Harvey shifted uncomfortably, his expression darkening. If Douglas died from his gift, he would be directly responsible. He had not even gotten his hands on Christina yet, and here he was, possibly killing her grandfather. Quickly pulling out his phone, Harvey made a call. "Dr. Aicker, this is Harvey Weller. We have an emergency. Please come immediately!" Christina turned desperately to Andrew and pleaded, "Andrew, you're a doctor. Please help Grandpa! He was fine just a moment ago!" "I warned everyone that the pill was fake and dangerous," Andrew replied coldly. "The entire Stevens family, including you, accused me of being petty. Now that there's trouble, you conveniently remember that I'm a doctor?" Christina's face flushed with shame, but her pride would not let her admit her mistake. "We can discuss that later! Please just help Grandpa first!" Andrew stepped forward, quickly pressing several pressure points to stop the bleeding. With some therapeutic massage, Douglas's b
Just then, an elderly man in a long robe, with a prominent nose and a long face, stepped into the Stevens family home. He barked impatiently, "Don't waste my time! Where's the patient? I have other matters to attend to!" Irene rushed to greet him with a fawning smile, saying, "You must be the renowned Dr. Cedric Aicker from Jayrodale! Please, Dr. Aicker, have a seat and enjoy some tea before we begin!" She intended to flatter him, but Cedric merely shot her dismissively as if looking at a complete fool. "Are you dumb? This is a matter of life and death. Instead of rushing to save someone, you're offering tea? Do you want the patient to die?" Irene's face flushed red with embarrassment as she shrank back meekly. Christina and the others quickly led Cedric to examine Douglas. After examining the patient from his seat by the bed, Cedric's brows furrowed in concentration. "Strange, very strange indeed…" he muttered to himself. "Dr. Aicker, what's strange?" Harvey asked. "Is
Irene thought Cedric might have some insight and eagerly asked, "Dr. Aicker, you can tell that the pill Dad took was a genuine medicinal pill, right?" She continued, "I knew it couldn't be fake since Harvey got them directly from Mistveil Peak. It's perfectly normal for Dad to faint. His body was just too weak for such powerful medicine!" Irene's analysis was met with a cold laugh from Cedric. He mocked, "You foolish woman, your ignorance knows no bounds. What he had was nothing more than a common supplement pill, yet you dare call it a medicinal pill? You're all too ignorant—I won't even waste my energy explaining!" Irene trembled from the repeated humiliation. If there had been a hole in the ground, she would have gladly crawled into it. Leroy stammered, "H-Harvey, looks like you were scammed. Even Dr. Aicker says the pill was fake!" Harvey silently cursed Irene for bringing this up. Even so, he maintained a composed front and said, "Well, Leroy's right. It seems someone wa
The Stevens family stared wide-eyed at Andrew when he said Cedric was not qualified to be his teacher. They could not believe what they had just heard. "Andrew, do you even understand what you're saying? Aren't you overestimating yourself?" "You idiot, you're throwing away a golden opportunity! You really are hopeless!" Irene and the others first hurled insults, then broke into gleeful smiles. They thought this fool deserved to remain a nobody if he could not recognize such an opportunity. Christina scolded, "Andrew, you'd better rephrase that. Dr. Aicker is a distinguished figure, and you should be honored he'd consider taking you as his apprentice!" Harvey chuckled. "Andrew must be so overwhelmed he can't think straight. After all, this kind of opportunity probably comes once in a lifetime for someone like him!" Stroking his beard, Cedric nodded with a smile. "I understand you're excited. I'll give you another chance—kneel and accept me as your master!" Andrew remained
Harvey smirked. "Andrew, I understand how you feel. You're upset because I plan to propose to Christie with that King of Diamonds. But you should know that in Jayrodale, I always get what I want. He added condescendingly, "Even if you're unhappy, there's nothing you can do about it. Why not hand it over nicely? I might even let you make a few hundred thousand on the deal and give you a chance to earn some real money!" Andrew found himself laughing at this. "I originally thought the King of Diamonds wasn't doing much good just sitting in my possession. I wouldn't have minded letting either of you have it. But now I've changed my mind. I can assure you that this diamond is completely off-limits to you." While he did not want to waste energy on such ignorant fools, he was no pushover. Since they were acting all high and mighty, Andrew figured it was time to put them in their place. Harvey's smile turned cold. "You're surprisingly confident! You clearly don't unde
Francesca fumed in embarrassment. "Andrew, you're such a jerk!" Andrew gave her a knowing smirk. "Am I wrong? Are you saying you don't want a man?" Francesca's face turned crimson as she snapped, "All men are disgusting! I hate them! How could you even suggest that?" Andrew just chuckled and gave her a sly look, making her face burn hotter. Francesca sneered. "Even if I want to find a man, I'd never go for a gold digger like you!" Andrew replied casually, "Good to know you're not interested because I wouldn't want you either." Francesca hissed, "Don't be so cocky! I'll make sure Lauren sees your true colors and kicks you to the curb!" Suddenly, an unmarked van came roaring toward them. Francesca barely avoided being hit, shouting, "Watch where you're driving, you idiots!" The van screeched to a halt, and several masked thugs jumped out, wielding baseball bats and knives. Francesca's voice trembled as she stammered, "W-What do you think you're doing? This is the Moonli
Andrew was surprised and asked, "You know me?" The thug gulped anxiously. "Yes, of course! Mr. Lloyd, I'm so sorry! This is all a misunderstanding!" Then, he yanked off his mask, revealing a face covered in scars. Andrew thought momentarily before asking, "Weren't you with Bobby that day at the Oakridge Club?" "Yes, sir! When you beat Bobby half to death that day, I-I wet myself!" The man was terrified, realizing Michael had unknowingly sent them after someone so formidable. Andrew smiled. "So, you're here for revenge?" The man shook his head frantically. "No, no, absolutely not! If we had known it was you, Mr. Lloyd, we wouldn't have dared to come near you!" The other thugs finally caught on, scrambling to apologize. "This is a huge misunderstanding!" "Please, have a smoke, Mr. Lloyd. We were blind not to recognize you!" "Mr. Lloyd, if you ever have time, come visit us in South City sometime. Mr. Garner would love to host you!" The thugs cursed at their luck. A
There was a moment of silence on the phone. Then, Dylan's furious voice exploded in Michael's ear. "Refund? Go to hell! Michael, you son of a bitch, you almost got me killed!" Dylan roared. "I'm lucky I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life! If I had gone down, I'd make sure I drag you with me, damn it!" The line went dead after his outburst. Michael's face turned dark as he muttered angrily, "Dylan, you may rule South City, but the Rhodes family isn't afraid of you. How dare you insult me and keep my money? You'll have to answer for this!" Not understanding Dylan's sudden rage but furious about both the failed job and the lost money, Michael immediately tried calling back to demand an explanation. However, he discovered he had been blocked. Michael stared at his phone in disbelief before hurling it against the wall with a roar. Between the 15 million dollars that Andrew had cost him and the three million dollars he had just lost to Dylan, he could have spent years livin
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
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
"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
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
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
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
"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