Hudson was not kidding about making the Quints change their last name. Soon, the Quints, with paperwork in hand, lined up outside city hall to file a last name change petition with the court. Following the procedure, word about the Quints’ request to change their last name got out. The news caused a stir in Lilyrose. The public was skeptical at first. It was highly unlikely that the Quints would change their last name together. Just two days ago, the Quints said Darcy was not worthy of the family name. They disowned her and stripped her family name. That did not happen long ago, and the Quints now ditched the family name themselves. A public servant at city hall snapped a photo of the document and shared it. The public had no reason not to trust a legal form. Everybody exchanged looks when they read the new names on the record. The Quints had become complete jokes. They were the laughingstocks in the community. “Agnes! Hector! Have I got news for you!” Agath
“Grandfather and the rest of them are the worst. The joke’s on them, but they can’t stand to see us doing well for ourselves either.” Darcy put down her phone in frustration. “It’s alright. We don’t have to care. We’re not members of the Vinland family anyway.” Trying not to laugh, Kaze consoled her.The incident was not something to brag about. Darcy’s family quickly put the matter aside. They doubted the Quints’ last name change would affect them. Soon, the Vinlands held a press conference. They announced their commercial expansion into Lilyrose. The Vinlands stated that they would take over Quintessential Group. The family would also resolve and improve the myriad of issues with the online lending platform and delayed payment.Multiple financial issues arose with the assets acquired by the Quints from the top three families.The Quints’ inability to straighten things out made matters worse. The Vinlands’ statement calmed all parties’ fears. Many companies’ pro
“Hm.” Kaze nodded indifferently. He disapproved of Zenny. Kaze once rescued Brenda from being trafficked. Yet, Zenny made a false accusation about him. Kaze turned to Don for help, and Don was the reason Zenny lost his cushy job from pulling strings at the Traffic Department. Zenny had been unemployed since. Later, Zenny and his mother, Lyla, got into several rows with Kaze. Zenny’s family and Kaze went way back but not in a good way. Benedict, Zenny’s father, was a superior at Lilyrose Wholeness Medical Center. The medical incident five years ago was an elaborate plot to frame Agnes, and Benedict played a role in the conspiracy. Benedict was held in detention, waiting for trial now. Knowing that Kaze was not keen to see him, Zenny made a quick exit after saying hello. “Don’t let Zenny come here anymore. I suspect he might have something to do with Brenda’s abduction.” Kaze’s intention was not to talk bad about Zenny. Zenny’s behavior was rather suspicious b
The woman talking was Lyn Bluenid. She was part of the group of youngsters. Even though her companion knocked Brenda over, Lyn lashed out at Brenda and Winnie instead.“I’m sorry. My child didn’t mean to. She was bumped into. I’m so sorry.” Despite her rage, Winnie did not want to cause any trouble and apologized. “Your words mean nothing. Do you know the cost of Yume’s dress? It was 200 thousand dollars! Don’t try to run away from this. It’s not over.” Lyn glared at Winnie and Brenda. Her gaze darted back to the woman, catching the creamy smudge on her dress. Lyn reached for a napkin and attempted to wipe the stain off Yume’s dress. “Are you alright, Yume? Do you want the brat to compensate you?” the other men and women asked. Like a beacon in the crowd, the woman’s radiant presence drew everyone’s attention.Her long, beautiful hair framed her face. The strappy, long dress exposed her shoulders and complimented her flawless skin. She was slender in build, her w
“Hear that? 200 thousand dollars means squat, but your brat ruined Yume’s mood.” Lyn glared at Winnie. She asked with a smirk, “Why don’t I slap the general manager of whatchamacallit to make you feel better, Yume?” Yume would not even look at Winnie. “I heard that your late husband was close to Darcy’s family?” Winnie was taken aback by the question. She later nodded. Yume gave Lyn a nod and stopped talking. “Alright. Yume has agreed to move past the matter if I get to slap you.” Reading Yume’s mind, Lyn told Winnie. Eek. The onlookers gasped sharply. Yume’s group was a cocky bunch. Lyn wanted to get physical with Winnie just because Brenda accidentally ruined a dress. As the general manager of Shangrila Group, Winnie was a respectable figure in Lilyrose. If the offending party did not come from power or wealth, the consequences might be worse for all they knew. “Just forget it, Ms. Vinland. The child didn’t do it on purpose. She’s a good kid. She got
“Don’t hit my mom!” It was dead silent at the entrance of Dynasty Hotel. The crowd froze as if time had stopped. Only Brenda’s heart-wrenching cries pierced through the air. “Don’t cry, Brenda. No one can hit your mother on my watch.” A tender voice belonging to a man rang in the girl’s ear. Brenda felt a gentle stroke on her head. She opened her tearful eyes and saw Kaze before her. “Godfather!” She exclaimed with joy before whining to him, “A mean lady is trying to hit Mom!” “It’s okay, Brenda. I punished the mean woman,” Kaze said with a smile. He glanced at the woman on the ground with her hand over her cheek. Woah! Only then did the stunned onlookers seem to come to life. The scene erupted into chaos.They stared at Lyn who had collapsed to the ground. The high and mighty woman threatened to slap Winnie. Now, she lay on the ground with a swollen cheek. One of her heels fell yards away. Lyn looked like a mess. A figure jumped in when Lyn trie
“Bastard! You don’t even have the guts to say your name. “Don’t think for a second you can hide because you withhold your name. Once I find out, I’ll kill you!” Lyn glared at Kaze and gnashed her teeth. The onlookers kept mum about Kaze’s identity. They refused to tell Lyn his name and there was nothing she could do about it. “You don’t have to know my name to kill me.” By then, Kaze had learned the whole story. He glanced at Lynn. “You’re just a lapdog if you need to know who I am to kill me. You only bully the weak.”The crowd knew Darcy’s loser husband could fight, but they did not know he had a mouth on him too. “How dare you call me a lapdog!” Lyn went ballistic. “Shut up if you’re too scared to kill me.” Paying her no attention, Kaze pointed at Juno. “Did you knock my goddaughter over?” “What? Are you trying to scam me for money?” With a raised brow, Juno said curtly, “Well, you’re barking up the wrong tree.” “I’m not scamming you for money.” Kaze a
“Chrysant’s belle, my ass. My wife’s prettier.” It was dead silent at the entrance of Dynasty Hotel. Kaze’s words lingered in everybody’s mind. Yume was the princess of the Vinlands and the most beautiful woman in Chrysant. Yet, Kaze called bullshit on it. That was not the only thing. It never occurred to anybody that he would slap Yume in the face. Kaze got right down to it. The fact that Yume was a woman did not stop him. How could he hit a delicate woman? The crowd stared at the red handprint on Yume’s cheek. They felt bad for her. “How dare you hit me!” Yume lost her cool. She stared savagely at Kaze. Everybody could read the fury in her voice. Kaze had enraged the Vinlands’ princess. “I mean, she was asking for it, but the idiot is done for. No one can save him after the stunt he pulled.” “He won’t be charged for assault, but the Vinlands have a million ways to make him suffer.” “Yeah. No one can face the wrath of the Vinlands.” Many gave Ka
“Just tell me what you need, Arthur. You wouldn’t be calling unless you have received orders.” Philip was surprised to get a call from Arthur. Though they were acquainted, they had only communicated because of work. “We have just left Rising Sun. Don’t approve the films for now.” Arthur was blunt. “I can do that, but can I ask why?” Philip was caught in a dilemma because he had just promised Jet to release the films. Philip needed to know if the orders to delay came from a high power who could cover his ass. “Since you got a call from me, you should know that there are eyes on Jet. “You should know what you can and cannot say. Otherwise, you never know when you’re going to lose your job.” Arthur threatened. Philip was reluctant. He accepted Jet’s payment, and now he had to go back on his word. Nevertheless, Arthur was part of the Viper’s Den, and his status was rather unique. Arthur provided services to confidential individuals. These individuals were elites among t
A balanced, profitable dynamic had been developed among the ports in Butterworth. Jet spotted his chance in the lucrative port business. He covertly took out some money to invest in a dying port. The port was situated in a more remote area. Some businesspeople favored more accessible ports. This drove shippers away from the dying port. Jet snagged the steal and improved the logistics and facilities around the area. The port was up and running again. Business at the port was decent enough. As the Frosts would run their business through the port, the local economy took off too. It was a good thing. However, Jet set his sights on several residential buildings around the area. He needed space to accommodate containers. The land was required to make business at the port more profitable. This triggered a whole new thing. Jet could spend some money to buy the residents out of their homes. However, the residents preferred to stay put in their long-time homes. No a
“I’ll keep the bank cards for now. I’ll talk to our superiors and give you a decision. Since the man said that the cards are meant for us, they won’t be going anywhere.” Knox had no idea who Kaze was, but he knew Arthur was with the Viper’s Den. Arthur must be someone from high places. Eli soon put the little incident behind him. He got a call from Aloysius yesterday and was made aware of Jet’s plans. The films had been put on hold for far too long, and the people above Eli were anxious to get things moving. Though Eli was surprised by the review board’s visit, everything was still in his control. Eli left the matter at that without reporting the incident to the higher-ups. The flashy, red car sped along the road. Arthur kept looking back at Kaze, eager to find out about the next plan. Arthur brought Kaze out today to witness how Eli and his team operated. As it happened, Eli adopted such a shallow ploy. Arthur was not surprised, though. Eli’s methods were common.
Eli dined offhandedly as if he had taken hold of the group. His words were layered with threat. “What? Are you trying to replace us?” Knox asked in disbelief. “I don’t have that power, but the investor does. I heard that he enjoyed dinner with your superiors. I’m sure the project will get the green light in no time. “Even if you didn’t approach me today, my team and I would have invited you out for a get-together.” Eli knew when to back down, easing the tension in the air. It was another type of reconciliation. Eli needed to go through the review board to get the rights to air the films. The carrot-and-stick approach was the best way forward. Kaze was surprised by the sophistication of Eli’s tactics. Still, he believed he had come to the right place. Sure enough, Jet would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Surely, he was bound to leave loose ends. Nevertheless, he probably did not care. Arthur cocked his head back to look at Kaze. Kaze grinned, unbothered
The purpose of the visit was to inform Rising Sun that the films did not make the cut. Since Rising Sun would not make the necessary amendments, the project would come to a halt. “Please, don’t. Since we are all here, we should talk it out.” It took Eli quite some effort to get the group to the hotel. Eli had plans to please the crowd, so he could not let them leave just yet. This went beyond getting the green light for the films. Eli needed to make the group happy. “There is nothing more to talk about. We can’t proceed unless you make the changes.” There was no way around it. Since Rising Sun refused to make the right amendments, and Knox had orders about putting a hold on Rising Sun’s films, that was one less problem for Knox to deal with. Eli could not let the group walk out on him. Hence, he quickly sent people in. Several thinly clad women entered, each holding a small bag. Despite the weightlessness, the bag appeared to be carrying something of substance. “You
For that reason, Rising Sun’s film productions were not cleared to be aired. “I told you the reason. The investor supplied us with the scripts, and we were told to base our productions on the scripts. Our hands are tied.”Eli would have made the amendments if he could. He knew where the problem lay. However, the company had to take the investor’s perspective into consideration. In the end, the films were yet to be approved for release. “I guess you won’t get the permission to air them then.” Knox was surprised that Rising Sun would not budge on the matter. Nevertheless, Knox and his team were not there to give the all-clear or talk some sense into Rising Sun. Knox and his team could care less about what Eli had to say. “We’re serious about getting the approval. “I’m sorry that we aren’t a better host for your visit today. Why don’t we move to the nearby hotel for a talk?” With the review board making an appearance, Eli knew there was still hope. If Eli did not grab
Arthur chuckled, his smile carrying a touch of sleaziness. “Oh, I see.” A realization dawned on Kaze. “Are you with quality control?” Several individuals in dark blue suits approached. The men and women carried files and documents. Kaze nodded without a word. “We are just here to announce the results. We shouldn’t be long.” Arthur came forward to engage with them. The group was likely given the heads-up as they had the right number of people. They swaggered into Rising Sun’s building. The general manager straightened up his tie in a fluster and walked out. None of the film productions made the cut yet, and the delay was costing the company money by the day. At this rate, the project would go down under. Eli, the general manager, rushed to the entrance upon learning the news. The review team was there to do one final check. The films would get the green light if the board found that everything was up to par. The head office would stop putting pressure on
Given Kaze’s status, Alfonso knew better than to have him waiting under the hot sun. Of course, he would send his people to be on standby for Kaze’s arrival. Peter only came to the rescue when Kaze was pestered by some street gang. Alfonso’s omission of Kaze’s identity led to this hiccup. Kaze did not care one bit about the incident. Heck, he did not even bring it up. Arthur straightened his back nervously, becoming even more cautious behind the wheel. “You knew, but why didn’t you say anything, Mr. Lee? You didn’t even tell on us.” Arthur could not understand why. However, he had more respect for the man. “I didn’t see a point. You’ll learn what happens when you displease me, so I won’t bother telling you now.” Kaze was mild-mannered as ever. He spoke softly without a hint of anger. All the more Arthur revered him. “Mr. Lee, we didn’t do our jobs right. We didn’t know who you were.“But my duty is to protect you in the dark. “We saw you getting out of the train
“Rising Sun is a media company. Several of their films are about to be released. They are trying to get them approved to air due to some censorship issues.” Arthur took out a document. “Are there any issues with the films? Why aren’t they approved yet?” Kaze asked curiously. Kaze had no idea. “There are some issues. They aren’t fit to be aired. “Typically, there aren’t a lot of restrictions for film productions so long as the themes aren’t sensitive topics. “But these films featured altered history. The company has been asked multiple times to make revisions, but the films still don’t make the cut.” The Viper’s Den’s members were not privy to the information. The Frosts were insignificant. Kaze was after the Frosts. Otherwise, the Viper’s Den would not waste its resources on a mere film production company. Jet’s investment of nearly ten million bucks in Rising Sun caught the Viper’s Den’s attention. The delayed approval of the films would be catastrophic to the in