“Kaze, I will show you and your wife’s family what it feels like to lose hope,” Blake pointed at Kaze and said menacingly right outside the mayor’s office. Kaze replied chillingly, “I could say the same to you too.” Blake’s words had gotten to him. Aaron was heartless to nearly leave Darcy with no choice but to take her own life. Still, Blake believed that Darcy deserved to die. Apparently, Kaze was not supposed to retaliate or throw Aaron out of the third-floor window. He could not make sense of the logic. “Hahaha! I own your ass now, Kaze, so you have the nerve to challenge me.” Blake guffawed and scoffed at Kaze’s statement. “I am the mayor. I have the support of the two most prominent families. What do you have? Soon, you will learn that I have the power to destroy you and your family.” The nerve of Kaze to talk back when he was in handcuffs. Resentful, Blake made up his mind to give Darcy’s family hell. He shouted, “Come here, Kevin.”“You summoned me, M
Without a word, Kaze looked at Blake like he was a dead man. Blake was infuriated by the brush-off from Kaze. He wanted to say something about it. That was when Trafford, the administration minister at the governor’s office, entered the room with several stern-looking individuals. “Why waste your breath on a prisoner, Blake? Just begin the interrogation. I need to get back to Sunrise after this.”Trafford glanced at Kaze indifferently, his voice reflecting contempt. Kaze was insignificant in his books. “Alright. Let’s just interrogate him.” Blake waved at his men. “Take him into the room.” The men restrained Kaze. Since Kaze had no idea what they wanted to grill him about, he planned to see what they were up to. Kaze let them force him into a makeshift interrogation room. There was an existing interview room next to the makeshift one, and two police officers stood guard at the door. When Kaze was brought in, a staff member in a suit walked out of the room. The st
The interrogation room was filled with Kaze’s laughter. His chuckles were annoying. His offhand remark stung more, though. Blake, Trafford, and Felix grimaced. “What are you laughing about?” Felix was furious because he could sense Kaze’s disdain. “I find you amusing,” Kaze replied indifferently. To think someone would try to extract a confession out of him through trickery. The individual attempted to break him and make him confess something that never happened. Besides, counter-reconnaissance and counter-interrogation were part of the core military program. The God of War Palace acquired talents to perfect these skills. Before joining the army, Kaze had used these techniques to his advantage countless times. When he was banished to Lilyrose and faced death threats, he had to play it smart by playing dumb. The best experts in interrogation and psychology were invited to confirm if he was just acting crazy. All were unsuccessful in proving he was faking it.
The room was hot and stuffy as if the heater was turned on. Johnson lay weakly on the ground, soaked all over. Yet, his lips were dry and cracked, a sign of severe dehydration. “I didn’t betray you, Mr. Lee,” Johnson said strugglingly. He could barely open his eyes but managed a sad smile for Kaze. “You’re playing with fire, Blake, Trafford!” Kaze shouted angrily. At this rate, Johnson would die of dehydration. Hiss! A staff member carried a bucket of water into the room and ladled some water onto the nearby coals. White steam filled the room. The room became a hot furnace. “Enjoy your sauna, Kaze. Take Johnson out. Don’t let him die,” Blake said with a sinister smile. He could not stop wiping his sweat the moment he stepped into the room. Sauna was beneficial to health when used in moderation. In moments of excess, it could be deadly. It was a form of torture to extract information. “Okay. I’ll enjoy the sauna before the person I’m expecting arrives. I coul
“The governor has a lot on his plate. Why would he pay extra attention to something so small?” Blake was confused. Trafford replied, “That’s not the only thing. The governor specifically asked about Kaze and sent his secretary-general to get a detailed report on Kaze’s case.” “Huh? Did Kaze get through to the governor to plead his case?” Blake was apprehensive. He had something to hide, to begin with. The case had not made any progress so far, and the governor’s involvement might push things in the wrong direction. “Kaze has some connections to get the governor’s attention, but the governor isn’t on his side.” Trafford chuckled. “How so?” Blake asked. “Do you know what Kaze did?” Trafford laughed out loud. “The idiot bribed the governor openly by giving him real estate, cars, and companies. The governor is livid, to say the least. Haha. Isn’t that funny?” His close associate in the governor’s office told him so. “Woah. I can’t believe the idiot did that. Hahaha
The governor had arrived in Lilyrose. Blake and Trafford were taken aback. They did not expect the matter to be so severe that the governor would come all the way to Lilyrose just to grill Kaze. “You’re finished, Kaze now that the governor’s involved. No one can save you and your wife now.” Blake was thrilled. “Don’t waste your breath on the loser. We should go and welcome the governor.” Trafford scoffed and pulled Blake out of the interrogation room. Two vehicles were parked outside the mayor’s office. Blake could not determine the governor’s ride because both cars were inconspicuous. “Hello there, Governor.” As Loid stepped out of the car, the pair went up to greet him. “Where is Kaze?” Loid asked with a wry look, not even pausing for a second as he headed inside the building. “Come with me, Governor Farland. Kaze refused to admit to his crimes and interfered with the interrogation. He’s in the interview room.” Blake took quick paces to the interrogation ro
Blake and Trafford were stunned. Loid somehow turned around and lashed out at them instead. Although they were suspicious of Loid’s attitude toward Kaze, reality had not kicked in yet. Trafford uttered, “Governor, Kaze tried to bribe you, but he refused to admit to it. Mayor Bowman merely went to extreme lengths to protect your pride.” He thought his remark would spark Loid’s fury. The governor came all the way to Lilyrose, clearly out to get Kaze. “Bribe me? He was insulting me because of what you both have done.” Loid glared at Trafford. “Tell me. What did Blake give you for your trip to Lilyrose?” Color washed off Trafford’s and Blake’s faces.By bringing the matter to light, Loid clearly intended for them to answer for their crimes.Pale-faced, Trafford tried to think of an excuse and said calmly, “I didn’t get anything out of it, Governor. The Vinlands and the Lees came to me to promote Blake. I agreed to it because I believe we need to be on good terms with the
Trafford kneeled next to Kaze’s feet and slammed his forehead on the ground repeatedly until his skin broke. He was a wise man, knowing words could not help him now. His fate lay in the hands of Kaze. “I was wrong, Kaze. The two prominent families wanted me to go after your family. If I knew you were the God of War, I wouldn’t do it.” Following suit, Blake kneeled before Kaze and clung to his leg in tears. The previously high and mighty mayor spinelessly begged Kaze. Thud! Disgusted, Kaze kicked him away. Blake sprung back on his feet and drew close to Kaze. “You must forgive me, Kaze. You threw my son out of the window. He’s still in the emergency room. I have paid the price.” Smack! Kaze gave him another kick and smirked. “Don’t speak to me like I owe you. If I were to arrive late, my wife would be the one in the hospital.” “I won’t be the mayor anymore. I’ll do anything you ask!” Blake whimpered and wanted to approach Kaze again. Loid said chillingly, “You h
Aloysius looked at the business venture at hand with a mix of emotions. Jet was supposed to make a comeback with the project, but the defeat was a huge slap to his face. “Can I ask whether Kaze was behind this?” Aloysius braced himself to ask the question. Even though Aloysius had an inkling, he feared receiving confirmation of his suspicion. “Chairman Lee helped me. If Jet hadn’t hurt my mother, I wouldn’t have rushed back to take his place. “He did this to himself,” Snow said blatantly. “How did you know about the island project? We have been discreet about it.” Aloysius was eager to find out. The question would burn on his mind unless he got some answers. “You can’t keep anything from the Viper’s Den, but this is the end of the matter. If you’re interested in the project, I can put you in charge of it.” Snow could not be bothered to explain herself. Aloysius played it smart. He had been carrying out Snow’s orders without a hitch. Snow was happy to honor her prom
“Tell them that the company is expecting funding, and all the projects will be launched in a few days. Everything will be back on track. It’s a good thing that the higher management is gone. We will be opening the positions for internal employees to apply.” Snow got the right solution to handle the situation. She had to give these employees hope to gain their dedication in return. Aloysius was surprised. “Who would pour money in when our finances are in a mess?” Having worked with Jet, Aloysius had a good understanding of the company’s ins and outs. Several business ventures were up in the air, and the company was bleeding money. Even with a relaunch, these projects would not bring in much of a profit. Most importantly, the relaunch had to be backed up by some funding. The business got a loan from the Viper’s Den. If payment was not made in time, the company’s shares would be used to make up for the loss. The whole thing spelled trouble. Snow just joined the company.
“This is the financial report you submitted today. Any intern can do a better job than you.” Snow mocked Jack. She was disappointed in his performance. A finance director who could not even get his basics right should not be working in finance in the first place. “Who do you think you are, doing this to us?” The others are only out to save their own asses. They did not sympathize with Jack. “I’m sure you are well aware of what you have done.” “You’re on your phone all day at work. You put your daily expenses on the company card, and we’re talking about tens of thousands of dollars a month. You only bought stuff for your personal use. “Let’s not forget about you. Your so-called business trips are to take your mistress out for expensive hotel stays and vacations.” Snow looked at each one of them while detailing their deeds. She shamed them in public, utterly humiliating them. “Why were these allowed before? Why are you stopping these practices now? If you can change
“No, Ms. Frost. I can do it,” Aloysius said right away. He did not want to miss out on a good opportunity. “I gave you a chance. It’s up to you to seize it.” Snow looked at them with a smile. “I’ll get right to it, Ms. Frost.” The HR manager nodded and took off. He had to prepare the paperwork. Those in upper management were on a higher pay grade with a cut of the shares. Following a termination, the HR manager had to calculate the final pay. There had to be a valid reason for the discharge from duties too. Though things were a little complicated, the HR manager was experienced in this aspect. The only issue was that the staff involved were not the low-ranking employees. They held high positions. Despite his unrest, Aloysius did not wear his heart on his sleeve. He had a good read of the situation. Snow was impartial in carrying out business. Those who contributed to the company would stay while the ones who bled the business dry would be sacked. Anyone would p
Sure enough, the mean would gather around the individual at their fall from grace. It was sad to grasp this reality. “I promise you to have everything in order. Don’t worry. You will get a nice promotion.” Snow knew when to give her employee encouragement. Only then would Aloysius feel motivated to work. Aloysius departed in dejection, but Snow did not mind it at all. He served the wrong person. Snow took on the leadership role the same day Jet left. Since she assumed the responsibilities without much experience, the employees did not take her seriously. The people doing the grunt work felt nothing toward the change of leadership. The upper management may experience shifts, but they were still obliged to finish their usual tasks. The only thing they hoped for was to be paid more for their overtime. Following the change of leadership, some leaders may receive a promotion or be transferred out. The employees at the bottom of the pyramid wondered if they could compet
Despite her unease, Snow trusted that Jet would not have the chance to hurt her. Hence, she put the matter aside. The dynamic shift within the Frosts caught the eye of elite families across the business world. They kicked Jet while he was down. Some even tried to get a piece of the pie. However, most of them stayed on the sidelines, observing. A fallen giant was still a giant. Even if these families were greedy, they had to assess the situation before moving in. These businesspeople were skeptical about Snow taking Jet’s place. They did not know what Snow was made of. Consequently, they tried to approach her. Snow had been kept busy in the office, dealing with the problems left behind by Jet. She worked late into the night every day. While being buried deep in paperwork, Snow refused to meet anyone. She had lived in Butterworth before, so she had peers from school and friends around. Snow’s sudden return caught many off guard. Everyone wanted to get close to he
If Jet had detected the problems early on, he could have prevented things from escalating. Yet now, everything was too late. Jet did not regret his actions, though. “Just sign this, Jet. At this rate, the shares will drop beyond the point of redemption,” Talon said. The Frosts were terrified at the stock market’s dropping numbers. They did not have time to lose. “I will sign the papers. I lost.” Jet did not want to give in just yet. However, he had to comply with the family elders’ pleas. Snow was relieved. The contract was quickly drawn up, and Jet signed the papers to give up the proprietorship. “Relax. I won’t do you wrong.” Snow made a promise. At least, Jet would still have a home to go back to. “Don’t get too cocky. I didn’t lose to you. I lost to Kaze.” Jet knew that he would face much resistance if his rival were Snow. It was a shame that he was up against Kaze, a strong and mysterious man. “Just sign the papers. I will take over the family empire, and
“Don’t project your filth on everyone else.” Snow was angry, but she knew that she had to keep her head cool. By jumping straight to defense mode, Snow would give others the wrong idea. She had been there before. Kaze sat still without a word. He furrowed his brows in annoyance when Jet painted his relationship with Snow dirty. “I’m not here for the drama.” Kaze looked at Talon. The senior members of the Frosts should back down before Kaze did something about it. “Who do you think you are? This is a family meeting. Why are you getting involved?“If you are unrelated to Snow, you shouldn’t be here in the first place.” Jet took out his anger on Kaze. Kaze was not part of the family anyway, so Jet did not have to consider his feelings. “Watch yourself, Jet. He’s a visitor.” Talon was smart enough to read the room. Despite the air of mystery shrouding Kaze, he managed to screw with most of Jet’s business ventures. The Frosts stood to lose more by crossing Kaze. Ta
Following Snow’s lead, Kaze entered a big conference room. The centerpiece of the conference room was a long, solid wood table, drawing out an air of solemnity. Various notable and valuable paintings hung on the wall. The expansive floor-to-ceiling window brought light into the room. Sunlight bounced off the window that displayed a picturesque view outside. “There you are.” Jet had been waiting. With the pair slowly making their way in, Jet could not hide the rage in his eyes. “Long time no see, Jet,” Snow greeted him and pulled a chair for Kaze. “It’ll take a bit of time, Chairman Lee. The senior members of my family are on their way.” Snow contacted the family elders while getting to the venue. Jet had not produced much results lately, and the Frosts were utterly humiliated. Since Jet would soon be replaced, the senior members of the family wanted to be kept in the loop. These family members had their own ideas. However, they would be happy to appoint the lea