With Rudy in the lead, the Quints went up to Darcy, trying to flatter her. “Hold it right there!” Darcy stopped them and waved the contract in their faces. “You guys have nothing to do with me renting Clover Center. It’s all because of my husband, Kaze, the one you guys looked down on! He got me this contract!” She looked at everyone proudly and then left the house without pause. Rudy and the others were stunned on the spot. “That idiot again? Why is he ruining our plan every time?” “I wish I could strangle him!” They vent their anger on Kaze as he ruined their plans. All of them cursed Kaze without holding back. Darcy ignored them. She decided to visit Riley to check on her. Riley was fine and was not terribly traumatized by the attempted rape. Darcy breathed a sigh of relief and promised to compensate her two million. “Ms. Quint, I made the company lose two million, how can I ask for compensation now? Besides, Mr. Lee saved me…” Riley praised Kaze for his hero
“Interview? I never submitted my resume.” Kaze was confused. “Did I get the right number? The number stated on the resume is correct. Are you Mr. Kaze Lee? K. A. Z. E. L. E. E?” the woman asked. The woman was also confused after she got confirmation from Kaze. “Why don’t you give me an address and your number. I’ll come to have a look.” Since Kaze had some free time to kill, he decided to go have a look. Who helped him in applying for a job? Or was it part of a bigger scheme against him? After he got the address, he went off. Beside Golden Shield Security Company was Lefteria Building, which was the headquarters of Lefteria Group. He came here before when he dropped Miru off the other day. “Are you Mr. Kaze Lee? I am the HR of Golden Shield, Pauline West. You applied for our security guard position, is that right?” Kaze finally saw the woman who called him earlier. Security guard? Kaze did not discriminate against the occupation but he would not be a security guar
Lester was tall and buff. His muscles almost broke the security uniform that he was wearing. His wide face made him look ferocious as well. He was the perfect candidate to guard the doors of Lefteria Group. “Manager Rayark, I’m Kaze Lee.” Despite the hostility, Kaze remained humble. He did not go against the man either. Since he had to work as a security guard for a while, there was no point in ruining the relationship before it even formed. Lester was right about him getting the job via the backdoor. He was called to interview and was accepted without even going through the tests. Before he knew it, he was already a security guard of Lefteria Group, taking a twenty thousand salary per month. It was the exact definition of getting a job via the backdoor!Darcy must have asked Miru’s help to get him this job. Since his wife went through so much just to get this job for him, he was forced to accept it. “I don’t care who you are. Even if I call you punk, you have to ans
“What did you say? Say that in my face one more time!” Lester glared at Kaze ferociously. He thought he heard Kaze wrongly. Kaze looked into his eyes and said, “I said, I want to become the manager of the Security Department!” Lester’s square face looked grim. The dozen security guards looked at Kaze as if he was an idiot who forgot to take his medication. Why would he say something so ridiculous in Lester’s face?All of them were the same as Kaze when they first arrived. They all tried to challenge Lester’s position but they were all defeated and were convinced by the man’s fists. “This punk doesn’t even look buff and he’s challenging Manager Rayark? The fool is brave.” “He thinks he can become the manager just because he got in via the backdoor?” “Manager Rayark, teach this punk a lesson with your fists and throw him out. Embarrass him and make him afraid of us!” The security guards mocked Kaze. Lester took his jacket off, revealing his black vest. He cracked his
A minute later, no one other than Kaze was standing in the training room. Kaze held back in his slaps or else all the security guards would suffer heavy injuries. The slaps were punishment for them to look down on him earlier. “Lester Rayark, do you think I am qualified to be the manager here?” Lester looked at Kaze blankly. He refused to accept defeat when Kaze slapped him but after what happened to his men, he believed the slap was the most merciful way of defeating him. Given Kaze’s strength, he could kill Lester in the blink of an eye. As he sweated profusely, he bowed repeatedly and said, “Yes! Yes! I will give you the position of manager!” “Huh?” Kaze looked at him coldly and it frightened him. He shook his hands and corrected his words, saying, “No, no! I mean you are supposed to be the manager, not me giving it to you!” Kaze then looked at the other security guards. “What about you guys?” “We have nothing to say. We are no match for you so you can become
Leo was the chairman’s godson, a prestigious person in the company, and also someone Lester was trying to flatter. “Where’s Kaze Lee? Tell him to meet me and we’ll talk about it.” Leo smiled as he took the report from his men. Soon, Kaze came out. “Brother Lee, this is Vice Manager Leo Lionel.” Lester introduced Kaze to Leo. “Leo?” Kaze was surprised. “I bet you didn’t expect me to be your superior,” Leo said with a grin. Then, he shredded the report that Lester sent him into pieces. Everyone else was surprised and baffled. Leo then said coldly, “An idiot with a mental disability getting a job here at Lefteria Group? Who recruited you?” Kaze had a mental disability? Everyone looked at Kaze in shock, including Lester. Lester stammered, “M-Mr. Lionel, I don’t know what happened. Pauline from HR brought him to us and told me to help him start work.” Pauline, the HR from Golden Shield Security Company, was brought over. “You are from Golden Shield? Well, you a
“I thought even Mr. Lionel looked down on him. Why would the chairman be so polite to him?” “Is he some mysterious VIP?!” Everyone looked at Kaze in shock. They knew their chairman well. Alan was a notorious underworld lord twenty years ago. He retired from gang life and turned his company legitimate, yet he remained a man of his word in the city. Even the mayor would have to be humble before him and call him Mr. Cummingham. If a man like Alan treated Kaze with such humility and politeness, then Kaze must be someone important. Kaze said, “Mr. Cummingham, I am not here to visit, I am here to work.” “Mr. Lee, you really know how to make a joke.” Alan did not believe him at all. The chairman of Perfect World Group and Shangrila Group working at his Lefteria Group? Who would believe it? Kaze shot a glance at Ruby. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask your HR director. Before you came in, she wanted to fire me and ask the security guards to throw me out on the street
Darcy was the chairwoman of Quartet Group. Only the position of vice manager was appropriate for Kaze’s current status. Alan believed since he already agreed to Kaze's staying, why not do him a favor and give him the nominal title of vice manager? Kaze smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine. I like being the security manager. I kinda enjoy talking with the boys, it’s relaxing.” If he became a vice manager in Lefteria Group on his first day, he would not know how to explain it to Darcy. Darcy would never believe he got the position with his own capabilities and would assume Miru helped him. If so, it would put Kaze in a passive position before Miru. He did not want Darcy to think that she owed Miru a lot and could not be proud in front of that woman. “Alright. I’ll tell HR to make the necessary changes.” Alan called his assistant over to give the order. Suddenly, he thought of what he saw downstairs and remembered he owed Kaze an explanation. He said to his assistant
“I have pointed you in a direction. If you still can’t trust your team, you can go to the Viper’s Den.“There’s one thing, though. Don’t rely too heavily on the Viper’s Den, or your company will be left without secrets.” Kaze’s suggestion gave Snow assurance. She considered tapping into the Viper’s Den’s resources. However, Kaze warned her against excessive dependence. “Why did you say that, Chairman Lee? Will the Viper’s Den stab me in the back?” Surely, the Viper’s Den took orders from Kaze. The Viper’s Den would always be an ally so long as Kaze was the branch leader. “I just don’t want you to put too much faith in others. You find loyalty by developing your own team. Those who revere me will never trust you completely.” Kaze analyzed the situation. Snow ate her supper and looked at Kaze in confusion. “You can only count on the people you win over. You can’t trust anyone else, and that includes me.” Kaze would never hurt Snow. However, he hoped that she would fin
“As you said, all is in the past. What’s the point of dwelling on it?” Leah perked up. Such was life, but it took her too long to understand the harsh reality. She guessed things were just not meant to be. “I’ll think about what to get Kaze. Rest well. We’ll visit him in a few days.” Taking the matter seriously, Katie wanted to get gifts ready ahead of time to thank Kaze. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do too. I want to be in touch with the outside world. I don’t care what they have to say. This is not my fault. I won’t blame myself.” Leah wanted her phone back to contact her former friends. Ultimately, she needed to move forward instead of backward. She had to face and fight back the rumors with courage. It was the crucial step to kick trauma in the face. The abduction was kept hush-hush for the most part, but Katie’s frantic search for her daughter at the cocktail party did not go unnoticed. Hearing about the incident, the influential people were keen to find out
“When did Kaze start setting it all up? I get the feeling that everybody played into his hands right from the start, and he had controlled every step of the way.” Leah realized that Kaze was an amazing man. Nothing could go past his eyes. “I don’t know.” Katie feared someone like Kaze. She would not be caught dead near him. Even when grasping the situation, Katie dared not look into Kaze for fear she would be targeted. Katie was careful not to show her face around Kaze. For all she knew, Kaze might get back at her. “But he came to Butterworth alone. We met at the train station, and he helped me out of a bad situation.” Leah felt warm and cozy inside just remembering the events. They did not know each other then. Kaze was kind to help a stranger out. From then on, Kaze could do no wrong in Leah’s eyes. Leah befriended him and found him nice. Her interest in him grew. They also got along well. Her memories of Kaze were sweet. Anyone could hurt her in the world, but
Even though Katie was the CEO of the Northborn Group, many eyed her position. There were too many vying to replace her. Without dedicating herself to her work, Katie risked falling from grace. Katie had been too eager to find success to give her daughter the best life. Leah could not understand the pain Katie had to go through. “I understand it now. I explained the nature of my relationship with Kaze to you, but you just wouldn’t get it.” Leah stubbornly expressed herself in hopes her mother would understand. “I just couldn’t get it through my head that you have grown up. You make an easy target since you just graduated and have not stepped into the real world.” Katie would not always be there for Leah. Hence, Katie did her best to get rid of potential danger. Her overprotectiveness triggered Leah’s defiance. It was Katie’s fault for not realizing it sooner. “I’m not angry with you. I didn’t understand a mother’s good intentions, but I understand now. I will listen to
Leah’s face beamed, but her mother’s words threw her into a daze. In the end, she tried to squeeze a smile to assure her mother. However, Leah could not muster a smile. Those days lingered with her like a recurring bad dream. Whenever she recalled the incident, she felt trapped in that nightmare again. Leah wanted to let those memories fade away, but she just could not do it. She would get startled awake late at night and trace the scars across her skin. During moments like this, she resented Perry. Leah was rather cheerful during the day as if the past was behind her. However, it was simply a way for her to escape the pain. By the way Leah was behaving, Katie instantly regretted the question. She should not have probed. Even if they avoided the elephant in the room, they could pretend like nothing ever happened. Nevertheless, the act of asking brought up unsettling times for Leah. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have asked.” Katie gently held Leah, hoping to cast
When the ambulance door closed shut, Leah wailed once more. The reality of her rescue finally sank in, and she grasped that it was not just a dream. It was a pity that she did not have much time with Kaze. She longed to spend more time with him. “Don’t cry, young lady. You’ll get better soon enough. Don’t worry about the scars on your face. I can administer medicine to help you,” the doctor said while wiping her tears. “Thank you. I’m finally out of the hell hole.” Leah’s worst nightmare would be to be trapped in there forever. Kaze watched as the ambulance disappeared into the night. He then turned to face the villa. “Apprehend everybody in there. Perry should be punished for his crimes.” Kaze had not intended to go after the Duncans, but the family had crossed the line this time. Leah was an adorable and vulnerable woman. She was abused beyond recognition. It never occurred to Kaze that the Duncans could be so cruel. “Perry has passed out in there. Where should
With the secret out in the open, the housekeeper dropped his attitude. He pointed at the basement not too far away. “My employer is in there.” The housekeeper grimaced and kept his head down. Kaze laughed. Unaware of his impending doom, Perry was still living it up. It was absurd. Perry was playing with fire by hurting Leah. “About time you wise up.” Arthur smiled and patted the housekeeper’s face. He opened the door to the basement. Kaze walked to the bar counter and picked up the best bottle of champagne there. He fiddled with the bottle before carrying it to the basement. The other Viper’s Den members followed him. Kaze took a stride down the steps, to the basement. The noisy music was blasting before they reached the entry. Kaze was filled with a mix of emotions. Nevertheless, he said nothing. He opened the door and walked in. The light in the basement was bright, making everything perfectly clear. However, the people inside were not bothered by the
“You know him. It’s Perry Duncan, Leah’s ex-boyfriend.” Snow did not see the point of hiding the truth, so she laid everything out. “Leah must be feeling foul because she was unaware that she was being stalked. By the time she realized what was going on, she was taken into a vehicle. “We spotted the vehicle they departed in from the surveillance footage. They headed to the mountain up north.” Snow had a general idea of the location. “I got Arthur on the job. He’s putting up a team from the Viper’s Den.” Snow was uncertain of Kaze’s stance toward Leah, but now that she was made aware of the situation, the least she could do was help. Katie belonged to the Viper’s Den, so Snow was lending a hand to a friend in business. “Thank you. Please save my daughter.” Katie was nervous. The Viper’s Den was the people she could count on. “Arthur is good, but he’s slow. I’ll do it,” Kaze said. The whole thing was unrelated to him. Kaze was well within his right to stand on the si
Even so, Elsie was out to get Leah. Elsie could pick up on Perry’s delight when she took a swing at Leah. Poor Elsie was just trying to survive by catering to others. People like her learned to pick up social cues and read body language to please customers for money in return. Their income would double if their customers were happy. Leah was the obstacle. If the women could not get rid of her, they would lose their profit. They had no hard feelings for Leah, but they stood on opposing ends. “You should be fawning over Mr. Duncan, not begging me,” Elsie said while grabbing Leah’s hair to pull her up. Leah snatched Elsie’s wrist to try and break free. “Let me go. I never did anything to you.” Leah was no doormat. She did not want to cross these people or get involved with them. She still hoped that by waiting here, her prince would arrive to save her. However, all she got was a cruel beating, and she had enough. “This isn’t my fault. Blame Mr. Duncan for your cir