“Mr. Chairman, Ash Lester is already on her way.” Before Mountain Dew Estate, Kaze already knew that Ash was the manager hired by the Butterworth Queens to take care of the family’s investment matters. She was extremely capable. “I got it.” Kaze then hung up the phone. During lunch, Nelson, who was taken away because he accepted the gifts of the top three families, finally came back. Everyone welcomed him back. “Nelson, will the case affect your career progression?” Agatha asked. “Affect my career progression? It’s not even a case.” Since he was in front of his family, there was nothing he could not say. He happily took a sip of wine and said, “It’s just a small matter. My boss already talked to me and I got detained for two days and had to write a review. That’s it. It’s over.” “I bet it’s Kiev’s father who helped you.” Agatha felt relieved. “Yeah. Someone just wants to watch me burn but I have a strong background and connections.” Nelson shot a gaze at Kaz
“Come with me and you’ll know,” Nelson said with a grin. Everyone followed him inside. The trade center was chaotic. Everyone was shouting, making deals and arguing. Ever since the top three families stepped down, their assets trade went off the charts. Many companies sent their representatives over to the trade center. “Nelson, what is it that you are trying to show us?” Agatha asked. Everyone was curious. “There it comes.” Nelson pointed in front with a delighted grin. Everyone looked in the same direction. A dozen men in professional attire, seemingly executives of the trade center, lined up in two rows and walked toward them. They marched neatly toward them and it swiftly attracted all the attention in the trade center. “Isn’t that Louis Kansas of Genting Limited? Those are the executives of the company.” “Genting Limited used to be under the top three families and their assets are valued around tens of millions.” “I thought they were bought by the Lee f
“He spent 20 million to buy a company to confess his feelings? How romantic!” “Yeah! It’s a lot more romantic than buying roses!” “He’s like Prince Charming!” Nelson’s revelation shocked everyone once more. Everyone looked at Darcy with nothing but jealousy. Bought a company just to confess? Nothing would be more romantic than this. Under everyone’s gaze, Kiev walked over to Darcy. “Darcy, I heard the Lee family targeted you, so I stepped in and bought Genting Limited from them. “They agreed to sell it to me and now I am giving it to you as an apology for what happened the other day.” He tried to persuade Darcy to divorce Kaze the other day which made Darcy mad. In the end, Kiev reflected on his actions and realized he was being too impatient. He had been looking for an opportunity to apologize to her. A few days later, he finally got the chance. “Darcy, you just have to sign your name at the counter and Genting Limited is yours.” “Kiev, thank you for your kin
As soon as Kaze’s voice subsided, the entire Property Trade Center was silenced. Everyone looked at Kaze in disbelief. Then, they laughed. “What, did I hear it correctly? He bought Sky Ocean Corporation? That’s five billion!” “That’s the idiot son-in-law of the Quints. Where did he get so much money?” “I thought Sky Ocean Corporation was bought by the Lee family.” A heated discussion was sparked but none believed Kaze. “Kaze, stop bluffing!” Agnes poked Kaze when everyone was looking. “Look at that, even his mother-in-law doesn’t believe him!” Everyone laughed. “If you bought Sky Ocean Corporation, I’ll eat all the tiles on the floor!” Nelson almost laughed his lungs out. Agatha was also speechless. Darcy glared at Kaze to warn him to stay out of trouble. “Let’s go! Don’t embarrass yourself here.” She dragged Kaze and wanted to pull him away. “Darcy, don’t leave yet. The executives of Sky Ocean Corporation are almost here. You just have to sign it and th
Who was it?The same question popped up in everyone’s mind at once. Who spent five billion purchasing Sky Ocean Corporation just to give it away to Darcy as a gift? Could it be some young master from a super wealthy family? How insane! Everyone looked at Alfonso, monitoring every expression on his face. Under everyone’s curious gaze, Alfonso turned to the side and bowed at the man beside Darcy. “It’s Mr. Lee.” Everyone then switched their attention to Kaze at once. “It’s him?! The guy who married into the Quints?!” “Did I hear it wrong? Or has this world gone insane?” “Ridiculous! I suspected everyone but him!” Everyone in the trade center was astonished. Kaze, one of the infamous people in Lilyrose. Not all might know the mayor’s name, or the family heads of the top three families, but everyone knew Kaze because he was the retard son-in-law of the Quints! A retard, an idiot! Someone even the Quint family looked down upon. Everyone could find a sense of s
Kiev stared at Kaze. His fists clenched as he struggled with his own thoughts, but ultimately, he decided to compromise. “Fine. I’ll sell Genting Limited.” He then walked away without looking back. Darcy also signed the transfer contract of Genting Limited. With that, she now owned Genting Limited and Sky Ocean Corporation. Everything that happened at the Property Trade Center spread through the city like wildfire and it became a hot topic instantly. “I didn’t think the stupid idiot could be this capable!” A lot of people shared the same thought. The headquarters of Sky Ocean Corporation was just next to the Property Trade Center. After Darcy and Kaze came out from the trade center, they went over to the HQ to have a brief meeting with the executives. As for the official development and operations, they would have to wait until Darcy was familiar with the company. As a matter of fact, she still felt surreal. After another meeting at Genting Limited, the sky wa
“Kaze is a bastard! I wondered why he was so cocky, so he had the Butterworth Queens on his side.” Gregory flipped out. Many members of the Lee family expressed the same resentment. They clamored to head straight to Lilyrose and finish Kaze once and for all. George said with a grimace, “The Butterworth Queens are always the type to swoop in and make big money. It sounds very much like them to buy into Darcy’s company and gain control over Lilyrose through the woman. “I heard the Vinlands are raising funds to join the party. “Everybody wants a piece of Lilyrose.” He added with a scoff, “Our family’s main focus should still be gaining a foothold in Lilyrose. “Lilyrose is our home field, and we need to capitalize on that and get a bigger piece of the pie.” In other words, they had no time for Kaze yet. Once they secured the stakes in the city, they could then deal with him. “Even so, we can’t let the bastard off easy for now.” “That’s right. Word that Kaze bought Sky O
“What’s the matter, Mom?” Darcy asked uneasily. She was baffled. Her mother did not say anything when she spent the night out with Kaze last night. Somehow, Agnes was on Kaze’s case again. “What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you are still kept in the dark.” Agnes pointed at Kaze and uttered angrily, “Word has gone around that the Butterworth Queens bought Mountain Dew Estate and Sky Ocean Corporation, not Kaze! “The Queens bought into your company, Darcy. They have high regard for your competence and intend to put you in charge of Sky Ocean Corporation anyway. “How could you say that you bought Sky Ocean Corporation for Darcy, Kaze?” She disapproved of Kaze and her daughter spending the night out before yesterday. Agnes held to the thought of making them go through with divorce once the mandatory waiting period was up. Later, she caved in a little when Kaze won the bid for Sky Ocean Corporation. Hence, she turned a blind eye to the couple’s night away last night. To
“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