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
"He's got a death wish! This guy's brain must be fried," Michael commented with disdain. "Even I wouldn't dare mess with Harvey, yet this nobody seems eager to end his life," Finley chimed in mockingly. After getting a good look at Andrew, the other spectators joined in with their own derisive laughter. The crowd muttered about his apparent lack of self-awareness. Who was this unknown challenger picking a fight with the Weller family? It was like bringing a knife to a gunfight. "Mr. Vaughn, what is Mr. Lloyd doing?" Elsie asked. The sudden turn of events stunned her. Silas gave a wry smile and replied, "Mr. Lloyd's actions are beyond my understanding, but he must have his reasons. Though Harvey's at the peak of his power, he might have met his match." "Are you saying Mr. Lloyd alone can stand against the entire Weller family?" Elsie asked in disbelief. She knew Andrew was formidable. After all, even Silas respected him. However, taking on the Weller family single-handed
The strike was incredibly vicious, carrying the full force of the Weller family elder's 50 years of martial arts training. To experienced fighters like Finley and other martial arts experts in the crowd, it was clear that this attack carried lethal intent. Finley smirked. "This kid might have some skills, but he's hit a wall now. The fighter is obviously at least a junior grandmaster. Andrew couldn't possibly dodge that!" Down below, Lauren's expression suddenly tightened as she turned to Eunice and said, "Alert our people—if anything happens to Dr. Lloyd, we intervene immediately." "How do you plan to defend against my decades of refined combat experience?" the Weller family elder sneered. "Your arrogance comes with a price!" Many spectators instinctively covered their eyes, unable to watch what was coming. The elder's attack was beyond human limits, distorting the very air around them. Yet Andrew remained perfectly calm as he watched the thunderous palm strike approach. Whi
"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