“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
“Ahhhh!”Soon, Reuben’s agonized screams boomed from outside the ward. “I have broken Reuben’s leg, Mr. Lee.” Moments later, Mitchell opened the door, covered in sweat. It would take more than a blow for a regular person to fracture a bone. Mitchell attempted several times, together with the help of his strong driver, to get the job done. In other words, Reuben suffered quite a bit. Not concerned about Mitchell lying to him, Kaze nodded and said indifferently, “Ten million dollars a slap. I expect nothing less.” Seeing that Mitchell had been a good sport, Kaze did not increase the rate in return. It was a classic carrot-and-stick approach. Kaze made sure not to take things far. He was assertive enough to stop any act of retaliation while being taken seriously. Mitchell dragged his wailing nephew away, putting an end to the Tiger’s Cave incident for the time being. In the ward, Kaze cocked his head and asked Buffy, “What brings you here?”“I heard from a member tha
Darcy called to ask Kaze about the assassination this afternoon. The incident was no secret. The Viper’s Den and the Tiger’s Cave caught wind of the matter right away, and Darcy had the resources and connections to find out soon enough. Darcy sounded worried on the phone. Kaze and Darcy may not see eye to eye when it came to Buffy, but the feelings between them remained strong. Upon learning that Kaze was nearly killed, Darcy called him to make sure he was safe. “I’m fine, babe, and not a hair out of place.” Kaze said with a smile, “If you don’t believe me, you can head back to Riverbank now, and I’ll clean myself up, ready for your inspection.” “Get out of here!” Darcy whined while feeling assured. Since Kaze was in the mood for jokes, it was safe to assume that Kaze was unharmed. Not taking her response to heart, Kaze asked concernedly, “How is the progress of acquiring the shares coming along, babe?”“I won’t say that it’s smooth sailing.” The mention of the s
Katie proudly made the statement, convinced that she had done a lot for her daughter. It was only right for Leah to be grateful and understand her sacrifice. To Katie’s surprise, Leah chuckled. “What else have you done for me? You never showed me any attention. You don’t know what I like. You have no idea what I want.” Leah finally saw her mother as the person she was. This side of Katie was terrifying. “What more do you want? Am I not supposed to work? Should I be spending every waking minute of the day with you?” Katie understood Leah’s needs. However, there was no way she could make it happen. It was not easy for a woman to take hold in the Northborn Group, much less secure a high position there. Katie went through great pains to get where she was today. Alas, Leah could not understand where she was coming from. “I’m not asking you to be with me every day. I’ve tried my best to do everything you asked of me, but you can’t even be there for me during my birthdays.
“Everything I do, I do for you. Get this straight. The guy approached you because of what I could bring to the table.” Katie was pissed by her daughter’s defiance which was becoming worse with age. “I know the kind of person he is. Without Kaze’s help, I wouldn’t have escaped. Where were you then? You’re in no position to say that. “Even if there’s something he’s after, what would he want from me? I have nothing to offer.” Leah did not believe a word Katie said. Clearly, Katie was out to get Kaze. “He’s nothing but a poor kid. Why are you blowing this out of proportion? I’ve clearly stated what needed to be done. Why are you still being stubborn?”Katie believed she had not raised her daughter right. Leah turned out pretty naïve. “I told you. He has no ulterior motive. He doesn’t know who I am. He doesn’t have any other intentions. I approached him, not the other way around.” Leah kicked herself for pulling a reckless stunt. All she did was give Kaze more problems. Kat
Leah hated her mother being unreasonable. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I fed you, I gave you clothes, I put a roof over your head, I gave you life! The least you could do is to listen to me!” Katie did not expect her daughter to go so far as to defy her. Kaze remained silent, knowing that no matter what he said, it would be meaningless to someone unwilling to listen. “Kaze, I’m sorry. It was my fault that you are in this mess. I’m a jinx…” Leah blamed herself for getting Kaze in trouble with her mother. If not because of her, he would never encounter her mother. “Shut it! Why are you apologizing!? He approached you with purpose and you can’t even see that? He’s not worthy of your time!” Katie was livid. She felt her daughter was blinded by emotions, incapable of making the right decision. And to make matters worse, the girl even apologized to Kaze—what nonsense! A poor man without any background was no match for her daughter and her status. He approached the girl becaus
Katie suddenly chuckled. “What’s the matter? You are after my daughter and you tried to give me advice? What are you trying to do?” She looked down on a man with no future. She stubbornly believed he approached her daughter because of her. If he said as such, he must have known something else. It was no secret that Katie was preparing the birthday banquet for Leah and one could easily find out about it with a little research. Katie took his words not as a suggestion but as a challenge to her power. “Whatever. You stubbornly believe that anyone who approaches you or your daughter is after your power, does that mean there’s no emotions or love throughout your life?” Kaze suddenly looked at Katie with a pitiful gaze. She had been consumed by the thirst for power and it wiped her humanity. Katie would eventually be a sacrifice of someone else before she knew it. “Don’t look at me with those eyes. Who do you think you are? I see through you right away! I’ve seen a lot of
Frustrated, Leah tried to shake her mother’s hand off, but Katie tightened the grip and did not let it happen. The more the girl resisted, the more Katie felt challenged. She felt that her authority was being shaken by her daughter’s defiance. “Stop it! I told you before that if you don’t listen to me, I will make you regret it! And, don’t let me catch you with this bastard anymore, or he won’t have a future here in Butterworth!” Katie shouted at the girl to silence her. Leah could resist her mother and defy her, but not at the expense of her friend’s well-being. She knew her mother always meant what she said, and once those words were spoken, she would certainly take action against Kaze. Therefore, she quickly fell silent and let her mother take control of the situation. Katie glared at Kaze resentfully. “Stay away from my daughter or I will make you pay!” she bellowed. She then dragged Leah to her car and told the girl to get in. Right after she closed the door, s
Without further ado, Katie stormed out of the car and dashed over to them. “Leah!” she shouted, startling her daughter. When Leah saw her mother, she knew doomsday was upon her. She was frightened and stunned on the spot. Kaze was surprised by the coincidence as well. He was not afraid of the woman but she was charging at them like a ferocious monster. “I told you not to be with this guy! Why didn’t you listen to me?!” Katie could not tolerate her daughter’s defiance. She saw it as a direct challenge to her authority and bottom line. She stepped up and dragged her daughter away. “I told you not to see this poor bastard. Why didn’t you listen to me?” She was consumed by rage and paid no attention to her choice of words. All she cared about was the fear that her daughter had nearly fallen into a stranger’s hands. Leah disliked her mother being unreasonable. She had no idea what changed her mother into an unreasonable wretched hag. “Mom, what are you talking about?” “W
“Katie’s daughter dined at my restaurant and she met the man Katie intended to match her with, yet Katie knew nothing and even threw a tantrum at the door. Why do you think that happened?” Master Fuller shook his head helplessly and poured himself a glass of beer. The last guest of the day had left and he could enjoy his rest peacefully. However, the last guest of the day was a rather interesting pair. “Isn’t it a little contradicting? She’s trying to get Mr. Lee to marry her daughter but she’s asking for trouble at the same time.” The woman was surprised but also found it interesting. “Do I have to deliver the meals to Mr. Lee?” “Let my disciple do it. Don’t you get involved in this, it’s better to stay away from trouble.” Master Fuller wanted to get back at Katie, yet he did not need to do anything because the woman was actively bringing trouble upon herself. The woman did not say anything and simply gazed into the distance. The wooden door at the entrance was ope
“It’s getting late. Let’s get you back.” Kaze knew that Leah had snuck out of the hotel, so it would not be good to let her stay out too late. Katie was a tough mother to deal with. If she found out her daughter snuck out without her permission and spent dinner with him, she would lose her mind. Kaze was not afraid but Leah would have to suffer her mother’s wrath. “It’s getting late. We have to go back.” Leah liked the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. She felt free of restraints while on the premises, but time flew by quickly, leaving her with little time to savor the experience. She wished she could enjoy more moments of peace and quiet while indulging in good food. “Do visit if you have time. We usually open at night only,” Master Fuller said when he noticed the heavy look on the girl’s face. “Great. I’m definitely coming again!” Leah then got up and headed out. Kaze then pulled his wallet out and wanted to pay for the meal. “Mr. Lee, what are you doing here?
Passersby would spare an extra glance at the expensive car but dared not pause to inspect further. The woman in the car looked anxious as she relentlessly tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Katie was still waiting, hoping to find out who Master Fuller’s guests were. Her patience was thinning by the second. Since she picked up her daughter, everything had gradually slipped out of her control, and she hated the feeling. Back at the restaurant, Master Fuller and his guests were still chatting over delicious dessert. Kaze had a bite and was amazed by the taste. As expected of a national-level chef, his culinary skills could turn the simplest ingredients into the most amazing delicacy. “I thought this was just a normal sweet potato but there’s something else added inside.” After an enjoyable dinner, Leah finally had the chance to taste the final dish—the dessert, which appeared to be an ordinary sweet potato. When she peeled the skin and took a bite, she realized