Share

Chapter 257

Author: Only For You
Without waiting for Andrew's input, the two women eagerly ordered drinks. The restaurant manager approached with a respectful smile to make suggestions.

"Ms. Rhodes, Ms. Aicker, for refined young ladies like yourselves, I'd recommend our premium wine selection," the manager suggested smoothly. "It's gentle on the throat and won't leave you feeling unwell."

Lauren scoffed at his recommendation. "Who do you think we are? Bring us your best vodka!"

Francesca slapped the table in agreement, adding, "Exactly! Wine tastes like fancy water. We want the strong stuff!"

The manager turned helplessly to Andrew, clearly impressed that this mysterious man had earned the company of two of Jayrodale's most prominent heiresses.

Andrew simply smiled and said, "Let them have whatever they want. Their happiness is what matters."

By the end of the meal, they had barely touched the food but had emptied two bottles of premium vodka. Andrew was amazed at Lauren and Francesca's tolerance. The al
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 258

    After some thought, Andrew called the manager to arrange for designated drivers to take both ladies home. The manager stared at him in shock and disbelief. "Have them driven home? Sir, what are you thinking?" Andrew was confused. "What do you mean? They're both drunk. Of course, I have to get them home." The manager continued with exasperation, "You absolutely cannot send these young ladies home. Don't you understand?" He added, "Two beautiful women getting drunk in front of you—surely you know what that means! This is your golden opportunity! I can't believe you'd let such a perfect moment slip away!" Andrew was speechless as he watched the manager get more worked up than he was about the situation. "I have to admit, your charm is impressive," the manager said enviously. "Do you realize who these heiresses are in Jayrodale? Most people can't even get close to either of them, let alone have both interested in them!" "Forget the designated drivers—let me call you a cab,"

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 259

    "What's your problem?" Simon demanded angrily. "Move aside. I'll take Fran to her room myself," Andrew replied coldly. Simon barely contained his rage as he insisted, "Just hand her over. As her senior apprentice, I'm the most qualified to look after her!" "Actually, I was going to let you take her," Andrew said mockingly. "But now I don't trust you, so I'd better do it myself." Simon's constant jealousy and hostility had worn Andrew's patience thin. Though fuming, Simon had no choice but to step aside and let Andrew carry Francesca to her room. After making sure she was settled safely, Andrew stepped out. "Now you can get lost!" Simon spat. Andrew gave him a cold look and replied, "Stop deluding yourself, Simon. Fran has no feelings for you." He strode away, leaving Simon red-faced with anger. The front door slammed behind Andrew as he reached the street to call a cab back to the Moonlit Sanctuary. However, Simon's predatory glances toward Francesca kept nagging at

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 260

    "It doesn't matter when I came back," Andrew said with a cold smile. "However, you seem pretty scared of Dr. Aicker finding out. I wonder how he'd feel about his star student doing something so disgraceful?" Terror flashed across Simon's face. Cedric knew about his feelings for Francesca but had never approved of them, which frustrated Simon deeply. If Cedric found out about tonight's attempted assault, Simon knew he would be expelled from in disgrace. As this realization hit him, a murderous glint appeared in his eyes. He snarled, "Andrew, since you've seen everything, I'll have to silence you permanently." At this point, he knew murder was his only way to keep this from reaching Cedric. "I wouldn't try it," Andrew warned calmly. "You'll be the one getting hurt." Simon sneered. "You're really full of yourself. Let me show you what it means to be Dr. Aicker's senior apprentice!" Just as the tension peaked, Francesca stirred in her sleep, the commotion waking her up. She ru

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 261

    It immediately dawned on Andrew that Cedric must have made the detox pill. Such medication was not particularly rare, as anyone with decent knowledge of traditional medicine could create it. "So why did you pretend to still be drunk when you were actually sober?" Andrew asked, giving Francesca a curious look. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red as she kept her head down, staying silent. After a long moment, she finally admitted with embarrassment, "I wanted you to… take me home." Worried that Andrew might misunderstand, she quickly explained, "It's not what you might think. I just felt that it wouldn't be safe for a woman to go home alone after drinking. Since you were already taking Lauren home, I thought I could just tag along!" Andrew chuckled and said, "I wasn't thinking anything else. Since you both had been drinking, I would've made sure to get you both home safely anyway." "Well, you know what happened after that," Francesca continued. "As soon as you left afte

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 262

    At the Weller residence, Harvey sat in the main seat with a smug expression. This was his first time presiding over a family meeting since becoming the head of the family. All the top executives of the Weller family had shown up, as no one dared to disrespect his new position. Next to Harvey sat Serena, with her seductive smile and alluring presence. Their eyes met occasionally, sparking an undeniable chemistry in the air. Some observant executives noticed these exchanges but dismissed their suspicions. After all, one was the new family head, and the other was Kane's widow. Moreover, such an age gap and relationship dynamic surely meant nothing inappropriate could happen between them. "Everyone, please begin your reports," Harvey said with a smile. He wanted to get a clear picture of the Weller family's current strength to plan his next strategic moves. The first one voiced, "Mr. Weller, Jayrodale Bank is aggressively demanding loan repayments. If we don't pay soon, they'll sei

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 263

    Serena barked, "I'm foolish? What about you? Your father managed to keep the Weller family stable even while sick. Meanwhile, you're young, yet your arrogance has no limit. You're worthless compared to Kane." In a fit of rage, Harvey slapped her hard across the face, causing her to stumble backward. Clutching her reddened cheek, Serena stared at him in disbelief. She shouted, "You actually hit me? It's only been a few days since you've risen to this position, and you're already getting violent with me?" Harvey's face twisted with malice as he shouted, "So you acknowledge I'm the family head now? Who gave you the nerve to speak to me like that? Remember this—this is the first and last warning. If there's a next time, you'll no longer sit here next to me." "Harvey, you ungrateful snake," Serena spat, her chest heaving with anger. "When I helped you, you called me 'sweetheart' every day and promised me the world. Now that you've gotten what you wanted—both my body and the famil

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 264

    "But last time at the Weller residence, Andrew managed to walk away unharmed from the family elders," Irene persisted hopefully. Christina shook her head and said, "Mom, Andrew might have some skills now, but the situation isn't as simple as what you saw. After returning from the Weller residence, I spoke with both Bruce and Jackie. They confirmed that Andrew only succeeded because of them. If they hadn't already worn down the Weller family elders' strength beforehand, Andrew would have been walking to his death." "Oh, so that's how it was!" Irene exclaimed with sudden understanding. "I was wondering why those two would be so kind as to help us—they were just letting Andrew take the credit!" "That's why I never considered asking Andrew for help," Christina explained. "Now that Harvey has his way, Andrew can barely protect himself, let alone help others." Irene spat in disgust, "And here I thought that loser was some hidden strength—turns out he's just as useless as ever. I must

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 265

    Christina gritted her teeth and said, "We can't match the Weller family in a fight. Our only option is to stall Harvey until the family representative arrives." With a loud bang, her office door was kicked open. Harvey strode in with a smirk on his face, followed by over a dozen Weller family enforcers. "Christie, my dear fiancee, I can't wait for us to get married!" Harvey's voice was menacing despite his gentle expression. Christina took a deep breath and met Harvey's gaze directly. "Harvey, whatever was between us is long over. If you're a real man, stop with these desperate tactics—just tell me what you want." Harvey sneered. "Over? How convenient for you to say that. After everything I've invested in you, do you think you can just end it? Where does that leave my reputation?" "I never asked for anything from you or your family," Christina replied, struggling to contain her anger. "What exactly did you invest in me?" Harvey declared shamelessly, "I don't care about any

Latest chapter

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1182

    "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

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1181

    "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

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1180

    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

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1179

    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

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1178

    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

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1177

    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

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1176

    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

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1175

    "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

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 1174

    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

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status