“To think you call a two-billion-dollar transaction a tiny matter. Even the Sunrise Lees won’t brag to that extent.” Wendell smirked. “Tsk. He’s just a load of hot air.” “Man, he sure loves to brag. He should have at least found out about the final sale price before tooting his horn.” Those from other companies chattered among themselves. They looked at Kaze’s group contemptuously. The stares stung Darcy, and her cheeks burned with shame. “Well, you have just lost your general manager job with Mountain Dew Estate.” Kaze narrowed his eyes at Wendell. “Ha! Do you think you’re the owner of the place?” Wendell scoffed in disdain. Annoyed, he waved at the security guards. “Don’t just stand there. Kick that owner out, and I’ll reward you with double the wages.” His taunting amused many. Everybody saw Kaze as the clown. “Hold on.” Deborah jumped in and said with a smile, “No need to kick them out. They are my cousins, after all. Wendell, can do me this little fav
“Wendell, my family is an elite upper class. It won’t be long for us to be multibillionaires. “Know that your hard work will not go unnoticed,” Deborah said indifferently with crossed arms. “Alright. I will get to it right away.” Wendell stopped hesitating. The Orchid Chalet was furnished quaintly. It was a quiet area. The vibrant blooms and silvery moonlight set a rather romantic scene. Pleased with the place, Kaze looked forward to tonight. He pulled out his phone to call Mathias. “Fire Wendell, the general manager of Mountain Dew Estate. Put someone else on the job.” “My people will take over tomorrow, Kaze.“I got someone to look into the resort’s bank records, and Wendell made some questionable transactions during his tenure. He got off easy with just a termination.” Somehow, the insignificant guy managed to catch Kaze’s eye. Mathias believed Kaze could not stand the man and wanted him to suffer. “Alright.” Kaze hung up. He saw Darcy looking at him with
The rage left Darcy as Kaze lost himself while embracing her. Now, that was more like it. She was still attractive to him. Kaze said, “But I feel like something is missing. We can do it tomorrow. I have a surprise for you tomorrow.” “What is it?” Darcy asked curiously. Her eyes were hazy by then. “You’ll know tomorrow. Get some sleep now.” Kaze patted her shoulder and turned off the bedroom light. “Okay.” Darcy faintly nodded and snuggled up in his arms before closing her eyes. The drug was taking effect on her. She soon fell into a deep sleep. It would not be uneventful for long. “Thump, thump, thump…” There was a knock on the door. Despite multiple attempts at knocking, no one came to the door. The beep of a digital sensor ensued. Someone had opened the door with a key card. The bedroom door was opened. The three thugs waltzed their way into the place. Click! One hooligan turned on the lights and found Darcy sleeping in Kaze’s arms. His breath
Narian would never marry Deborah. He was just looking for some fun. It would be silly of him to refuse a woman who had thrown herself at him. Besides, Deborah was average-looking, but she was Darcy’s cousin. At least, Deborah could scratch his itch for a little while. “Mr. Narian, this is where Ms. Quint is staying—” The intense noise from the chalet interrupted the attendant. The young, female attendant blushed embarrassedly. That was pretty rude and inconsiderate. As the chalet was built with a wood structure, it lacked the soundproofing capabilities of hotel rooms.The attendant glanced at Narian. His face was sour. Narian wondered if Deborah called him over to hear the awful noise. “Mr. Lee, should I call Ms. Quint out?” the female attendant asked with unrest. Narian grimaced and walked away without a peep. The animalistic noise continued in the chalet into the night. That night, the guests in the nearby chalets could not sleep a wink. Deborah woke up i
The three thugs’ target was supposed to be Darcy. However, she was unharmed. The three thugs somehow showed up in Deborah’s room instead. Deborah suspected it had something to do with Kaze. “Duh. There was quite a lot of banging happening at your chalet last night.” Confused, Darcy had no idea what Kaze was talking about. She was too deep in her sleep to notice anything. “So it was you, bastard! You ruined me! I want to kill you!” Deborah shrieked and jumped on Kaze. Kaze held Darcy and dodged the assault while uttering with glee, “Don’t frame the innocent. I’m not the only one aware of last night. Everybody in Mountain Dew Estate knows about it.” Deborah’s eyes widened. She then realized the passing senior executives of various companies were giving her funny looks. “You could’ve been a little civil, Deborah. The noise from your chalet went on all night long, and we couldn’t sleep at all.” “Yeah. You can have your fun, but just pay attention to the sound pollution
“A thief?” Wendell was very loud. The senior executives having breakfast in the restaurant heard his accusation. Kaze was getting looks of contempt. Wham! Darcy slammed her cutlery down on the table and jolted to her feet. As her eyes narrowed in rage, she said, “Please do not make false claims, Mr. Delaney. My husband will never do something like that.” Nancy happened to be there. Seeing that her old friend was in trouble, she came over to ease the tension. “It could just be a misunderstanding, Mr. Delaney. Why don’t we go somewhere more private to sort things out?” Nancy was concerned that Darcy might not be able to attend the auction if things got out of hand. Wendell glared at the woman. “Sort things out? Fine. We’ll talk in the control room.”He smirked. The security personnel gave Kaze hostile looks. Darcy furrowed her brows. She was not a dummy. She knew that Wendell was stirring trouble. Darcy and Kaze were potentially putting themselves in dange
Deborah’s words stirred a commotion in the restaurant. A few company representatives were having breakfast there. They approached with spite. “That’s crossing the line. Quartet Group’s despicable approach is an insult to the city’s commerce.” “I’m sure the one billion dollars granted to Quartet Group wasn’t acquired legitimately either.” These representatives were up in arms. “I suggest boycotting Quartet Group. The organizer should bar the company from entering the auction,” Cameron from North River Corporation proposed. He carried a manipulative smirk. “I concur! Boycott Quartet Group!” “That’s right!” It took some level of shrewdness to be able to represent their companies at an auction. They expressed their support in kicking Quartet Group out. The company had one billion dollars in funding, so it was a major competition. All would end well for the other companies if Quartet Group was out of the running. Darcy felt chills down her spine. She could tell wha
Wendell’s face twitched. Kaze turned out to be his boss. How was that possible? There was no way. Yesterday, Kaze told him that he had bought Mountain Dew Estate. However, Wendell did not believe him one bit. He ridiculed Kaze. He even took Deborah’s advice to drug Darcy. This morning, he planted evidence on Kaze to kick him out of the place. Wendell felt like he shot himself in the foot. “No way! A loser like Kaze can’t possibly have the money to acquire Mountain Dew Estate,” Deborah screamed. She would rather die than believe what was happening before her eyes. “A loser? Your family found riches out of nowhere. Who are you to call him a loser?” Ash snapped an angry look at Deborah. Deborah just wanted to sink into the ground and disappear off the face of the earth. Cameron and the others blushed in shame too. “Kaze… You?” Darcy looked at Kaze in disbelief. She could not believe Kaze bought Mountain Dew Estate. “I told you I bought the resort for you, babe.
To the young group’s surprise, Kaze pulled through without a hitch. That was not the only thing. Kaze retaliated against Robin and destroyed his beloved harp. The group speculated that Kaze could be stronger than Hannah. They looked at Kaze in horror. Still, it never once occurred to the group that Kaze was more powerful than Robin. Robin raised his arm. The young group got their act together and saluted Robin before taking two steps back. Robin narrowed his eyes at Kaze before uttering, “Not bad.“I didn’t think I’d meet someone of your caliber in Riverbank. “You have a stronger will than most of my men. “Despite your age, you put even the most experienced to shame with that determination of yours.” The young group felt alarmed and ashamed. The members of the execution hall were the elites in the West State Branch. They were the crème de la crème. However, they swayed under the sound wave attack. Though the group was around Kaze’s age, they did not possess h
“Get out!” Kaze gave Hannah the look. Hannah quietly turned around and stumbled her way out. Robin glanced at Kaze as his fingers danced around the harp. “I will behead the general, and once it’s over, tears will fall and fade away.” The tempest of sound took over the room by storm. Kaze felt sent back to his time during the war. He watched his comrades fall. Time lost meaning as the war came to an end. The battle cries subsided, replaced by silence. His brothers-in-arms were no more than a pile of unidentified bones. Even Kaze’s faithful steed whined its farewell. Darkness swallowed the last light over the desolate desert, and he was alone. There was nothing left in the world worth fighting for. No one would remember his death in a faraway land. It was better to die with honor than live in shame. The thought filled Kaze’s head, and emotions overcame him. He was better off dead. Life was not worth living anyway. A voice within tempted Kaze. The craz
Robin did not even look at Collier.Saying nothing, Robin extended his fingers and plucked the harp. “Clang!” A jarring, high-pitched sound wave pierced through everybody’s eardrums. The air was filled with a chilling aura of menace.The serenity on the ninth floor was shattered by the sound of the harp and replaced with malice. Collier and the young group turned pale. Only Robin, Kaze, and Hannah remained unfazed by the attack. “Amid the sweeping wind, the flute’s song echoes in the night. The desert sun descends for the crescent moon above. “To the sound of camel bells, I long for my home. I hold onto my sword, leaving letters where I lay my head.” The wind danced along the melody of General’s Order played by the harp, dropping the temperature down on the ninth floor. Robin’s clothes and hair fluttered against the wind, his face unreadable through it all. His eyes remained cold and distant. General’s Order was a piece known for its unsettling tone. Robin playe
The man’s hypocrisy was sickening. No one stood up for Kaze when Naomi and Rhys slandered him and their fighters tried to end him. When Kaze fought back, there were voices standing on high moral ground to reproach him. “You…” The middle-aged man twitched and breathed his last. The crowd was scared. Kaze was one mean killing machine. Sure, Kaze eliminated the Roads. The Roads were not going to rest until he was dead anyway. However, one man died because of what he had said. It was a clear message not to upset Kaze. Kaze had the taste of blood. He would not stop now. “Get Boris’ head.” Kaze tilted his head at Collier. “Bring it to Robin.” As the crowd watched on with a mix of emotions, Kaze carried the broken sword, the tip dripping with blood, and strode over Boris’ body and into River Watch Inn’s park. Collier led the way, taking Kaze to the ninth floor of River Watcher Inn. The furious wind and swirling clouds added to the building’s height and presence
Boris stumbled back and crashed into the door. The metal door ripped from its hinges and hit the ground. Once the dust settled, the crowd was horrified to find Boris lying limp on the floor. Kaze stood right in front of Boris, his foot on his chest.“Do you have any last words?” Kaze looked down on Boris amusedly, his tone carrying no arrogance. The victory over Boris was no big deal. Boris looked at Kaze in a daze. Kaze was stronger than he could ever imagine. Given another chance, Boris would never upset Kaze at Four Ocean Auction. Boris would not try to retaliate against Kaze even when his son lost his legs. It was a shame that he could not press the reset button. Even if Boris could turn back time, it was highly unlikely that he would show mercy to a moocher. “Ugh…” Boris coughed out blood and said with a struggle, “Kaze, I saved the Godfather before. If you kill me, you will be dead—” “Slash!” Kaze cut Boris off with a stab in the heart. Blood spur
Following the clash of metal, Kaze moved away several feet. The sword in his grasp broke in half, and the tip fell off. Boris grunted, his composed face turning crimson. He staggered and fell back tens of feet too. The crowd was shocked at the thirty-feet shallow pit under Boris’ feet. It was impossible. Twenty years ago, Boris basically had Riverbank in the palm of his hand. Yet, Kaze pushed him back. Anyone could tell that Boris was on the losing end. Boris was in utter disbelief because his wired gloves were splintered by the seams. Reminded by Kaze’s attack at Four Ocean Auction, Boris finally realized how terrifying Kaze was. “I underestimated you, Kaze. “But you killed my wife and son. There’s no going back. You must die today.” Boris looked Kaze dead in the eye and hissed through clenched teeth, “I will kill you!” Kaze raised his sword. The broken sword was still a powerful weapon to Kaze. The air was thick with tension. Boris scowled and flung his
Kaze looked up to Boris barging through the door with his trusted aides. The crowd shied away, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. The deaths of his son and wife had driven Boris into insanity, and he was out for blood. Anyone would go crazy in the same situation. Boris stared at the bodies of his son and wife menacingly. His eyes turned red at Naomi’s headless corpse.Kaze killed his son, murdered his wife, and beheaded her right in front of Boris. Boris would not stop until Kaze was dead. “Kill him! Kill him!”Boris pointed at Kaze and shouted maniacally, “I don’t care what it takes, but I want him dead!” The deaths of his wife and son were infuriating enough. Boris was aware that Naomi and Rhys would go to Kaze, looking for trouble. He deliberately stayed behind the scenes, giving his wife a chance to punish and kill Kaze. To buy his wife some time to take care of business, Boris stayed on to have drinks with Robin. However, Naomi and Rhys were killed
The security team recoiled in screams and dropped their weapons. Before the musclemen knew it, Kaze raised his sword and inched closer. The blade flashed, its motion a blur.“Slash!” The menacing blade flickered across the throats of the musclemen. A dozen Roads’ fighters fell limp amid the high-pitched squawking. Blood spewed out of the thin slits of their throats. One dozen men breathed their last. The bodies on the floor scared the crowd stiff. No one expected Kaze to be so strong. Kaze was able to come on his own despite the siege. “Get him! Kill him!” Naomi had completely lost it. She yelled at the veteran bruisers, “Kill the asshole! Avenge my son!” The senior fighters were so eager to frame Kaze before. Now, they were scared stiff. Naomi’s order put them in the spot. While they hesitated and even released their grip on their weapons, Kaze struck. “Swoosh!” Kaze swung the sword at the senior fighters. The fighters collapsed to the ground, wailing
Rhys lay limp on the floor, his face forever frozen in disbelief.The crowd was stunned, feeling chills down their spines. One minute ago, Rhys was alive and kicking. However, Kaze took his life with just one squeeze. Kaze’s aggression and hostility when ending Rhys scared them. “Ah! My son!” Reality sunk in after a brief pause. Naomi plunged toward her son’s body with a pale face. Despite shaking Rhys, Naomi shuddered to find that he was no more. She fell on her bottom. It was every parent’s worst nightmare. Besides, she was there to witness the death of her son. The feeling could drive her over the edge. Moments later, Naomi lifted her head, bloody tears running down her eyes. She yelled at Kaze hysterically, “You did this, Kaze! You did this!“Kill him! Kill the jerk!“I want his life for taking my son’s!” Losing her head, Naomi commanded the Roads’ musclemen. The crowd backed away so as not to be caught in the line of fire. “Kill him!” The Roads’ secu