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Chapter 342
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Rising from the Ashes Chapter 343
"It's a shame there's no real competition," Aspen said lazily, stifling a yawn. "Let's open two more stones for fun, and then we'll head out." She lifted a finger, casually signaling the gem cutter to begin again. Her every movement captivated the crowd, who watched eagerly, anticipating another jaw-dropping display of her talent. Before the cutter could start, a calm but distinct voice cut through the chatter. "Excuse me, could you help me cut this stone?" Though the voice was not particularly loud, it seemed to pierce through the noise, drawing everyone's attention. Instantly, the crowd erupted in irritation. "Who's this clown? Can't they see Ms. Stevens is about to make her move?" "Ms. Stevens is playing at the highest level—why waste time with someone else cutting a stone that's probably worthless?" "Whoever it is, they need to leave. Today's show belongs to Ms. Stevens, and no one else should get in the way." The disgruntled murmurs turned into curious stares as
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 344
Aspen smirked and said, "Ms. Santana, you sure are devoted to Mr. Lloyd. From the beginning, you've been protecting this so-called expert at every turn. Aren't you worried that the rest of us collectors might feel a little neglected?" Elsie responded calmly, "I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Ms. Stevens. Mr. Lloyd is a distinguished guest of Radiant Group, and it's my job to assist him. Is there an issue with that?" Aspen let out a disdainful laugh. "For someone to earn such exceptional treatment from you, Ms. Santana, they must be quite the expert. So, Mr. Lloyd, how about it? Are you brave enough to take me on? Don't chicken out now after all your earlier bravado." All eyes turned to Andrew, their curiosity piqued. His earlier confrontation with Orion had been impressive, earning him widespread admiration, but gemstone cutting was an entirely different challenge. Someone encouraged, "Mr. Lloyd, your expertise in antiques is remarkable. Surely you can hold your own in
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 345
Andrew spoke calmly, his tone steady but cutting. "Aspen, there's nothing wrong with a woman being proud and confident. As long as she has the right to be proud, that's fine. But if a woman is arrogant and foolish on top of it, she's bound to learn some painful lessons." Aspen sneered, glancing sideways at Christina. "Christie, did you hear what this man just said? He claims he's going to teach me a painful lesson. Honestly, with an ex like that, I can't blame you for kicking him to the curb. If you hadn't, I would've stepped in to help straighten him out myself." Christina's face darkened as she cast a worried glance at Andrew. Why was he so bold? It seemed that he did not understand that going up against Aspen in a gamble like this was reckless. "Everyone, quiet down! The gemstone challenge between Mr. Lloyd and Ms. Stevens is about to begin," Elsie announced, her voice rising above the crowd. She turned to Andrew and Aspen, adding, "Do either of you have any additional term
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 346
Andrew did not waste any time. He pointed at a medium-sized stone and said, "Could you cut this one for me, please?" Aspen scoffed and said, "Andrew, you should really take a closer look. Jumping in without thinking might just make you a laughingstock." Ignoring her, Andrew turned to Francesca with a smile. "Get ready to celebrate." Francesca froze for a moment before catching on. "Wait… are you seriously this confident?" Andrew chuckled and replied, "We'll know soon enough, won't we?" Aspen gritted her teeth. This man had an unbearable arrogance that made her want to wipe the smirk off his face. The crowd stayed silent, not daring to say a word. With stakes this high, nobody wanted to risk disrupting the players' focus and becoming the target of blame. Aspen's stone was cut first. A gasp echoed from one of the experienced gem traders in the crowd. "Wow! It's a massive green tourmaline with impressive quality. It's just shy of the imperial grade." Christina let out a
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 347
Aspen felt a sharp, burning pain on her face. Christina was stunned too, unable to believe the sudden turn of events. Aspen had opened such a good gem, so how could she still lose? "Fine, I'll admit defeat for the first round," Aspen said, her voice cold as she could not bear the eyes of the crowd anymore. "Andrew, do you dare to go for another round?" Andrew waved her off. "There's no need to hurry. I'll deal with things first." Right in front of Aspen and everyone else, Andrew casually gathered Aspen's green tourmaline and his own rare red spinel and handed them to Francesca. Francesca blushed. "Andrew, I can't carry these." "It's fine. They're ours anyway. Just keep an eye on them. Don't let anyone steal them." Francesca beamed, nearly bursting with excitement. These were two high-quality gems—though she was not an expert, she knew they were worth a fortune. Nonetheless, it was not about the money. What mattered was that Aspen, that nasty woman, had lost to Andrew—sh
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 348
The cutter was beginning to regret his earlier actions because Andrew had proven to be far more formidable than expected, even outshining Aspen. If only he had not been so absolute in his statements before. "What are you waiting for? Don't you trust me?" Aspen snapped when she noticed her cutter's hesitation. The cutter flinched and quickly replied, "I'll cut open Ms. Stevens' stone right away. This time, Miss, you'll definitely win." Andrew chuckled. "Aspen, your judgment is clouded. The Stevens family of Bridgefields isn't exactly rolling in money. Being this wasteful isn't doing you any favors." He gestured toward the largest raw stone in the center. Aspen responded with a cold laugh. "Andrew, don't you understand that a raw stone's size has nothing to do with what's inside? You can't seriously think that just because this stone is huge, it must contain something valuable?" Several gambling experts nodded in agreement with Aspen's statement. The central stone, with its ha
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 349
"Stupid woman, I just asked you to wait, not admitting defeat," Andrew said with a smirk. "Why are you already counting your money? Running low on funds?" Aspen's face turned red with anger. "Fine, let's see what trick you're trying to pull here," she spat, knowing she was running out of money. Even if she won, claiming Andrew's worthless stone would be like taking home garbage. "Mr. Lloyd, what else would you like me to do?" the cutter asked. The crowd watched curiously, wondering what Andrew could possibly do at this point. "This stone can be cut further, don't you think?" Andrew smiled, pointing at the multicolored piece. The cutter was taken aback and replied, "Mr. Lloyd, we've already reached the core layer. Further cutting would be pointless." Elsie and the others frowned deeply at Andrew's suggestion. The massive stone had already yielded worthless material and cutting it further would only destroy its integrity and decrease its value even more. "Mr. Lloyd, in
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 350
At this point, there was nothing else Elsie could do. The situation seemed hopeless for Andrew. "What a shame for Mr. Lloyd this round," someone remarked, while others chimed in, "Why choose such an obviously worthless large stone when there were so many better options?" The antique experts shook their heads in disappointment, having hoped to see Andrew triumph over the Bridgefields heiress. Yet, Andrew did not even glance at Aspen's Royal Violet Crystal. Instead, he carefully guided the craftsman's cutting, and as the waste material fell away, a mysterious red glow began to emerge. The craftsman's heart skipped a beat—such a lustrous glow should not appear in worthless material. Elsie noticed something unusual too, and quickly moved to Andrew's side, crouching down for a closer look. The red glow intensified, revealing a transparent red gem standing out prominently among the debris. For a moment, even the experienced Elsie was left speechless. "Well, what do we have here?
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Rising from the Ashes Chapter 1188
It felt to Tiana like she had fallen into a vast, unfamiliar net—one she had never experienced before. She was sinking, drifting, wanting to break free. Yet, she was addicted to the thrill of it all. All these conflicting emotions passed through her in the blink of an eye, though they were layered and complex. Meanwhile, Andrew was completely unaware of the chaotic thoughts swirling inside her. To him, this was just another straightforward medical procedure. He was careful and respectful. He only touched what he had to, avoiding sensitive areas entirely. As a doctor, Andrew had no sense of guilt about what he was doing. Illness knew no gender; treatment was treatment. That was how he saw it. Whether others saw it the same way was not his concern. He calmly explained, "Stimulating your pressure points with needles and smoothing the meridians with massage helped your condition today. "But in the end, to restore proper balance, you'll still need a medicinal remedy to regulate
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 1187
Tiana flinched, both shocked and furious, but she had no chance of dodging him. Under Andrew's hand, she did not stand a chance. However, the loud smack that followed was not across her face—it landed squarely on a pressure point along her waist. A wave of sharp pain shot through her body like a crashing tide. She gasped, "Ah… Andrew, you… stop, that hurts…" A strange moan escaped her lips, echoing awkwardly in the quiet room. Andrew muttered under his breath, cursing her madness. Without wasting time, he lifted her up and laid her down across the bed. Tiana stared up at him in disbelief, her eyes wide—until he pulled out a slim, metallic object. A gleaming golden acupuncture needle. "Mrs. Rhodes, your speech is erratic, your energy's spiking. I'll give you a few needles to stabilize your condition," Andrew said calmly. With that, he plunged the first needle into a targeted spot on her body. Tiana's breath hitched as her lips parted, and her reaction was a mix of pai
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 1186
"If you called me here just to ask something this ridiculous, Mrs. Rhodes, then I'll be going now," Andrew said flatly as he turned toward the door. He did not dare stay a second longer, worried Tiana might start acting crazy like she did last time. If things spiraled out of control and someone like Jameson walked in on them, not even a hundred confessions could clear his name. "Stop right there!" Tiana snapped, her brows raised in defiance. "What's the matter? Are you that scared of being alone with me?" Andrew paused and looked back, his brows still tightly furrowed. "Mrs. Rhodes, you and I both know this isn't appropriate." Tiana stepped forward with a graceful sway, a trace of perfume trailing in her wake as she stopped right beside him. Her lips curled in a playful smile. "What's not appropriate? Can't a mother-in-law spend a little one-on-one time with her future son-in-law?" Andrew fell silent, exasperated. "You said you weren't feeling well. If you need help, I'll tak
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 1185
Andrew finally paid a visit to the Rhodes family. "Andy, you're here! Come in, have a seat," Jameson greeted warmly, his tone unusually enthusiastic. The way he looked at Andrew was not just the admiration of a family elder—it was the hopeful gaze of someone eyeing a perfect son-in-law. Lauren giggled behind her hand. "Andrew, you've become quite the welcome guest around here. Everyone in the Rhodes family is thrilled you came." Andrew glanced around casually and noticed several of the Rhodes family's core members smiling and nodding in greeting. A few girls around Lauren's age were sneaking glances his way, their cheeks tinged pink. Cecelia, the youngest among them, blurted out, "Andrew, when are you marrying Lauren?" Andrew laughed and replied, "Anytime works for me." Cecelia clapped her hands excitedly. "Great! Let's do the wedding today and the honeymoon tonight!" Jameson's eyes widened. "Cece! Stop saying nonsense!" His youngest daughter was a wild one—always blu
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 1184
Logan nodded and smiled. "Andrew's medical skills really are rare. Medicine is a deep and complex field, and among the younger generation in Blumedale, hardly anyone has any decent understanding of it. "Even top talents like Joe Driscoll or Luna Phelan from the three major families are focused on martial arts. When it comes to healing, there's nothing to talk about." George beamed. "What makes Andrew truly special is that he's not only exceptional in medicine, but his martial prowess is also extraordinary. Just the fact that he's survived the joint manhunt from two powerful families already tells me he's not to be underestimated." Logan frowned. "There's a rumor going around that Andrew survived only because someone powerful is secretly protecting him." George scoffed. "That's just idle gossip from nobodies parroting what they hear. If Andrew were weak, no amount of backing could keep him alive. Logan, remember this—life throws us many challenges, but there's one hurdle you mus
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 1183
Elon's face turned red from the scolding, and he muttered bitterly, "I mean, I might not be great, but I'm still better than Andrew, right? Are you really saying that in your eyes, your own son is worth less than that guy?" Richard let out a cold snort. "You really care about comparing yourself to him? Fine then—do you want the truth or a lie?" Elon shrank back at his father's sarcastic smile and mumbled, "The lie… I guess." Richard scoffed, "Alright. If it's lies you want, then sure—you're way more promising than Andrew. That guy doesn't even deserve to be compared to you." Elon's face twitched. He wanted to laugh, but the words tasted bitter in his mouth. The lie was that he was better than Andrew. But the truth? The truth was that compared to Andrew, he was absolutely nothing. The more he thought about it, the more he realized—either way, he came up short. So what was the point in choosing? He silently cursed, 'Damn it!' Richard folded his hands behind his back, his
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
