Andrew remained calm, explaining, "Since you're curious, let me break it down for you in simpler terms. For the first race, everyone underestimated the mixed-breed horse because of its lower charging speed than purebreds. Any casual racing fan would know that. However, Mr. Thatcher might have overlooked that while mixed breeds lack explosive power, they excel in endurance, which is their key advantage." He waved his hand, gesturing toward the racetrack as he continued, "This club's track is nearly 50 meters longer than standard tracks. That extra distance allowed the mixed breed to showcase its superior stamina, ultimately overtaking the faster but less enduring horses, which decided the race." Mark contemplated this before asking, "I see. What about the second race?" Andrew replied, "That was even more straightforward. Your chosen horse had a hidden injury in its left front hoof, causing it to stumble and fall off the track." Harvey scoffed. "That sounds like cheating. How
A chubby tycoon laughed and exclaimed, "I get it now! It's just like with men and women—even the most powerful man can be brought to his knees by a woman's charm!" Another man chimed in. "Exactly! As they say, between a woman's legs lies the path to paradise—apparently, the same applies to horses!" Their remarks left Christina, Lauren, and the other women blushing. The rest of the crowd exchanged awkward glances. The comparison made sense, but it felt a bit off somehow. After a brief pause, Mark sighed and said, "Alright, I accept this defeat completely. Andrew Lloyd of Jayrodale General Hospital. I'll remember you. You're truly a remarkable young man!" Andrew's expression remained unchanged despite Mark's high praise, while Bernard and Harvey could not hide their displeasure. Harvey, especially, was glaring at Andrew. He could not stand how this guy, wherever he went, seemed to steal all the attention. This kind of praise was supposed to be his alone, not for a nobody like
Dexter sneered at Andrew. "You've got some nerve. Just because you won a few races and caught Mr. Thatcher's attention, you think you can make up stories about his health to get him to depend on you?" Harvey added with a smirk, "That's pretty low, Andrew. Trying to climb the social ladder by tricking Mr. Thatcher is honestly quite naive." "I'd explain it to you, but honestly, with you, the lights are on, but nobody's home," Andrew replied calmly. "Is he insulting us with some fancy words?" Dexter asked Harvey in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?" Harvey scoffed. "Just meaningless rambling. Let's go!" As Dexter passed Andrew, he strutted arrogantly and said, "Hey, freeloader, I do have my lights on, thank you very much! My electricity bill is proof!" "Dexter, let's go!" Harvey called out, red-faced with embarrassment. Having such an uncultured sidekick was truly embarrassing. Lauren stifled a laugh. "Dr. Lloyd, you should know that while Dexter's family is wealthy
"But if you can't cure my condition, I'll make sure you regret it!" Francesca threatened. Andrew nodded, looking serious. "Indeed, we must cure your condition. If you keep that fiery attitude and let your hormones stay out of balance without any outlet, you'll just snap at everyone at sight." "You bastard! I'll kill you!" Francesca exploded with embarrassment and rage. Just then, a group of flashily dressed young people approached, surrounding a skinny guy. He greeted, "Ms. Rhodes, Ms. Aicker, what a pleasure!" His eyes wandered inappropriately over Lauren and Francesca as he spoke. "Juan, take your men and get lost," Francesca said with disgust. Juan Madden gave a sleazy grin. "Still hot-tempered as ever, Ms. Aicker. How about I help you cool down?" Francesca swung at him in anger, but he dodged easily, licking his lips with a perverted smile. "Feisty… I like that!" Lauren was furious and warned, "Juan, don't think you can act like trash just because your father runs
Francesca exploded with anger. "Juan, what did Andrew ever do to you? Besides hiding behind your father's reputation, bullying seems the only thing you're good at!" Juan flashed a smug grin. "I just can't stand that guy. What makes him so special that all the girls fawn over him? What does he have that I don't?" Lauren let out a cold laugh. "You're not even in the same league as him!" "Everyone's talking about how Ms. Rhodes has fallen for some pretty boy. I didn't believe it at first, but now it's pretty obvious. Given how head over heels you are, you must've done everything in the books with him." Juan spoke as he looked Lauren up and down with a shameless grin. While he would not dare mess with the Rhodes family, he figured he could easily handle some guy who was just living off others. Lauren's face flushed with anger and shame at his crude remarks. Before she could react, Andrew stepped forward. "Ms. Rhodes, let me handle this." Francesca quickly warned, "Andrew, d
With a sickening crunch, Juan's nose broke, spraying blood everywhere. At first, he stared in disbelief as blood streamed down his face. However, Juan's shock quickly turned to fury. "You actually hit me? I'll make you—" Before he could even finish his threat, Andrew slapped him hard across the face over and over again. Just like that, Juan's threats transformed into agonized screams. Juan's gang members finally snapped out of it and charged toward Andrew, shouting to get revenge for him. "What the hell! He actually hit Mr. Madden! Get him!" "Take him down!" Andrew grabbed Juan's hair, exposing his bloodied face, and swept a cold gaze across the approaching gang. "One more move and I'll make sure this dog right here is down for good," he stated calmly. The gang members stumbled to a halt, their confidence shattered. Having gotten used to following Juan's bullying ways, they had never encountered someone as formidable as Andrew, and fear paralyzed them. "Apologize
Francesca finally snapped out of her shock from witnessing Juan's brutal defeat, her face filled with fear. She stuttered, "Y-You actually beat up Juan so mercilessly? Do you have any idea what—" Andrew cut her off with a bored expression. "You're going to say I'm in big trouble, right?" "Isn't that obvious?" Francesca exploded. "Don't you know who Juan's father is—" Andrew interrupted again, "Of course I know. He just told us—his dad is some East Side Tony, supposedly a big deal or whatever." "Then why would you attack him?" Francesca demanded. Andrew's face darkened. "He was spouting filthy insults and harassing Ms. Rhodes. Should I have applauded him instead? Besides, I've dealt with Dylan's people before, so what's one more from East Side?" Francesca turned to Lauren in desperation. "Lauren, this is serious trouble. This could bring Tony himself into it!" "This is just a little scuffle between us young folks. If Tony gets involved, I won't let Dr. Lloyd face this alon
Juan grinned maliciously at Andrew. "Not so tough now, are you? What happened to all that talk about breaking my neck? Get over here and beg me for a quick death!" Andrew stepped forward with a weary sigh. "You East Side lots sure talk a lot of trash, don't you?" Rocco and Juan froze, stunned by his words. In front of hundreds of East Side gang members, this guy was not just unafraid—he was openly mocking them. "If you're going to do something, do it," Andrew said coldly. "I'm tired of listening to you bark like dogs. And Juan, I let you off easy before, but this time, I'll turn that bruised face of yours into something unrecognizable." Anger quickly overwhelmed Juan, and he screamed, "Rocco, tear this bastard apart! I want him in pieces!" He had ruled the streets for over twenty years and never once had anyone pushed him this far. Rocco's eyes turned deadly as he gripped his blade and charged at Andrew. "Kid, you're really asking for death!" Lauren's face turned icy a
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