“I might be able to put up with you if you didn’t cheat on me, but we’re way past that now.” Leah was firm on that note. There was no way Leah could look past the cheating. “She didn’t mean anything to me. You should know that given our social standing, we have plenty of women around. At least we don’t bring our mistresses home.” Perry believed he was gracious enough. Leah was not having it. Sure, Perry came from a rich family. However, Leah’s mother was the CEO of the Northborn Group. Leah also came from money. Though Perry belonged to the Butterworth Duncans, he had a huge family. Perry might not be competent enough to succeed the family business. Perry and Leah got along before. Drawn by Perry’s hot pursuit, Leah dated him. However, it did not take Perry long to look at other girls. Leah was not that into him anyway. She was quick to break things off with him. To her dismay, Perry tagged along on her trip and ruined her plans. Annoyed, Leah did not want to ha
Lovers, like flowers, needed care to flourish and grow. Incompatible couples would only wear each other out. It was plain to see that Perry and Leah were not a good fit. Kaze glanced at them before cocking his head to look out the window. Since he could not get some sleep, he might as well kill some time. Just as he turned his head, he met Leah’s gaze. “It’s you.” Kaze knew he was done for. He did not want to get in trouble, but trouble seemed to find him either way. Still, he had nothing to fear. “You were the guy in the waiting lounge. Can you do me a favor and kick this fella out?” Leah put Kaze in the spot. “Who is he? When did you meet?” Perry jolted to his feet and glared at Kaze. Well, Kaze was in for it now. While he did not mind the questioning, it made him uncomfortable. He did not want to be in the crossfire between the couple. Even if they had broken up, Kaze believed it was none of his business. He simply wanted a quiet trip to Butterworth.
“Be civil. Don’t cause a scene here.” Kaze did not intend to speak up at first. However, he was the only one who could handle the situation in the carriage. The others tried to minimize their presence to stay away from trouble. It was a different story for Kaze, though. He was not afraid of trouble. “I told you to mind your own business. This is between me and my girlfriend. Who the hell are you?” Perry took his anger out on Kaze. “Don’t try to put this on someone else, Perry. I’ll tell my mother if you hurt anyone. Let’s see what you have to say for yourself then.” Leah was worried. She did not want Kaze to get hurt for intervening. “What do you see in the guy anyway? Sure, he looks good, but he has nothing on me.” Perry whined while sizing Kaze up. Kaze was rather tall. His legs were long even in a seated position. His height and build did not stand out much. However, he looked like a model. He had a handsome face that could attract any woman to bankroll him.
Perry grimaced to have his dirty laundry aired. Still, he was the cheater, not the one being cheated on. “If this is the reason you won’t get back together with me, I can promise you to break things off with other women. We can get engaged and get married soon. I’ll transfer the family assets to you.” Perry tried to make it up to Leah with money. “My family is rich enough. I don’t need your money. I wasn’t with you for your money anyway. Please don’t insult me.” Leah was angry that Perry did not get her. In fact, he tried to control her with material things. “What will it take for you to forgive me?” Perry grew irritated as things got out of hand. It was just one night with a woman, but Leah would not let things go. Any woman would put up with his cheating. Not Leah, though. “I can’t forgive you. I will never forgive you.” Leah was firm not to put herself in that position. Even if Perry paid the price for his mistake, Leah would not forgive him. Perry thought that
Leah got quite a scare from Perry’s violence. Not to mention, they were in public too. She was determined not to get back together with him. Leah closed her eyes to brace for the attack, but the assault never happened. When she opened her eyes, Kaze stood up and grabbed Perry’s hand. Kaze’s towering build blocked the light. Leah looked up and saw Kaze’s strong jawline and wisps of hair over his forehead. She stared at his nose. Fear left Leah. She stared blankly at Kaze, finding him more dashing than ever. “Let me go. What are you trying to do?” Enraged, Perry tried to withdraw his arm. However, he could not pull back from Kaze. Kaze got him in a tight arm lock. The disparity in strength between them put Perry off. “What are you trying to do?” Perry said menacingly. He looked Kaze in the eye. “I’m not trying to do anything, but I can’t let you pick on a lady.” Kaze only helped because he could not turn a blind eye. To be honest, he could care less about
“Let me go! Let me go now! You’re breaking my arm!” Tasting fear, Perry begged for mercy while backing away. He wanted to get away from the lunatic. “Leave right now, and we won’t do anything to you. You’re pushing it by staying here.” The moment Kaze released his grip, Perry fell back on his bottom. Instead of feeling pain, he was relieved to be alive. “Don’t let me see you again.” Kaze warned callously. “What’s your name? I’ll make you pay for today.” Perry held his injured arm and rose to his feet. He looked at Kaze warily and had a lot to say. “I’m Kaze Lee. My door is always open to you.” Kaze faced Perry’s defiance without fear. His trip to Butterworth was getting interesting. “Just you wait, boy. You will pay for ruining things for me.” Perry was embarrassed enough as it was. He acted tough and took a long, hard look at Leah before walking out of the business-class carriage. Leah felt at ease, seeing that Perry met his match for the first time. “Thank y
“I can help you with tracking a person down,” Leah uttered to state her position. “I’ll contact you if I need help.” Kaze did not want unnecessary trouble. However, it was not very nice to reject her offer, especially when Leah was only trying to help. “Okay. We’re friends now. Just holler for anything at all. If Perry won’t get off your back, just come to me,” Leah said. “I’ll think about it when that happens.” Kaze did not need the favor. The carriage was quiet enough for him to rest. However, Leah took the seat next to him and would not stop yapping. “You have no idea. I didn’t want to date him, but he wouldn’t leave me alone, so I thought why not?” It started because she agreed to be Perry’s girlfriend. “It was your choice. Let this be a lesson to you then.” Kaze was confused about whether to offer her solace. He did not have the words for her. He was not good at interacting with girls. “Just lend me your ear. I don’t need a response. I just need to vent.”
“I’m not lying. I’m buying you dinner. Besides, my mother will be picking me up at the station. I’ll introduce you.” Leah was not too pleased with Kaze’s nonchalant attitude. She did not want him to think that she was lying. Instead of responding to her, Kaze quietly ate the food. It was a shame to let this food go to waste. Kaze was not keen on the taste. However, he was not the type to waste unless the food was rotten. The pair found themselves in a rather bizarre situation. Kaze kept eating. Leah narrated her sad love story. They were busy doing their own thing. Yet, they sat together in perfect harmony. Snow was worried about Kaze traveling alone. However, she would not be there for him. She got in touch with Alfonso, who was in Butterworth, and informed him of Kaze’s train details. Though Kaze traveled alone to Butterworth discreetly, he would still need someone to meet him on the other side. Alfonso found his visit abrupt. He just reported to Kaze that Jet
Aloysius looked at the business venture at hand with a mix of emotions. Jet was supposed to make a comeback with the project, but the defeat was a huge slap to his face. “Can I ask whether Kaze was behind this?” Aloysius braced himself to ask the question. Even though Aloysius had an inkling, he feared receiving confirmation of his suspicion. “Chairman Lee helped me. If Jet hadn’t hurt my mother, I wouldn’t have rushed back to take his place. “He did this to himself,” Snow said blatantly. “How did you know about the island project? We have been discreet about it.” Aloysius was eager to find out. The question would burn on his mind unless he got some answers. “You can’t keep anything from the Viper’s Den, but this is the end of the matter. If you’re interested in the project, I can put you in charge of it.” Snow could not be bothered to explain herself. Aloysius played it smart. He had been carrying out Snow’s orders without a hitch. Snow was happy to honor her prom
“Tell them that the company is expecting funding, and all the projects will be launched in a few days. Everything will be back on track. It’s a good thing that the higher management is gone. We will be opening the positions for internal employees to apply.” Snow got the right solution to handle the situation. She had to give these employees hope to gain their dedication in return. Aloysius was surprised. “Who would pour money in when our finances are in a mess?” Having worked with Jet, Aloysius had a good understanding of the company’s ins and outs. Several business ventures were up in the air, and the company was bleeding money. Even with a relaunch, these projects would not bring in much of a profit. Most importantly, the relaunch had to be backed up by some funding. The business got a loan from the Viper’s Den. If payment was not made in time, the company’s shares would be used to make up for the loss. The whole thing spelled trouble. Snow just joined the company.
“This is the financial report you submitted today. Any intern can do a better job than you.” Snow mocked Jack. She was disappointed in his performance. A finance director who could not even get his basics right should not be working in finance in the first place. “Who do you think you are, doing this to us?” The others are only out to save their own asses. They did not sympathize with Jack. “I’m sure you are well aware of what you have done.” “You’re on your phone all day at work. You put your daily expenses on the company card, and we’re talking about tens of thousands of dollars a month. You only bought stuff for your personal use. “Let’s not forget about you. Your so-called business trips are to take your mistress out for expensive hotel stays and vacations.” Snow looked at each one of them while detailing their deeds. She shamed them in public, utterly humiliating them. “Why were these allowed before? Why are you stopping these practices now? If you can change
“No, Ms. Frost. I can do it,” Aloysius said right away. He did not want to miss out on a good opportunity. “I gave you a chance. It’s up to you to seize it.” Snow looked at them with a smile. “I’ll get right to it, Ms. Frost.” The HR manager nodded and took off. He had to prepare the paperwork. Those in upper management were on a higher pay grade with a cut of the shares. Following a termination, the HR manager had to calculate the final pay. There had to be a valid reason for the discharge from duties too. Though things were a little complicated, the HR manager was experienced in this aspect. The only issue was that the staff involved were not the low-ranking employees. They held high positions. Despite his unrest, Aloysius did not wear his heart on his sleeve. He had a good read of the situation. Snow was impartial in carrying out business. Those who contributed to the company would stay while the ones who bled the business dry would be sacked. Anyone would p
Sure enough, the mean would gather around the individual at their fall from grace. It was sad to grasp this reality. “I promise you to have everything in order. Don’t worry. You will get a nice promotion.” Snow knew when to give her employee encouragement. Only then would Aloysius feel motivated to work. Aloysius departed in dejection, but Snow did not mind it at all. He served the wrong person. Snow took on the leadership role the same day Jet left. Since she assumed the responsibilities without much experience, the employees did not take her seriously. The people doing the grunt work felt nothing toward the change of leadership. The upper management may experience shifts, but they were still obliged to finish their usual tasks. The only thing they hoped for was to be paid more for their overtime. Following the change of leadership, some leaders may receive a promotion or be transferred out. The employees at the bottom of the pyramid wondered if they could compet
Despite her unease, Snow trusted that Jet would not have the chance to hurt her. Hence, she put the matter aside. The dynamic shift within the Frosts caught the eye of elite families across the business world. They kicked Jet while he was down. Some even tried to get a piece of the pie. However, most of them stayed on the sidelines, observing. A fallen giant was still a giant. Even if these families were greedy, they had to assess the situation before moving in. These businesspeople were skeptical about Snow taking Jet’s place. They did not know what Snow was made of. Consequently, they tried to approach her. Snow had been kept busy in the office, dealing with the problems left behind by Jet. She worked late into the night every day. While being buried deep in paperwork, Snow refused to meet anyone. She had lived in Butterworth before, so she had peers from school and friends around. Snow’s sudden return caught many off guard. Everyone wanted to get close to he
If Jet had detected the problems early on, he could have prevented things from escalating. Yet now, everything was too late. Jet did not regret his actions, though. “Just sign this, Jet. At this rate, the shares will drop beyond the point of redemption,” Talon said. The Frosts were terrified at the stock market’s dropping numbers. They did not have time to lose. “I will sign the papers. I lost.” Jet did not want to give in just yet. However, he had to comply with the family elders’ pleas. Snow was relieved. The contract was quickly drawn up, and Jet signed the papers to give up the proprietorship. “Relax. I won’t do you wrong.” Snow made a promise. At least, Jet would still have a home to go back to. “Don’t get too cocky. I didn’t lose to you. I lost to Kaze.” Jet knew that he would face much resistance if his rival were Snow. It was a shame that he was up against Kaze, a strong and mysterious man. “Just sign the papers. I will take over the family empire, and
“Don’t project your filth on everyone else.” Snow was angry, but she knew that she had to keep her head cool. By jumping straight to defense mode, Snow would give others the wrong idea. She had been there before. Kaze sat still without a word. He furrowed his brows in annoyance when Jet painted his relationship with Snow dirty. “I’m not here for the drama.” Kaze looked at Talon. The senior members of the Frosts should back down before Kaze did something about it. “Who do you think you are? This is a family meeting. Why are you getting involved?“If you are unrelated to Snow, you shouldn’t be here in the first place.” Jet took out his anger on Kaze. Kaze was not part of the family anyway, so Jet did not have to consider his feelings. “Watch yourself, Jet. He’s a visitor.” Talon was smart enough to read the room. Despite the air of mystery shrouding Kaze, he managed to screw with most of Jet’s business ventures. The Frosts stood to lose more by crossing Kaze. Ta
Following Snow’s lead, Kaze entered a big conference room. The centerpiece of the conference room was a long, solid wood table, drawing out an air of solemnity. Various notable and valuable paintings hung on the wall. The expansive floor-to-ceiling window brought light into the room. Sunlight bounced off the window that displayed a picturesque view outside. “There you are.” Jet had been waiting. With the pair slowly making their way in, Jet could not hide the rage in his eyes. “Long time no see, Jet,” Snow greeted him and pulled a chair for Kaze. “It’ll take a bit of time, Chairman Lee. The senior members of my family are on their way.” Snow contacted the family elders while getting to the venue. Jet had not produced much results lately, and the Frosts were utterly humiliated. Since Jet would soon be replaced, the senior members of the family wanted to be kept in the loop. These family members had their own ideas. However, they would be happy to appoint the lea