The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 2257

"Do you really think so? Do you honestly believe you could have pulled off what I did if you were in my shoes?"

Balfour's words came without a filter, his success built on a foundation of sweat and sacrifice that dwarfed that of the average Joe.

When he first started carving out his empire, he ditched the name 'Howard' like last season's fashion. Few knew of this moniker, let alone that he could ride on the coattails of the Howard family.

After his own venture took off, he returned to the Howards to lead the family business, propelling their stock through the roof with his own company in tow.

This wasn't the kind of feat any trust fund kid could just stumble into.

Standing there with confidence, he knew he had earned every bit of it.

Nowadays, a single stomp of his foot in the social circle would send tremors like an earthquake - a status he fought tooth and nail to achieve.

The man before him, a bully who found his courage against weak women, didn't even register on Balfour's radar.

If it wasn't for getting to the bottom of who had laid hands on Ivy, Balfour wouldn't be caught dead chatting with this type of guy.

He had zero respect for such men.

"Bullshit. Give me that kind of dough, and I'd rack up the same kind of wins, easy. Don't kid yourself," Kael spat out, his words as crude as they come.

Any other day, faced with a big shot like Balfour, Kael would be bowing and scraping, stealing glances of his retreating figure from a respectful distance.

But not today.

With Thalia in his clutches, he held a trump card, and he reveled in his newfound arrogance.