Everything happened quickly. When Keeble’s bat hit the ground, he noticed his target was missing. “Keeble! What happened?!” “What?! How did he get there so fast?” “Keeble! Can’t you aim properly?!” His friends were surprised by the sudden twist in the outcome but were not overly concerned. “It seems like he’s professionally trained. No wonder he just stands there the whole time. Turns out he’s quite fast.” Keeble knew what happened. The moment the bat was swung down, Kaze already predicted the trajectory and reacted accordingly, allowing him to dodge the hit easily. The swift reaction clearly indicated Kaze was powerful. “I don’t want trouble, but if you people chose to be persistent, I wouldn’t mind teaching you a lesson but I’m sure you won’t be able to handle the consequences.” Kaze had been holding back but Keeble and his men continued to annoy him, grinding his patience off. “I thought you can’t speak. Why didn’t you say anything at first?” Keeble scoffed.
When the man saw the confrontation, he frowned and quickly strode over. “Isn’t it Peter from the Viper’s Den? Of what do I owe the visit?” The moment Keeble turned around, he saw someone he used to respect. It was a surprise that Peter appeared at such a critical moment. He wondered if Peter was just passing by or came here to pick up someone. “What are you people doing?” Peter had been tasked with picking up Kaze and should have arrived earlier, but he got caught in terrible traffic. When he finally arrived, he saw that the person he was supposed to pick up was surrounded. Although he did not know much about Kaze’s background, his boss had given him the order, and that was reason enough to treat Kaze with respect. “Mr. Lee, sorry I am late,” he apologized as soon as he went up to Kaze. Kaze simply nodded and did not blame him for being late. “He’s with you?” Even if Keeble was a fool, he should have noticed by now that he had just messed with someone that he shou
“We didn’t do anything. Why?” Keeble aspired to become a gangster boss one day and if he were humiliated here and now, his dream might come to an abrupt end. He might not even be able to stay in the underworld anymore. “So you guys can bully Kaze and we cannot take revenge?” Leah said, her tone upset. She was determined to avenge Kaze. Keeble wanted to argue. He even looked at Peter, seeking clarification. Peter had agreed to let him and his men go, so why would the girl hold them back? “This has nothing to do with me. If she’s okay, of course, I can let you go,” Peter said. He did not want to overly expose his intention, so it would be best to be no part of the conflict. Kaze wanted to steer away from trouble but Keeble was the one who started it and simply letting them go might send the wrong message to others. “If you guys are bold enough to come here for trouble, then you should know how to handle the situation when it backfires.” Kaze was not the type of person w
With heels clacking and a branded purse hanging in her hand, Katie walked toward her daughter. When she saw the man beside Leah, a hint of displeasure rose from her heart. Then, she noticed Peter and a sense of familiarity rose to her mind. On second thought, she seemed to have met Peter before. “Peter? What are you doing here? Here to pick someone up?” A smile appeared on Katie’s face when she spoke to Peter. Leah initially wanted to introduce Kaze to her mother and tell her how he had helped her before. However, her mother did not even look at her or Kaze and went straight to Peter to greet him. Once again, she was ignored by her mother and it upset her. Unfortunately, she could not do anything to change it because she knew it was her mother’s job. She knew from a young age to never interrupt her mother during work or else she would be beaten. Kaze had heard a lot about Katie from Leah. The girl complained to him how unfair her workaholic mother was, yet when he saw
“I’m quite busy lately but we are going to host a banquet soon. I’ll make sure the invitation reaches you and Mr. Longwind.” Katie revealed a little bit of her upcoming plan to Peter since he was Alfonso’s man. Peter was delighted by the response. “Madam, I wouldn’t want to take up any more of your time. I’ll be waiting for my guest here.” Peter saw the look in Kaze’s eyes and knew better than to reveal his identity, so he simply said he was still waiting for his guest. Katie then turned to her daughter. She had no idea what had happened earlier. The only thing she noticed was a car speeding off in her direction when she arrived. “What happened just now?” The smile on Katie’s face disappeared when she spoke to her daughter and her tone sounded strict. “You really don’t care about me, don't you? I almost got into a fight with someone.” Leah looked aggrieved. Despite her mother’s tone, she was intoxicated by the feeling of love and care. She loved being with her mothe
“Mom, what are you doing? He’s not asking for money.” Leah felt insulted and she knew her mother did it on purpose. “He didn’t say anything, so how would you know?” Katie said as she scrutinized Kaze. Peter saw the scene from the side and wanted to help but knowing Katie’s identity, he dared not interfere to offend her, so he simply stood still like a rock. “If not for Kaze, I wouldn’t even get out of trouble. Perry even sent his men after me.” Leah then told her mother what actually happened before she arrived. She told her mother the truth because she wanted her mother to know that she was almost hurt. “Thank you, Peter.” Learning that Peter had helped earlier, Katie furthermore believed Kaze had nothing to do with the matter. Peter knew her and her status well and was likely familiar with her daughter. Helping the girl should have been a gesture of respect toward her. Kaze did not say anything from the start, and it made Katie believe that he harbored ulterior mo
“Since you refused, then consider the reward forfeited. Stay away from my daughter and don’t let me see you again,” Katie said to Kaze, her words serving as a warning. Her eyes brimmed with clear wariness and disdain. Leah felt a surge of embarrassment at her mother’s reaction. “Why won’t you listen to me? Kaze really helped me! If it weren’t for him, I might have been beaten up!” She continued to argue in defense of Kaze. She felt that her mother was being unreasonable. “Open your eyes and see clearly whether he helped you out of goodwill or he has something else in mind.” Katie wanted her daughter to open her eyes and not be swept away by a moment of gratitude. Not everyone who offered help did so out of goodwill. In modern society, people worked hard just to make ends meet. Why would a stranger help another without expecting anything in return? It was every man for himself. One’s personal benefits and goals trumped others. “Madam, I really don’t expect anything. I’
Katie glared at Kaze, shifting all the blame onto him. “What does he have to do with this? It was you who made me follow your orders. You were the one who interfered with my life!” Leah did not want to lash out at her mother, but the more her mother denied her, the stronger her urge to rebel became. If she continued to be a timid girl who unconditionally accepted her mother’s orders, her life would be completely in her mother’s grasp, like a puppet to a puppeteer. “Stay away from my daughter! If I catch you seeing her, I will make you regret it!” Katie had had enough of her daughter’s defiance. She dragged her daughter by the arm to her car. She resented Kaze even more for influencing her daughter. If not for him, Leah would never have defied her in public. Leah tried to break free from her mother’s restraints. She turned to Kaze, looking at him helplessly. Suddenly, she felt like a joke—a jester whose performance was being cut short before its time. Once again, she t
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