“I want to see the person in charge of the demolition project now.” It was not a matter of time before the area was bulldozed, but Kaze hoped to delay it. Generally, it would take a large amount of capital to launch a project. Any delay would cause massive losses. Jet had several projects that had been put on hold, and it was a heavy blow to him. If Jet could not fix things quickly enough, all his money tied to the projects would be gone. He would be forced to ditch some projects to cut his losses. “I’ll get him here right now.” Arthur went out to make phone calls. He believed Kaze did the right thing as the senior citizens had nowhere to turn to. The senior citizens could only survive with some help. “Thank you, young man. Why are you helping us?” The senior citizens were old, but they could tell that Kaze genuinely wanted them to be okay. “I don’t think it’s right to bully you.” Kaze looked at the senior citizens earnestly, feeling sorry for them. Jet lack
Kaze was confused. Surely, the authorities would not disregard human lives and demolish the place by force. “Well, we tried to relocate them, but they refused our services. If they are still not on board, they will be sent to the retirement home tonight.” That was all Pax knew. The retirement home was just another place for the senior citizens to await death. “Is there nothing else you can do? So you signed the contract without thinking about the consequences? Karma will get back at you.” Pax’s shamelessness shocked Arthur. Pax mentioned that he would put the demolition on hold. It had not been long, and now the rights to the land were handed over. “It’s out of my hands. Jet went to my superiors to seal the deal. We are not allowed to intervene. “We had been figuring out ways to reach reconciliation for these senior citizens, but Jet was determined to make them pay.” It was the best Pax could do. He was just an employee, working to make a living. He did not have a say
Kaze watched as the senior citizens took off. The place was quiet as usual, and many things in the unit were left uncollected. “Mr. Lee, does this arrangement work?” Arthur awaited Kaze’s orders. “It will do for now.” After being out for the day, Kaze had seen some stuff. Business was all about making money, but some lines should not be crossed. As long as things remained within reason, there would not be scrutiny or blame. It was astounding the lengths Jet would go to. “The area will be demolished after a while. I want all of the Frosts’ projects on hold. Don’t approve any of them.” One word from Kaze could shake the very foundation of the Frosts’ business. “Alright. My team is on it. “But the Frosts will ask questions and find out who is behind this.” Arthur looked at Kaze worriedly. “They can’t find anything.” No one would know who Kaze was without his permission. It probably never crossed Jet’s mind that Snow had a powerful friend. Otherwise, he woul
“Just lay all the bad news on me.” Jet started getting some ideas, seeing that the situation was rather unique. “The other important business dealings are halted indefinitely. I can’t get hold of the higher-ups.” Something did not add up, but Aloysius could not figure it out. This was the reason why he had to see Jet right away. “Have you investigated? Who is behind this?” It was clear to Jet that someone was out to get him, and the person targeted his business ventures. “We have run some checks. It’s a peculiar situation. It looks like someone is pushing this forward, but we can’t figure out who this person is.” Aloysius had been with the company for a long time. He knew a lot of people. Yet, he had never run into a case like this before. Despite the investigation, Aloysius could not find anything. “What’s the situation like?” Jet asked, holding back his rage. It was strange, indeed. However, there had to be some sort of trace. Who would attack the Frosts, th
Tens of thousands in assets were lost as every second passed. Jet, as powerful as he was, could not let that happen. “Look into any prominent figures who have come to Butterworth lately.” Driven by fury, Jet had no qualms about attacking his people. Jet would compensate him with money anyway. Aloysius was used to the treatment. He kept his mouth shut and cleared up the mess before taking off. Jet’s nerves were on edge. After all, he had never encountered such a situation before. It was a mystery as to who would resent him so much as to take action. After much thought, Jet gave his previous business partners a call. He either could not get through to them or was transferred to their assistants. As it turned out, he could not reach anyone. Jet realized that he may have upset the wrong person. Otherwise, this would not happen in the first place. “That’s strange. I’ve been staying in Butterworth. I doubt I have upset anyone.” Jet just could not figure it out.
Aloysius entered the room. He was in a sorry state with a bandage on his head. “Mr. Lyfe can’t make it today, sir.” “Didn’t he say he was coming?” Jet asked without a second thought. “Mr. Lyfe’s son is apparently pursuing Leah.“Katie is planning to throw her daughter a birthday party here.” It was old news. The Frosts had always received an invitation to the celebration. “Katie sure put a lot of thought into the party. She must be trying to reach out to more powerful people.” Jet saw through Katie’s little plan. “What do we do now, sir? These people are saying they can’t make it now.” Aloysius had long understood that he would lose friends when he lost power. However, things had not progressed to that state yet. Yet, Jet’s previous business partners ignored him. “The Frosts are still in power. Where are they getting their intel from?” Jet could not put up with the humiliation. “What do we do now, sir?” Aloysius did not expect these people to be so disrespect
“We are happy to have dinner with you, but it’s only been a few days since we last saw you.” Though confused, the group took their seats. Jet invited them out to see if they knew anything about the mastermind behind the halted projects. However, the group behaved no differently from before. “Friends should always stay connected. I’m looking to take on a few business ventures. I was wondering if any of you are interested.” Jet was not in the mood to start new business dealings. He was simply trying to extract information from the group. Jet’s business ventures were stalled, and if the group had an inkling, they would not do business with him.If they were in the dark, they would jump at the opportunity to close the deal. They could not possibly say no, especially since they had been begging for Jet to throw a lifeline. “What kind of business are we talking about?” “Yeah. Can we be a part of it?” “I’ve been wanting to do business with you, Jet. It’s a pity we never
Jet did not look worried. His companions were confused. Anyone else in Jet’s position would panic. Each day the business ventures were on hold, and he faced continuous losses.However, Jet remained composed. It proved that Jet was competent to face problems. Despite the obstacles, Jet was able to overcome it in no time. “I see. Do tell if you need any help. We are happy to lend a hand.” “Yeah. I’m sure the problems will go away soon enough.” The group uttered, not taking the incident to heart. Seeing that the group was gullible, Jet was relieved. After dinner, Jet sent his drunk guests away. Jet grimaced. “None of them know anything. Those who do won’t see me.” Jet was curious as to who he had upset to deserve the attack. There was still wiggle room in regard to his business ventures, and Jet could still afford the wait. Nevertheless, it was frustrating to be targeted. “Is there anything you need, sir?” Aloysius asked. “Keep an eye on these people. Check
“You’re finally growing up.” Katie was pleased. “Thank you for your guidance, Mom. You need to get one thing straight, though. Don’t force me to do the things that I don’t want to do,” Leah whispered. Marriage was not the path she chose. “Today is just about formalities. You won’t have to commit to anything. We can talk about this later. If you see someone you fancy, you can talk to me.” Katie would not pick a fight with her daughter on an important day like this. She gave Leah some space. At the very least, Katie would not upset Leah right now. Though Leah did not get the answer she was looking for, Katie had backed down a little. Hence, Leah said nothing. As the pair smiled politely from across the room, the crowd grew envious of them. “Even though Katie is a grown adult, she looks young and beautiful for her age.” Jonathan’s breath was taken away. It was no secret that Leah was beautiful, but the mother-and-daughter duo held their own when standing together. Le
Leah was glowing in her princess outfit today. “Thank you, Joey. You’ve worked hard for my birthday party.”Leah was thankful to hear her friends’ well wishes from Joey. “I didn’t do much. Madam Loren is the one doing the heavy lifting.” Joey put in the good word for Katie.“My mother only barks orders. She won’t do things herself,” standing in the elevator, Leah murmured. For that reason, Leah did not have much expectation for her mother. Leah would celebrate her birthday with an intimate party at the villa every year. This year was special and more elaborate. Leah enjoyed putting a look together, but she was no commodity. Most of the attendees were Katie’s business partners or bootlickers. Leah felt like a product up for sale, and she did not even have a say about it. The choice was in the customers’ hands. “Don’t say that. Madam Loren had been keeping an eye on the event planning. Though she wasn’t here, she determined every detail, including the flowers.” Al
Joey did not expect her comment to upset Leah. Leah should not be throwing a tantrum on an important day like this. However, Leah’s mind was elsewhere, to begin with. She merely stayed at the hotel to increase her chances of running into Kaze. Luck was not on her side because Leah did not see Kaze again. Leah felt down, but she was reluctant to leave. Despite feeling annoyed about being pushed around today, Leah could only sit around and wait. Joey’s remark made Leah feel like she was a commodity. Her mood dropped to an all-time low. Leah kept to herself, not keen to carry on with this life. Her life bore no meaning. She was her mother’s mindless puppet. “Why the sudden frown? Not everybody gets to wear such a beautiful gown,” flustered, Joey consoled her. She could not understand Leah’s change of mood. “I’m fine. I just feel uneasy about joining everybody at the event hall.” Leah knew she should not be headstrong, but the words just came out of her mouth. T
“We should make the call for our kids. They’re too young to know much,” Jonathan uttered. “Excuse me while I tend to other guests. You should get inside. We can talk later.” Katie was not keen on pursuing the subject. Joey rose to her feet and led Jonathan and Kody into the event hall. Jonathan kept pressing on, only to find Katie brushing him off. He was upset. However, Katie had the power to ruin his business. Jonathan knew better than to rub her the wrong way. He joined others in the hall. Katie was all decked out to befriend more potential business partners. Leah started getting ready first thing in the morning. She was dolled up nicely too. She looked like an elegant princess in the pink tutu dress. The outfit brought out an adorable side to her. Leah picked out the dress a while back, and it was only one of its kind. The dress was air-shipped to her. The dress was tailored to fit her perfectly. She looked refined with her long, black hair resting behind
“It’s your birthday party tomorrow. You might want to cut down on your drinking. Don’t do anything rash.” Joey could tell that Leah had a problem with her. As Katie’s assistant, Joey had a lot on her plate. However, some things were out of her hands. Joey could not do anything about their mother-daughter problems. Since she could not fix anything, she had to leave them to it. “Pfft.” Leah had been hoping to run into Kaze, but he was nowhere to be found lately. Disappointment washed over Leah, but the only thing she could do was wait. “Is there someone you’re waiting for?” Joey often caught Leah turning to look at the entrance. She would turn around every time an individual walked through the door. “Are you just going to tell on me again?” Leah did not like to be threatened. Most importantly, she did not want Katie to know about this. She was not mean to Joey on purpose. Leah’s words came off harsh because she was feeling down. “I won’t tell on you. I just feel
“But you run the place. I doubt anyone would try anything. The guy just didn’t know any better.” Leah acted like she did not care. In truth, Kaze was standing tall and proud in her head. “Oh, I hope you will give me fewer things to worry about. Put up a few days at home, and you can come back to stay at the hotel after the birthday party.” Katie rejected Leah’s proposal. She could not possibly let her daughter stay elsewhere when she had a home. Leah understood that while her mother seemed easy to talk to, the latter would not budge when her boundaries were crossed. “Got it.” Leah pretended to be compliant. “The housekeeper will go shopping with you to pick out some clothes and jewelry.” Katie was generous to her daughter, especially when she behaved. Freedom was the one thing Katie took from Leah. “I’ll shop around, but I don’t need anyone following me.” Leah did not like being controlled. “Be good now. Your birthday party is around the corner. All eyes are on
“If you won’t listen to reason, I’ll have to send you abroad and leave you to fend for yourself.” Katie would have no choice but to ditch Leah if she became too hard to manage. Leah never thought that her mother would say such a thing. While Katie was a callous mother to her, it never crossed Leah’s mind that Katie would send her away. Leah did not want to leave Arcadia. It would cut her off from the person she wanted to meet. Though it was uncertain whether she could see Kaze again, the odds would be in her favor if she stayed. Leah was defenseless against Katie’s coercion. With Leah falling silent, Katie knew that she was moving in the right direction. “Be a good girl, and I’ll make it worth your while. You’re my daughter. Of course, I love you and want what’s best for you.” Katie backed up a little to ease the tension. “You don’t have to do anything. Just stay with me. There’s still room for discussion if marriage isn’t for you right now.” Katie knew her daught
Katie, taking off in the car, was not in the best mood. The smile on her face quickly vanished as soon as the car was out of sight. “What’s wrong with you today?” Katie questioned. “What do you mean?” Leah talked smack. “I’m sure you know full well why I took you with me.” Katie had conceded, but Leah just would not take her win and leave it at it. The nerve of her to defy. “I did. You’re trying to sell me, aren’t you?” Holding a grudge on the earlier slap, Leah was pretty rude to her mother. “Since you can’t accept the big man from the Viper’s Den, I set you up with a young, handsome man. There’s no pleasing you.“Jet is the whole package. He has the looks and wealth. Is he not good enough for you?” Katie felt put in the spot. Leah was getting more unruly by the day. “I want to live life on my own terms.” Leah voiced her thoughts. She was nobody’s puppet. “Oh, you want to dictate your life. As you can see, everything you have comes from me. You’ll lose eve
“I am just telling the truth. Thank you for your enlightenment, Madam Loren,” Jet said humbly. “It’s getting late. We should be going. My daughter easily gets tired at night. She’s like a little rabbit at home. “If you have any other gathering in the future, remember to bring her alone and let her make some friends.” Katie once again pushed her daughter to the forefront, hoping to matchmake the two of them. “Let’s keep in touch, Leah. If you want to have some fun, just call me. I’ll arrange everything,” Jet said. “Thank you. As for your problem, don’t worry about it. I’ll go ask around,” Katie added. Jet had already achieved his objective, so he stood up and sent them out. After the mother and daughter went into the car and drove off, the humble smile on his face disappeared. Aloysius then came from the side. “Have you prepared the present?” Jet rubbed his stiff cheeks and then lit up a cigarette. “Yes, sir. It’s a set of jewelry.” Aloysius had prepared a presen