Atlas' man quickly said, "Mr. Giordano, please calm down. These photos are from an unknown source and might not tell the whole story, and we should investigate first. Besides, Mr. Moore is our ally, and if we let this scandal tear us apart, wouldn't that play right into our enemies' hands?" Atlas snapped out of his rage and nodded repeatedly. "You're right! I almost lost my head there." His expression darkened as he realized these photos were likely Natasha's or Dylan's handiwork, meant to drive a wedge between him and Finley. "Dylan, Natasha, you're both quite devious," he muttered through gritted teeth. "But unfortunately for you, I'm not so easily manipulated." He silently vowed to deal with them both as soon as possible. Just then, another of Atlas's trusted men burst in, looking even more distressed than the man before. Atlas frowned. "What now? Why does everyone look like they're at a funeral?" The man's face was grim as he reported, "Mr. Giordano, I just received w
After his furious outburst, Atlas continued in an ice-cold voice, "Besides, even if this is Dylan and Natasha's trap, what do I have to fear? Do you think they'd dare to make a move against me on Rhodes family territory?" His men had to admit he had a point. Even if it was a trap, who would dare touch Atlas when he brought all his Northern District enforcers? Still, what truly terrified them was the possibility that Finley really was fooling around with Atlas' woman. In their world, there were certain unwritten rules, and messing with another man's woman was asking for a brutal death. … Ten minutes later, over a dozen SUVs screeched to a halt in front of the Rhodes family hotel. Atlas led the charge with dozens of his Northern District muscle trailing behind him, storming toward the hotel entrance. Michael was still lounging at the entrance with his legs crossed. He muttered, "Mr. Moore, I'm sticking my neck out for you here. You've got some nerve going after Mr. Giordano's
However, Michael was not ready to give up just yet. He struggled to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth while silently cursing Finley for getting him into this mess. He grabbed a nearby security guard and barked urgently, "Quick—use the stairs and warn Finley and Yvonne to escape through the back door!" The guard, startled by Michael's intensity, stumbled away toward the stairwell. Afterward, Michael frantically tried calling Finley, but the phone was still off. At least Atlas' men would need some time to search all the rooms. There was still a slim chance of avoiding disaster. … Meanwhile, Andrew, Dylan, and Natasha were seated at a cafe across from the hotel, calmly sipping their coffee. "Darling, your plan worked perfectly. Atlas just stormed in with his men," Natasha said excitedly to Andrew. "Now we just sit back and enjoy the show?" Andrew set down his coffee with a smile. "We'll enjoy the show alright, but first, we need to block all the escape rout
Atlas had personally shown up with his crew. Even with Finley's usual reckless bravado, he could not help but feel a pang of guilt and sheer terror. Meanwhile, Yvonne went pale as a ghost when she heard Atlas was there. "Atlas… is here? A-Are you sure?" she stammered, her voice trembling, tears already welling in her eyes. Finley shoved her clothes at her and barked, "Put them on! If we're caught lingering, neither of us is getting out of this alive!" Yvonne, shaking uncontrollably, burst into tears as she fumbled with her outfit. She cried, "This is all your fault! You're the one who wouldn't take no for an answer! You drugged me, Finley! You forced me into this—I'm the victim here!" Finley's face turned beet red as rage consumed him. Seeing her blame him while still not dressing herself drove him to the edge. He spat, "You lying tramp! Were you forced, or were you the one itching to get involved? Don't pretend you didn't know what you were doing! And now that it's done,
At the hotel's front entrance, Michael felt his heart pounding in his chest. "Mr. Giordano, we've searched every room, but there's no sign of them," one of Atlas' men reported. Atlas stood with his hands behind his back, his face cold and unreadable. On the other hand, Michael let out a long sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness Finley managed to escape,' he thought. At least now, he would not have to bear the consequences of this disaster. "Mr. Giordano, like I've told you before, you must have made a mistake," Michael said with a forced smile. "Our hotel isn't even open for business today." Trying to sound as casual as possible, Michael was eager to get Atlas to leave before something went wrong. However, Atlas gave him a sharp, icy glare, and Michael forced himself to stay calm, staring back without flinching. After all, he reasoned, Finley and Yvonne had already slipped out the back. Even if Atlas suspected something, he would not have any proof. Without evidence, there was n
Atlas' hand swung fiercely, landing a thunderous slap across Yvonne's face. "You bitch! At this point, you still dare to lie to me? I'll kill you!" he roared with unrestrained fury. The force of the slap sent Yvonne flying several feet across the room. She crashed to the ground, coughing up blood before falling limp and motionless. Michael watched in horror, his heart pounding as cold dread seeped into his veins. Atlas was not just angry—this man was ready to kill. "Mr. Rhodes," Atlas growled, his piercing gaze locking onto Michael. "Didn't you swear to me that this filthy pair wasn't in your hotel?" Michael stumbled backward, his voice shaking. "Mr. Giordano, I… I didn't—" Atlas did not wait for an explanation. With a wave of his hand, he barked, "Take this lying fool outside. Don't kill him—I don't need the Rhodes family breathing down my neck—but make sure he suffers. I want him begging for mercy, wishing he were dead." Two Northern District enforcers grabbed Michael w
Atlas snatched a few items from one of his men and threw them hard into Finley's face. "Finley, you claim that you and Yvonne came here just to rest and that nothing happened," Atlas growled, his voice sharp and cold. "Then open your eyes and tell me—what are these?" Finley shakily removed the items from his face, only to freeze in horror. His face turned crimson as he recognized the objects: two pairs of underwear that he and Yvonne had left behind in their frantic escape. Atlas's jaw tightened as he ground his teeth. He then grabbed one of Finley's lost red heels and a roll of crumpled tissues and tossed them at Finley with a forceful thud. However, he was not done. With a look of utter disgust, Atlas flung several used condoms at Finley, each hitting its mark. Finley recoiled in horror, dodging the sordid items as best he could. Around him, the Northern District men stared—some with anger, others with icy indifference, and a few with subtle disdain. Atlas was not the onl
Finley put on his most sincere expression and said to Atlas, "Mr. Giordano, please give me another chance. I messed up this time, but I promise you, I'll make it up to you and the Northern District by achieving something that will redeem myself." Atlas' face remained tense, the fury in his eyes unrelenting. Several Northern District enforcers stepped forward, clasping their hands respectfully. "Mr. Giordano, Mr. Moore has admitted his mistake. Perhaps you could show him some leniency?" "That's right, Mr. Giordano. It's clear he acted out of foolishness. Now that he's willing to redeem himself, we think he deserves a chance to prove his loyalty." "Sir, you've always been wise and pragmatic. It's not worth holding onto rage over someone who doesn't deserve your energy. Consider this as throwing out a worthless piece of trash—it's just not worth your time." Atlas took a deep breath, their words clearly working on him. As much as he despised Finley at that moment, he could not de
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