Adam’s condescending tone annoyed Darcy, but since Agatha and Agnes prepared her for this, she was ready for the worst. She said, “Uncle Adam, thank you for your advice.” Seeing how Adam talked to his junior in public, everyone revered him even more, which was what he wanted from them. He might be in his early 40s but in his field, he was considered young. The others were veterans in the field and no matter how much they tried to flatter him, they never truly respected him. Through acting like a senior to Darcy, Adam was able to erect a powerful image in their minds. Kaze then saw the glance Darcy shot him and he quickly went up to Adam. “Uncle Adam.” Adam’s smile disappeared instantly. He disregarded Kaze and then said to Darcy with a hint of annoyance, “Who let him in?” Kaze really wanted to walk away. Darcy knew his temper. She quickly tugged him and held him back. If Kaze walked, Adam would be infuriated. Even though she did not care either, she would have
Kaze’s nonchalance, however, became submission to them. “Ms. Quint, don’t sulk. Your husband isn’t all that useless either, at least he can take humiliation better than us.” “Yeah. If I were him, I would have freaked out.” “Ms. Quint, your husband is like a sponge to humiliation. He can absorb everything without showing any reaction. I admire that.” “Hahaha…” The group cackled. Darcy had a hint of anger on her face. Adam spotted it. He wanted to use Darcy to set him off and highlight his success at the party, so if she walked away due to the humiliation, he might lose the chance. “That’s enough. Kaze is still my niece’s husband. Don’t be too harsh on him. The party is starting, we shouldn’t be out here. “Darcy, you should bring Kaze inside as well. More VIPs are coming, and it’s a great chance to introduce him to them. It will do you more good than harm.” Adam spoke strictly, seemingly defending Kaze from the others. The others toned down their laughter but they s
“If she’s married, she can divorce. This Kaze Lee doesn’t look great at all. Since he married into her family, I bet he lived like a dog at her house. “I think calling him the goalkeeper is too much for him.” The young man grinned and said firmly, “From now on, Darcy Quint will be my woman!” The others were surprised by how confident the young man was. They wondered what fueled the man’s confidence. Then, they realized the man was just more than just bold words. He stepped forward and walked over to Darcy and Kaze, which further intrigued the others. They were hoping for something interesting to happen. Darcy was chatting with people who had her surrounded. Even though she had to handle a larger crowd compared to outside, she was able to chat with everyone politely and professionally. Kaze was happy for her. Making her the chairwoman of Quartet Group and Sky Ocean Corporation did not just boost her status, but it also gave her a chance to grow and improve. In ti
The man’s words silenced the entire hall. Darcy was beautiful, seductive, and extremely rich and powerful for owning two companies. She was the perfect woman for any man. Everyone believed Kaze was not worthy of Darcy, but such thoughts remained as thoughts, yet the young man made his thoughts verbal. In fact, the young man voiced his thoughts in front of a crowd and challenged Kaze in front of Darcy. Everyone looked at Kaze with interest and disdain. They wondered how the infamous trash of Lilyrose would react. Kaze was surprisingly calm. “Who are you?” he asked after shooting a glance at the man. His frivolous manner surprised the young man. The young man thought Kaze would be infuriated by his provocation. The angrier Kaze got, the more incompetent it would make him look. The man would then have a chance to stomp over him, metaphorically. Despite the strange reaction, the man believed Kaze was just acting. Darcy came over to have a look after ending her con
Those who spoke were the younger ones, who also had ulterior motives toward Darcy’s beauty and status. However, they hid their thoughts well and it sounded like they were concerned about her. Before they even knew it, they already formed a tacit union to target Kaze, trying to remove the obstacle from their goal. As for who had the chance to go for the shoot, it would depend on their respective capabilities. “Ms. Quint, you heard them. That’s what everyone thought. I am just making it verbal.” Tao believed he would be the one who got Darcy. His confidence remained sky-high. Before they even came into the banquet hall, Darcy was already annoyed and irritated. Now that Kaze was being insulted, it put a gloomy look on her face. “You people are so free that you have the time to poke your nose into someone else’s business,” Darcy said coldly. “My marriage is a private affair, my own business. It has nothing to do with you people, and I don't care about my public image or m
With Adam on his side, Tao was no longer afraid of Darcy being angry with him. He apologized and re-emphasized his words from earlier. Darcy’s expression turned grim. She said coldly, “Mr. Segore, this is my private affair. It’s none of your business!” Tao did not expect Darcy to voice her anger out in front of Adam. His expression turned gloomy as well. “Darcy, where are your manners?!” Adam was unhappy with Darcy’s response either. He said coldly, “Tao’s grandfather and your grandfather are like brothers and our families have been close for generations! Tao spoke the truth because he is concerned with you and you show him your temper?!” Kaze heard Adam and his eyes turned cold. Adam was obviously biased toward Tao, and Kaze did not mind. However, he berated Darcy in public because he was full of himself. Kaze got up and wanted to speak but Darcy quickly stopped him by shooting him a warning glance because she had promised her mother to get along with Adam. She too
Kaze spoke with utmost contempt and disdain, which surprised everyone. Where did the useless trash gain his confidence to speak up against Tao? Soon, the people realized that his source of confidence was Darcy. Darcy owned two companies that were worth billions. Only less than a handful of men were worthy of her. “Hahaha, and here I thought how capable is this useless trash to look down on Mr. Segore. It was his wife…” Everyone burst into laughter. Kaze ignored the people’s laughter and looked at Tao. With a serious look, he asked, “Tell me, what gave you the confidence that made you believe you are worthy of Darcy?” Tao was infuriated by Kaze’s disdain. He grunted coldly and said proudly, “I have to admit that Ms. Quint is indeed an amazing woman but I’m not half bad either. Do you know why I am here in Lilyrose? That’s because I am getting a billion worth of investment from Hudson Investment Firm.” Tao looked at Darcy and said confidently, “With this investment, m
Kaze’s words sparked commotion across the banquet hall. The guests were amazed not because they took him seriously but because of how ridiculous he sounded. “What is he talking about? Does he really think he can stop a billion worth of investment?” “He’s a patient in the psych ward. I bet he’s going crazy again.” “Ms. Quint, why don’t you bring your husband to the hospital, or have one of the doctors here to check on him? I’m sure there are brain specialists here…” Everyone mocked Kaze and looked at him and Darcy as if they were the biggest joke. Darcy felt embarrassed. “Kaze, stop fooling around!” Darcy tugged Kaze and angrily whispered, “You are on your first day! No one would listen to you!” She knew the call Kaze made was real because Kaze was the CEO of Hudson Investment Firm. However, Miru clearly told her that Kaze was just the nominal CEO with no authority whatsoever. A billion worth of investment was huge and it was not something Kaze could cancel with ju
Snow had already sent men to where the plane was found. If the passengers were taken away, then they must still be nearby. It was difficult to transport an entire plane of passengers to some place far within such a short time. It was a race against time. Snow did not know who would do such a thing. Kaze took a common flight like everyone else, yet it was hijacked. It was strange. The coincidence was uncanny. Snow believed the hijacking happened because of Kaze but she did not know why. “The only explanation is that there’s a traitor among us…” She finally came to an unlikely conclusion after combing through the details. If there were a traitor, it must be within the Viper’s Den. Kaze had laid a low profile for as long as he was in Butterworth. Not many people knew about his identity and those who wanted to make connections with him were because of Snow. It was unlikely that someone would go after him so suddenly unless this person knew his identity and background.
If they were sent to capture Kaze, then they were severely under-numbered. In addition, they allowed Kaze to be alone with the captives, which proved that they were inexperienced. Or maybe they did not know what he had done in the past as the God of War. Kaze believed that the mercenaries were after him but they did not know his true identity. There must have been some miscommunication between them and their employer, which was good news to Kaze. Tiguan and his men were eating. Since they were unable to identify the target, they were forced to bring everyone back. The plane was huge. It would be an easy target for the law enforcement to locate them. Maybe the outside world had caught wind of the hijacking. “Boss, what should we do now? That man seems like he vanished into thin air.” “We got his boarding information but we can’t identify him on the plane.” “Who are we looking for exactly? Why is he so mysterious?” The men were baffled. “We are looking for the righ
“We are almost there. We have to transfer these people as soon as possible. The plane must take off right away. We cannot leave any traces behind.” They must hurry or they would be caught very soon. They held the pilot hostage and forced him to do an abrupt landing. The sudden descent caught everyone off guard, shocking them. A few of the passengers even hit their heads. Many of them did not get the chance to fasten their seat belts. Kaze grabbed Barney and protected his head from hitting the front seat. “Thank you.” Barney looked at Kaze with gratitude and then looked outside. “Where are we? Have we reached?” He was worried that they would be completely trapped. “They are going to transfer us elsewhere.” Kaze had a similar experience before and he knew what the hijackers would do next. “Transfer us? Are they going to transfer us to somewhere secluded and kill us all?” Barney looked horrified as he stared at Kaze. He somehow felt safe beside Kaze. “They sai
With trains, there was still an option to jump out. However, everybody was sitting ducks in a plane. Kaze had always been sensitive when it came to safety. He had a sinking feeling in his gut as if something was about to happen. He turned his head back to observe the plane’s interior. Several passengers stood up in the business class section. Strangely, these people were seated separately. However, they seemed to know each other. They exchanged glances as if searching for something. Finding the whole thing bizarre, Kaze observed them. Those passengers went straight into the air stewardesses’ compartment and disappeared out of Kaze’s sight. Kaze could not shake off the eerie feeling. Something was off. He looked back, and several more rose to their feet. These individuals were young but toned. They likely underwent some form of specialized training. Kaze had a bad feeling. Trouble was brewing, and the plane was likely being hijacked. “Why are you looking around? Is
“I see. What bad timing.” Katie was a little disappointed to learn that Kaze had left, but in a way, she was relieved. She had gotten on Kaze’s nerves, and he could turn around and make things difficult for her. Now that Kaze was gone, Katie got to keep her job. She did not have to fear Kaze’s retaliation. The news caught Leah off guard. “Why did he leave without saying goodbye? I didn’t even thank him yet.” Leah had a hard time digesting the news. She had been waiting for a chance to show her gratitude to Kaze and see him again. He was out of her life before she could do anything about it. “I’m sorry. Chairman Lee’s departure was unplanned.” Snow put on a professional smile, appearing friendly and distant. “Please present the gifts to him for us if you can. We are grateful for Mr. Lee’s help.” Katie was annoyed that Leah could not spend time with Kaze. The bond could help with her career. Kaze’s departure cost Katie an opportunity, but there was no point in dwel
“Now that’s the spirit. You can’t take every matter into your own hands. You’re a leader now. You should put the right people in the right jobs.” Feeling relieved, May nodded. “Where’s the guy? I have been wanting to meet him. I missed the chance when I was unconscious.” May came over right away just to score a chance to see Kaze. Kaze saved her life, but she did not have the chance to thank him in person. “I set the date. We’re seeing him tomorrow afternoon. Let’s freshen up. I’m taking you home to rest.” With a time in place, Snow had to get ready. May nodded. The pair returned to the mansion where they felt at home. Even though it had been a while since their return, nothing had changed. “Did Jet say anything when he stepped down?” May was clueless on the specifics. “He went mad and ran out. I get this uneasy feeling, but I can’t locate him anywhere.” Snow was concerned. Jet, as witty as he was, likely played up his meltdown. It was a shame that Jet got aw
“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