalked. By the time she realized what was going on, she was taken into a vehicle. “We spotted the vehicle they departed in from the surveillance footage. They headed to the mountain up north.” Snow had a general idea of the location. “I got Arthur on the job. He’s putting up a team from the Viper’s Den.” Snow was uncertain of Kaze’s stance toward Leah, but now that she was made aware of the situation, the least she could do was help. Katie belonged to the Viper’s Den, so Snow was lending a hand to a friend in business. “Thank you. Please save my daughter.” Katie was nervous. The Viper’s Den was the people she could count on. “Arthur is good, but he’s slow. I’ll do it,” Kaze said. The whole thing was unrelated to him. Kaze was well within his right to stand on the si
Even so, Elsie was out to get Leah. Elsie could pick up on Perry’s delight when she took a swing at Leah. Poor Elsie was just trying to survive by catering to others. People like her learned to pick up social cues and read body language to please customers for money in return. Their income would double if their customers were happy. Leah was the obstacle. If the women could not get rid of her, they would lose their profit. They had no hard feelings for Leah, but they stood on opposing ends. “You should be fawning over Mr. Duncan, not begging me,” Elsie said while grabbing Leah’s hair to pull her up. Leah snatched Elsie’s wrist to try and break free. “Let me go. I never did anything to you.” Leah was no doormat. She did not want to cross these people or get involved with them. She still hoped that by waiting here, her prince would arrive to save her. However, all she got was a cruel beating, and she had enough. “This isn’t my fault. Blame Mr. Duncan for your cir