Mark was a man of his word and immediately ordered someone to fetch the Seventh-Heaven Quince for Andrew. Puzzled, Cedric could not help but ask, "Dr. Lloyd, Seventh-Heaven Quince is known to be highly toxic. What do you plan to do with it?" Andrew replied casually, "Alchemy." Cedric's eyes widened in shock. "Dr. Lloyd, you practice alchemy?" Andrew smiled modestly. "I know a thing or two." "What's so special about this alchemy you're discussing?" Mark asked, his curiosity piqued. Cedric explained with reverence, "Mr. Thatcher, alchemy is an ancient sacred art passed down through generations of master healers. In certain traditions, it's known as the art of creating elixirs. By combining various rare ingredients and following secret formulas, one can create miraculous medicine. Take the medicinal pills from Mistveil Peak, for instance. They're legendary throughout Etharia for their powerful effects and are worth a fortune!" Mark stared at Andrew in amazement. "Mr. Lloyd,
After leaving the mayor's mansion, Cedric rushed home with obvious excitement. Lauren turned to Andrew with a knowing smile and explained, "The Aicker family's business isn't huge, and their reputation mainly comes from Mr. Aicker's medical expertise." "It seems Mr. Aicker is ready to make his big move and capitalize on this opportunity," she added thoughtfully. Andrew nodded in understanding. "It's definitely a golden opportunity." Mark had essentially handed both the Rhodes and Aicker families a silver platter of opportunities, and even a fool could see what a precious chance this was. Lauren gazed at Andrew intently. "Dr. Lloyd, Mr. Aicker and I both benefited because of you. While Mr. Thatcher has good relationships with our families, he wouldn't normally hand out opportunities like this so freely. I really need to thank you properly." Andrew recognized that Mark had shared this privileged information solely out of respect for him. Nonetheless, he simply smiled and sai
Lauren pouted as she glared at Andrew and whispered shyly, "Dr. Lloyd, we haven't even established a relationship yet, so touching is definitely… inappropriate," She thought momentarily and added, "However, if you really want to, we could… maybe share a kiss?" It was Andrew's turn to be flustered. He never expected Lauren to say something so bold, especially with that soft, bashful expression. Andrew had always regarded Lauren as a confident and outspoken woman. Hence, her delicate demeanor and shy, alluring gaze completely stunned him. She looked like a gentle, elegant beauty straight out of a painting. For a moment, Andrew felt his heart skip a beat. Just as the atmosphere grew thick with tension, Andrew's phone rang, abruptly breaking the moment. Lauren covered her mouth, giggling softly. "Go ahead and take your call, Dr. Lloyd. I'm in no hurry!" When Andrew answered, Christina's cold voice came through. "Mr. Lloyd, do you remember what we discussed before? Please com
Nelson's eyes gleamed with lust as he pointed to the chair beneath him. "You don't need Stevens Corporation to shoulder anything. Just spread those beautiful legs and take a seat right here, Ms. Stevens. How about it?" Christina's face darkened immediately. "Mr. O'Connor, what exactly do you mean by this?" "Isn't it obvious? You want the loan, and I want to sleep with you in return," Nelson stated bluntly, dropping all pretense of professionalism. "You're shameless!" Christina growled in anger. Nelson sneered and leaned back, patting his thighs as he mocked her. "Let's not kid ourselves, Christina. You're the one coming to me for help, not the other way around. I've wanted to see what Jayrodale's 'Ice Queen' is really like for years now." His tone turned cruder as he continued, "Let me have my fun tonight, and I'll approve the funds. You'll walk out of here with everything you came for." "You disgusting pig!" Christina cursed at him and turned to leave. How
Blood dripped from the corner of Christina's mouth, and panic gripped her heart. She was alone in Nelson's office, and no one could hear her cries for help. Tears streamed down her face as fear overwhelmed her. In that critical moment, she did not think of her fiance, Harvey. Surprisingly, it was Andrew instead. Suddenly, the office door crashed open with a thunderous bang. Both Christina and Nelson turned in shock as Andrew strode in with a cold expression. Without hesitation, Andrew delivered a powerful kick to Nelson's chest, sending his heavy frame flying backward into his desk with a loud thud. Christina stood frozen, her eyes wide as she stared at Andrew's swift and powerful move. "W-What are you doing here?" she stammered, the red mark on her face still stinging. Andrew's eyes were ice-cold. "Ms. Stevens, did you forget? You called me over." "No, I mean... h-how did you get past security?" she stuttered. "That's not important right now," Andrew snapped. "What we
The security guards and employees stood frozen, stunned by the audacity of someone who dared to storm into Nelson's office, given his position in the bank. Christina felt her blood run cold, wondering why Andrew would escalate the situation when they were so heavily outnumbered. "What are you idiots waiting for? Get them!" Nelson screamed from the floor, his rage boiling over. Since becoming the bank manager, he had never faced such humiliation. Just then, two cars suddenly screeched to a halt outside the bank. Irene and Leroy rushed in with Stevens Corporation security as backup. "Christie, are you alright?" Irene asked frantically. "Mom, I'm fine. Andrew saved me," Christina explained. Irene scoffed. "Saved you? Then why are you hurt?" "Mom, don't be unreasonable!" Christina retorted, her frustration rising. "If Andrew hadn't come, who knows what could've happened to me!" Irene snorted dismissively. "If he had gotten here sooner, you wouldn't be injured at all. An
After spinning his web of lies, Nelson smirked smugly at the Stevens family. He thought they were foolish for trying to go against him. His employees chimed in obediently, one of them saying, "That's right, we all saw Ms. Stevens come in to request a loan. When negotiations failed, she called for backup and resorted to violence." "Have you no shame?" Christina shouted in rage. Nelson's expression turned sinister. "This, Ms. Stevens, is the price for defying me. You're not even close to being in my league." Irene snapped back, "You disgusting low life! We'll just pull the surveillance footage to prove the truth!" Nelson laughed dismissively. "Did you think I wouldn't think of that, you old hag? All our surveillance cameras are conveniently malfunctioning today." Christina clenched her fists, her fury barely contained. Nelson had clearly planned this, covering his tracks completely. The bank employees stared at the Stevens family with contempt. One female employee in a r
Mark's commanding presence filled the air as he demanded, "What's going on here?" Nelson pointed accusingly at the Stevens family. "Mr. Thatcher, when I denied Stevens Corporation's loan request, they turned violent. Ms. Stevens even tried to blackmail me with a setup!" Mark's expression darkened as he turned his cold gaze toward the Stevens family. "Is this true?" Christina spoke up firmly, "Mr. Thatcher, that's not what happened at all. This man abused his position and tried to take advantage of me, so I defended myself." Nelson gestured at his injuries. "You're the CEO of Stevens Corporation, yet you dare lie to the mayor's face? Look at my injuries—this is what her thug did to me when I refused her advances!" Mark's eyes narrowed as he took in Nelson's visibly broken hand. Fury overtook him. "Officers, arrest the Stevens family immediately! Who gave you the right to assault someone?" The Stevens family members trembled with fear, but Christina pleaded, "Mr. Thatcher, p
"He's my sworn brother, then standing up for him—no matter the cost—is only right," Logan said firmly. Elon's face instantly darkened, and deep inside, a gnawing jealousy bubbled up. Despite being the most low-key of the Five Apex Families' younger generation, Logan was arguably the most terrifying. He was about to take over the Keller family, a rising powerhouse. The Haywoods had Xavier—young, sharp, and fierce in combat. The Wrights had Quinton—manipulative, cunning, and notorious for his ruthlessness. But Elon? He was… just Elon. He was overweight, lacked presence, and had just been publicly humiliated when word spread that his wife had cheated on him. His reputation was already slipping, and now he had become the joke of Blumedale's elite circle. Still, no matter how pathetic things seemed, Elon believed he was far better than the man Andrew was. In his eyes, they were not even in the same league. So, it burned him even more to see Logan—someone he had always tried to i
"Logan, don't you know Andrew killed my younger brother?" Xavier shouted furiously. It was understandable for Luna to speak up. After all, the Phelans owed Andrew a small favor—but now even the Keller family was interfering. If this continued, Andrew would not just remain unharmed; he would likely rise to prominence in Blumedale. Andrew's rise would be a direct slap in the face to the Haywoods, humiliating them beyond redemption. Roy spoke grimly, "Logan, you're set to lead the Keller family. You should know better than to blur right and wrong. Andrew repeatedly humiliated the Haywoods and even murdered Seth. Do you expect us to swallow such a huge insult?" Logan replied calmly, "Mr. Haywood Senior, you know exactly why things turned out this way. I hate to say it, but Seth brought his death upon himself. Andrew may be impulsive, but he's done nothing wrong in my eyes." "I'll say this only once: if the Haywoods continue their vendetta against him, the Keller family won't stan
Xavier said, "Uncle Jude, you're in charge of internal discipline. My request is simple—either throw those losers out of the Haywoods and make them manage some backwater branch, or I'll kill them myself. And I doubt anyone in the family would object." Jude's eyelids twitched violently as he cursed the brats under his breath. Out loud, though, he nodded quickly and replied, "Don't worry, Xavier. I'll make sure they're kicked out of the family for good. They won't even get close to the front gate again." Xavier snorted and walked off, leaving Jude staring at his back, shaking his head. Jude muttered to himself, "Xavier… you really are the pride of the Haywoods. But you're spoiled by your status. With your father as the family head and all the elders favoring you, you've always kept the other branches under your heel. "That's understandable since you're the future heir and our strongest fighter among the younger generations. But the fact remains—you made a public promise and faile
Tiana had already been urging Andrew to make a trip to the Rhodes residence. With his current matters finally settled, Andrew made his way there. … Meanwhile, back at the Haywood residence, the funeral was underway. The place was shrouded in white—the last rites for Seth. It should have been a major event, but the atmosphere among the Haywoods was lifeless. No one looked remotely interested, and many of the younger members were outright slacking off, hiding in corners, smoking, drinking, and chatting. Someone whispered, "Xavier's the eldest son of the Haywoods and a damn colonel in the military, yet he couldn't even bring back Andrew's head? What a letdown." Another chimed in, "No kidding. Seth got taken out like that, which is a direct slap to the Haywoods' face." "Honestly, I've never seen our family this humiliated. Xavier even said he'd kill Andrew within three days or take his own life. Big talk for someone who came back empty-handed…" After just a few gulps of alco
Aspen and Chantelle both gasped in disbelief. They could not believe that Andrew had just toyed with Luna like she was some puppy. He offered her a treat, dangled it right in front of her face, and then yanked it back when she reached for it. Anyone with an ounce of pride would have snapped—and Luna Phelan was not just anyone. "Playing games on a razor's edge… Andrew, I'll be watching," Luna said coldly. "I'll watch how you destroy yourself." Her expression turned colder than it had been even when confronting Xavier.With one sharp step, she kicked up a gust of wind and vanished into the air. It was a clear sign that she was not just leaving, she was unleashing her fury. "That footwork was terrifying," Chantelle muttered. Even Aspen looked shaken. "Keep acting like this, Andrew, and someone's gonna hack you into pieces one day!" Chantelle snapped. After one last angry glare, she stormed off too. Aspen did not have quite the same fire in her. This demon of a man was hear
Luna turned around, clearly reluctant to even look at Andrew, and said flatly, "I can save you once, maybe even twice—but not a third time. To be precise, the only reason I stepped in at all was because you've done favors for the Phelans… and for Marvin. "But next time? Your life or death will have nothing to do with me. So, here's my advice—tone it down. This is Blumedale, not Jayrodale. You could show off back there, and no one cared, but here? Power and politics clash every second. Dying young might be the only fate you're headed for." Andrew frowned. "Luna, are you sick or something? Did I ask you to save me?" That one line did not just offend Luna—it also lit a fire in Chantelle. "Andrew, what the hell is wrong with you? General Phelan just saved your damn life. You didn't even say thank you, and now you're blaming her? Are you even a man?" She was speechless, thinking the guy was seriously unbelievable. Andrew shot her a cold glare. "Shut your mouth. No one asked for
Yet, of all the fearless, reckless men they had encountered, neither Aspen nor Chantelle had ever seen anyone as stubbornly arrogant as Andrew. Both women were completely stunned, wondering where he even got the guts to say things like that. In this world, commoners fear officials—but officials? They fear the men with guns—the military. However, here was Andrew, treating a colonel like Xavier as if he were worthless weeds. It was utter madness—like a sparrow challenging an eagle, a lamb taunting a wolf. It was sheer recklessness bordering on suicide. With a thunderous swoosh, Xavier's massive broadsword came crashing down with enough force to split boulders and level trees. Just the murderous pressure from that swing made Chantelle's face go pale. She was starting to doubt if she could even stand up to Xavier herself. After all, Andrew looked like he was about to be torn in half by that blade. What infuriated her even more was that, at the height of danger, Andrew just st
"Colonel Haywood, you know full well that with your rank and position, you can't just go around killing people on a whim," Chantelle warned coldly. She added, "Besides, your friend Andarov used banned weaponry on Holtrien soil, which is a serious offense. You can be sure Mr. McCormick won't just let that slide." Left with no other option, Chantelle had to drop Derek's name to try to rein Xavier in. However, Xavier was not intimidated at all. His voice dripped with venom as he said, "Ms. Garcia, I respect Mr. McCormick—he governs this province, and I'll give him that. But do you think the Haywoods' name should be trampled like dirt? Especially by some no-name punk who doesn't know his place? "I'll chop him into pieces, and if I have to, I'll apologize to Mr. McCormick myself. But with the military accolades I've earned, the Haywood family's backing, and my deep ties in the defense department, killing this bug wouldn't even cause a blip on the radar." Chantelle's stomach twiste
Chantelle sneered, "All in all, you're just an ordinary man, a slave to your desires with a pathetically mediocre mind." She had finally caught an opening to hit Andrew where it hurt, and she was not about to waste it. Andrew chuckled. "Ms. Garcia, you really do live up to your title as a master of psychology. You got most of it right. But you still missed one tiny detail—like the fact that, right now, I've got a very clear image of your naked body in my mind." The bluntness of that line stunned Chantelle, and her expression twisted in outrage. She snapped, "Andrew! That was in the past—how dare you bring it up like it's nothing? Aren't you worried I'll kill you?" The usually cold woman was genuinely furious now. Andrew shrugged lazily. "I'm sitting right here, wounded and unarmed. Go ahead, kill me. But even if you did, you still wouldn't erase the fact that you once stripped bare in front of me." Chantelle raised her hand in fury but forced herself to lower it again with