Andrew let out a cold chuckle. "So, Mrs. Rhodes, you really think I'm not as good as this Joe guy you admire so much?" Tiana smirked. "Do I even need to spell it out?" Andrew shook his head. "You're Lauren's mother, and as her elder, I don't want to be disrespectful. I understand that you're looking out for her, so there's no point in arguing with you. "But Mrs. Rhodes, I'll tell you this—I can take care of the power struggles within the Rhodes family and stop Kenny from pressuring Mr. Jameson. But on one condition—you have to let Lauren go." Tiana's face darkened, and her voice turned sharp. "Andrew, don't tell me you actually think you have the right to meddle in the Rhodes family's internal affairs?" Andrew scoffed. "Your family's little power struggles are nothing but child's play to me. I couldn't care less. But for Lauren's sake, I got dragged into this mess and am willing to step in." Tiana let out an angry laugh. "Fine. If you can really resolve the situation with t
Tiana sneered. "You need to understand something. You're still young, and the love you speak of is small, insignificant, and ultimately meaningless. When you're faced with overwhelming power and forces beyond your control, you'll realize that Andrew is nothing more than a speck of dust in the vast tide of the world. "Your future isn't meant to revolve around him—it's the stage the Driscoll family has built for you. Your place is in Blumedale and eventually, all of southern Holtrien." Lauren lifted her delicate face, her long hair partially covering her stubborn, defiant eyes. "So, in your world, miracles don't exist anymore, and genuine love means nothing, right? "Just like when you were young, forced to marry Dad and join the Rhodes family against your will. You never really loved him, did you? There was someone else in your heart. But because of your family pressure, you had no choice. "And now, you want to repeat the same tragedy with your own daughter. Is that it, Tiana?"
A faint trace of bitterness flickered across Jameson's face, but he still smiled. "Lauren, I came all the way to Jayrodale just to tell you this—go after your happiness. Your mother and I will handle the family matters, so you don't need to worry about us." Lauren's eyes lit up with surprise. "Really?" Jameson's smile grew warmer. "Of course. You are my daughter, and I love you and your sister more than anything." Tears of joy welled in Lauren's eyes. "Then, Dad, can you help Dr. Lloyd handle the trouble with the Golding family?" Jameson's smile wavered slightly, and the bitterness in his expression deepened. But he still forced himself to nod. "Don't worry. At the very least, I can make sure you and Andrew get to be together. Now, go to bed. Your mother and I need to talk." Lauren obediently went to her room. The moment she was gone, Jameson's smile vanished. His face was left with nothing but exhaustion and helplessness. Tiana let out a mocking laugh. "What a great disp
Jameson explained, "The reason I support Lauren being with Andrew, even though I've never met him, is because I believe he has potential." Tiana let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Potential? Are you serious? Do you know how many powerful, well-bred men from Blumedale have lined up to court our daughter? Every single one of them comes from a prestigious family with an outstanding background. "I'll admit, Andrew has repeatedly surprised me, forcing me to reevaluate him. But no matter how capable he is, a wise one should always achieve more. The truth is, Andrew's ceiling is still just this tiny town of Jayrodale. "The Rhodes family has already secured its foothold in Blumedale. At the very least, Lauren's future should be there too. So tell me, how can Andrew possibly compare to the heirs of Blumedale's elite families? How could he ever compete with someone like Joe, a true once-in-a-generation prodigy?" Jameson's face darkened slightly. "What's wrong with coming from a small place
The next morning, Andrew woke up at his usual time, feeling well-rested. Turning his head, he was surprised to find that the curvy little troublemaker beside him had already gotten up. Only a faint trace of her perfume lingered on the sheets. "You're finally up! Come have breakfast—I already made everything!" Francesca's sweet, round face peeked through the doorway, her smile bright and cheerful. Andrew got dressed, tidied up the bed, and made his way to the dining room. "Fran, why are you up so early today? If you're tired, you should sleep in a little longer." He sat down and started eating, flashing her a teasing smile. Francesca sat across from him, her damp hair still dripping slightly from a fresh shower. Her delicate, round face was smooth and flawless, her long lashes fluttering as she gave him a bashful look. She said, "I'm not tired! You've been handling so much lately, and today, you still have to deal with Kenny and the Golding family. So I figured I'd let you r
Andrew chuckled and said, "The beginning doesn't matter—what matters is the outcome. And look at you, Fran, every night, you end up sleeping in my big, comfy bed, sound asleep!" Francesca pouted, reluctant to admit it, but still mumbled, "Well, that's actually true. I've been sleeping pretty well these days." Andrew smirked to himself. Of course, she was sleeping well—every night, she fell asleep completely satisfied, both in body and mind! Unlike him, who, despite being in top shape, still felt sore every now and then after their long and intense nights together. … After breakfast, Francesca left for work as usual at Jayrodale General Hospital. Now that she was living in Andrew's hilltop estate, she had also brought her BMW sports car up. Since Andrew was not always available to drive her, it was more convenient for her to take her own car. "Drive safe." Andrew pinched her soft, round cheek as he reminded her. Francesca leaned out of the car window and huffed, "Jerk, w
A slightly overweight man in a gray suit walked slowly toward Francesca. With a polite demeanor, he introduced himself, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Elon Golding, the eldest son of the Golding family from Blumedale." He paused, then added, "Ms. Aicker, if you don't mind, please come with us." Francesca did not panic. She responded coldly, "Mr. Golding, as far as I know, the Aickers have no issues with you or your family." Elon shook his head, his tone dripping with arrogance. "The Aickers are nothing but a minor family, hardly worth the Golding family's attention. But that boy, Andrew—I'm going to make him get down on his knees before me, begging me for mercy as I crush him like the insect that he is." He smirked, his voice growing darker. "And you, Ms. Aicker, as one of Andrew's beloved, will be the perfect tool to break him. Once I have you, I can make that little bastard suffer however I please." His wide grin stretched unnaturally as he spoke, almost as if his mou
Andrew let out a cold snort, showing no sign of panic. "If Kenny pushes me too far, I won't hesitate to take him out. The only thing I'm concerned about is the Golding family. I don't know much about them, so it's better to tread carefully." Dylan chimed in, his voice tense. "But right now, the enemy is in the shadows, and we're out in the open. It's hard to be cautious when we don't even know what they're planning. Even if the Golding family and Kenny are up to something, we won't find out anytime soon." Andrew smirked, his tone icy. "There's always a way. If they won't show themselves, we'll force them out. Natasha, call Kenny right now." Natasha grabbed Michael's phone and dialed Kenny's number. When the call connected, Kenny's voice came through, dripping with mockery. "Andrew, don't get too impatient. I'm still in the city, but soon, the Golding family's experts and I will be in Jayrodale. So, you'd better start thinking about running or surrendering." Andrew's voice wa
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
Andrew was sitting on the lawn outside Serenity Villa, watching the crew from The Sovereign Residences repair his home. After the attack last night, it was a miracle the place was still standing—if the villa had not been built to the highest security standards, it would have been reduced to nothing but ash and rubble by the Srovika Federation mercenaries. Felix Daughtry, the security captain from The Sovereign Residences, a semi-martial king-level fighter, walked over with a grim expression and reported, "Mr. Lloyd, Serenity Villa took quite a hit. Full restoration might be difficult." Andrew glanced at him and said coldly, "I want it restored exactly as it was, and not just that—The Sovereign Residences will need to compensate me for all damages, including emotional distress. If that's too much, then I don't want the house anymore. I'll go to the press and let the world know just how useless your brand really is." Felix's face darkened, turning almost pitch black with anger. H
Since the night before, Xavier had been fully suited in military attire, standing vigilant and sleepless. He gripped a massive broadsword, and when the butler spoke, his voice was ice-cold. "Don't worry. Andarov won't fail me. That bastard Andrew is as good as dead." Though those were his words, doubt lingered in Xavier's mind. After all, Andarov never took this long to finish a kill. Nonetheless, the sun was rising—he should be back any minute now. Andarov, commander of the Blood Wolf Mercenaries, was ruthless and battle-hardened. Xavier met him while stationed overseas, and after several missions together, they became close allies. "With the entire Blood Wolf squad under him, it doesn't matter if Andrew has bodyguards. He won't last five minutes," Xavier sneered, confident. He was already planning the next steps—hold Seth's memorial as soon as Andarov returned, then introduce him to Luna to score even more clout. Having a famous international mercenary as a personal friend? E
At the Golding family estate, Elon exclaimed in disbelief, "What did you just say? Black Wolf is dead?" The butler, face tight with unease, replied, "Yes, sir. Early this morning, his body was found dumped in the sewer. The cause of death matched the last group of assassins perfectly. There's no doubt that it was Andrew who killed him." Elon's expression darkened instantly. "Even Black Wolf failed and ended up dead? Andrew... you've clearly been hiding more strength than we thought." The butler nodded gravely. "Sir, that man is definitely not some pawn on the board. Not only is Black Wolf gone, but the Srovika Federation mercenary commander the Haywoods brought in also died at Serenity Villa." Elon gasped. "Even Xavier's overseas hitman got wiped out? Are you absolutely sure?" The old butler's brow twitched. "Completely sure. This morning, both bodies—Black Wolf and the mercenary captain—were found side by side in the sewer on Blumedale's main street." Elon clenched his ja
On the ground, Black Wolf writhed in pain, howling in disbelief. He finally understood why that last squad of heavily armed mercenaries had vanished without a trace after storming Serenity Villa. This place was not just a house—it was a damn death trap. "Who sent you to kill me?" Andrew asked calmly as he twirled the dagger Black Wolf had dropped. Pinned down by Natasha and Dylan, Black Wolf was drenched in sweat, his shattered legs leaving him gasping in agony. He growled, "Why the hell should I tell you? You should know exactly who you've pissed off. Even if I'm in your hands, kid, if you lay a finger on me, the consequences—" Andrew did not let him finish. Instead, he drove the blade straight into Black Wolf's chest. Whatever threat Black Wolf was about to spit out died on his tongue. His eyes bulged in shock before his head slumped to the side—dead. "If you didn't have the sense to act like a prisoner, then I did you a favor and sent you straight to hell. Next time, try
Aspen could not help leaning closer to see what Andrew was doing. To her surprise, his breathing was steady—he was already asleep. She stared at him, both amused and annoyed as she thought, 'I'm lying right next to him, and he still manages to fall asleep? Am I not attractive enough? Or does this guy just not find me worth the effort?' That split second of realization triggered an unexpected wave of disappointment and frustration in her. … Meanwhile, outside Serenity Villa, a black figure moved silently across the ruined outer wall, climbing with inhuman ease. It was Black Wolf—Elon's secret weapon, a top-tier assassin with a reputation to match. A matte-finished blade dangled from his lips as he surveyed the building, swiftly memorizing the layout of the damaged villa. He was not alone. At least a dozen other men hid in the dark, surrounding the perimeter and lying in wait. Nonetheless, they were not predators, at least not to him. He scoffed, thinking, 'They're the bait,
Through the second half of the night, Serenity Villa remained eerily quiet. Chantelle stepped out from her lookout post and announced, "Looks like no one else is coming tonight. Everyone should get some rest." Andrew stopped her. "Hold up. You all stay on watch—I'll go rest." Chantelle narrowed her eyes. "Are you giving me orders like I'm your subordinate?" Andrew responded calmly, "Not at all. I just want to isolate myself and draw the next assassin in alone." Chantelle frowned. "So, you're planning to be alone in a room and give the assassin a shot at you? You're using yourself as bait?" Andrew replied, "Exactly. One mercenary commander from the Srovika Federation is dead, but with the Haywoods and Goldings both after my head, there's no way they'd just send one decent hitter and be done." Chantelle nodded. "That… makes sense. But you're injured. What happens if something unexpected comes up? Can you really handle it?" Before Andrew could answer, Aspen blurted, "It's