“No, this is impossible! Mr. Statham lost? I don’t believe it!” “How did the monkey defeat Mr. Statham?! This isn’t real!” Mr. Statham’s followers finally regained their composure after a while and started to voice their disbelief. They could not accept what they saw. The students and the coaches of the martial arts school cheered loudly. Even the students who were hostile against Kaze were impressed and viewed him as a hero. Cough! Mr. Statham struggled to get up on his feet. Bang! A powerful stomp landed on his chest, pinning him to the ground. Kaze stepped on Mr. Statham’s chest and peered down at him. “It’s not so difficult to defeat you. You disappoint me. Now that you have lost, I think it’s time for you to acknowledge that you are a piece of trash.” Kaze said the same thing to Mr. Statham. “No way!” Mr. Statham glared at Kaze viciously. He had never been humiliated like this before. Kaze smiled and then broke a few ribs with his foot. He did not hav
“I beat my way in here.” Kaze went over to the two of them, not wasting another second. Lennon and Theo were scared. They saw Mr. Statham defeated Dwight with just a few punches. If Kaze defeated Mr. Statham, how strong could he be? Knowing that Kaze was coming after them, Lennon bellowed, “Stop right there! We still have the girl!”’ Sophie was less than a meter behind them. However, if Kaze was deterred by how close Sophie was to the two of them, then he would not be called the God of War. Without showing any expression, Kaze strode up to Lennon and grabbed the man by the arm. Crack! Following a loud crack, Lennon cried like a dying pig and was immobilized instantly. Kaze then tossed him on the ground and turned his attention to Theo. “I’ll fuck you up!” Theo drew his dagger and jumped on Kaze ferociously. Slap! Kaze slapped Theo, disabling him and sending him flying before he could even get close. “D-Don’t kill me!” Looking at Kaze coming closer to him
“If you don’t want people to know what you have done, don’t do it,” Kaze said to the unconscious duo on the ground. He then called Don to inform him of the situation. “I have a situation here that needs your attention.” Soon enough, Don and his men arrived at the scene. They arrested Lennon and Theo but since they were hurt and unconscious, they were sent to the hospital first. “Sophie, you should go with them to give your statement.” Kaze tapped on Sophie’s shoulder and sent her away with one of the officers. He then called Don over to tell him about the situation. “I understand, Mr. Lee.” As they walked out, they saw Mr. Statham and his men, who were apprehended by the students and coaches of the martial arts school. Kaze said, “Don, I think you should talk to our foreign friends here. I don’t want them coming after me.” He was not scared of them at all, he just did not want the trouble. “Yes, Sir.” When Don went over, Mr. Statham and his men clamored and trie
The investment should be made on a specific project or multiple projects, yet Danny and his team did not even propose anything or show any documents. It was Jem who had the contracts drafted and was eager to have them signed. Many employees were skeptical. “Mr. Tart, hold on. Does Mr. Lee know about this?” asked an employee from the investment department. He asked not out of respect for Kaze but he was scared that Jem jeopardized their future since they, the employees, would have to bear the consequences as well if things went south. Jem valued his status and power, so when the employee questioned him, he was irritated. He grunted but he did not lash out at the employee. He said, “We are just going through the content of the contract. As for the signing session, we will have to wait for Mr. Lee’s order.” He intended to make Kaze take the blame, so of course, he would never leave out Kaze. “When will Mr. Lee be here?” The employee remained worried. He was a local Lilyr
“I see you learned about Sophie being in danger, Jem. I supposed you know a little too much?” Kaze shot a meaningful gaze at Jem and grinned, causing the man to shiver. For some reason, Jem had a bad feeling rising from his heart. Jem scoffed and chose to stay quiet. Since he had decided to confront Kaze, he was not afraid of Kaze finding out about the truth. “If you don’t believe what I said, then I guess you guys would have to see it for yourself.” Kaze shook his head and then handed his phone to Leslie. “Leslie, can you cast my phone to the screen?” Leslie frowned and said arrogantly, “Why should I take orders from you? You can’t even take care of your own assistant. Don’t you know she’s being someone else’s sex toy?” Slap! Kaze slapped the woman and said, “You should be grateful that Sophie is safe or else I will make you take her place.” He sounded calm and casual but it struck fear in Leslie. She glared at Kaze as she covered her face. Reluctantly, she took
Jem then pushed the pen to Kaze, signaling him to sign the contract. Kaze shot a glance at him and said loudly, “Are you the CEO or I am the CEO?” Since the secrets were already exposed, Jem no longer bothered to conceal his intention. “Of course it’s you, Mr. Lee. Otherwise, I wouldn’t ask for your signature.” He sat down on the chair, crossed his legs, and leaned back. He smiled and said, “I wonder what your decision is on Sophie’s case of embezzlement? Do you want to bring in the authorities or settle it under the table?” Kaze sat down and crossed his legs as well. He said to Jem, “I see you are quite the decisive person. Why don’t you tell me what I should do?” Jem scoffed. “It depends on whether you sign the contract or not. If you sign it, we can work things out; if you don’t sign it, we’ll bring in the authorities and take legal measures. “But do remember that the company’s chairwoman, Ms. Scarlet, is your wife’s bestie and she is the one who made you CEO. If this
Jem assumed that Kaze would rather send his assistant to prison than compromise on his decision. All the employees were there to witness it. No one would side with a superior who would abandon his subordinate at a critical moment. Therefore, no matter what decision Kaze made, Jem assumed that Kaze had lost. Jem would soon abdicate Kaze’s position and Kaze would eventually kowtow to him. ‘I was just being impatient and worrisome,’ Jem thought to himself. He then got up and shook Danny’s hand. “Mr. Tulip, let’s go have steak. I know a restaurant that is famous for its sirloin.” “I like steak,” Danny answered with a bold laugh. The two of them ignored Kaze and walked toward the exit together. Kaze was still on his chair. Unfazed, he said, “Did I say you guys can leave?” “Mr. Lee, you want to join us too?” Jem scoffed. Kaze said with a grin, “I am just giving you a friendly reminder, Mr. Tart. If you are lucky, you might have that steak in less than ten years.” “Wha
“You should repent your mistakes behind bars.” Kaze kicked Jem away and said to the officer, “Other than the obvious ones, try to investigate if he is involved in other criminal activities. Hudson Investment Firm will fully cooperate with your investigation. We will not tolerate anyone who harms the company.” Jem turned upon hearing Kaze. He collapsed on the floor like a deflated balloon, his eyes looked void of life. He knew his career and life were over. He hated himself for being overconfident. He did not need to be personally involved. He thought he had the situation under control, so he did not prepare any backup plan for himself. Now that Kaze had taken care of Lennon and Theo, he called the cops and they exposed Jem of his involvement. It was too late for him to regret now. Jem was cuffed and taken away. The employees of Hudson Investment Firm sighed as Jem was taken away, and they were all impressed by Kaze's handling of the situation. “Now that Jem Tart has bee
“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