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
Peter, in the driver’s seat, would peek at the rear mirror to catch glimpses of the rear. Kaze leaned back on the seat comfortably but his eyes were looking outside the window. There was a veil of mystery over him, preventing Peter from reading his expression. Peter was merely following orders to pick Kaze up, but arriving late left him feeling uneasy. He might be serving Alfonso as an aide but he rarely had the chance to meet prominent figures. He had followed Alfonso to a few banquets before and met quite a few people, but none of them were like Kaze. Kaze had a calm and mature demeanor. There was something strange about him—his presence felt oddly assuring, yet his gaze felt sharp and intimidating. “Mr. Lee, do you have any plans here in Butterworth? Do you need me to arrange something for you?” Peter carefully asked. Not knowing Kaze’s identity made it difficult for him to act. “Nothing in particular. You don’t need to do anything for me,” Kaze simply replied. Pet
Katie invested heavily in Leah’s upbringing, hoping to marry her up, which would boost her business while securing her daughter’s future. “I got it. I’ll follow whatever you have planned for me.” Leah gave in to Katie’s requests, despite feeling uneasy. Her mother had control issues. However, Katie’s controlling behavior had gone on for years, and Leah did not know how to retaliate. Even if Leah was defiant, she would quickly yield to her mother. Leah was back to her goodie-two-shoes self. Katie was pleased with Leah’s surrender. “I’ll wire you more money. Just buy whatever you see fit.” Katie had always been generous financially to make it up to her daughter. Leah had nothing on her shopping list. However, she would never refuse money from her mother. She accepted the money and saved it in her bank account. “Now, I expect you to be on your best behavior. I have work to do. There is a lot to do for your birthday party too.“That reminds me. You can invite your frie
Katie watched as tears streamed down Leah’s face. She reached out to dry her tears. Looking at Leah’s beautiful face, Katie could not be any prouder of her daughter. Her daughter was her pride and joy. Katie wanted only the best for Leah, providing her with the new seasonal fashion collection or the latest tech. She ensured that Leah had an abundance of material things, so she would never go without. Nothing in the world would stray Leah away. Katie’s confidence came from the love she had for Leah. “Trust me. I’m not wrong on the matter. I’d never hurt you. Anything I do is for your own good. “I’ll invite Kaze to your birthday party if I see him again.” Knowing Leah, Katie decided to assure her. “Really? Are you really going to invite him to my party?” Despite feeling uneasy, Leah tried to have faith in her mother. “If I do see him again, I will apologize to him. I came off rude because I was worried about you. You should understand where I was coming from.” Ka
“Mr. Lee, since you’ve just arrived, do you want to get a shower or get something to eat first?” Arthur picked up the phone to call the front desk and was ready to ask for room service.“I’ll have a shower first. I’m travel-battered.” Kaze might not be a clean freak but he was tired from all the traveling. Taking a shower would be a good way to relax. Arthur then told the front desk to deliver some food. Meanwhile, at Northborn Emerald Residence, Leah was forcefully brought back home by her mother. She was displeased with her mother’s attitude, but she could not defy her and had no choice but to accept her fate. Still, regret and guilt lingered over what had happened. Kaze helped her a lot but her mother misunderstood him and insulted him. Leah was aggrieved but could not do anything. Her mother had absolute control over her life. “Stay at home and don’t wander outside anymore. I’ll call someone to make you some dresses for the upcoming birthday party.” Katie loved
This also meant that the upcoming schedule would be met with obstacles. Regardless, Arthur felt he needed to be with Kaze to keep him safe. “Let’s go to the hotel first.” Kaze was not in the mood to think about anything else. The car drove into the parking lot. They went up using the executive elevator instead of going in from the lobby. When Northborn Hotel was built, it was accustomed to the guests’ privacy and confidentiality, so an executive elevator was installed for convenience and safety. Due to that, many tycoons in the business world or famous celebrities chose Northborn Hotel when they visited Butterworth, allowing them to conduct business in private and not worry about being exposed. People with certain needs would also choose the hotel for special occasions, such as having an affair. Arthur guided Kaze to the elevator. Kaze scanned around the elevator box and realized there was no surveillance camera. “They did this on purpose?” Kaze said as he pointed u
“I’m okay for now.” “Mr. Lee, are you sure you don’t want to investigate the matter and find out who the mastermind is? I’m sure they are after you for a reason and it’s anything but good,” Arthur said, voicing his concerns. Even if no investigation was launched, he wanted to figure out what happened, or else it would be difficult to fend off potential attacks. “The Frost family won’t let me go this easily, but I have to say they underestimated me this time,” Kaze said nonchalantly, revealing a bit of information to Arthur. Arthur’s eyes narrowed into a serious look. He then gazed into the distance and softly sighed. This little incident might be out of his expectation but it was nothing serious as well. He knew Kaze’s identity, so there was nothing to be worried about. Kaze was the branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den, commanding multiple branches in the state. If he wanted to, he could deal with a lot of matters quietly. He must have had a reason for not using
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll just take it as a forgettable show. They are nothing, just expendable pawns to the employer.” Kaze already knew who sent Otto, so an investigation was not necessary. He came to Butterworth to deal with Jet, so it would be normal for the man to come after him. It was just surprising that Jet would resort to such a cheap tactic. On second thought, it was understandable because Jet never took Snow seriously. With that, it would only be natural that he assumed Kaze was a nameless lowlife, thus sending street thugs to humiliate him and then abduct him to threaten Snow. Kaze would never underestimate his enemies but Jet did not seem to share the same understanding. “You are just letting them go? Isn’t it a little dangerous? People might think that they can jump on us at any time without consequences,” Arthur asked while looking at Kaze with a serious look. He wanted to find out what plans Kaze had for the thugs. Kaze looked at the men crying on
The others were surprised by the situation as well, but they understood their roles and dared not back down. They grabbed their weapons and charged toward the man. After a brief fight, all of Otto’s men collapsed. Arthur continued to stroll toward Kaze, like nothing could stand in his way. One of his hands remained pocketed, and the cigar remained hung from his mouth, setting off a rugged and manly demeanor. “Mr. Lee, I am sorry for being late.” His strong and deep voice sounded from behind Otto. Otto was stunned as if struck by lightning, unable to believe the voice he had just heard. He stood frozen in place. His bat was still pointing at Kaze but his legs started to shake. An uncontrollable fear spread from the bottom of his heart. “What’s Alfonso doing?” Kaze was displeased by the arrangement. He should be resting at the hotel by now had Alfonso made better arrangements, not standing in the middle of the road because some thugs got in the way. “The boss was worr
“You don’t need to know who I am but you will soon find out what will happen to yourself.” Kaze gazed into the distant horizon. A red supercar tore across the horizon, its engine roaring fiercely even from afar.The thunderous roar of the engine was enough to ignite excitement in any man’s heart. “So, there’s someone stupid enough to interfere? They must have a death wish!” Otto was displeased by the engine roars further away. He shot a gaze at his men. A few of his men nodded and headed in the direction of the incoming car with their bats. Whether the car was merely passing or intended to be here, Otto would not allow them to interfere with his plan. “I see you people are ruthless. Don’t tell me you are going to attack some innocent people,” Kaze said casually. If the car was just passing, it would certainly turn away when they saw the situation; if not, it would stop. Kaze watched as the red Ferrari slowed down to a stop in front of him. He initially thought the
“That’s a new car! What the hell?!” Peter felt immense heartache looking at the dent. He had always taken good care of the car and given its luxurious brand, one dent would cost him tens of thousands to fix. More importantly, the car was imported and he had to send it overseas for repair, which would increase the cost. Peter initially did not want any trouble but Otto and his men crossed the line when they damaged the car. “I don’t care if the car is new or old, that guy is coming with us. Why don’t you do us a favor and walk away? You are not part of this.” Otto knew the value of the Maybach as well, but he had no qualms about damaging it as it was not his. Peter was frustrated and aggrieved. The damaged car made him feel worse. “Can’t we just talk this out? Why must you damage my car? We are all working for someone else. Why are you doing this?” he said, attempting to reason with Otto. “Cut the crap, or we’ll beat you together.” Otto signaled one of his men to attac