“Mathias Queen of the Queen family from Butterworth.” Kaze called the next name on stage. Mathias was much calmer compared to the others due to his experience. He looked up and wanted to have a good look at the God of War’s face, but before he even reached the stage, he already collapsed on his knees. “You call that a young master from a powerful family? Hahaha, he’s nothing at all! All he has is the looks!” “Chapman, Golding, and Everia families.” Under the lead of their respective family heads, more than four hundred people marched toward the stage proudly. However, halfway there, the family members started to kneel group after group. Everyone was on their knees! Belarus, Flint, and Edward were unaware of their family members kneeling behind them as they were carried away by excitement. When they arrived in front of the stage and looked up, their expressions shifted greatly. “Kaze Lee?!” All their family heads cried in shock. Thump!The three of them spat b
Everyone from the top three families knelt and prostrated, not making a sound. “You lot tricked James and plotted the car crash to murder him. You accused him of sexually assaulting Taylor Swan and then forced him to jump off the building. And you people even scattered his ashes! “You went back on your promise and betrayed him, that’s crime number one.” Kaze counted the crimes of the top three families condescendingly. “You took advantage of James’ widow and daughter, forcing Winnie to remarry and harming his parents. That’s crime number two! “You plotted against the Shangrila Group, causing it to go bankrupt, stole its secret, and harmed the employees. That’s the third crime! “You recruited thugs from the underworld to oppress your competitors, running the business world of the city. Don’t forget about the bribery and annexation. That’s crime number four! “You monopolized the priority industry, oppressed the people of the city, and gained wealth through illicit means. Th
Countless people gathered outside Jade Estate, and there were more making their way here. All the roads connecting to the estate saw standstill traffic. The Traffic Department under the city council was forced to mobilize more manpower to clear the traffic and maintain order. Ever since the city was built, it had never seen such a grand funeral before. The red carpets were taken away, the stage for the ceremony was taken down, and the flowers along the pathways were removed. The top three families spent tens of millions to prepare this event to flatter the God of War, yet because of an order, all the decorations were taken down. All the decorations in Jade Estate were changed to prepare for the wake service. White flowers were placed around the lake, giving the entire premise a gloomy and heavy mood. The square that was used for the inauguration ceremony was turned into the venue for the wake service and funeral. A group of five to six hundred people appeared in forma
“James White’s ashes were already scattered by the top three families. That’s why the God of War evicted the Chapman family from the estate and used the place for the cenotaph,” someone from the audience answered. Then, Camry and Teresa put their son’s belongings into the casket as they cried. “Daddy, this was the toy you bought for Brenda…” Winnie carried Brenda to let her place a yellow duck inside. The girl’s innocent voice made everyone teared up. Winnie brought Brenda over in the end because she was James’ only daughter. After the casket was sealed and buried, the tombstone was erected. “James White.” It was not as tall as the statue of the Chapman family’s ancestors; it was just a normal tombstone. Then, the funeral officially ended. From now on, the family estate of the Chapman family became the tomb of James White. Two years ago, the top three families caused James’ death and took his company. Two years later, now, the gathering place of the top three
A while later, everyone finally recovered their composure. “Kaze, what are you talking about? The God of War just left and you are impersonating him again?” Not just Deborah who was deeply prejudiced against Kaze, even Darcy did not believe him. Kaze said, “Darcy, yesterday I said the Chapman family would have to move out of the Jade Estate and they did today. The estate was then turned into James’ grave. “All three families, the Chapmans, Goldings, and Everias, paid respect to James and were the pallbearers. You guys thought I was bragging and bluffing right?” He never thought of hiding his identity from Darcy because she was his wife. Even if she found out that he was the God of War, and if he asked her to keep the secret, he believed she would never tell. Revealing his identity would only bring disaster to Lilyrose City. The moment he saw the disappointment on Darcy’s face, he decided to reveal the truth. “Yeah.” Darcy, Rose, and the others nodded. They witnessed
Darcy did not blame Kaze though. She was happy enough that Kaze got out of trouble. Nothing was more important than her family’s safety and well-being. “Come on, let’s go home.” The two of them went back to Horizon Mirror. During lunch, the afternoon news reported the unprecedented funeral at Jade Estate. The aftereffects of the funeral continued to unfold. “Taylor Swan’s solo concert was canceled. All her fans requested a refund, and her agency terminated her contract.“She also turned herself in and confessed that she was instigated by the top three families to accuse James White of sexual assault.“Lightning Tiger, Aster Fellini, Shelly Fowler, and many more turned themselves in.“It was also reported that the entire Chapman family, more than a hundred people, have moved out of Jade Estate.” “The assets, market shares, and properties belonging to the three families are all confiscated by the city council, and related assets will be auctioned away in the near future.
Upon the phone call from Snow, Ray dispatched his men to deliver Kaze’s message to the Lees. In Sunrise City, the key members of the Lee family gathered at the family estate. They were discussing getting a chunk of the pie of Lilyrose businesses. While in their meeting, they got a message from Lilyrose. “What do you think about the loser’s warning?” George, the head of the household, looked at the family with an ashen look. “Kaze is just a piece of trash, George.” Gregory, the second-in-command in the family, said, “We received intel that the boy’s alias is Jesse White. He re-established Shangrila right under the three major families’ noses.“Now that the God of War punished these elite families by seizing their assets and compensating James’ family, Shangrila Group will only develop rapidly from there. “If we continue to dismiss the boy and think of him as nothing more than a mentally unstable psycho, we will be losing more than we can bargain.” His words drove many
For the past two weeks, Narian dreamed of the moment he would kill Kaze with his bare hands. He wanted to make Kaze pay for humiliating him at the distributor conference. Narian rushed to Lilyrose with his team in tow. That night, Narian, representing the Sunrise Lees, held a dinner party at Dynasty Hotel. All the rich, powerful, and famous received an invitation to the dinner. The purpose of the feast was plain to see. It was to mark the Sunrise Lees’ public comeback to Lilyrose. The Lees were a wealthy family from Lilyrose. It had only been six years since they uprooted to Sunrise. Hence, their influence remained in Lilyrose. There was no doubt the Sunrise Lees were the overlords of Lilyrose. The three top families may be the unspoken rulers of the city, but the Lees overruled them. No one would decline an invitation from the Lee family. “Kaze, you must know about Narian’s party. Quartet Group received an invitation, and we are both invited.” Darcy retur
Katie proudly made the statement, convinced that she had done a lot for her daughter. It was only right for Leah to be grateful and understand her sacrifice. To Katie’s surprise, Leah chuckled. “What else have you done for me? You never showed me any attention. You don’t know what I like. You have no idea what I want.” Leah finally saw her mother as the person she was. This side of Katie was terrifying. “What more do you want? Am I not supposed to work? Should I be spending every waking minute of the day with you?” Katie understood Leah’s needs. However, there was no way she could make it happen. It was not easy for a woman to take hold in the Northborn Group, much less secure a high position there. Katie went through great pains to get where she was today. Alas, Leah could not understand where she was coming from. “I’m not asking you to be with me every day. I’ve tried my best to do everything you asked of me, but you can’t even be there for me during my birthdays.
“Everything I do, I do for you. Get this straight. The guy approached you because of what I could bring to the table.” Katie was pissed by her daughter’s defiance which was becoming worse with age. “I know the kind of person he is. Without Kaze’s help, I wouldn’t have escaped. Where were you then? You’re in no position to say that. “Even if there’s something he’s after, what would he want from me? I have nothing to offer.” Leah did not believe a word Katie said. Clearly, Katie was out to get Kaze. “He’s nothing but a poor kid. Why are you blowing this out of proportion? I’ve clearly stated what needed to be done. Why are you still being stubborn?”Katie believed she had not raised her daughter right. Leah turned out pretty naïve. “I told you. He has no ulterior motive. He doesn’t know who I am. He doesn’t have any other intentions. I approached him, not the other way around.” Leah kicked herself for pulling a reckless stunt. All she did was give Kaze more problems. Kat
Leah hated her mother being unreasonable. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I fed you, I gave you clothes, I put a roof over your head, I gave you life! The least you could do is to listen to me!” Katie did not expect her daughter to go so far as to defy her. Kaze remained silent, knowing that no matter what he said, it would be meaningless to someone unwilling to listen. “Kaze, I’m sorry. It was my fault that you are in this mess. I’m a jinx…” Leah blamed herself for getting Kaze in trouble with her mother. If not because of her, he would never encounter her mother. “Shut it! Why are you apologizing!? He approached you with purpose and you can’t even see that? He’s not worthy of your time!” Katie was livid. She felt her daughter was blinded by emotions, incapable of making the right decision. And to make matters worse, the girl even apologized to Kaze—what nonsense! A poor man without any background was no match for her daughter and her status. He approached the girl becaus
Katie suddenly chuckled. “What’s the matter? You are after my daughter and you tried to give me advice? What are you trying to do?” She looked down on a man with no future. She stubbornly believed he approached her daughter because of her. If he said as such, he must have known something else. It was no secret that Katie was preparing the birthday banquet for Leah and one could easily find out about it with a little research. Katie took his words not as a suggestion but as a challenge to her power. “Whatever. You stubbornly believe that anyone who approaches you or your daughter is after your power, does that mean there’s no emotions or love throughout your life?” Kaze suddenly looked at Katie with a pitiful gaze. She had been consumed by the thirst for power and it wiped her humanity. Katie would eventually be a sacrifice of someone else before she knew it. “Don’t look at me with those eyes. Who do you think you are? I see through you right away! I’ve seen a lot of
Frustrated, Leah tried to shake her mother’s hand off, but Katie tightened the grip and did not let it happen. The more the girl resisted, the more Katie felt challenged. She felt that her authority was being shaken by her daughter’s defiance. “Stop it! I told you before that if you don’t listen to me, I will make you regret it! And, don’t let me catch you with this bastard anymore, or he won’t have a future here in Butterworth!” Katie shouted at the girl to silence her. Leah could resist her mother and defy her, but not at the expense of her friend’s well-being. She knew her mother always meant what she said, and once those words were spoken, she would certainly take action against Kaze. Therefore, she quickly fell silent and let her mother take control of the situation. Katie glared at Kaze resentfully. “Stay away from my daughter or I will make you pay!” she bellowed. She then dragged Leah to her car and told the girl to get in. Right after she closed the door, s
Without further ado, Katie stormed out of the car and dashed over to them. “Leah!” she shouted, startling her daughter. When Leah saw her mother, she knew doomsday was upon her. She was frightened and stunned on the spot. Kaze was surprised by the coincidence as well. He was not afraid of the woman but she was charging at them like a ferocious monster. “I told you not to be with this guy! Why didn’t you listen to me?!” Katie could not tolerate her daughter’s defiance. She saw it as a direct challenge to her authority and bottom line. She stepped up and dragged her daughter away. “I told you not to see this poor bastard. Why didn’t you listen to me?” She was consumed by rage and paid no attention to her choice of words. All she cared about was the fear that her daughter had nearly fallen into a stranger’s hands. Leah disliked her mother being unreasonable. She had no idea what changed her mother into an unreasonable wretched hag. “Mom, what are you talking about?” “W
“Katie’s daughter dined at my restaurant and she met the man Katie intended to match her with, yet Katie knew nothing and even threw a tantrum at the door. Why do you think that happened?” Master Fuller shook his head helplessly and poured himself a glass of beer. The last guest of the day had left and he could enjoy his rest peacefully. However, the last guest of the day was a rather interesting pair. “Isn’t it a little contradicting? She’s trying to get Mr. Lee to marry her daughter but she’s asking for trouble at the same time.” The woman was surprised but also found it interesting. “Do I have to deliver the meals to Mr. Lee?” “Let my disciple do it. Don’t you get involved in this, it’s better to stay away from trouble.” Master Fuller wanted to get back at Katie, yet he did not need to do anything because the woman was actively bringing trouble upon herself. The woman did not say anything and simply gazed into the distance. The wooden door at the entrance was ope
“It’s getting late. Let’s get you back.” Kaze knew that Leah had snuck out of the hotel, so it would not be good to let her stay out too late. Katie was a tough mother to deal with. If she found out her daughter snuck out without her permission and spent dinner with him, she would lose her mind. Kaze was not afraid but Leah would have to suffer her mother’s wrath. “It’s getting late. We have to go back.” Leah liked the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. She felt free of restraints while on the premises, but time flew by quickly, leaving her with little time to savor the experience. She wished she could enjoy more moments of peace and quiet while indulging in good food. “Do visit if you have time. We usually open at night only,” Master Fuller said when he noticed the heavy look on the girl’s face. “Great. I’m definitely coming again!” Leah then got up and headed out. Kaze then pulled his wallet out and wanted to pay for the meal. “Mr. Lee, what are you doing here?
Passersby would spare an extra glance at the expensive car but dared not pause to inspect further. The woman in the car looked anxious as she relentlessly tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Katie was still waiting, hoping to find out who Master Fuller’s guests were. Her patience was thinning by the second. Since she picked up her daughter, everything had gradually slipped out of her control, and she hated the feeling. Back at the restaurant, Master Fuller and his guests were still chatting over delicious dessert. Kaze had a bite and was amazed by the taste. As expected of a national-level chef, his culinary skills could turn the simplest ingredients into the most amazing delicacy. “I thought this was just a normal sweet potato but there’s something else added inside.” After an enjoyable dinner, Leah finally had the chance to taste the final dish—the dessert, which appeared to be an ordinary sweet potato. When she peeled the skin and took a bite, she realized