Michael's expression darkened as he snapped, "What's this, Andrew? Can't handle losing?" Andrew glanced at him like he was looking at a corpse. "The one who can't handle it is you, idiot." With a slight motion of his hand, Marcus immediately stepped forward and handed him a stack of documents. "This is the real financial report for the Pharmaceutical Division," Andrew declared. "Mrs. Rhodes, gentlemen—open your eyes and take a good look!" He tossed the files onto the conference table with a loud slap. Tiana let out a cold chuckle. "More theatrics?" She grabbed a report and flipped it open. The moment she read it, her expression completely changed. Michael scoffed and took a copy for himself. A second later, his smug face twisted in shock. "H-How is this possible? No! Andrew, this has to be fake! There's no way this is real!" The other executives immediately sensed that something was off. One after another, they snatched up the reports and started reading. Within sec
Andrew explained, "Michael's so-called 'miracle products' are like a homeless man under a bridge in Jayrodale—his pockets hold barely a few bucks, yet he thinks he's a billionaire. "But my two products? The revenue they generated is like Marvin's wealth—dominating, undeniable, and known across the financial world. And when you put these two together—one beggar, one tycoon—you get Michael's financial report. "It looks impressive, but in reality, his part in it is just a couple of crumpled bills. Yet here he is, strutting around like his products are a massive hit, completely unaware that he's just riding on the success of my products to put on this ridiculous show." The room erupted into laughter. Even Lauren, whose mood had been at rock bottom, could not help but giggle at Andrew's sharp wit. Michael's face darkened with rage, his eyes burning with fury. "Andrew, you always have some smartass comeback! Then tell me—how do you know that your so-called miracle drugs aren't the
Tiana's expression remained cold as she gritted her teeth, saying nothing. She was completely cornered. Michael roared, "Andrew, are you deaf? Didn't you hear Aunt Tiana already announce me as the new CEO?" Andrew let out a mocking laugh. "Michael, it's broad daylight, and you're already dreaming. Do your parents know about this delusion? Besides, what makes you think you deserve to be CEO? You lost the bet. "You pranced around in lingerie, pretending to be some kind of drag queen, and that humiliating video is still making rounds on the internet. Doesn't anyone think it would be a huge embarrassment for Rhodes Corporation to have someone like that as its CEO?" Marcus was the first to step up. "That's right. From every perspective, Ms. Rhodes is the rightful CEO." Another executive spoke up. "Mrs. Rhodes, Mr. Lloyd and Ms. Rhodes have done too much for this company. You must handle this fairly." "Mrs. Rhodes, we fully support Ms. Rhodes and Mr. Lloyd—please do the right thi
Seeing Lauren in Andrew's arms, crying tears of joy—watching as everyone rushed forward to congratulate them—Michael knew it was over, and the tide had turned against him. However, he had not lost yet because he had prepared a backup plan long ago. If he could not win fair and square, he would take power by force. "Mr. Rhodes, what the hell are you doing?" "Did you just say you'll kill anyone who moves? What a joke." "You can't win, so now you're throwing a tantrum? Mr. Rhodes, I never thought you'd stoop this low." Disgusted by Michael's behavior, several senior executives finally spoke up, openly reprimanding him. Lauren stepped out of Andrew's embrace, her voice sharp. "Michael, I strongly suggest you don't do something stupid." Michael's face twisted with pure hatred. He pointed a shaking finger first at Lauren, then at Andrew. "You two… you two bastards," he snarled. "I swear, I've wanted to get rid of you for so long. Everything… everything is because of you! Andr
Tiana narrowed her eyes. "You little bastard, I'll give you one chance. Get on your knees, admit your mistake, and wait for the family's punishment. Otherwise, even Kenny won't be able to save you from the consequences of threatening me with force." Michael smirked confidently. "Aunt Tiana, if we went head-to-head, I know I wouldn't stand a chance against you. I'm not that stupid. You're a tough Iron Lady—not so easy to take down, but what you don't know is that this room is already poisoned." His words sent a shockwave through the room. "What? You poisoned us beforehand?" "Check! Where's the source?" "Stay calm! He could just be bluffing to throw us off!" Some executives panicked immediately, frantically looking around. Others scoffed, refusing to believe him, until one of them suddenly collapsed, groaning in pain and clutching his stomach. Then, a second, and a third. One by one, the top executives who had attended the meeting doubled over, sweating profusely as they cr
Andrew smirked. "Poisoning the air ensures that even those who didn't drink the tea would still be affected. This was the brilliant master plan you and Michael were so confident about, wasn't it?" His casual, almost mocking tone sent a chill through the room. Michael was not the only one looking shaken now. Even Bane, who had been grinning wickedly before, had gone completely silent. His expression darkened, filled with unease. "You actually noticed the colorless poison? Impressive, Andrew. You continue to surprise me," Bane admitted. He was shocked but refused to let it show. Men like him had spent their lives in the underworld, and they were masters of deception, skilled at keeping their emotions hidden. "But even if you did figure it out and even if you didn't get poisoned, it doesn't change a thing," Bane sneered. Michael grinned menacingly. "Yeah, Andrew, you might've dodged the poison, but so what? Bane and I have more than enough people here to take you down." Bane
Andrew said, "You were never a man to begin with." Simon lunged forward, his attacks filled with venomous force. Yet, Andrew did not even flinch. Instead, he let out a mocking chuckle. Then, without hesitation, he met the attack head-on, throwing out both fists to counter. Tiana's voice rang out urgently. "Mr. Lloyd, be careful! His hands are laced with poison! You can't make direct contact!" Bane sneered. "Ah, Mrs. Rhodes, always so sharp-eyed and observant. But unfortunately, even if you see it coming, it changes nothing. Simon has mastered a lethal poison technique. "Even if Andrew manages to dodge his strikes, his fate is already sealed. No matter what, his body will rot from the inside out!" Simon's poison was indeed insidious. His attacks carried a toxic force; even his breath could spread venomous particles into the air. In other words, there was virtually no way to defend against it. But Andrew? Andrew never feared poison. He had shrugged off far worse before. Not e
A tiny, almost imperceptible dot of blood appeared between Simon's brows. His eyes glazed over, his crazed, venomous grin freezing on his face. Then, his lifeless body collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, stiff as a board. His eyes remained wide open, unblinking in death. Andrew's silver needle had shot straight through his skull. The onlookers gasped, cold dread washing over them. Andrew had taken a life in mere moments, with almost no effort at all. It was a shocking contrast to his usual mild-mannered and courteous image. Lauren, her voice thick with worry, cried out, "Dr. Lloyd, are you okay? Forget about us—just take care of yourself first!" Andrew turned back with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I can ignore anyone else, but you? Never." Lauren's heart clenched at his words, emotion surging through her. Even in a life-or-death moment, Andrew had never considered abandoning her. For that alone, she was willing to entrust her body to him, to be with him for a lif
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