“What? You fired us and still want us to sign the NCA?!” Randal, Luke, and Edward were infuriated. They originally wanted to jump ship to their competitors. With the company secrets they possessed, not only could they take revenge on Darcy, but they could also earn favors and seize more benefits for themselves. If they signed the non-compete agreement, they would be bound by law and nothing they had in mind would materialize. “Don’t want to sign?” Kaze narrowed his eyes dangerously. “We are not signing! What are you gonna do about it?” The three of them wanted to leave. Darcy’s expression turned bitter. She saw the hatred in their eyes and she knew they would definitely take revenge on the company. Kaze pulled his phone out. “Arrest them!” As soon as his voice subsided, several police officers came into the office. “Randal Song, Luke Kang, Edward Canopy, the three of you are suspected of engaging in unlawful activities such as embezzlement of company funds and mor
They never thought that things would take an unexpected turn. “It’s over! It’s over! Once that woman gets to my men, when she fully takes control of Quintessential, our family will be pressured! We soon won’t be able to make a stand in the family!” Samus’ words devastated the whole family. To him, Darcy was just working for the family, the best employee in the company. She did all the heavy lifting but reaped no rewards or benefits. She would even have to take the blame at times. They could never accept Darcy above them once the tables had turned. Rudy had a more elaborate thought. After all the shady things they had done, once Darcy took full control of the company, she might call the police on them. He looked at Deborah in fear and said, “Deb, I think you should call Vincent now. Only he can help us now!” He would rather the Hanser family take over Passion Fragrance Project than Darcy. Deborah called Vincent immediately. After the brief call, Deborah said, “Dad,
Agnes grew agitated as she continued. She started to use her fists to chase Kaze out of the house. “Kaze, just go out for now. I’ll try to calm her down!” Darcy could not do anything effective to stop her mother. The only way to put a stop to this was to let Kaze leave temporarily. Aggrieved, Kaze left the house. He went out to call Snow. “What happened at Lily Garden Hotel? They said they got the wrong person and it wasn’t me who booked Ocean Hall.” Snow felt her soul trembling when she heard Kaze’s anger seething through the phone. “Mr. Chairman, it’s my mistake. I’ll find out what happened immediately.” Kaze hung up the phone and lit a cigarette while waiting. Five minutes later, Snow called back. “Mr. Chairman, I’ve found out what happened. After you left Lily Garden Hotel, Manager Brent tossed Mrs. Quint out of the hotel. Based on his words, it was Ren Joestar’s order.” Snow’s heart was pounding as she reported to Kaze. “You’re saying Ren Joestar is behind
“Agnes, is this boy your future son-in-law? Come on, give the boy a break. Today is a happy day.” Agnes’ friends from abroad did not know that Kaze and Darcy had been married for years. Curious, they appraised Kaze, assuming he was Darcy's boyfriend, which explained their friendly tone. Agnes grunted and said, “Don’t simply assume. He has nothing to do with our family!” “Mrs. Quint! Congratulations! You look stunning today!” Ren, in his handsome suit, came over with a flattering smile. “Ren, you are too kind. I’m too old to be stunning.” Agnes welcomed Ren with a bright smile and even eagerness to hold his arm. “Agnes, is this your future son-in-law? You seemed to like him a lot.” Agnes’ friends looked at Ren as if the presentable and wealthy young man was Darcy’s real boyfriend. “He’s Ren, a kind boy. His family owns Lily Garden Hotel.” This time around, Agnes did not provide a clear answer, she simply introduced Ren to her friends without confirming his identity.
“You’ve been badmouthing him? Tell me, other than bluffing, what else can you do?” Agnes glared at Kaze. If she had not been concerned about exacerbating the situation and let her friends know that Kaze was her legitimate son-in-law, which was embarrassing, she would have thrown Kaze out. “Mrs. Quint, it’s okay. This is a party, you should be happy. Don’t let him affect your mood.” Ren took all the credit and became the good guy while painting Kaze as evil. Agnes accepted his advice and spared Kaze for now. “Ren, the banquet is starting soon. Why don’t you go up to the stage and give a speech for me? I’m not good at speeches, I don’t want to be the laughing stock.” Ren was first surprised, then he became delighted. Agnes wanted him to speak on behalf of the Quint family. The meaning behind the decision was self-explanatory. “Mom, Ren isn’t family, how can you let him give a speech on stage? It should either be me or Kaze.” Darcy got nervous. Agnes glared at her. “Sh
Buzz heard his men and then looked at Richard. “You fat fuck! How dare you patronize me with a lousy hall? Do you want to die? Give us the Ocean Hall!” The guests were horrified and got up instantly. “What’s wrong with Agnes for hosting a party at this kind of place? We are here just to eat yet someone is threatening us…” Some of the guests started to grumble. Agnes was embarrassed when she heard the guests. She did not expect this situation.She mustered her courage and went up to the gangsters. “Sir, we are having a housewarming party and we’ve spent a lot of money. Why don’t you go have your meal somewhere else…” Slap! Buzz slapped her to the ground. “Shut the fuck up! Piss off!” Agnes immediately crawled away. “Mom!” Darcy came over to help her mother and Kaze was behind her. He glared at Buzz and tried to help Agnes up. “Don’t touch me!” Agnes angrily pushed him away. She covered her face and turned to Ren, asking, “Ren, this is your hotel, can you do so
The guests were ready to dig in.“Are you people for real going to eat now? All of you—leave the Ocean Hall immediately!” Ren came back a different person and started chasing everyone out while stomping angrily. The guests put their cutleries back on the table. Agnes hesitantly asked, “Ren, what happened? I thought you got rid of the gangsters!” “I couldn’t! So you people have to leave now!” Ren said impatiently. He was frightened. He wanted the guests to leave and could not be bothered to be patient with Agnes. Agnes stared at him for a few seconds and realized he was not joking. “Let’s go, everyone. I am sorry for this. This party is a disaster. If I have another chance, I’ll make it up to everyone. I’m so sorry.” Agnes apologized to her guests with tears rolling down her cheeks. The guests got up, feeling helpless and confused. They were here for the party but got chased out before they ate anything. “Mom, the party continues. We don’t need to leave.” Kaze sto
Oh? Kaze was amused by Gold Tooth’s reaction. “So, you’re saying that with all that meat and fat on you, you’re still empty?” “Master Lee, if you don’t mind, I can give you all my meat and fat. I dare not defy you. I will do whatever you want me to do.” Gold Tooth was delighted. It might be a good thing if he could serve Kaze. “You are not worthy.” Kaze knew exactly what the man was thinking. He shook his head and said, “Leave something and you can walk away.” He sized up the fat man from top to bottom. Gold Tooth was shaking but he dared not defy Kaze. “Master Lee, name whatever you want. Even if it's my arm or leg, I’ll give it to you!” “Today is an auspicious day, I don’t want bloodshed. How about getting rid of your shining gold teeth? It’s annoying,” Kaze said. “Huh?” Little did Gold Tooth expect Kaze to have him extract his signature golden teeth. The pair of golden teeth had become his trademark in the gang. “Yes, of course, Master Lee!” He clenched his t
“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