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
Yaryn was delighted, assuming Rose would forgive her. To her dismay, the exact opposite happened. She nearly blew up. In the heat of the moment, she lashed out, “You’re a bitch, Rose! You pretend to be a saint, but the truth of the matter is, you’re petty as—” “Smack!” Jumbo slapped Yaryn, and the woman, her hair a falling mess, let out a shriek. Kaze glanced at Gavin’s group and yelled, “Do you want him to do it for you?” “Smack!” Gavin and the others shuddered and started whipping their faces without hesitation. Jumbo grabbed Yaryn by the hair and slapped her repeatedly. The sound of slapping went on. Soon, the group’s face was bruised and battered. “Hey, Billy. Has the loser given in yet? I hope you didn’t kill him.” A voice came from the stairwell. Taz swaggered up the stairs with a smile. He saw Billy kneeling on the ground and Gavin’s party slapping their own faces. Kaze, who was supposed to be in Billy’s position, sat on the couch, alive and well.
Taz’s unfinished words became agonized screams as Billy knocked him to the ground. “Wham!” Billy kicked Taz in the belly and yelled menacingly, “Kaze even attacked the heirs of the Lees. Your dad is just one of the Lees’ lapdogs. As if that counts for something.“I can’t believe you used me, bastard!” Kaze admitted to crippling Narian. That was the reason why Billy went after Taz. Come hell or high water, Kaze had Billy covered. Without any reservations, Billy punched and kicked Taz. He had nothing against Kaze. Due to Taz’s instruction, Billy got a beating from Kaze. Billy took out all his anger and resentment on Taz. Taz was covered in bruises in a minute. He did not even have time to catch his breath. “J-Just you wait! My dad will make you pay! The Lees will not turn a blind eye to this!” Even so, Taz did not yield to Kaze. Kaze was impressed with the boy’s tough act. He got up, drew close, crouched down, and patted Taz’s face. “You urged Billy to go after
“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