With Sasha putting the blame on herself, Kaze shook his head. He was not pointing fingers. “You can accept the pay from Herbal Spring.” Kaze said, “You’re not living at Herbal Spring for free. Your aunt is paying for you. Once you get into college, you can make more money to repay her.”“Really?” Sasha was skeptical. Besides boarding and lodging at Herbal Spring, Sasha was also taking medicine for her health. After working there for a while, Sasha had a general idea of things. Sasha’s medicine was expensive, and the medical bill was beyond the budget of most families. Kaze said, “You can ask Darcy if you don’t believe me. Your aunt even asked me if she had paid enough money when I was heading out this morning.” Despite knowing it was a lie, Darcy nodded. “Sasha, Kaze is right. Don’t feel burdened.” Sasha was naïve and gullible. Darcy’s statement gave Sasha the push. Since Kaze and Darcy were rich, Sasha assumed that her aunt must earn a lot. Her aunt could afford
It appeared Kaze and Darcy were not the only ones who got their hands on the special pass straight to the hangar. Five groups stood in close proximity, yet a clear divide was evident between them.Interestingly, that was as many branches as the Quints had in Ridgesouth.The smallest cluster belonged to Hector, Agnes, and Sky. They kept their heads down, hiding their distress. It looked like they were insulted. As Darcy and Kaze got out of the car, all eyes turned to them, and many sneered. “Can you even drive, Kaze? Look at the time! Are you expecting Madam Quint to wait for you? You have the nerve to show your face when you’re already late!” Agnes tore into Kaze. She threw Kaze under the bus in hopes of deflecting Phoenix’s anger from Darcy. Having seen through Agnes, Kaze did not make a fuss and explained, “Sorry, when we received word, Madam Quint’s plane was touching down in half an hour. “What? Are you blaming us for informing you late?” A tall and pretty woman
Kaze narrowed his eyes at the woman and drew close. “You’re a member of the South River Quints. Should you stand by your leader instead of stirring the pot and causing the scene? “Does family even mean anything to you? “Are you defying the family? “Who are you to disrespect Madam Quint and the family?” The woman staggered back with each question, her face draining of color.“I… You…” Flustered, she glared at Kaze. Still, she was at a loss in the face of Kaze’s questioning. “I assure you, Madam Quint. My daughter, Joan, doesn’t mean any disrespect.” A grizzled-haired middle-aged man with glasses came forward with an ashen face. “She was just trying to defend your honor, Madam Quint. She’s upset because someone disrespected you and arrived late.” This person was manipulative. While sticking up for his daughter, he also took the opportunity to belittle Darcy. “Doesn’t mean any disrespect?” Kaze snapped back, “Madam Quint hasn’t said a thing, but a nobody came out
“You should know that Madam Quint loves flowers, and you came empty-handed. No flowers, no gifts.” “You talk about respect for Madam Quint. It’s all talk. What have you done for her?” “You are hicks from a small place like Lilyrose. Where are your manners? You’re lucky to become the head of the South River Quints, but you will always lack refinement.” “I’m starting to worry about this leader taking us to new heights. I guess we can consider ourselves lucky if she doesn’t bring us down.” “Yeah! She was late and came empty-handed. This tells us all we need to know about this family.” Taking Joan’s lead, the other family members lay into Darcy’s family thick and hard. “That’s enough!” Before Kaze said anything, Sky had a go at these people. “You tried to set my sister up, and now you’re putting the blame on us!“Only you had information of Madam Quint’s flight. You only let us know half an hour before the plane touched down. “Why didn’t we come earlier to wait in the airp
Even Darcy did not think Phoenix would deny her. It was true that Darcy was supposed to gather all family branches in Riverbank. She would have to discipline the unruly and unite the rest. Her goal was to consolidate the family’s power and resources under her control. It was a clear and comprehensive strategy. Darcy had not anticipated such a response from her first meeting with Phoenix. It was harsh. Phoenix completely dismissed her. Darcy, though accepting fault, felt hurt. Agnes felt like her world was crumbling down. If Darcy was stripped of her leadership role, the family would go back to when things were bad. Ever since Darcy became the family head in the South River State, Agnes was treated like royalty everywhere she went. She was addicted to the privileges. Agnes never wanted to go back to those days when people would look down on her.“Darcy, where’s the gift you got for Madam Quint? Hurry up and apologize to her.” Agnes grabbed Darcy hastily. A
“We from Chrysant City have given Madam Quint a bullet-proof Lincoln stretch from Uleania. The Lincoln will be Madam Quint’s ride in Riverbank,” a middle-aged man with glasses said smugly.Kaze glanced at the Lincoln stretch not too far away, understanding the value of the car. “Madam Quint can’t be staying in the hotel throughout her trip. We, the branch in Takeno City, are a family in politics, so we lack funding. Still, we borrowed a villa from a major corporation to accommodate Madam Quint,” a representative of the Takeno Quints said with a chuckle. The Takeno Quints talked about borrowing. Their primary focus was on politics, so they could not be honest about their net worth. However, every branch of the Quints presented Phoenix with expensive gifts. Each gift was worth at least five million dollars. The five-hundred-thousand-dollar bracelet from Darcy’s family seemed modest in comparison. Sure enough, Phoenix grew upset and raised her free arm to slap the gift box
“Gone too far?” Phoenix said furiously, “Do you want to get it too, boy?” “Shut up, Kaze!” Not wanting the situation to escalate, Agnes charged over and said ingratiatingly, “I’m sorry, Madam Quint. We didn’t do a good job raising Sky. He simply didn’t think straight in the heat of the moment.”“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry!” Darcy apologized as well. “I’ll wipe the blood off you, Madam Quint. We don’t want to get your hands dirty.” Joan pulled out a tissue and cleaned Phoenix’s hands fawningly while uttering sarcastically, “You have no idea, Madam Quint. Some people have the money. They just don’t want to spend it.“As far as I know, our little leader is living in a villa worth several hundred million dollars in Riverbank. The villa was a gift from Mayor Synder too.“They didn’t give a bracelet that was only worth half a million because they have no money. They simply do not care enough for you, Madam Quint. “They’re just trying to fob you off since you’re only an old
The Ridgesouth Quints may be a prominent family, but their influence did not extend as far as the South River State. If that were not the case, the Ridgesouth Quints would not have waited until now to appoint Darcy as a proxy to expand their influence in the South River State. Kent came from a wealthy family, and he was the mayor of Riverbank. He had no reason to curry favor with the Quints by giving them a villa. The Ridgesouth Quints should be the ones showering Kent with gifts to do business in Riverbank. “What? How dare you say that we are unworthy!”“If we are unworthy, what about you? You’re just a moocher.”“Insolence!” Joan and the others flipped out. “Bam.” Phoenix slammed her cane to the floor and said chillingly, “You said that the Quints are unworthy, boy. What about you? Why would the mayor give you a villa? “You better give a convincing answer. If you don’t, ha!” “It’s none of your business,” Kaze replied bluntly.Silence hung heavy in the air. E
Based on Kaze’s deduction, Mika’s death was planned on the day of the Yemens’ party. Ryna and Cyan were rude toward Kaze and when Mika saw him that night, conflict was inevitable. Given Kaze’s attitude, after Mika got under his skin, he would surely say something like cancel her online to threaten her. With that, the prerequisite for setting up this plan was fulfilled. Kaze got the motive and the power to do so. Therefore, in times of need, Mika could be pushed to the forefront as a sacrifice. Mika’s death pointed all the arrows at Kaze, making him a suspect or even the killer. In fact, the entire incident should be coordinated with another secret plan to make the chain of evidence more solid and clear. However, Aiden was offended and slapped by Kaze earlier, so he decided to retaliate as soon as possible. It was the reason why the seemingly flawless plan started to have cracks. Despite Aiden’s hasty nature in doing things, Kaze was actually impressed by the masterm
Lock instinctively took a step forward and said, “Ms. Quint, Ms. Frost, it’s a good deal. Given Mr. Krad’s power, he could easily get Kaze out. “One of you is Kaze’s wife; one of you is his assistant. You just can’t sit back and do nothing while Kaze gets sent to jail.” Worry consumed him and made him nervous. He lacked the power to save Kaze, but Aiden could and was willing to. The terms were not harsh and demanding either, but he neglected Darcy and Snow’s feelings. Noticing the ladies’ silence, Aiden continued, “Ladies, my terms are not harsh at all. It’s a good deal, for you and for Kaze. “Kaze can come back in one piece and we can sit down peacefully and talk over dinner. “For Ms. Quint, you and I might be able to reach an agreement regarding the land at Crown Tower; for Ms. Frost, consider it an explanation to the Frosts. Am I right?” The smile on his face looked sincere as if what he offered was purely to have dinner with the ladies without ulterior motives. Da
Aiden narrowed his eyes. He never thought Snow would still reject his brother after all that had happened. He shrugged and then said to Darcy and Snow with a smile, “I am proposing a trade for you ladies.” “A trade?” Darcy was slightly surprised. She asked, “What trade?” She knew Aiden was up to no good, but worrying too much would only slow her down. She wanted to find out what Aiden’s terms were for releasing Kaze.Snow did not speak but simply looked at Aiden. Aiden sensed the concerns from the ladies and it somehow aroused jealousy in him. What charms did Kaze possess to make these two ladies fall for him? Discarding the messing thoughts, Aiden said, “You two are aware of the current situation. Based on the current evidence, Mika took her own life. “However, she’s a PR in Ryokan and her death might cascade into some problematic issues. As for how big it will snowball depends on Ryokan’s reaction. “You should know that I am quite close with the Ryokanians. If I sp
“Mr. Krad! What brings you here…” “Young Master Krad!” The guests of the Yemens, who had been invited to the station to provide testimony, arrived excitedly and greeted Aiden warmly. Aiden made headlines on the first day he arrived in Riverbank, hence many people were already familiar with the young master from the Krads. However, when they came closer to greet him and saw his face, they sensed something strange. Aiden looked rather battered. His face was swollen and red, with a glisten on his cheeks as if he had applied cream or balm to ease the pain. Yet no one dared to ask what happened. Aiden smiled at Cyan and the others before he dragged himself over to Darcy. He forced a smile on his face and said, “Ms. Quint, we meet again so soon.” “What are you doing here?” Darcy asked, her tone frosty and her expression stiff. Aiden stroked his cheek and said without a bit of embarrassment, “I heard Kaze got arrested because he is suspected of murder. I heard of the news, s
Snow helplessly said, “But as Chairman Lee’s assistant, my words do not have credibility and they aren’t accepted by the police. “More importantly, everything happens too fast and the coincidence is uncanny. Villa No.9 should be a private property, how did Mika sneak inside so easily? “According to the butler, Mika told him that she was Chairman Lee’s guest. As servants to the wealthy and powerful, the butler and the others had gotten used to extra company, especially from a female, so they allowed her in. “However, such speculation won’t work with the police. Mika is dead, so they said it was Chairman Lee who called her to the villa. “I was the one who slapped Mika and canceled her, but as his assistant, it could be said that I was instructed to do so by Chairman Lee. “That’s why the whole thing feels off, especially when all the coincidences overlap. Everything is against Chairman Lee.” Listening to Snow’s explanation, Darcy’s expression darkened. According to what she
“Mika could not handle the stress and embarrassment, so she tried to fight back. Kaze must have physically beaten her and also canceled her on every social media platform. “If it’s the truth, then Kaze is a horrible person. Not only did he try to rape her, but he also ruin her career and future. What a monster. “He used to be a quiet person when he was at our house, not like this…” Cyan explained. Ryna then scoffed. “That’s why a villain like him must be executed! I was smart enough to never show him any hospitality and stopped him from coming to our house. “Otherwise, if he had his eyes on Cyan, he would ravage her and even kill us all!” Ryna did not hold back in criticizing Kaze. She even chose to ignore the fact that she tried to curry favors with Kaze at the dinner. Lock could not bear listening to this wife and daughter criticizing Kaze. He frowned and bellowed, “You two, mind your words. “The officers said Kaze is just a suspect. The investigation is still going on
It was as though the man did not expect Kaze to remain calm under the pressure of so many guns pointed at him. The man frowned and then raised his hand, saying, “Move the car and let them go.” “You guys go ahead,” Kaze said to Conan and Darcy. Conan nodded. He quickly turned the car away and left the encirclement. “Which car am I getting into?” Kaze asked as he scanned over the cars. He pointed at the one the middle-aged man was sitting and said, “Can I take this? It seems more comfortable.” The annoyance on the man’s face grew distinctive but he remained silent and nodded. Kaze went over to the shiny new car and got into the back. Armed officers got into the car as well, occupying the other side of the rear seat and the passenger’s seat. Kaze smiled and did not mind the extra security. “Whrrrrr.” The siren went blaring as the motorcade brought Kaze away. Back at Rivername’s residential area, both Villa No.11 and Villa No.9 were sealed by police lines and there
Kaze pretended to be unfazed. Despite his dislike and disgust for Mika, Kaze was sad about the loss of her life. That was all there was to it. He had no idea how Mika’s death was linked to him. Since the police were on his case, something must have been going on. Aiden’s revenge, despite the reckless elements, was carefully laid out. The middle-aged man scoffed and replied, “We have learned that Ms. Suka has been seen in Villa No. 9 on the night of the Yemens’ house party. “Ms. Suka left in tears and a handprint on her face. “Her social media account was canceled, and her talent agency dropped her. She had to pay an exorbitant price due to the breach of contract. “Ms. Suka had been under a lot of stress these few couple of days and attempted suicide several times. She must harbor a lot of resentment toward you. “You, on the other hand, are a shareholder of TikTok and the son-in-law of the Ridgesouth Quints. You command power in Riverbank. She’s just a girl without a
Conan nodded and started the car to head to Villa No. 9. Out of nowhere, three police cars sped over, their blaring sirens shattering the peace in the area. With one in the front and two in the back, the police cars surrounded Kaze’s ride. “Thud!” The doors opened, and armed police officers jumped out of their vehicles. The officers spread out and took their positions, aiming their weapons at Kaze’s car. Several officers in plain clothes emerged from the sedan in the back. The middle-aged leader looked inside Kaze’s car before gesturing to two armed officers. Two armed officers yanked the back door open and yelled at Kaze, “Get out now! “Keep your hands in the air.” Kaze got out of the car and looked at the middle-aged man. He asked in a daze, “Officer, we have a property in Rivername. We are law-abiding citizens. What’s the meaning of this?” Ignoring Kaze, the middle-aged man sized him up and asked without looking, “Is it him?” “Yes, he’s Kaze Lee,” another pol