Natasha trembled but stood her ground. "Andrew, I know I'm no match for you, but I'm not someone to be trifled with either. You at least owe me some compensation." "What do you want?" Andrew asked with an amused smile. "I'm not greedy—just give me some of that medicine," Natasha said, her eyes lighting up as she held out her hand. Andrew chuckled and tossed her a small vial. "You say you're not greedy, yet you ask for something money can't buy." Natasha's face lit up with delight as she examined the vial's contents. "Well, at least you have some conscience," she said, carefully tucking it away. Her eyes roamed over Andrew's form as her cheeks flushed. "I have one last request. If you agree, then I'll be yours forever." "Let's hear it," Andrew said with a laugh, "but I'm warning you—nothing excessive!" Natasha stepped closer until she was nearly pressed against him and whispered, "Andrew, I want to be your woman. I've never submitted to many men, but you're different. Take
Natasha continued softly, "But what if it wasn't you today, but someone else? Someone who defeated me so easily and pinned me down—what do you think would have happened to me then?" Without waiting for Andrew's response, she gave a bitter laugh. "I've walked the edge of destruction countless times to reach this position. Though I've always refused to trade my body for power, believing that true strength comes from within, a widow like me often doesn't have many choices." "If you believe in that, then why are you so determined to give yourself to me?" Andrew asked. Natasha wiped away her tears and gave him a tender look. "You really are clueless! When others desire my body, I want them gone, but with you, I'm willing because there's only one reason—I genuinely care for you!" Her eyes grew softer and more melancholic as she continued. "And now, seeing your true strength, I want to give myself to someone I truly submit to. It would make me happy to finally let down my guard with a
Just as Andrew was wrestling with his decision, Francesca called. "Andrew, we have a critical patient at the hospital who needs your personal attention. Can you come now?" "I'll be right there," Andrew responded, then turned to Natasha. "You heard that. I need to get to Jayrodale General Hospital right away." "Does it have to be so urgent?" Natasha asked, clearly frustrated. "Of course it's urgent. It's a medical emergency," Andrew said hastily, as Natasha began to undress. She purred. "Ten minutes is all I need. We can make it quick!" "You think I only last ten minutes?" Andrew's face darkened. Natasha gave him a flirtatious wink and giggled. "You're right. You need at least thirty minutes." "Wrong—one-hour minimum," Andrew corrected before making his escape. Before she could respond, he darted out the door, unwilling to let the sultry widow trap him any further. Natasha had been alone far too long, and her unrestrained hunger was impossible to ignore. As Andrew fl
As they entered the treatment room, they found a young girl suffering from persistent high fever and intermittent chills. Bernard was treating her with several nurses, but his frustrated expression suggested he was struggling with the case. "Dr. Aicker, what's the meaning of this?" Bernard asked unhappily when he saw Andrew. "This patient is under my care." "When it comes to saving lives, it doesn't matter who's in charge—what matters is helping the patients," Francesca replied coolly. "Dr. Aicker, are you saying I'm incompetent because I haven't cured this child yet?" Bernard snapped angrily. Before the situation could escalate further, a well-dressed man with graying hair—the girl's father—interrupted anxiously. "Dr. Aicker, can you treat Lucy or not? If not, I'll transfer her immediately. We can't waste any more time." Before Francesca could respond, Bernard quickly put on a pleasant smile. "Don't worry, Mr. Chapman. Lucy likely has a viral infection. I'll identify the vir
Andrew said, "Mr. Chapman, please wait outside. This is a treatment room, and it's best not to have non-medical personnel present." He added confidently, "As for Lucy, give me half an hour, and she'll be perfectly fine." Marcus was stunned by the young doctor's composure and confidence. After all, Bernard had been frantically trying to help his beloved daughter without success, yet Andrew claimed he only needed 30 minutes. Seeing his hesitation, Francesca smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Chapman. You're an executive at the Rhodes family corporation and one of Lauren's people. Lucy will receive the best care possible in our facility." Marcus nodded and said, "Alright, I'll wait outside for Dr. Lloyd's good news. However, let me be clear—Lucy's well-being is non-negotiable." Bernard's face darkened considerably as he asked, "Dr. Lloyd, are you stealing my patient?" He had hoped to establish a connection with Marcus, but those plans seemed to be falling apart, which deeply
Recently, Lauren seemed to be facing some difficulties but had not confided in Andrew. Even Francesca was not fully aware of the situation, which made Andrew concerned enough to inquire with Marcus about it. Marcus looked surprised and asked, "So the rumors about you and Ms. Rhodes are true, Dr. Lloyd?" "What rumors?" Andrew asked, caught off guard. Marcus smiled with a knowing look and said, "There's talk that the Rhodes family heiress, the CEO of Rhodes Corporation, is involved with a young doctor. None of us employees believed it, until now, when you asked about her situation. I guess the rumors weren't unfounded after all!" Andrew chuckled wryly, understanding why such rumors existed. Lauren had never hidden her attraction to him, regardless of time or place, so it was not surprising that Jayrodale's high society had caught wind of it. "Ms. Rhodes and I are… indeed very close friends," Andrew replied awkwardly. "That's why I'm asking if she's facing any difficulties latel
Andrew was taken aback and said, "I have no intention of interfering with the Rhodes family's marriage arrangements. I just think it's unfair to force her into something she doesn't want." Marcus smiled knowingly. "No need to explain so quickly. I understand your feelings—you want to be the hero who saves the damsel, right? But think about it: even though you're accomplished and young as the deputy chief of Jayrodale General Hospital, the Rhodes family is in a completely different league." Marcus continued earnestly, "Your concern for Ms. Rhodes isn't wrong, but you need to recognize the vast gap between your worlds. Lauren is like a rare diamond, and having had her attention should be enough for a lifetime. If you push your luck, you might end up getting seriously hurt." Andrew could only smile wryly at Marcus's well-meaning advice. Clearly, Marcus saw him as someone trying to climb the social ladder. While the Rhodes family had expanded to Blumedale and their prestige grew da
"My old flame?" Andrew asked, puzzled. Francesca scoffed, "Yes, the perfect CEO Christina and her family, along with that annoying Aspen." Andrew walked to the hospital lobby with curiosity, where he found Irene lying on a gurney being wheeled to admission, wailing dramatically about her losses. "My money! All my life savings! My retirement fund—it's all gone! God, why must you give me the hardest battle?" Her desperate cries drew sympathetic looks from passersby. Andrew could not help but smile, realizing that Irene had been hospitalized due to the shock of losing her investment. This money-obsessed woman was truly having the worst luck. Christina and Aspen stood nearby, their faces dark with embarrassment. When Aspen spotted Andrew, she immediately stormed over to him with a rigid expression. "Andrew, let me ask you something," Aspen demanded. "You said the Northern District would fall soon and that my investment would be like jumping into a fire pit, right?" Andrew sm
With a sickening snap, several bones shattered under Logan's brutal kick, and Archie let out a bloodcurdling scream that made everyone's scalp tingle. "Mr. Keller, please, stop! I'm begging you! I was wrong! I was talking shit! I apologize—I apologize!" Archie flailed on the ground like a dying animal, completely stripped of his earlier arrogance. His body trembled violently, his face twisted in agony, but he did not dare show the slightest bit of temper as he groveled before Logan, crying and pleading. Logan casually strolled over and slapped him twice more across the face, with ruthless, bone-jarring force. Archie's head snapped to the side so hard it almost seemed like his neck would break, and his screams grew even more pitiful. Yet, not a single Hopkins fighter moved to help him. All of them stood frozen, faces pale with fear, too terrified to even breathe loudly. Logan's voice was calm but icy. "Tonight, if Andrew doesn't accept your apology, not a single one of you
"Andy, I'm here!" In the midst of the tense, frozen atmosphere, only Logan and Andrew seemed relaxed, chatting like old friends without a care in the world. Andrew chuckled. "Logan, you're acting way too friendly!" For once, Logan's face flushed slightly red with embarrassment. Truth be told, he and Andrew were not actually that close. However, orders were orders—George had made it clear that they had to secure Andrew's favor no matter what it took. If Andrew did not show much enthusiasm toward the Keller family, then Logan had no choice but to make up for it by being overly enthusiastic himself. "If you don't like it, how about you be the older brother and I'll be the younger one?" Logan's attitude was ridiculously accommodating as if he had no pride left to defend. No matter how awkward it felt, Andrew was someone the Keller family absolutely had to win over. Watching all this unfold, Tiana, Jameson, and the Hopkins crowd were even more stunned. It almost seemed like Loga
By some twisted stroke of luck, Archie's manhood—though bruised and swollen—had not been completely destroyed. While he silently thanked the heavens, his hatred for Tiana grew even deeper. That seductive married woman? He was determined to have her tonight, no matter what it took. Just then, Jerry and a dozen of the Rhodes family's top fighters finally arrived on the scene. Jameson, seeing that his people were in place, narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Mr. Hopkins, you really want to keep pushing this?" Archie let out a twisted laugh. "Mr. Rhodes, your wife hit me. That punk by your side hit me too! Do you really think someone like me, who cares this much about his reputation, is just going to let that go?" Tiana scoffed. "So what if we don't let it go? Mr. Hopkins, you're nothing more than a disgusting maggot. What are you going to do about it?" Archie screamed, his face flushed with rage. "Tiana, you filthy bitch! Do you think you're better than me? Tonight, I'll make
"This way, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Rhodes, Mrs. Rhodes, and Ms. Rhodes—please!" Justin had completely changed his attitude, now grinning with over-the-top enthusiasm. He was practically bowing, a world apart from the snobby arrogance he had shown earlier. Tiana smiled faintly and said, "We'll be dining in the Celestial Suite now. That won't be a problem, right?" The manager nodded so fast it looked painful. "No problem at all, Mrs. Rhodes. Please, right this way!" Jameson patted Andrew's shoulder reassuringly and whispered, "Andy, don't worry. I already called our people. Jerry and the others are on their way." Andrew chuckled lightly. "Mr. Rhodes, there's no need to mobilize the whole family.The Hopkins? I can handle them myself." Jameson shook his head, thinking Andrew was just putting on a brave face. He believed Andrew, being new to Blumedale, could not possibly fend off the Hopkins on his own. Meanwhile, Andrew casually excused himself during dinner to make a quick call to
Everyone could tell Andrew was no ordinary martial artist. After all, he had taken down the Hopkins men like it was nothing. Nonetheless, the fact that he kept going and even dared to lay hands on Archie was pure suicide. "That little bastard is dead meat! Archie's gonna skin him alive!" someone hissed. "Yeah! It's one thing to slap us around, but hitting Mr. Hopkins? Does he think he's untouchable?" "Just wait. This fool's been used like a pawn by Mrs. Rhodes. Once the real Hopkins heavy hitters show up, he's gonna get slaughtered right here at The Palace!" Meanwhile, Archie caught another few brutal slaps from Andrew. Chunks of his thick beard went flying through the air. Archie howled, "You little punk! You've pushed it too far! If I don't kill you tonight, I'll change my damn last name to yours!" Grimacing with rage, Archie pulled out his phone and snarled into it. "I just got attacked at The Palace. Bring the whole crew over—now! "Yeah, you heard me. Tonight, I'm w
The others around them sneered and snickered. "Kid, you're all skin and bones. Do yourself a favor and get lost." Another chimed in, "Mr. Hopkins doesn't even take the entire Rhodes family seriously. What makes you think you stand a chance, you low-level nobody?" "Heh, did you all hear it earlier? Tiana said they are his in-laws. Damn, this kid hit the jackpot. Tiana and her daughter? Both absolute knockouts." One remarked, "No kidding. That lucky punk, I envy him like hell. If it were me, I'd be laughing in my sleep. Bagging a mother-daughter pair? That's the dream, man… pure heaven." A few filthy-mouthed degenerates let loose with their vulgar fantasies, and the air instantly grew more volatile. The tension between both sides was now on the brink of exploding. Tiana let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Looks like Mr. Hopkins isn't the only one talking shit tonight. Some of you have even more sewage coming out of your mouths." She turned to Andrew, her smile sharp as ice. "Come
Justin instantly sensed something was about to spiral. He rushed forward and tried to defuse the tension. "Mr. Hopkins, please calm down. We're all just here to have a nice dinner—no need for this." Archie clutched his swollen cheek, his face twisted with rage. "Calm down? Get out of my face! If you say another word, I'll end you too!" Justin flinched and quickly backed off, no longer daring to speak. However, as he glanced toward the Rhodes family, his eyes burned with resentment. He cursed them for being foolish. Despite knowing they could not go up against the Hopkins, they still had to throw punches. He could not help but think they were just asking for it. Lauren's voice rang out cold and firm. "Mr. Hopkins, what are you trying to do? Start a war?" Archie bellowed with laughter. "Big mouth on you, you little bitch! With your trashy Rhodes family, you're not even qualified to go to war with the Hopkins!" He sneered, eyes gleaming. "But don't worry—I'm not just gonna tak
Justin's face twisted in discomfort, but before he could say anything, a loud voice boomed across the entrance. "Mr. McGrath, you can step back! If Mrs. Rhodes wants to dine in our Celestial Suite, then she's more than welcome!" As the voice faded, a burly man with a thick beard strode over. The giant crystal ring on his hand and the heavy gold chain across his chest made it clear—this man was rich, but absolutely tasteless. Jameson snorted coldly. "The Hopkins family sure has some nerve, snatching up someone else's reservation like it's nothing." Archie Hopkins cracked a wide grin, revealing a mouth full of blackened teeth, and laughed without a care. "Mr. Rhodes, you sound way too naive!" Archie shrugged and said, "In this world, it's all about money and muscle. The Hopkins family's got both. So stealing a little dining room from the Rhodes family? It's nothing." Tiana's voice turned icy. "Since you're admitting it's theft, then do us a favor and get the hell out." Arch
The place Jameson picked for dinner was one of the most well-known upscale restaurants in Blumedale—The Palace. "Andy, you might not know this, but around here, this spot is top-tier," Jameson said as he adjusted his tailored suit and smiled. He added, "It's not like I'm trying to flaunt my wealth or anything. But sometimes, even if you don't care for appearances, you've still got to show up with style!" Andrew chuckled and replied, "Mr. Rhodes, I get what you're saying." Tiana spoke up coolly, "Jameson, no need to put on this kind of show in front of Andrew. Otherwise, you'll just end up looking ridiculous. This guy probably poops in places you haven't even dreamed of stepping into." Jameson froze for a second, clearly shocked. "Well now, Tiana, you're really singing Andy's praises today. Could it be… the classic case of a mother-in-law who's starting to really like her son-in-law?" Tiana gave a snort. "This has nothing to do with liking him. I'm just telling the truth."