That night, Andrew drove Francesca back to the villa on the hill. "Andrew, you were amazing today. Even Finley couldn't beat you!" Francesca exclaimed, her gaze flickering away from his. Andrew raised a brow. "What's wrong, Fran? You've been acting weird the whole way home." Francesca's cheeks turned red. "It's nothing… I just think we should sleep in separate rooms tonight." Andrew smirked. "What, your period came?" "Shut up!" Francesca snapped, her face burning. "Can't a girl just want some space?" Andrew grabbed her wrist, his voice firm. "Nope." She struggled for a moment before giving up. "Ugh, you're such a jerk!" Blushing, she dove under the covers. If she could not fight him, she might as well enjoy it. With another night of aching muscles coming, she could not help but feel both nervous and excited. She thought Andrew had way too much energy. However, just as she braced herself, Andrew suddenly said, "Get some rest tonight. I need to train." Before she c
Irene laughed. "Men as gentlemanly as Mr. Wright are truly rare. Coming from the prestigious Wright family of Blumedale, Mr. Wright is far more refined than the so-called elites of Jayrodale!" Leroy eagerly chimed in, eager to flatter. "That goes without saying! Mr. Wright is the heir of the Wright family—one of the Five Apex Families in all of Gabo Creek Province! There isn't a single family in Jayrodale that can compare!" Quinton scoffed internally. He had absolutely no respect for Irene and Leroy. If it were not for his desire to conquer Christina, he would not have wasted a second on these nobodies from the Stevens family. Compared to Shawn's family, they were even lower—worthless enough that he could crush them with a single step. "I heard Mr. Wright has some history with Andrew?" Christina suddenly asked. Quinton smiled faintly. "That guy? He's nothing more than an insect. I wouldn't call it history—just a minor disagreement." His tone dripped with superiority. In
Shawn lay on the ground, his face filled with terror. "That security guy is terrifying! He's absolutely terrifying!" "I brought a whole crew, and he took them all down!" His voice trembled as he raised his hand, revealing a knife still embedded in his palm. The sight was downright gruesome. Quinton's expression turned dark. "You're useless. I gave you one simple task, and you screwed it up!" "Also, why the hell are you coming to me? Go to a hospital, idiot!" He waved Shawn away in disgust, not wanting to ruin his mood any further. Shawn stole one last lingering glance at Christina before scurrying off to get his wound treated. Christina, her tone indifferent, said, "Mr. Wright, you shouldn't associate with garbage like that." Quinton raised an eyebrow. "You're talking about Shawn?" She nodded. "Yeah. He's mediocre at best. He's not worth your time or investment." Quinton smirked. "I never planned on investing in him. He's just a mutt from Jayrodale, useful for the momen
Sighing, Irene said, "Christie, you might not want to hear this, but you and Andrew, you two are from completely different worlds now!" Her words were hard for Christina to swallow. She never expected that her mother, who always looked down on Andrew, was now admitting defeat. Leroy snorted, "Mom, I can't agree with you on this one. Sure, Andrew's successful, but it's not as exaggerated as you're making it sound, okay? "You only see him putting on airs, but did you ever think that by annoying all the big shots in Blumedale, he's going to have to pay the price sooner or later? And now Mr. Wright has set his sights on him. As I see it, Andrew's time's up." Irene snapped, "You little brat, when adults are talking, you'd better keep your mouth shut! Don't think I don't know what's on your mind. You're always thinking about using Christie to live in luxury, hang out with celebrities, and drive a sports car! "But have you ever thought about it? You're a man. How can you be so pathe
The next day, Andrew and Francesca had just arrived at Moonlit Apothecary when Phantom Eye spoke up. "Mr. Lloyd, someone caused trouble here last night. They even tried to set the place on fire!" Andrew let out a cold chuckle. "Must've been Quinton's men, huh?" Phantom Eye nodded. "That's right, it was that little coward, Shawn. He showed up with a few guys carrying gas cans, planning to burn the place down. But I caught them in the act and sent them running!" Francesca fumed. "Phantom Eye, you should've taught them a real lesson." Phantom Eye smirked. "No worries, Ms. Aicker. That Shawn punk already got a hole stabbed through his hand—he probably can't even hold anything now!" Francesca scoffed. "Serves him right!" Nyla looked at her curiously. "Dr. Aicker, you seem a little cranky today. Didn't sleep well last night?" Francesca's face turned red as she stammered, "What? N-No way, Nyla, you're imagining things!" Then, she shot a sharp glare at Andrew. It was all his
Leroy's face twisted in anger. "Francesca, who do you think you are? You don't like Christie? You think she cares whether you do or not?" Francesca smirked. "The Stevens family sure gets riled up easily. If you've got the guts, just stay away from Andrew for good—I'd be impressed!" Leroy stiffened and turned to Christina in frustration. "Christie, did you hear that? They don't want us here!" He huffed. "It's ridiculous. Whatever, we're leaving. The Stevens family has better options now anyway—we don't need this lousy place!" Christina ignored her noisy little brother and kept her gaze on Andrew. "Andrew, I came here to discuss something with you. Step outside with me for a moment." Andrew's expression remained indifferent. "Sorry, I'm busy. If you have something urgent, you can either wait or leave." Christina clenched her teeth. "Andrew" She knew Andrew was doing this on purpose, deliberately making her wait and giving her the cold shoulder. A real man would not be so pe
Leroy's eyes burned with jealousy, and he shamelessly said, "Andrew, I'm not a doctor, but I could work here as a male nurse. You could pay me 100 grand a month too, right?" Irene quickly chimed in, laughing awkwardly. "Andrew, you know I'm getting older, and I've been scammed out of a lot of money over the years. I don't even have enough saved for retirement! How about you hire me to cook for the clinic? I won't ask for much—50 grand a month will do." The sight of the mother and son practically groveling made Francesca sick to her stomach. "Sorry, we're full," Andrew rejected them without hesitation. Leroy refused to give up. "Andrew, your business is booming, and this place is huge. There's no way you're at full capacity! Hire me, and I promise I'll work hard!" Andrew's tone remained indifferent. "We might hire more people in the future, but there's one requirement—no hiring lazy slackers with bad character." Leroy's face instantly turned red with anger. "Andrew, just say
Leroy's jealousy burned even hotter as he glared at Andrew. "Andrew, look at you now! Not only are you getting girls left and right, but your business is booming too! Moonlit Apothecary is making you a fortune every month. If you count the profits, you could buy a brand-new G-Wagon monthly, huh?" Andrew smirked. "So what? What does that have to do with you?" Leroy fumed. "Of course, it has something to do with me! Andrew, you and Christie were meant to be together! Our family came here today to ask—when are you marrying her?" Andrew frowned. "Leroy, have you lost your damn mind?" Marriage? He had to give it to the Stevens family—they were shameless beyond belief. Irene forced a smile and said, "Andrew, we came here with sincerity. We truly want to make peace with you! You and Christie can still get back together—most of what happened was just a misunderstanding!" Before Andrew could even respond, Francesca had already stepped in. She stomped up front and glared at the Steve
"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