Don’s furious and thunderous shout frightened Tony and the others to their cores. Don was known for his ruthless fist of justice, showing no mercy to criminals, which earned him the moniker “The Grim Reaper of Crime”.Everyone was silenced by Don’s wrath. Some even started shaking. Even the arrogant Zenny stepped back and lowered his head. “C-Chief Braders, I am so sorry about this. My men are still searching for Master Lee…” Tony went up to Don attentively. “He is the Master Lee that you are searching for! Tony Lambda, how audacious can you be to arrest Master Lee?!” Don wished he could slap some sense into Tony. He ignored the foolish captain for now and went straight up to Kaze. The officers trying to arrest Kaze were stunned. Don shouted at them, “Why are you two still here with the handcuffs? You want to arrest me as well?” The officers immediately stepped away. “I am so sorry about this, Master Lee. I failed to educate my men.” Don’s voice was trembling whe
Thump! Tony knelt down in front of Kaze immediately. "Master Lee! I am so sorry! I was blind! I shouldn't have accused you! Please tell Chief Braders not to dismiss me! Please!" The captain cried like a baby and even tried to hold Kaze’s leg. He revealed his true nature once he was relieved of his duty. Kaze kicked him away. He showed no mercy to people like Tony. If he was a normal citizen and Tony had accused him of being a human trafficker without even investigating, he would be locked up, probably for life. “What an embarrassment!” Don grunted at Tony and then looked at Kaze. “Master Lee, I want to retrieve the dash cam footage from your car and show it to the people that you have been wrongly accused of human trafficking.” When Don arrived, he heard the crowd calling Kaze a human trafficker and wanted him locked away. Kaze was a hero who protected the country, yet he was being wrongly accused. He must be disheartened. Don hoped that this misunderstanding woul
Zenny got anxious. He looked down on Kaze’s Audi A4 earlier and now because of his BMW X6, he was questioned by the chief of police. “Chief Braders, please let me go. I’m from the…” Before he could finish, Don stopped him with his hand. “I am not your direct superior but I cannot allow this to slip. I will talk to Director Gamuda from the Traffic Department. You will be dismissed soon!” Zenny turned pale. “Yeah! That’s more like it!” The crowd cheered and applauded. After the crowd dispersed, Don went over to Kaze again to apologize. “Forget it, it’s not a big deal.” Kaze waved his hand and set the matter to rest. Don breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll be going now.” Kaze headed to his car just when Winnie finally caught up to him with Brenda. Zenny was sulking in grievance further away. He dared not stop Winnie anymore. “Kaze, Mommy wants me to thank you.” Brenda hugged Kaze’s leg to show affection. “I have to thank you. When everyone was pointing fingers
“Bye-bye, Kaze!” said Brenda as she waved at the man.“Bye, Brenda.” Kaze then said to Winnie, “Can I have the home address of Brenda’s grandparents? I’ll visit them if I have the time.” James was his only friend before he joined the army. Now that James had passed away and his wife remarried, he should at least take care of his friend’s daughter and family. Winnie gave him the address before reluctantly going into Zenny’s car with Brenda. Kaze drove back to the construction site and waited for Darcy. They went home together after all the work was done for the day. “Darcy, do you remember James White from university? Brenda is his daughter. What a coincidence.” Kaze talked about James on the way back but he skipped the part where he was accused as a human trafficker. He usually kept bitter news from Darcy. He knew Darcy was pressured by the Passion Fragrance District’s project, so he did not want to increase her burden. “Yeah! He came back to Lilyrose two years ago and
Darcy’s emotion calmed down when they reached home. When Kaze went to park the car in the garage, he called Snow to have her investigate James' mysterious death. James died right after he visited the fake Kaze in the psychiatric ward. Something must have happened! Meanwhile, at La Familia Club, where Dan Niner usually hung out, he got wind of what happened to Manny and the rest of his men. “What? Manny and the others were arrested by Tiger Fangs?” Dan collapsed onto the couch when he received the news. He was in shock. Manny and fifty of his men were sent to cause problems at Passion Fragrance District but after a while, he lost contact with all of them. He later ordered more men to find out what happened and the news shook him—Manny and the others were arrested by Tiger Fangs! It reminded him of Gold Tooth’s encounter with the militia. Could it be that Kaze was capable of commanding the Tiger Fangs? Dan was frightened. No matter how fierce of a gangster he was, h
“Miru, are you back in Lilyrose?” Darcy answered the phone immediately. Two days ago, Miru said she went home to deal with family matters and disappeared. Darcy could not even call or text her. She was worried sick about her friend. Now with the phone ringing, Miru must have dealt with her family matters. Darcy was happy to answer the call. “My little Darcy, happy to hear my voice? Did you miss me?” Miru’s lazy and teasing voice came from the phone. “Geez, you have perfect looks and body but that mouth of yours doesn’t fit you at all.” Darcy had gotten used to her friend’s tease, so she skipped the chatters and told Miru about her situation. She believed Miru could help her to deal with Dan Niners. There was one time when they went out shopping and were surrounded by a few gangsters who wanted to drag them into the car. Darcy was horrified but Miru remained calm and steady. She asked the gangster who they worked for and then made a call. A while later, the g
Kaze’s eyes narrowed coldly when he heard Miru’s offensive words. Every time she saw him, she insisted that he divorce Darcy. She might have thought too highly of herself. Nevertheless, he promised Darcy to not take Miru’s words seriously, so he did not bother to argue. Darcy was irritated by her friend’s words. “Miru, Kaze and I are doing fine. Why must you say that?” “What are you planning to do with this stupid idiot? Are you really going to spend your life with an idiot who couldn’t do anything?” Miru’s vicious tongue was indeed merciless. She called Kaze an idiot in front of his face. Darcy was afraid that she would exacerbate the matter, so she said, “Miru, stop it. Kaze isn’t an idiot. He had just come out from the psychiatric ward and was now looking for a job. I ran into a lot of problems lately and he helped a lot.” Miru knew Darcy was being kind and her saying so was because she pitied the idiot.She shot another contemptuous gaze and grunted coldly at Kaze, who
“Kaze, watch and learn how I solve problems!” Miru shot another contemptuous gaze at Kaze before she went up to the gangsters. “I am Miru Scarlet, the COO of Lefteria Group.” Big Fly licked his lips pervertedly and said, “So you’re the well-known Madame Miru. I’ve heard of you, Mr. Cummingham’s goddaughter. You are damn beautiful now that I’ve seen you in person.” Miru was disgusted by Big Fly’s perverted look and she frowned. “If you’ve heard of me, then bring your men away!” Slap! Big Fly slapped her on the face without saying anything, leaving a red handprint on her face. “Fuck off, bitch. My boss is Dan Niners. I don’t care if you are some asshole’s goddaughter. I’m not getting paid to know about that!” A ferocious gangster like Big Fly was not afraid of power or authority. He only served for his own benefit and money. Moreover, his boss would soon be a board member of the new Construction and Material Society, whose backbone was the Lee family of the capital.
“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