Butch and Spike immediately rushed to Aidan's side, their faces filled with panic. "Mr. Haywood Senior, are you alright?" "Please, hang in there, sir!" Meanwhile, Kenny and Sherilyn both looked horrified—if Tiana’s sneak attack had actually taken down Aidan, this whole day would have become the ultimate joke. "That filthy bitch couldn't hurt me even if I handed her the opportunity," Aidan growled. He did not even glance at the small patch of blood on his chest. However, his old face twisted into a storm of fury and darkness. Jameson stared at Tiana in disbelief. "Tiana, so you weren't really—" Tiana cut him off with a snap. "You idiot! Did you seriously think I'd stoop that low? Do you think I'd ignore a handsome man like you just to kiss up to that wrinkled sack of rot? You think I could stomach that?" Jameson was hit with a rush of surprise and relief, but it quickly turned into frustration. "If you were going to strike, why didn't you tell me first?" "No time for t
Sherilyn grinned and said, "Mr. Haywood, your two apprentices really are extraordinary." Aidan let out a proud snort and replied with disdain, "I don't even need to step in. Keep watching—Tiana's defeat is only a matter of time. I told you already, that the Rhodes family is nothing more than a joke." Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd. "Attack low!" Tiana's heart jolted the second she heard it. Instead of retreating, she lunged forward, striking with both palms in a fierce assault. Following the mysterious tip, she immediately shifted her focus to Butch and Spike's lower stances. In just seconds, their formation wobbled—only slightly, but enough. The crushing pressure on Tiana lifted, and she felt the change instantly. Seizing the moment, she let out a sharp cry and shaped her fingers into claws, brutally gouging at their eyes. Two blood-curdling screams rang out in perfect sync. Blood gushed from their eye sockets as both Butch and Spike went down, instantly blind
The moment Kenny and Sherilyn heard Andrew's name, they both exploded with fury. "You little bastard! Where are you? Show yourself!" Kenny shouted, veins bulging in his neck. His face twisted into a mask of rage as Andrew calmly stepped out from the crowd, his expression blank. The moment Kenny saw him, his eyes went blood-red. "Andrew, you killed Michael. Today is the day you die!" Andrew replied coolly, "Kenny, you old mutt—you know damn well how he died. If I remember right, you signed a written agreement promising not to challenge the Rhodes family leadership." Kenny's face twisted in a snarl. "Whether I stick to it or not is none of your damn business, you little punk! You think you're in a position to tell me what to do?" However, Andrew did not take the bait. Instead, he smirked. "Of course it's my business. That's why I sent Michael six feet under before you broke your word. Now we're even; nothing owed between us." Kenny trembled with fury, nearly passing out fro
Aidan cast a quick glance down at Tiana, who was struggling to get up from the ground, her body drenched in blood. He sneered with contempt. Even now, he had not used half of his true strength. Jameson suddenly roared, "Everyone from the Rhodes family, follow me—protect our home and save Tiana!" The few remaining guards and fighters from the Rhodes side rushed in without hesitation. However, they were nothing against Aidan, who had already entered a killing mindset. With every punch he threw, someone coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground in agony. Tiana barely managed to stand, the world spinning around her. She forced out a shaky cry, "No… Don't… Don't throw your lives away! Jameson, take Lauren! Get her and Andrew out of here—run, now!" However, Jameson's voice was firm. "We live together, or we die together. Running is not an option." He turned to Andrew, his expression urgent. "Andy, take Lauren and go. Get back to Jayrodale. Don't come near the capital again!" A
Aidan was stunned, realizing that something was very off. In that split second, Aidan, who had brushed off Andrew like an insect, suddenly realized that this so-called "nobody" was not just tough. In fact, he was dangerous. The instant their moves collided, Aidan's instincts—honed on the edge of martial king mastery—screamed in alarm. With a low growl, he made his move. Instead of dodging Andrew's whip-like kick, he charged forward, trying to smash his forehead into Andrew's knee. At the same time, his fingers hooked like claws, launching a brutal move right for Andrew's heart. "You little punk, since you have a dead wish, I'll rip your heart out and show it to you while it's still beating!" Tiana gasped in horror. "Andrew, you're not his match—get out of there, now! If you die here for nothing, everything we've fought for will be wasted!" Andrew's voice was calm but sharp. "Mrs. Rhodes, let me give you a lesson. Watch closely. Taking out trash like this? It really isn't that
Andrew took down Aidan in a flash, and before anyone could react, he had Kenny and Sherilyn on their knees. His attack was so fast and fierce, it stunned the entire Rhodes family like a lightning strike. Jerry clutched his chest and collapsed on the ground, his face frozen with shock. Jameson was holding onto Tiana, so stunned he forgot about his own pain. He mumbled, "No way… Tiana… I told you, you misjudged him!" "No... I was blind too," she admitted. "This guy is so powerful!" Tiana's heart was pounding from the impact of what she had just witnessed. She had always known Andrew was dangerous, and she knew he was smart, always ten steps ahead of everyone else. She had even considered the possibility that he might be at the peak of senior grandmaster level—maybe even something insane, like her own semi–martial king rank. But even with all that in mind, it still was not enough. After all, with someone like Joe from the Driscoll family in the picture, Andrew was still second
As Andrew stepped back, he widened the distance just in time, causing Aidan's furious iron punch to swing through thin air. It felt like punching into a pillow—no resistance, nowhere for the force to go, leaving him frustrated and thrown off. A strange, muffled crack echoed through the air. Andrew flicked his fingers lightly against Aidan's face. In an instant, half of Aidan's cheek swelled up, skin split and bleeding. The sheer precision and power of the move left everyone in the Rhodes family gripping their chests in disbelief. Andrew followed up with a sharp elbow strike, landing squarely between Aidan's shoulder blades. Aidan roared, his body crackling with strain as he unleashed every ounce of strength he had left, determined to go down fighting. Andrew just smirked with disdain. With another palm strike heading toward Aidan, he suddenly shifted mid-motion. What had begun as a soft open-hand strike transformed instantly into a straight, vertical knife-hand blow. "You
Andrew smiled and said, "Relax, Mrs. Rhodes. Don't worry—I'm not here to settle the score for the things you did in the past." Tiana instinctively wanted to snap back. However, the moment she remembered this guy could probably pin her down with one hand, she swallowed her temper fast. She huffed, "Fine. You did the Rhodes family a huge favor today and even saved both our lives. If you wanted to come after me, I'd honestly have no choice but to take it." Jameson chuckled and said, "Tiana, you don't need to be so passive-aggressive. Andy's not that petty. He never had any intention of coming after you." Andrew nodded. "Mr. Rhodes gets me." Jameson looked Andrew up and down with admiration in his eyes. "Andy, I totally misjudged you. I never thought you were hiding your true power—you're on a whole other level!" He laughed heartily, adding, "You and Lauren are a perfect match!" Tiana scoffed unwillingly. "It's too soon to say things like that! Aidan might be gone, but Kenny
Andrew shook his head slowly and said, "No, you're not like some middle-aged lunatic, and you're definitely not trash or a hooker. You look like a cute little bunny rabbit, just begging to be eaten up. You forced my hand, Aspen!" As soon as he finished speaking, Aspen's eyes widened in sudden panic, realizing what was about to happen. She struggled fiercely, desperate to escape Andrew's grasp. Her voice trembled with tears as she pleaded, "No, no, no! Andrew—Mr. Lloyd—I'm sorry, I admit it, I was wrong! I swear, I won't do it again, please don't do this—please, no!" Her frantic protests ended abruptly with a soft, electric whimper as Andrew silenced her, pressing his mouth firmly onto hers. What followed was a hungry, unstoppable kiss, intense and overwhelming. Aspen's clear eyes widened, her expression first filled with shame and anger, then disbelief, and finally melting into a dazed, dreamy blankness. Their rapid breathing mingled in the confined space of the Ferrari, th
Andrew let out a cold laugh as he stared at the trembling Aspen right in front of him. "What am I doing? What do you think I'm doing? When you were trying to suppress Christina and Davon earlier, you used my presence to scare them off. Don't tell me you forgot that?" Aspen flushed, both embarrassed and angry. "I didn't forget! But what I said—was any of it wrong?" Andrew snorted. "No, it wasn't wrong. But you did get one thing messed up: your grudge with Christina has nothing to do with me, so don't drag me into it just to make yourself look good. You used your own boss as a pawn. That takes some guts, Aspen." Aspen instantly felt a chill. She shrank back and begged, "I-I-I… I won't do it again, okay? Andrew, just let me down first. My butt's right up against the window, and if someone walks by and sees this, how the hell am I supposed to live that down?" The corner of Andrew's lips curved into a teasing grin. "Isn't that perfect? You're my little secretary. This? This is very
Someone joked loudly, "But we get it… I mean, with a secretary like that, why would you even look at anyone else?" The others burst into raucous laughter, not bothering to hide it even in front of Aspen's increasingly dark expression. "Exactly!" another chimed in. "Mr. Lloyd is living the dream. Damn, I look at my office girl and suddenly feel dead inside!" "Mr. Lloyd's not just talented—he's got the best of both worlds. That little secretary of his is a top-tier beauty!" A bespectacled executive chuckled crudely and added, "Mr. Lloyd, let me give you a piece of advice: when there's work, let the secretary handle it; when there's no work, handle the secretary! That line fits you perfectly!" The entire room erupted in laughter as Aspen's face flushed deep red, her cheeks burning. Furious, she shot Andrew a murderous glare, then stormed out of the room in her heels without a word. Andrew, looking utterly unbothered, leisurely followed behind. He even muttered to himself, "Han
"You two went from loving each other to trying to kill each other. Pretty entertaining," Andrew said with a glance at Aspen, smiling faintly. Aspen's face stayed cold. She snapped, "She deserved it, and besides, isn't everything that happened because of you?" Andrew replied calmly, "Had nothing to do with me. I never touched your Bridgefields' Stevens family." Aspen secretly gritted her teeth. Sure, he had not moved against the Stevens family directly. But her? She had been forced to sell herself into slavery, body and soul. Was that not tragic enough? Moreover, who knew when she might completely fall into his hands, devoured, with nothing left? Davon, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, squeezed out a smile. "Mr. Lloyd, Ms. Aspen, I've already taken care of that issue. Should we get down to proper business now?" Andrew nodded. "Okay, let's talk business." Immediately, the business partners who had been waiting nearby all jumped to their feet, smiling brightly and ea
"And since Mr. Lloyd needs a new target to let off some steam, maybe you should volunteer, Davon," Aspen said sweetly. The moment those words landed, Davon jumped up in pure panic, wailing, "Ms. Aspen, no, no, please! Don't say another word. I'll do exactly what you say—everything, exactly as you want!" After groveling, Davon's plump face darkened in shame. He spun around toward Christina, pointed straight at the door, and roared, "Christina, you worthless tramp, get out! Right now! You heard Ms. Aspen. Get the hell out of Phoenixdream Enterprises!" Christina's eyes widened. She could not believe that Davon was this spineless, that easy to terrify. She hissed, "Davon, you'd better think twice about what you're doing! If you throw me out, do you really think Mr. Wright will let you off afterward?" She barked a bitter laugh, furious to the core, and deep inside, her hatred for Aspen grew even sharper. Being thrown out in front of everyone, this humiliation would haunt her in Bl
Davon blinked in confusion and asked, "Ms. Aspen, who exactly are you calling bitch'?" Aspen smirked coldly and pointed straight at Christina. The latter's face darkened as she stood up stiffly. "Aspen, you're going too far!" Christina snapped. "If I had known Supreme Capital Group was the major client here, do you really think I'd have bothered showing up?" Her tone was sharp, but there was a flicker of unease in her eyes. Aspen remained utterly indifferent. "Since you don't care, then do us all a favor and leave. Christina, I told you once that I would make sure your entire family would struggle in Blumedale. And when I say something, I mean it." Christina's face turned from merely unpleasant to downright ugly. She turned sharply to Davon and demanded, "You're the one who invited us here. Now what's your decision?" It was a clever move, throwing the ball back into Davon's court. After all, they were on Phoenixdream Enterprises' turf—surely Aspen and Andrew could not compl
Aspen knew that Ronan charged a reasonable medical fee, and his medical skills were also quite good. Andrew started the car and sped off while answering casually, "I met Mr. Bates by chance. Showed him a few tricks, and he was so impressed by my skills that he practically worships me now. He even offered to introduce me to his granddaughter." Aspen let out a sharp laugh. "Just met by chance, and he's ready to hand over his granddaughter? Come on, if you're going to brag, at least make it believable!" Andrew just smiled, not bothering to argue with her. He and Ronan had bonded over their shared passion for medicine—it was nothing unusual. In truth, after witnessing Andrew's medical skills firsthand, Ronan nearly dropped to his knees, begging to become his disciple, though Andrew firmly refused. And yes, Ronan did have a granddaughter who was currently attending college. Ronan had hinted that if Andrew did not already have a girlfriend, he should consider his granddaughter.
After breakfast, Andrew, the ever-hands-off boss, got strong-armed by Aspen into actually going to work. Otherwise, Supreme Capital Group, a company sitting on billions in investments, would end up being nothing more than a shiny nameplate. Aspen's exact words were, "If you keep ignoring everything and leave me to worry about it alone, I'd rather go sell myself on the street than keep slaving away for you! At least if I'm selling, I'll make some money. Meanwhile, I'll probably die broke working for you—or just die!" Andrew winced when he heard that. Realizing that his little maid was seriously holding some grudges, he quickly agreed to tag along to the office. "Give me a minute. I'm gonna change," Aspen said before disappearing into her room. A few minutes later, she strutted out—black stockings, high heels, and a sleek blue business suit that shimmered slightly under the light. She was absolutely stunning, and even Andrew had to admit it. Aspen smirked inwardly. 'Yep, the
Whenever Andrew was alone with Tiana, he could not help but feel a little uneasy. Seeing that Tiana had nothing more to say, he quickly took the chance to excuse himself. However, Tiana hesitated. Then, she smiled slyly and asked, "Hold on, let me ask you—have you and Lauren… done it?" Andrew blinked, confused. "Done what?" Tiana rolled her eyes and snapped, "Don't play dumb, Andrew. You know exactly what I'm asking." Andrew finally caught on and answered honestly, "Lauren and I have done pretty much everything, but we haven't crossed the final line." Tiana nodded approvingly. "Good. You need to remember that you can't go that far until you're married. I made sure to tell her that too, and she understands." Andrew's face darkened a little. "Mrs. Rhodes, seriously? This isn't the Dark Ages anymore. We're in a real relationship, and sometimes things get a little… heated." Tiana shook her head firmly. "It's not about being old-fashioned. There are other reasons, but I can't