Kaze smiled offhandedly. “At least, I know more than you know.” “Oh, really? I’m let down by my intelligence team.” Reiko leaned forward, giving a glimpse of her long neck and beyond. Her voice softened. “I don’t know much about you, Mr. Lee. “But my curiosity grows the more I know you.“I want to know everything about you.” The dim light gave off an amorous vibe as Reiko worked her magic. Somehow or rather, Reiko’s bare foot managed to creep up Kaze’s pants. She was a vision of beauty. Every part of Reiko’s body was a fatal attraction. Her foot was a powerful weapon to a man with particular fetishes. Tension brewed as Reiko’s foot inched higher up Kaze’s pants. Kaze said, “Do you behave this way with Aiden too?” His words broke the spell. Reiko withdrew her leg. Not feeling out of place, she beamed and said, “Aiden has nothing on you, Mr. Lee. “The Krads are prestigious in the West State, and he was born into power. He’s mediocre in achieving what he has tod
“I don’t mind being a friend to you, Ms. Hara. “But I’d rather pass if it’s the kind of friendship you have with Casius. “If I can be frank, I don’t like your people.” Reiko looked hurt. “I know many Arcadians do not look at my people favorably, but I didn’t think a man of your stature carries this prejudice too.” Kaze let out a self-deprecating smile. “I’m just a moocher who nobody thinks highly of. Why are you putting me higher than other Arcadians?” As one who rejected the notion of social hierarchy, Kaze would never treat others based on their social standing. Not playing along with Reiko, Kaze said callously, “I can tell you now that unless Sanwell Finances agrees to Mayor Synder’s proposed terms, I would never be on good terms with the Ryokanians.“Just hit me with your best shot.“I can tell you now that you will pay a heavy price. “You might not be able to handle it.” Reiko kept a straight face. “Don’t be ridiculous, Mr. Lee. I’m committed to ending our confli
“I see.”Kaze nodded. He knew Welson, the police chief of Riverbank. As Lock and Welson shared some similarities, Kaze suspected their relationship. It never occurred to Kaze that Lock was one of the Yaphets. Lock waved his hand unhappily. “I’m not a member of the Yaphets. Don’t show off. I don’t deserve to be a part of the family. I’m a Yemen now.”“What’s the matter? Are things not going well with you and the Yaphets?” Kaze asked with a frown. Lock replied with a wry smile, “Things are worse than you think. My relationship with the Yaphets is similar to yours with the Lees.“You can say that the Yaphets disowned me. I looked out for you not just purely out of affection. “I felt for you because we were in the same situation.” Kaze said with a smile, “Don’t say that. Regardless of your reasons, I could feel the love and care from you.” Lock nodded with relief and uttered, “The Yaphets have always looked down on me because of my failures.” “Ha! We have suffered a lot
Lock’s expression was complicated and wry. “As expected, only my older brother cares enough to come. The other members don’t think we’re good enough. They find it beneath themselves to attend our parties.” Even so, Lock and his family went up to give a warm welcome. The car door opened, and a stern-looking middle-aged man with a square jaw stepped out. It appeared that the man drove himself there. Kaze looked at the middle-aged man with a raised brow. The man turned out to be an old friend. He was Welson, Riverbank’s deputy mayor and police chief.“Welcome, Welson.” Lock reached his hand out. Welson did not respond to the handshake. Instead, he scoffed. “Well, aren’t you eager to buy a villa and throw a party after making a bit of money? I heard that a real mixed bag of people attended. “You’re old enough to know better. Can’t you act more like a member of the family?” Faced with his brother’s criticism, Lock smiled apologetically. “You’re right, Welson, but Cyan bo
Following Welson’s arrival, Kaze’s stature rose in the eyes of the partygoers. Once again, Kaze could not care less. The world may not have high hopes for him, but he would remain unfazed. His experiences had equipped him to remain unperturbed in the face of change.Welson did not stick around for long. He had tea with Kaze before taking off. He was a public servant, so it was inappropriate for him to attend a private get-together with a mix of characters. “Kaze, Mayor Synder thinks highly of you. Thank goodness you are here. Otherwise, Welson wouldn’t play nice,” once Welson was gone, Ryna said in glee.She could not stand Kaze before, but tonight, Kaze was a star. Of all the Yaphet family members, Welson was the kindest to Lock’s family, even attending his niece’s party.It went to show how unpopular Lock’s family must be with the rest of the Yaphet family members. Ryna was overjoyed that Kaze brought honor back to Lock’s family. “You’re amazing, Kaze. You appear t
Though the representatives from the Viper’s Den were insignificant, Lock saw them as influential. These people represented the Viper’s Den, and that alone was enough. Hannah must have followed through with Kaze’s instruction to look after Lock’s business through these people. These VIPs did not seem to take Kaze seriously, though. After a round of introductions, they passed off some casual compliments.While disappointed, Lock was not overly concerned. He was just giving Kaze an opportunity, but Kaze would have to be the one to seize the chance and befriend the Viper’s Den. Lock was not against Kaze climbing the social ladder. One VIP said, “You sure are lucky, Lock.“With Ms. Delmore’s recent appointment, she’s looking to clean house and bring in her own people. Your company is listed as a partner for the South River State Branch.“Do you know that Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger personally approved your company as a partner?” The other VIPs looked at Lock enviously. “
The VIP who made the first comment teased, “You have no idea what you have going for you, Lock. Tsk, tsk.“We have a little something. Do you know why Ms. Delmore won instead of Mr. Gwake?”“Was it not because Ms. Delmore was stronger?” Lock replied. Given his position, Lock would not receive firsthand information about the power struggle. All he picked up on was rumors. The person pursed his lips. “Ms. Delmore is strong, but so is Mr. Gwake. Heck, Mr. Gwake has more experience than Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger combined.“Mr. Gwake has the support of Casius, one of the Riverbank Seven, and Casius is backed by Ryokanians. The Ryokanians have a strong presence in Riverbank.“Ms. Delmore, on the other hand, was kicked out of the Viper’s Den West State Branch. Mr. Ettinger is losing his family influence since the sudden death of the previous branch chief. “Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger couldn’t possibly fight against Mr. Gwake without help.” Kaze nodded to himself. Though thes
Ryna looked at Cyan excitedly. “Cyan, I can't believe you know the branch leader. Why didn’t you tell me?” “The branch leader? I-I don’t. I’ve never met him.” Cyan was thrilled but more so confused. “Think again. Take your time. You must have met him somewhere. Mr. Fisher is right. You went viral out of the blue.“He must like you to pour resources into you. “Only the branch leader can afford these resources.” Ryna’s cheeks turned rosy with thrill.The Viper’s Den West State Branch leader was quite a big deal. Hannah, the South River State Branch chief, was already beyond Lock’s family’s reach. However, the South River State Branch chief was a nobody next to the West State Branch leader. This huge figure took a fancy to her daughter. Most importantly, the branch leader did not try to romance Cyan by force. Instead, he poured a lot of investment into Cyan to support her growth.This was dedication. It was sincerity. The branch leader had shown the Yemens how muc
Arthur chuckled, his smile carrying a touch of sleaziness. “Oh, I see.” A realization dawned on Kaze. “Are you with quality control?” Several individuals in dark blue suits approached. The men and women carried files and documents. Kaze nodded without a word. “We are just here to announce the results. We shouldn’t be long.” Arthur came forward to engage with them. The group was likely given the heads-up as they had the right number of people. They swaggered into Rising Sun’s building. The general manager straightened up his tie in a fluster and walked out. None of the film productions made the cut yet, and the delay was costing the company money by the day. At this rate, the project would go down under. Eli, the general manager, rushed to the entrance upon learning the news. The review team was there to do one final check. The films would get the green light if the board found that everything was up to par. The head office would stop putting pressure on
Given Kaze’s status, Alfonso knew better than to have him waiting under the hot sun. Of course, he would send his people to be on standby for Kaze’s arrival. Peter only came to the rescue when Kaze was pestered by some street gang. Alfonso’s omission of Kaze’s identity led to this hiccup. Kaze did not care one bit about the incident. Heck, he did not even bring it up. Arthur straightened his back nervously, becoming even more cautious behind the wheel. “You knew, but why didn’t you say anything, Mr. Lee? You didn’t even tell on us.” Arthur could not understand why. However, he had more respect for the man. “I didn’t see a point. You’ll learn what happens when you displease me, so I won’t bother telling you now.” Kaze was mild-mannered as ever. He spoke softly without a hint of anger. All the more Arthur revered him. “Mr. Lee, we didn’t do our jobs right. We didn’t know who you were.“But my duty is to protect you in the dark. “We saw you getting out of the train
“Rising Sun is a media company. Several of their films are about to be released. They are trying to get them approved to air due to some censorship issues.” Arthur took out a document. “Are there any issues with the films? Why aren’t they approved yet?” Kaze asked curiously. Kaze had no idea. “There are some issues. They aren’t fit to be aired. “Typically, there aren’t a lot of restrictions for film productions so long as the themes aren’t sensitive topics. “But these films featured altered history. The company has been asked multiple times to make revisions, but the films still don’t make the cut.” The Viper’s Den’s members were not privy to the information. The Frosts were insignificant. Kaze was after the Frosts. Otherwise, the Viper’s Den would not waste its resources on a mere film production company. Jet’s investment of nearly ten million bucks in Rising Sun caught the Viper’s Den’s attention. The delayed approval of the films would be catastrophic to the in
“It’s quite a bustle even when it’s late at night.” Kaze looked down from above and saw the bright lights. A street in the distance was brightly lit with many people working into the night. “The majority of people would do many things to make a living.” Arthur rarely observed these sights. “Thank you. Keep me in the loop of any progress. I’m curious as to what you’d do.” Kaze did not see a need to get involved with the minor stuff. He delegated the tasks to his people. “If you have time, why don’t you go out and have a bit of fun, Mr. Lee?” Arthur asked. The reason for Kaze’s trip was to deal with Jet. Kaze would get some satisfaction from upsetting Jet. “I don’t want to attract attention.” The last thing Kaze wanted was to blow his cover. From Kaze’s question, Arthur knew that Kaze was interested. “No. We can give you a whole new identity.” Arthur knew what to do. “I’ll leave you to it, but don’t take it too far,” Kaze replied. Still, Kaze was intrigued a
Katie was narrow-minded to spit out the unpleasant things. Her words would never harm Kaze. Kaze took the private elevator back to the penthouse for a rest. He had more important things to do. He needed to keep tabs on the Frosts. Leah’s business was none of Kaze’s concern. Sure, Leah was in a state, being manipulated by her mother and all. However, it was a family matter at the end of the day. Kaze had no rhyme or reason to get involved. Kaze soon put the whole thing behind him. Arthur was already there at the penthouse. As Kaze entered the room, Arthur jolted up from the couch. “Mr. Lee, this is the document you requested. It should have detailed information to give you a clearer idea of the situation.” Arthur put the papers in front of Kaze and grabbed him a bottle of water. Feeling hot from his walk back, Kaze took a sip and held the document up for a look. “I got to give it to the Frosts. They sure work in the shadows.” Kaze grinned. A strong opponent p
“Despite everything I’ve said, you still won’t listen! Kaze is a liar! He befriended you with a motive. Yet, you trust him. He’s a good friend to you? What do you take me for?” Katie could not put up with her daughter’s defiance. Leah must obey her because that was what a good daughter would do. “I see you as my mother. What about you? Am I a daughter to you?” Leah did not want to ask such a distressing question. However, there was no way around it. She was escaping reality. Still, she had to swallow the truth, however cruel. “What are you talking about? I wouldn’t raise you if I didn’t consider you my daughter.” Katie worked hard to keep a level head. The last thing she wanted was the whole thing to blow up into a bigger fight. She had a lot to do for the upcoming party. There was no time to lose in keeping her daughter happy. Besides, Leah was no longer a child. Yet, she was so defiant and rebellious. “Why do you plan on giving me away if I’m supposed to be your d
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