Lauren explained, "But according to corporate bylaws, shareholders with higher stakes have more authority and priority than you. Since Michael is both CEO and has more shares than you, he technically can take legal action." "I see," Andrew nodded. "So if I had more shares than Michael and Mr. Hills, I could overrule them?" "That's true, but even if we combined our shares, we still wouldn't match them," Lauren replied. "This is getting complicated—maybe we should call Mr. Yates for help." Andrew appreciated Lauren's suggestion but smiled slightly. "No need for that. If it's just about having more shares than these two, I can simply buy more right now." Lauren's beautiful face showed confusion, while Eunice scoffed. "Andrew, stop pretending. You want to buy more shares? Michael and Mr. Hills together own 20% percent, which is worth about three billion dollars. Do you think this is like shopping at a grocery store?" Marcus could not stay silent anymore and moved next to Andrew.
"Mr. Lloyd, d-did you really just invest… five billion dollars in the corporation?" Marcus stammered, his mind reeling from the absurdity of what had just happened. Eunice's previous hostility and condescension toward Andrew instantly vanished, replaced by shock and disbelief. Edward shook his head. "No way! That's absolutely impossible! Even most successful financiers couldn't pull out five billion dollars for an investment without preparation. Check if hackers have attacked our network and caused this data anomaly." Michael's face showed uncertainty as he barked at his secretary, "Verify this immediately!" The sweating secretary worked frantically at her computer and made several urgent calls. Two minutes later, she looked at Michael with a pale face. "Mr. Rhodes, it's confirmed. The stock exchange has verified Mr. Lloyd's purchase of five billion dollars' worth of shares, and…" Michael exploded. "And what? Are you all brainless? This kind of thing only happens in movies
Andrew stood up, and his previously friendly smile had vanished, replaced by an icy demeanor. The shift in his expression sent chills through the boardroom, making everyone uneasy. He stated coldly, "Since my shares now exceed both the CEO's and Mr. Hills', doesn't that give me the greatest authority and priority in today's lunch meeting?" Michael's face twitched. "In principle, yes, that's correct." Edward was not having it, his face contorted with anger. "Kid, I didn't expect you to pull something like this. But five billion in funding—you must have misappropriated it from somewhere. With your position and background, even if your family saved for generations, they couldn't come up with that kind of astronomical sum." Many heads nodded in agreement around the table. Edward's logic seemed sound, as instantly injecting fifty billion dollars to become the fifth major shareholder was suspicious. However, Andrew could not care less about their suspicions. He slowly walked over t
Edward—the company veteran, the CEO's right-hand man, the head of corporate security, and a board member—had just been knocked out cold with a single slap. The shocking display of power left everyone in the boardroom stunned and speechless. "Mr. Lloyd, you…" Marcus' scalp tingled as words failed him completely. Eunice stared in disbelief. She mumbled, "This is terrible. We finally had things under control, and now he's ruined everything. Mr. Lloyd, do you realize how serious it is to assault a board member and disrespect a company veteran?" Even Lauren had not expected Andrew to make such a bold move. Slapping Edward across the room was something she had not dared to consider, even when she was CEO with absolute authority at Rhodes Corporation. Michael jumped to his feet, his face dark with anger. "What the hell are you doing? How dare you assault our company veteran! Are you trying to land yourself in prison?" "Is there a problem with me slapping this old fool?" Andrew ask
Andrew walked back to Lauren's side and sat down with a casual smile. He said, "You're the CEO, it's your call. But please understand, I just joined the Rhodes Corporation today, so I got a bit carried away and gave Mr. Hills quite a shock!" Many people gritted their teeth in silence. Andrew's nonchalant attitude hardly seemed apologetic, and calling it "quite a shock" when Edward had to be rushed to the hospital was a massive understatement. Michael slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! Let's get down to business. Everyone, quiet!" Andrew and Lauren exchanged glances, their expressions innocent. Lauren was secretly delighted, as Andrew's performance deserved full marks. She could only imagine how furious Tiana must have been while watching all of this unfold through the surveillance cameras. "Do we have any updates on the Northern District case?" Michael turned to an executive. "Atlas may be dead, but we haven't recovered a single penny from our two investments in Northern
Michael cleared his throat before saying, "There's another important matter—the Weller Group has been making big moves lately." He added, "Harvey has somehow found the courage to aggressively expand into the pharmaceutical industry. Their first batch of products has already hit the market with excellent feedback." He paused before exploding in anger. "Meanwhile, our pharmaceutical department is full of deadweight! Rhodes Pharmaceuticals has decades of expertise and foundation. We've always dominated the Jayrodale market, but now Harvey, that incompetent fool, is stealing business from us. Can anyone explain this to me?" Marcus reluctantly spoke up. "Mr. Rhodes, I've been overseeing our pharmaceutical division, which is one of our flagship departments. Overall, our production volume and quality have remained solid, consistently outperforming the Weller Group. The only issue is their newly developed health supplement, which has been incredibly successful in the market. This single
Lauren smiled confidently. "Don't worry, I have Dr. Lloyd—he'll help me." Eunice immediately gave Andrew a skeptical look. She said sharply, "If you truly care about Ms. Rhodes' wellbeing, you shouldn't try to show off like this. How exactly do you plan to help her recover the 60 million?" Andrew replied with a smile, "Relax. While the Northern District no longer exists, I know some inside information about Atlas' downfall. Recovering the money shouldn't be too difficult." He knew that Dylan and Natasha had divided Northern District's assets and territory between them. He knew that getting the money back would be as simple as approaching these two powerhouses. Eunice scoffed. "You make it sound so easy. Mr. Giordano was one of Jayrodale's elite, so what gives a mere doctor like you the audacity to speak so boldly? I have just one request: you can risk your own neck if you want, but please don't drag Ms. Rhodes into it." Lauren frowned. "This must be the hundredth time today
Andrew and Lauren quickly drove toward Jayrodale's Northern District. Instead of taking his Mercedes G-Wagon, Andrew was driving Lauren's pink Maserati. It was a fantastic car, but he felt a bit self-conscious about the color. Along the way, businessmen on the street did double-takes when they saw a man driving the pink Maserati with the stunning Lauren in the passenger seat. Their envious and judgmental glares made Andrew certain he would be labeled as another trophy boyfriend. "Dr. Lloyd, why are you closing the windows?" Lauren asked, hiding her smile. "I'm trying to avoid any would-be heroes looking to start trouble," Andrew replied dryly. Lauren giggled. "I wouldn't mind witnessing something like that." "Ms. Rhodes, I really think my car would have been more suitable," Andrew suggested. "Your car is nice, but since this is a business trip, we should use a company car," Lauren explained. "That way, the company covers gas and depreciation. I couldn't let you help me an
"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