As Andrew left the hospital, he saw Christina and her family standing together. He approached and said casually, "Mrs. Stevens and Leroy are fine now, but it would be best for them to rest for a few more days." Before Christina could respond, Irene cut in, "Andrew, we're fine, and we're not falling for your tricks. We're not going to waste more money at your hospital." Still wrapped in bandages, Leroy added, "Yeah, Andrew, don't think I don't see through your game. You want us to stay longer so you can rack up more charges." Andrew's expression turned cold. "I tried to be polite, but if you don't want to listen, that's on you." He could not believe how ungrateful they were, especially after they nearly let Harvey kill them. His offer to help them heal had been turned into a money grab accusation. Irene smirked, "Go ahead and leave. By the way, our family's experts from the main branch of Stevens Corporation are already in Jayrodale. Pretty soon, the Stevens family will rise u
Two rows of bodyguards in black suits stood at the entrance, welcoming guests with an air of intimidation. As the trio got out of the car, they exchanged odd looks. "Is the Weller family hosting a funeral or a celebration?" Francesca asked, unable to hide a smirk. It was supposed to be Kane's funeral, but with all the fanfare, it felt closer to a celebratory party. Just then, Harvey appeared at the front gates, flanked by two older men who exuded a heavy, intimidating aura. Lauren stepped forward, offering her condolences. "Harvey, my deepest sympathies." Harvey, dressed in mourning attire, did not seem the least bit sad. In fact, he looked vibrant and full of life, almost as if he were attending a celebration instead. "Lauren, Fran, you made it!" He greeted them with a smile, but his grin instantly froze when his eyes landed on Andrew. "Andrew, I can't believe you actually showed up today, of all days. You've got guts!" Harvey sneered, his eyes flashing with cold fury.
Just then, more distinguished guests arrived at the Weller family estate. Harvey walked away with two of the family's elite guards. "Andrew, Harvey may be a jerk, but the Weller family elders aren't pushovers," Francesca warned. "You don't need to be so confrontational with them!" "Can't you see what Harvey's doing?" Andrew scoffed. "He's just flexing his new authority by parading around with the family's guards. If we back down now, he'll think he can get away with anything!" "Dr. Lloyd, Fran, let's go inside," Lauren suggested. "Whatever happens, Harvey won't cause trouble at his father's funeral with so many people watching." … The Weller residence's main hall was packed with Jayrodale's elite. Andrew casually glanced around and spotted his old rivals: Atlas, Finley, and Michael, who had also noticed him. While nobody started anything, the tension was evident in their expressions. "Mr. Lloyd, hello!" an enthusiastic voice called out. Andrew turned to see Silas, the
Harvey addressed the crowd with a smile, "The Weller family has another important announcement to make today." Though many already knew what this second announcement would be, someone still asked, "What might that be, Mr. Weller?" Harvey straightened his expensive suit, his smile growing brighter. "This other matter is a joyous occasion. I'll officially become the new head of the Weller family. All family affairs and authority will now be transferred to me." The crowd fell silent for a moment before scattered applause began, accompanied by various murmurs and discussions. "He's quite young to take over the Weller family. That's quite an achievement!" someone whispered. "He must be the youngest family head in Jayrodale. Let's hope he can handle such immense power." "Mr. Weller Senior just died, and he's already announcing his rise to power. Harvey's clearly ruthless. We'd better be careful not to cross him in the future," another muttered. Harvey inwardly smirked at the co
Harvey's face darkened instantly, and he said, "Christina, I'll give you one more chance to reconsider your answer." He stared at the Stevens family group and threatened, "If I'm unsatisfied with it, the Stevens family will have no reason to exist, so think carefully." "Harvey, no matter how much you threaten me, I will never agree to marry you," Christina replied, her fear replaced with defiance. Harvey exploded with rage. "Are you really not afraid to see the Stevens family destroyed by my hand?" Christina shot back angrily, "If you're using your position as the Weller family head to bully and destroy us, I'll fight you to my very last breath!" "Well said, Ms. Stevens! You've got spirit—you have my support!" Finley laughed. Many others nodded in approval, impressed by the Stevens Corporation's Ice Queen's courage in refusing to bow to Harvey's intimidation. Bolstered by the support, the Stevens family members straightened their backs. Leroy pointed at Harvey and decl
"I won't need to step in because you can handle this alone," one of the Weller family elders said calmly. "Don't worry," the other elder replied dismissively. "I am enough to deal with these upstarts alone." With swift movements, the two Bridgefields Stevens family masters leaped over the crowd and landed on the Weller family's stage. The Weller family, displaying their confidence, left only one elder to face them. "How arrogant of the Weller family to fight two masters alone. Aren't they afraid of losing?" someone in the crowd muttered. "Those Bridgefields Stevens martial artists look pretty strong!" another added. Christina's palms were sweating with anxiety. Her fate now rested on these two masters from the main family. "Don't worry, Christie. Our people will knock the Weller family down a peg," Irene said confidently. Leroy added excitedly, "Christie, with the main family's masters backing us, we can finally hold our heads high. The Weller family is nothing now!"
A deathly silence fell over the crowd. No one had expected the Weller family's power to be so overwhelming, nor for two masters from the Stevens family to fall so easily. "How is this possible? They were supposed to be unbeatable!" Irene exclaimed in disbelief. Leroy nearly stumbled, his face pale with panic. "Our masters lost? This can't be happening!" Christina's face turned ashen white. With the main family's fighters defeated, Harvey truly had them cornered. In her daze, she spotted Andrew in the crowd, remembering his earlier warning about the masters of Bridgefields' Stevens family being no match for the Weller family. "So much for the mighty Bridgefields Stevens family," Harvey gloated as he returned to the stage, contempt written across his face. Few in the crowd dared to meet his gaze, which only fueled his satisfaction. However, Harvey noticed one person still meeting his eyes with casual indifference, seemingly unimpressed by the Weller family's victory. "
Leroy rushed toward Finley and Michael with desperation in his eyes. The situation was dire, and he needed allies fast. "Mr. Moore, with your prestigious background and connections, please help the Stevens family. I'll be your loyal supporter afterward," Leroy pleaded earnestly. He then turned to the other man, "Mr. Rhodes, as one of the elite four of Jayrodale, if you help the Stevens family out of this crisis, I'll be forever in your debt." Both Finley and Michael showed flickers of interest on their faces. The Stevens family was quite an attractive proposition, especially considering Christina, the elegant socialite. It would certainly be worth the effort if Christina could be theirs after. However, they both glanced up at Harvey, who was strutting arrogantly on the platform. After witnessing his display of power, they both decided to back down. "Leroy, it's not that I don't want to help," Finley said. "I just don't have a legitimate reason to step in right now. Next time
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
Andrew was sitting on the lawn outside Serenity Villa, watching the crew from The Sovereign Residences repair his home. After the attack last night, it was a miracle the place was still standing—if the villa had not been built to the highest security standards, it would have been reduced to nothing but ash and rubble by the Srovika Federation mercenaries. Felix Daughtry, the security captain from The Sovereign Residences, a semi-martial king-level fighter, walked over with a grim expression and reported, "Mr. Lloyd, Serenity Villa took quite a hit. Full restoration might be difficult." Andrew glanced at him and said coldly, "I want it restored exactly as it was, and not just that—The Sovereign Residences will need to compensate me for all damages, including emotional distress. If that's too much, then I don't want the house anymore. I'll go to the press and let the world know just how useless your brand really is." Felix's face darkened, turning almost pitch black with anger. H
Since the night before, Xavier had been fully suited in military attire, standing vigilant and sleepless. He gripped a massive broadsword, and when the butler spoke, his voice was ice-cold. "Don't worry. Andarov won't fail me. That bastard Andrew is as good as dead." Though those were his words, doubt lingered in Xavier's mind. After all, Andarov never took this long to finish a kill. Nonetheless, the sun was rising—he should be back any minute now. Andarov, commander of the Blood Wolf Mercenaries, was ruthless and battle-hardened. Xavier met him while stationed overseas, and after several missions together, they became close allies. "With the entire Blood Wolf squad under him, it doesn't matter if Andrew has bodyguards. He won't last five minutes," Xavier sneered, confident. He was already planning the next steps—hold Seth's memorial as soon as Andarov returned, then introduce him to Luna to score even more clout. Having a famous international mercenary as a personal friend? E
At the Golding family estate, Elon exclaimed in disbelief, "What did you just say? Black Wolf is dead?" The butler, face tight with unease, replied, "Yes, sir. Early this morning, his body was found dumped in the sewer. The cause of death matched the last group of assassins perfectly. There's no doubt that it was Andrew who killed him." Elon's expression darkened instantly. "Even Black Wolf failed and ended up dead? Andrew... you've clearly been hiding more strength than we thought." The butler nodded gravely. "Sir, that man is definitely not some pawn on the board. Not only is Black Wolf gone, but the Srovika Federation mercenary commander the Haywoods brought in also died at Serenity Villa." Elon gasped. "Even Xavier's overseas hitman got wiped out? Are you absolutely sure?" The old butler's brow twitched. "Completely sure. This morning, both bodies—Black Wolf and the mercenary captain—were found side by side in the sewer on Blumedale's main street." Elon clenched his ja
On the ground, Black Wolf writhed in pain, howling in disbelief. He finally understood why that last squad of heavily armed mercenaries had vanished without a trace after storming Serenity Villa. This place was not just a house—it was a damn death trap. "Who sent you to kill me?" Andrew asked calmly as he twirled the dagger Black Wolf had dropped. Pinned down by Natasha and Dylan, Black Wolf was drenched in sweat, his shattered legs leaving him gasping in agony. He growled, "Why the hell should I tell you? You should know exactly who you've pissed off. Even if I'm in your hands, kid, if you lay a finger on me, the consequences—" Andrew did not let him finish. Instead, he drove the blade straight into Black Wolf's chest. Whatever threat Black Wolf was about to spit out died on his tongue. His eyes bulged in shock before his head slumped to the side—dead. "If you didn't have the sense to act like a prisoner, then I did you a favor and sent you straight to hell. Next time, try
Aspen could not help leaning closer to see what Andrew was doing. To her surprise, his breathing was steady—he was already asleep. She stared at him, both amused and annoyed as she thought, 'I'm lying right next to him, and he still manages to fall asleep? Am I not attractive enough? Or does this guy just not find me worth the effort?' That split second of realization triggered an unexpected wave of disappointment and frustration in her. … Meanwhile, outside Serenity Villa, a black figure moved silently across the ruined outer wall, climbing with inhuman ease. It was Black Wolf—Elon's secret weapon, a top-tier assassin with a reputation to match. A matte-finished blade dangled from his lips as he surveyed the building, swiftly memorizing the layout of the damaged villa. He was not alone. At least a dozen other men hid in the dark, surrounding the perimeter and lying in wait. Nonetheless, they were not predators, at least not to him. He scoffed, thinking, 'They're the bait,
Through the second half of the night, Serenity Villa remained eerily quiet. Chantelle stepped out from her lookout post and announced, "Looks like no one else is coming tonight. Everyone should get some rest." Andrew stopped her. "Hold up. You all stay on watch—I'll go rest." Chantelle narrowed her eyes. "Are you giving me orders like I'm your subordinate?" Andrew responded calmly, "Not at all. I just want to isolate myself and draw the next assassin in alone." Chantelle frowned. "So, you're planning to be alone in a room and give the assassin a shot at you? You're using yourself as bait?" Andrew replied, "Exactly. One mercenary commander from the Srovika Federation is dead, but with the Haywoods and Goldings both after my head, there's no way they'd just send one decent hitter and be done." Chantelle nodded. "That… makes sense. But you're injured. What happens if something unexpected comes up? Can you really handle it?" Before Andrew could answer, Aspen blurted, "It's