Billy was confused. He had been exposed to martial arts at a young age, and no opponent could ever beat him. The street gangs were no match for him. However, Billy could not evade Kaze’s attacks. “Move!” He shooed his students away, his body staggering. His ego was the only reason he was still standing. Gritting his teeth, Billy looked at Kaze. “I don’t want you to beg on your knees now.” Billy grabbed a beer bottle from the nearby table. “Wham!” The beer bottle fractured into fragments all over the floor. “Break those bottles now.” Billy pointed at Gavin and his people. Though unsure of Billy’s intention, they did as they were told. Shards of glass scattered across the floor in front of Billy.Billy looked at Kaze and pointed at the floor. “See that? I want to beat you up and make you kneel here all night.” “That’s creative, Billy.” “That’s right. The loser should kneel on the broken glass. That would show him for being stubborn.” Gavin and the others w
With Billy losing it, everybody knew that Billy had gone to the deep end. After the call, Billy glared at Kaze. “Just you wait, Kaze. I told Jumbo to bring backup from the martial arts school. You better pray that you live to see another day.” Jumbo was vice principal of Tensor Martial Arts School and Dwight’s right-hand man. Every time Billy stirred up trouble, Jumbo would be there to sort out the issues without alerting Dwight. Snapping out of their trances, Gavin and his group were back in high spirits. “Hear that, loser? Billy called his people at the martial arts school. They are all his father’s students. You’re done for.” “Kneel on the broken glass and beg for forgiveness. Maybe Billy might show you mercy.” “It’s pointless to beg and plead now. You’re dead meat for pissing Billy off.” The group sneered and looked at Kaze like he was a dead man. With Billy out for blood, Rose became terrified and tugged on Kaze. “You should leave, Kaze. Just leave us.” “It’s
Kaze said with a smile, “Yeah. He’s as obnoxious as you when you stirred trouble at Shangrila Group. You’re family for sure.” “Oh, Mr. Lee. Don’t be so quick to shut me down.” Startled, Dwight made his stance known. “Don’t worry, Mr. Lee. The bastard should’ve known better. “Could you pass the phone to him? I promise to rip into him and make him apologize to you.” Judging by Billy’s tone, he must be feuding hard with Kaze. Dwight was afraid Kaze would incapacitate Billy in a fit of rage. Furthermore, Billy was Dwight’s only son. “Apologize? If the matter could have been resolved with an apology, I wouldn’t have called you.” Kaze scoffed and terminated the call. Dwight called Kaze back several times, but the calls went unanswered. With Kaze putting down the phone, Billy clamored, “Go on. Make that phone call of yours. One call isn’t enough. I’m giving you time to make several more phone calls.” “I’m good.” Kaze shook his head. “One phone call is enough to crush y
A group of young men in martial arts uniforms showed up on the second floor. There must have been hundreds of them. The leader was a strong, burly, middle-aged man. His cold and severe eyes, which glinted with a hint of cruelty, could send shivers down everybody’s spine.He was Jumbo, the vice principal of Tensor Martial Arts School. “Over here, Jumbo!” Billy cried. He cocked his head back to face Kaze and said with a smirk, “See that, Kaze? They are from my dad’s school. They are less than a tenth of our members, but they should be enough to crush you.” Jumbo led the students into the place. Rose and Landon’s minds went blank in horror. On the contrary, Gavin, Yaryn, and the others got on their high horses. Billy pointed at Kaze. “Where are your people? Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. Tell them to get here now. I’m going to destroy them all too.” With reinforcements by his side, Billy was cocky to no end. Not the least bit intimidated, Kaze said with a pr
No one saw that coming. Even Billy sat there dumbfounded. It took a while before he could reel in from the shock. He lifted his head and shouted at Jumbo exasperatedly, “Have you lost it, Jumbo? “I told you to hit Kaze. Why did you attack me?” Billy lost his respect for Jumbo. Anger and humiliation washed over him. Billy called Jumbo over to take care of Kaze. However, Jumbo slapped him to the ground instead. He must look silly and funny, sitting on the ground holding his face. “Huh? Didn’t Billy call you here? Why are you fighting among yourselves? “What’s going on here?” As if the situation was not bad enough, Kaze acted confused and asked with a smile. Kaze’s comment got Rose, who was nervous as hell, in stitches. She quickly closed her mouth in fright, her face blushing as she held back the laughter. “Ahh! You bastard! I’ll destroy you today, or my name isn’t Billy!” Billy went ballistic. Since he could not throw a tantrum at Kaze, Billy got up from t
The people around heard Dwight’s voice loud and clear from the phone’s loudspeaker. They turned to Kaze in disbelief. Dwight was well-known in the martial arts community. In fact, he was an influential figure in that respect. Yet, he showed Kaze with utmost courtesy and respect. He even sounded careful in his speech.Everybody thought Kaze was nothing but a moocher. Gavin, Yaryn, and the others scowled, their limbs shaking. It did not take them much to figure out that they had messed with the wrong guy. Fortunately, Billy was there to take the brunt. “Principal Tensor, your son didn’t just offend me.”Sinking his back against the couch, Kaze said indifferently, “He threatened the cousin of my wife that he would crush me unless she slept with him. “Even when he was rejected, he forced her to get with him. “It’s not a minor misbehavior. He’s committing a crime.” Dwight trembled, nearly dropping the phone. “Bastard! You make me so angry.” Dwight lashed out. Kno
Billy could not feel any worse. Despite the urge to swear, Billy held his tongue. “Is there anything I can do for you, Kaze?” Dwight asked. Dwight dropped the formalities to get closer to Kaze. “You did all the talking for me, Principal Tensor. I have nothing else to say.” Pleased with Dwight’s attitude, Kaze said, “That’s decided then. I’ll discipline your son on your behalf.” “Thank you, Mr. Lee.” Dwight thanked Kaze before shouting over the phone, “You better listen to Mr. Lee now, bastard. He’s only hitting you for your own good. “If you stir any more trouble, I will come in a wheelchair and skin you alive.” After tearing into his son, Dwight hung up. Kaze smiled at Billy and said cheekily, “Is there anything you want to say, boy?” Anger consumed Billy. Billy gritted his teeth, his veins popping. No word escaped his lips. “You look resentful.” Kaze got up, approached Billy, and slapped him to the ground. That was the sixth time Kaze hit him that nigh
Billy turned ashen. Suddenly, he flipped over and dropped his knees on the shattered glass with a thump. His knees suffered multiple deep cuts. “Hiss…” Billy gasped sharply in pain. Through the agony, he bowed at Kaze. “I was wrong, Kaze. Feel free to discipline me. I accept my punishment wholeheartedly.” Billy surrendered to Kaze without resistance.Kaze raised his brow in surprise. “I guess all hope isn’t lost with you.“Alright then. Since you admit your fault, you can kneel. “I have some questions for you.” Jumbo was relieved because Kaze was letting Billy off the hook. Without resistance, Billy said, “Ask away, Kaze.” Kaze sat back down on the coach and sipped the soda before asking, “Did Taz send you to mess with me?” “That’s right. The bastard lied to me, saying that you pissed him off—” Billy wanted to elaborate further when Kaze waved his arm to stop him. It did not take rocket science to figure out why the guy on his father’s bankroll would attack
“Mr. Tenby, I thought you were speaking out for your friend, but you were just looking for an excuse to ask me out.“Try your luck with another girl. Here is not the place for you to pick up chicks.” The crowd gave Draig strange looks. Draig turned red. He glared at Buffy, tempted to lash out. Fuck. He got played. Buffy hit on him, and he simply responded. She turned things around and made it sound like he was picking her up. Unbothered by Draig’s rage, Buffy smiled charmingly. “Besides, a nice gentleman has invited me for dinner.” The crowd made guesses about who would be having dinner with Buffy. Buffy sauntered toward Kaze and sat next to him. As the crowd watched on in disbelief, Buffy hooked her arm around Kaze’s. Um… It was an eye-bulging moment. Nothing more needed to be said. It was unbelievable. Instead of steering clear, Buffy showed her fondness toward Kaze, a dumped divorcée. Buffy would make herself a laughingstock. Besides, Kaze did no
“Should I defend you instead?” Buffy pointed at Cyan. “I heard you mocking Kaze. You better watch it. “Otherwise, you can kiss your career online goodbye. I don’t care whether you’re with Golden Scale Corporation.” Cyan turned pale. She would not doubt Buffy’s words. Buffy’s father was the former deputy chief. Jude still held influence within the organization. She had access to wealth and resources through control over Gwake Corporation. It would not take much for Buffy to get Cyan canceled. All Buffy needed to do was bribe her way to the higher management of Golden Scale Corporation.Cyan held her tongue. Unable to stand Buffy’s arrogance, Draig stepped forward in disgruntlement. “You must be Ms. Gwake. Even if Cyan was a little harsh about Kaze, she was only looking out for Kaze. You are taking things far by assaulting Cyan.“Cyan is my friend. Shouldn’t you answer to me? “Oh, I should introduce myself.” Draig looked at Buffy and said indifferently, “I am Draig
“I’m telling you, Kaze. We won’t stand by and watch you prey on these socialites,” Cyan uttered indignantly as if she stood on the path of justice. Kaze sighed. “I really want to slap you awake if not for your dad, Cyan. “Draig, you’re something else to dig your own grave in your father’s name.” “Tsk!” “Who do you think you are?” Draig and Cyan turned their noses up at Kaze’s remark. Cyan clamored, “Come on. Show me what you got.“You’re a joke. I exposed you for who you are, and you, in turn, want to slap me? “I’d love to see you try—” A woman stormed into the place and raised her hand. “Smack!” The slap echoed through the silent room, and the crowd stirred. “Buffy?” “She’s the only daughter of Jude, the former deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch. She’s the chairwoman of Gwake Corporation.” “She’s the one rumored to be dating Lee.” Chatters filled the room. The crowd looked at Buffy in shock. Buffy showed up out of nowhere and slappe
Kaze was definitely the only one to show up to Bronze Sparrow on a bicycle. It took guts to do so. Kaze grabbed his carbonated drink from the table and took a sip before turning to Draig. He said indifferently, “I didn’t know there was a rule that a divorcee can’t attend today’s celebration. “Is there a rule that guests can’t attend the party on a bike? “Who makes the rules?” Faced with Kaze’s questioning, Draig and the others were lost for words. The guests exchanged looks. There were no such rules. However, Kaze should know his place. Kaze was asking for a beatdown by crashing a high-profile party when he was just a nobody. Draig nodded furiously. “You never learn, Kaze.”“He’s hopeless now. He’s hit rock bottom, so he’ll stay put no matter what we say.” Cyan gritted her teeth. It was frustrating to deal with someone like Kaze. No one was getting through to him. Without looking at the pair, Kaze said blankly, “Are you done? You can leave if you’re done.”
Since the branch leader would show up, Cyan did not want the branch leader to know that she was associated with Kaze. It would only be damaging to her reputation. While the group sought Kaze out, the latter sat alone in a living room corner, snacking and scrolling on his phone. Kaze was too hungry to care about what anyone else thought of him. His cheeks were full. The rich and powerful furrowed their brows in disdain, keeping their distance from Kaze. For some reason, Cyan saw red. “Kaze!” She angrily yelled and got up in his face, “Why are you eating like you’ve been starving for days? “Why are you stealing food here? “Do you know where you are? You’re an embarrassment!” Cyan’s voice attracted a lot of attention. The crowd gathered and gossiped among themselves about Kaze. Kaze was just chilling on his own, eating, and playing a mobile game. Cyan and her friends came at him out of the blue. He was beyond annoyed. If Cyan was not Lock’s daughter, he would’ve sl
“Mr. Ettinger!” the Viper’s Den members greeted Collier with their heads down. Collier buttoned up his suit and nodded. “Ms. Delmore is still in the office. I came ahead of her to see if there’s anything more to do.” Since Kaze would be attending the celebration, Hannah and Collier wanted to make sure everything was in order. Cyan beamed at the sight of Collier and exclaimed, “Mr. Ettinger!” Recognizing Cyan, Collier greeted her with a smile, “It’s you, Ms. Yemen. Welcome. Why aren’t you heading inside? Are you waiting for someone?” Cyan was delighted by Collier’s warm welcome. She pointed at the head of the Viper’s Den members in charge of gatekeeping. “I want to get in but your people said we can’t enter without an invite. “I guess the other guests who went in didn’t need an invite.” That was the reason why Cyan and Draig seethed in a corner. They realized that no one produced an invitation to get into Bronze Sparrow. In other words, the Viper’s Den members were jus
As the air crackled with deadly intent, Draig’s heart pounded with dread. He was horrified that the Viper’s Den members were just as strong, if not stronger than him. Draig had no idea that these members were Viper’s Den South River State Branch’s key players. They were the elites of the elites in the South River State. “Easy there, gentlemen. Mr. Tenby is from abroad. He doesn’t know the rules of Arcadia. Please cut him some slack.” With Draig caught in a spot, Cyan came to the rescue. Since Cyan was nice about it, the leader of the pack scoffed and waved his arm. His companions quickly put away their weapons. “I don’t care where you came from, but you need to keep to the Arcadian rules since you’re here. You don’t get special favors here.” The leader stared at Draig and said icily, “This should not happen again. Now, get lost!” Draig burned with rage. The people, except for Kaze, had been bending over backward for Draig since his arrival in Arcadia. To think he
The Viper’s Den members yelled at Draig while pulling out their weapons. The air was thick with tension. Draig knew that it was not wise of him to fight during Hannah’s celebration. The Viper’s Den members would not stand by and let the commotion stew. Draig was caught between a rock and a hard place. By throwing the punch, he would be at odds with the Viper’s Den, but he could not turn the other cheek on the matter. “Just forget it, Mr. Tenby. Don’t get into it with a dropped loser. You’re only insulting yourself.” Cyan gave Draig an out. Draig retrieved his arm and scoffed. “Consider yourself lucky, Kaze.” A shadow of regret fleeted across Kaze’s eyes. If Draig were to start a fight, Kaze would have reason to finish him off and get rid of the annoyance. It was a shame that the Viper’s Den members stopped anything from happening. Cyan criticized, “Mr. Tenby is only looking out for you, Kaze. Yet, you stomped on his car key. You went too far. Hurry up and apologiz
“Nevermind. Why are we wasting our time with the likes of him? We don’t belong in the same world anyway.” Draig waved his arm. “Come on. Let’s get inside.” Dumping his car on the side of the road, Draig led Cyan and her friends into Bronze Sparrow. “Huh? How did Kaze get in? Can he get in?” one influencer exclaimed. The crowd watched in shock as Kaze stepped through the door. “Branch Leader!” The members of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch perked up when Kaze showed up. They, Hannah’s trusted aides, knew who Kaze was. Kaze acknowledged the greeting. “Is everybody here?” The head of the pack said in respect, “Many guests have arrived. Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger will be here once they are done with work. Should I inform them to keep you company, sir?” “No, I’ll sit and wait.” Kaze waved his arm and made his way inside. “Hold it right there, Kaze!” Cyan’s angry voice came from behind. “Are you aware of the event at Bronze Sparrow? Do you know who the