“You can’t kill me.” Kaze had his hands behind his back. Jeremiah’s words did not scare him. Jeremiah scoffed. “Many have said the same to me, but they are all dead now.” Kaze suddenly glanced at the left and right sides of the walls with a frown. Jeremiah reacted the same way as Kaze did. Turning his head back, Kaze said emotionlessly, “There are ten on each side. Why don’t we have a competition to see who finishes them off the fastest? If you lose, you can leave.” He had no intent to murder Jeremiah. The capable man must be Alan’s trusted subordinate. Since Kaze did not kill Alan, he had no reason to kill his men either. Of course, all of it boiled down to Jeremiah taking the hint and leaving on his own accord. Otherwise, Kaze would not hesitate to kill him. “I have not met such a cocky young man in a while.” Jeremiah scoffed and added, “I’ll give you a head start.” Rip! Kaze tore a piece of his clothing and put it over his eyes, fastening it with a secure kno
“Are you referring to Cronus or the mole in Lefteria Group?” Kaze asked without looking back. The response dumbfounded Jeremiah. He said in surprise, “Are you saying that there’s a mole in Lefteria Group?” “I had a drink with Alan yesterday and warned him that he has been poisoned.” Kaze added indifferently, “It’s an ancient poison called Shadowbane Essence. The poison needs a trigger for the toxins to take full effect. The poison can remain dormant in the poisoned’s nervous system for six months to three years while weakening its victim’s immunity. The poisoned won’t feel much except a gradual health decline.“Once the toxins meet its trigger, the poisoned will drop dead.” It remained unknown when Alan was poisoned with Shadowbane Essence. The poison user would decide when the poisoned would die. “Only Alan’s trusted people could be around him around the time he died. It has to be a mole in Lefteria Group who triggered the toxins.” Jeremiah’s eyes reflected bloodthirs
“Mr. Lee, Cronus is all bark and no bite now that his best fighter is dead.“Should Dan and I take Jackal and his team to vanquish the guy?” Gold Tooth stood ingratiatingly before Kaze and asked shyly. Standing in a corner, Dan looked rather excited. A major shift of power rocked the Lilyrose underworld within 24 hours.Alan was dead. Cronus lost his right-hand man. Gold Tooth and Dan realized that this was their golden opportunity. It was their time to become the new kingpins of the underworld. Before that could happen, they needed Kaze’s support. Without his support, they could not stand a chance against any enemy. It was a good thing Cronus crossed Kaze, and his fate was now sealed. Kaze knew what was on their name and said without a care, “Take Jackal and his team to Azure Estate.“If Cronus behaves, you can spare his life. If he doesn’t, you can decide what you want to do with him.” “Of course, Mr. Lee.” Overjoyed, Gold Tooth and Dan took Gabriel’s body along
Jeremiah’s presence at Azure Estate scared the hell out of Cronus. Cronus knew that Jeremiah was not easy to deal with like Gold Tooth and Dan. He ditched his men and fled out of the estate with Angel. His whereabouts were unknown. Gold Tooth and Dan were glad to be alive. They scrambled out of Azure Estate and reported back to Kaze that instance. Kaze was calm as the duo gave details of what happened. Upon hearing that Cronus admitted to poisoning Alan, Kaze raised his brow in surprise. “So, Cronus recreated Shadowbane Essence himself?” It took great skills to synthesize Shadowbane Essence. Not many knew about the ancient poison. For centuries, the knowledge of crafting Shadowbane Essence resided solely with the families of medicine, inheriting through word-of-mouth. Only a handful could recreate the poison. Kaze learned about Shadowbane Essence from the old fool who raised him. There must be more to Cronus since he could craft the poison. Gold Tooth and Dan co
Sieg saw Jeremiah raise his sword. For all Sieg knew, Jeremiah could be coming for him any second. His hair was standing on end. He cleared the air right away. “You got the wrong idea about me, Jeremiah. I’ve been with Alan as long as you. How could I possibly collude with an outsider to harm him?” “Hmph! I doubt you have the brains and guts to be a mole anyway.” Instead of wielding his sword, Jeremiah scoffed and let Sieg go. Sieg turned ashen, feeling uncomfortable by the statement. Jeremiah’s words were not hurtful, but they did bruise his ego. It was clear that Jeremiah looked down on him. “You have a point, Jeremiah.” Sieg smiled awkwardly without refuting. Ignoring Sieg, Jeremiah swept a cold glance around the room and said, “We have a mole in Lefteria Gang, and I know so. “It could be just one person or more. I don’t care how many of you are involved, but I will uncover and kill you.” A deafening silence ensued. Jeremiah looked away and offered his fina
“Alright. Thank you.” Darcy gave a nod. Kiev soon drove his car over. It was a Maybach with a Sunrise City license plate. He got out of the car and opened the door to the front passenger seat for Darcy. Darcy hesitated for a moment. Since it was rude to sit in the back seat, she accepted the gesture and took a seat. The Maybach drove away. Behind the willow tree by the lake, Kaze watched the Maybach kick the dust behind it while clenching his fists. He was filled with a mix of emotions. Kaze had witnessed the sweet moment Darcy and Kiev shared in front of his home entrance. “Mr. Lee, Kiev’s father is the vice commander of the South River Strategic Department. When you were taken away to the holding cell, he asked his father to stop Lefteria Group’s retaliation against Ms. Quint’s family.” Don cautiously reported to Kaze his knowledge of the situation. “I don’t need him to butt in on my family affairs,” Kaze said curtly. Kiev’s feelings were apparent at the Lily
“Renew your vows? As if that’s going to happen. “Haven’t you given us enough problems, Kaze? “Remind me how many times we have been in trouble since you married into our family? “You’re a train wreck and a curse. The nerve of you to say you’d renew your vows with Darcy. Get lost now!” Agnes glared at Kaze in disdain. If Don was not there, Agnes would have gotten in Kaze’s face and hit him. “Come on, Don.” Without another word, Kaze took off. He planned to stay at the residence next door which Draco bought. Unless Darcy said the word, he would never give up on her. “Leave now and never step foot on Horizon Mirror Mansion again.” Not done with Kaze, Agnes shouted at his back. “Cut it out, Agnes. Kaze has done everything for you before this happened. When you and Sky were forced to kneel yesterday, he was the one who came to your rescue. “The child was fooled and led astray,” feeling bad, Hector said. Agnes felt awkward as yesterday’s incident came to mind. She
Darcy looked her best friend in the eye nervously. She knew that Miru must hate Kaze after losing her godfather. Her words might anger her. Darcy did not want to lose her best friend. Nevertheless, she needed to seek the truth and find out whether Kaze was framed. To her surprise, Miru displayed no anger. She stared into Darcy’s eyes and asked, “What if we find evidence that Kaze killed my godfather?” Darcy clenched her teeth. “Then I have nothing to say. He deserves it.” “Alright. Let’s check it out.” Darcy was not expecting Miru to be on board and rather quickly too. “After clearing my head, I realized something wasn’t right about my godfather’s death,” Miru explained indifferently. She put on her sunglasses and drove away. The car soon hit the highway. Darcy asked in confusion, “Where are you taking me, Miru?” She had the utmost trust in Miru, so she doubted Miru had sinister motives to take her out of Lilyrose. “How are we going to work the case with just
“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