“That’s not my call to make,” Kaze said as he shook his head. Sky improved a lot recently. He grew from a cowardly weakling to a young man who aspired to join the army. His ultimate goal was to fight on the foreign battlefield, but Agnes would never let him go. It was extremely dangerous on the foreign battlefield and she would not want anything to happen to her dear son. “Sky, breakfast is ready!” Agnes came out of the house to call Sky for breakfast. She saw Draco at the lakeside and she was surprised. “What are you doing here?! Sky has been bugging me about joining the army lately. Don’t tell me it’s you who instigates him!” She had no good impression of Draco because the man often came to train Sky. Due to his influence, her good son hit someone the other day and caused trouble for the family. She told the Tiger Fangs Militia to not let Draco in but the man still came. She had no idea how he slipped past the soldiers. “Mrs. Quint, can you invite me in for a bo
A group of good-looking young men, probably around fifteen of them, came in. They were followed by another group of people who were either bodyguards, assistants, or businessmen with briefcases. “Who is Winston Carter? We are here to purchase Golden Edge!” The leader of the group scanned everyone in the meeting room condescendingly. His words screamed of confidence and arrogance. Winston was surprised. Based on their looks, he knew the young men were people with a strong background. He went up to them and asked politely, “I’m Winston Carter. Who might you be?” “Harry Lokeman from the Lokeman family from Takeno City,” the young man said. Everyone in the meeting room was surprised by his introduction. Takeno was just south of Lilyrose and both cities were interconnected, so everyone in the room had heard of the Lokeman family. The Takeno Lokemans were wealthy and powerful. They had a long history and a resourceful network, rivaling that of the Chrysant Vinlands. Had
“Can you shut up? I’m not talking to you.” Harry glared at Winnie fiercely and condescendingly. He then looked at Winston. “I’m asking you one more time, are you selling it to us?” “Mr. Carter, don’t let them scare you. They won’t force you…” Winnie tried to convince Winston but before she could finish, Winston had a change of heart. “I’ll sell it to you!” Like how he spoke to Kaze, he nodded and flattered. “Thank you everyone for showing interest in Golden Edge. It’s an honor for the mall and myself!” A few of the young men nodded in approval; the others did not react as if it was expected. Winnie did not expect Winston to turn on her so easily. Angered, she said, “Mr. Carter, this isn’t right. We have agreed on the deal and we are signing the contract. How can you turn your back on us now and sell Golden Edge to them?” She felt cheated. A while ago, she thought Winston was a decent man but she was proved wrong when he agreed to sell Golden Edge to them. “Ms. S
The young man’s expression shifted. He grunted and decided not to speak anymore. They were all Yume’s admirers, so they were enemies of each other rather than good friends. They teamed up this time because Yume was slapped and humiliated. They decided to go after Kaze. Winnie walked out of the room. Before she walked further away, she overheard the young men’s conversation. “There are so many of us here. Isn’t it an overkill? Either one of us can easily deal with that stupid guy.” “Call Yume. I’d like to see if that stupid guy dares to slap her in front of us.” “Of course, he doesn’t have the nerves. I did a background check on him. He’s just a son-in-law of some second-tier family. He’s good at bluffing and managed to bring Shangrila Group back from the dead. Quite capable, but not enough compared to us.” Winston was furious when he heard them. He did not know Kaze was the son-in-law of the Quints. Kaze was notorious for impersonating people with higher power and
“Kaze, they are all here because of you! They are coming after you! You are dead already!” Landon gloated. Rose and Sky panicked when they heard the news. Rose even teared up. “Kaze, what are we going to do? Darcy is at the hospital with Uncle Hector, should we call her back and ask her for help?” Rose wanted to call Darcy for help. “It’s no big deal. Why trouble Darcy?” Kaze stopped Rose. He had gotten a call from Winnie earlier and was not bothered at all. He wanted Winnie to continue with the purchase but the news snowballed out of hand. Now he had to go to Golden Edge to solve the problem himself. “I’ll go to Golden Edge to meet these so-called young masters.” Kaze got up and walked out. “He’s still trying to act cool and doesn't even want to call Darcy. He’s afraid that if she finds out about the mess he made, she will divorce him. I believe he’s going to apologize and kneel to the young masters!” Landon grumbled. Sky glared at the boy. “Landon, one more word f
“Kaze, don’t! You’ll die!” Sky and Rose were horrified. “No? If you are not going to do it, why are you still here? Go back and wait for your death!” Winston grinned and added, “If you want to go in and see the young masters, you will have to stand here under the sun and finish all the ice cream!” Rose and Sky got even more nervous. They strongly believed Kaze would agree to the unreasonable demands. Yume’s admirers were all powerful and influential. Each of them represented a wealthy family or a large company. Kaze must have known how serious the problem was, so he had to see them and apologize to them. “Why are you standing there? There’s still a refrigerator of ice cream for you to eat!” Winston grabbed an ice cream and gave it to Kaze. “Winston Carter, you weren’t like this when you talked to me yesterday.” Kaze did not take the ice cream and simply looked at the man calmly. Winston’s expression turned grim. He was infuriated when Kaze talked about yesterd
After the top three families were stripped of their power and status, the respective family heads, who could shake the city up with just a sneeze, retired from the scene. It had just been a few days since then but they looked ten years older. They looked dispirited and less energetic than before. They stood before Kaze with lowered heads and reverence. Kaze looked at them. “The three of you really did it this time. I confiscated all of your assets but you three still hid something from me.” Thump! All three family heads knelt immediately, shuddering in fear. Sky, Rose, and Landon were stunned when they saw them on their knees. Why would the three family heads be so afraid of Kaze? “Mr. Lee, we are terribly sorry! We didn’t mean to keep it from you.” “With previous experience from Quintessential Group and Shangrila Group, all three of us were afraid of our families being wiped out, so we set up an escrow for Golden Edge a year ago.” Quintessential Group was annexed and
“Stop thinking about the luxurious life. If you help me buy Golden Edge, I’ll let you live a normal life. Get up,” Kaze said. The top three families were no longer in power but they were not completely out of the game. Whether they could make a comeback depended on the young ones. “Mr. Lee! Thank you for your kindness and generosity! We will do whatever we can!” The three family heads bowed repeatedly as tears and snot smeared their faces. Compared to their current situation, living a normal life was considered a blessing already. …“Winston, has Kaze started eating?” When Winston came into the meeting room, Harry, who was also eating ice cream, asked about Kaze. All fifteen young masters, Yume, Juno, and her friends who came by later, were having ice creams in an air-conditioned environment whereas Kaze had to finish a refrigerator of ice cream under the harsh sun. They were enjoying themselves while Kaze was suffering. “He’s eating, he’s eating. He wants to come
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
“It’s quite a bustle even when it’s late at night.” Kaze looked down from above and saw the bright lights. A street in the distance was brightly lit with many people working into the night. “The majority of people would do many things to make a living.” Arthur rarely observed these sights. “Thank you. Keep me in the loop of any progress. I’m curious as to what you’d do.” Kaze did not see a need to get involved with the minor stuff. He delegated the tasks to his people. “If you have time, why don’t you go out and have a bit of fun, Mr. Lee?” Arthur asked. The reason for Kaze’s trip was to deal with Jet. Kaze would get some satisfaction from upsetting Jet. “I don’t want to attract attention.” The last thing Kaze wanted was to blow his cover. From Kaze’s question, Arthur knew that Kaze was interested. “No. We can give you a whole new identity.” Arthur knew what to do. “I’ll leave you to it, but don’t take it too far,” Kaze replied. Still, Kaze was intrigued a
Katie was narrow-minded to spit out the unpleasant things. Her words would never harm Kaze. Kaze took the private elevator back to the penthouse for a rest. He had more important things to do. He needed to keep tabs on the Frosts. Leah’s business was none of Kaze’s concern. Sure, Leah was in a state, being manipulated by her mother and all. However, it was a family matter at the end of the day. Kaze had no rhyme or reason to get involved. Kaze soon put the whole thing behind him. Arthur was already there at the penthouse. As Kaze entered the room, Arthur jolted up from the couch. “Mr. Lee, this is the document you requested. It should have detailed information to give you a clearer idea of the situation.” Arthur put the papers in front of Kaze and grabbed him a bottle of water. Feeling hot from his walk back, Kaze took a sip and held the document up for a look. “I got to give it to the Frosts. They sure work in the shadows.” Kaze grinned. A strong opponent p
“Despite everything I’ve said, you still won’t listen! Kaze is a liar! He befriended you with a motive. Yet, you trust him. He’s a good friend to you? What do you take me for?” Katie could not put up with her daughter’s defiance. Leah must obey her because that was what a good daughter would do. “I see you as my mother. What about you? Am I a daughter to you?” Leah did not want to ask such a distressing question. However, there was no way around it. She was escaping reality. Still, she had to swallow the truth, however cruel. “What are you talking about? I wouldn’t raise you if I didn’t consider you my daughter.” Katie worked hard to keep a level head. The last thing she wanted was the whole thing to blow up into a bigger fight. She had a lot to do for the upcoming party. There was no time to lose in keeping her daughter happy. Besides, Leah was no longer a child. Yet, she was so defiant and rebellious. “Why do you plan on giving me away if I’m supposed to be your d
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