Lauren pouted as she glared at Andrew and whispered shyly, "Dr. Lloyd, we haven't even established a relationship yet, so touching is definitely… inappropriate," She thought momentarily and added, "However, if you really want to, we could… maybe share a kiss?" It was Andrew's turn to be flustered. He never expected Lauren to say something so bold, especially with that soft, bashful expression. Andrew had always regarded Lauren as a confident and outspoken woman. Hence, her delicate demeanor and shy, alluring gaze completely stunned him. She looked like a gentle, elegant beauty straight out of a painting. For a moment, Andrew felt his heart skip a beat. Just as the atmosphere grew thick with tension, Andrew's phone rang, abruptly breaking the moment. Lauren covered her mouth, giggling softly. "Go ahead and take your call, Dr. Lloyd. I'm in no hurry!" When Andrew answered, Christina's cold voice came through. "Mr. Lloyd, do you remember what we discussed before? Please com
Nelson's eyes gleamed with lust as he pointed to the chair beneath him. "You don't need Stevens Corporation to shoulder anything. Just spread those beautiful legs and take a seat right here, Ms. Stevens. How about it?" Christina's face darkened immediately. "Mr. O'Connor, what exactly do you mean by this?" "Isn't it obvious? You want the loan, and I want to sleep with you in return," Nelson stated bluntly, dropping all pretense of professionalism. "You're shameless!" Christina growled in anger. Nelson sneered and leaned back, patting his thighs as he mocked her. "Let's not kid ourselves, Christina. You're the one coming to me for help, not the other way around. I've wanted to see what Jayrodale's 'Ice Queen' is really like for years now." His tone turned cruder as he continued, "Let me have my fun tonight, and I'll approve the funds. You'll walk out of here with everything you came for." "You disgusting pig!" Christina cursed at him and turned to leave. How
Blood dripped from the corner of Christina's mouth, and panic gripped her heart. She was alone in Nelson's office, and no one could hear her cries for help. Tears streamed down her face as fear overwhelmed her. In that critical moment, she did not think of her fiance, Harvey. Surprisingly, it was Andrew instead. Suddenly, the office door crashed open with a thunderous bang. Both Christina and Nelson turned in shock as Andrew strode in with a cold expression. Without hesitation, Andrew delivered a powerful kick to Nelson's chest, sending his heavy frame flying backward into his desk with a loud thud. Christina stood frozen, her eyes wide as she stared at Andrew's swift and powerful move. "W-What are you doing here?" she stammered, the red mark on her face still stinging. Andrew's eyes were ice-cold. "Ms. Stevens, did you forget? You called me over." "No, I mean... h-how did you get past security?" she stuttered. "That's not important right now," Andrew snapped. "What we
The security guards and employees stood frozen, stunned by the audacity of someone who dared to storm into Nelson's office, given his position in the bank. Christina felt her blood run cold, wondering why Andrew would escalate the situation when they were so heavily outnumbered. "What are you idiots waiting for? Get them!" Nelson screamed from the floor, his rage boiling over. Since becoming the bank manager, he had never faced such humiliation. Just then, two cars suddenly screeched to a halt outside the bank. Irene and Leroy rushed in with Stevens Corporation security as backup. "Christie, are you alright?" Irene asked frantically. "Mom, I'm fine. Andrew saved me," Christina explained. Irene scoffed. "Saved you? Then why are you hurt?" "Mom, don't be unreasonable!" Christina retorted, her frustration rising. "If Andrew hadn't come, who knows what could've happened to me!" Irene snorted dismissively. "If he had gotten here sooner, you wouldn't be injured at all. An
After spinning his web of lies, Nelson smirked smugly at the Stevens family. He thought they were foolish for trying to go against him. His employees chimed in obediently, one of them saying, "That's right, we all saw Ms. Stevens come in to request a loan. When negotiations failed, she called for backup and resorted to violence." "Have you no shame?" Christina shouted in rage. Nelson's expression turned sinister. "This, Ms. Stevens, is the price for defying me. You're not even close to being in my league." Irene snapped back, "You disgusting low life! We'll just pull the surveillance footage to prove the truth!" Nelson laughed dismissively. "Did you think I wouldn't think of that, you old hag? All our surveillance cameras are conveniently malfunctioning today." Christina clenched her fists, her fury barely contained. Nelson had clearly planned this, covering his tracks completely. The bank employees stared at the Stevens family with contempt. One female employee in a r
Mark's commanding presence filled the air as he demanded, "What's going on here?" Nelson pointed accusingly at the Stevens family. "Mr. Thatcher, when I denied Stevens Corporation's loan request, they turned violent. Ms. Stevens even tried to blackmail me with a setup!" Mark's expression darkened as he turned his cold gaze toward the Stevens family. "Is this true?" Christina spoke up firmly, "Mr. Thatcher, that's not what happened at all. This man abused his position and tried to take advantage of me, so I defended myself." Nelson gestured at his injuries. "You're the CEO of Stevens Corporation, yet you dare lie to the mayor's face? Look at my injuries—this is what her thug did to me when I refused her advances!" Mark's eyes narrowed as he took in Nelson's visibly broken hand. Fury overtook him. "Officers, arrest the Stevens family immediately! Who gave you the right to assault someone?" The Stevens family members trembled with fear, but Christina pleaded, "Mr. Thatcher, p
"Mr. Lloyd, I assure you this matter will be resolved satisfactorily," Mark declared earnestly. His deferential tone stunned everyone, including Christina. She could not believe the mayor's unusually respectful attitude toward Andrew. Andrew remained unfazed. "Mr. Thatcher, you'd better give me an explanation for this. If not, breaking his hand will be the least of my actions." Mark inwardly cursed Nelson's stupidity. Of all the people to provoke, this fool had to pick someone even he himself needed to treat with respect. Nelson, a mere branch manager, clearly had a death wish. Mark's frustration boiled over. He glared at Nelson and snapped, "Mr. O'Connor, step forward and explain yourself. If Mr. Lloyd isn't satisfied with your explanation, I won't be able to protect you." Nelson's face paled, and he protested in disbelief, "Mr. Thatcher, he's the one who attacked me! Why should I have to explain myself to him?" Mark exploded in anger. "You idiot! Would Mr. Lloyd have
Andrew stated firmly, "While Ms. Stevens might be satisfied, I'm not quite done yet." Christina froze, wondering how this guy could still make demands. She thought he should be counting his blessings and wondered where he got the nerve to ask for more. To her surprise, Mark played along perfectly. "Mr. Lloyd, please tell me what else concerns you, and I'll take care of it." "First, we still need to process the loan," Andrew said. "Second, these Jayrodale Bank employees who conspired with Nelson are no better than him. Mr. Thatcher, I don't think you should allow such parasites to continue working in public service." "I'll have someone process your loan immediately," Mark agreed without hesitation. Then, he turned his icy gaze toward the employees. "Start drafting your resignations. I won't repeat myself." The employees' faces turned ghostly white. They had gotten away with so much nonsense under Nelson's protection that even complaints could not touch them. Yet, Andrew's sing
Natasha's bedroom was in complete disarray. She lay on the floor, drenched in sweat with disheveled hair and blood at the corner of her mouth, her face ghostly pale. Her half-open eyes glared at Andrew with intense hatred, while he sat casually on the couch, sipping his tea as if nothing had happened. Unlike Natasha's battered state, not a single thread on Andrew's clothing was out of place. "Wait, so you two weren't… you were actually fighting?" the bearded enforcer asked in disbelief. Another West End thug added in shock, "How is it possible that Madam is injured?" To them, Natasha had always been an invincible fighter, yet now she lay helpless on the floor, thoroughly defeated by Andrew. Conan shot an angry glare at the bearded enforcer and his companion. "Weren't you just saying how much fun she was having? Stop standing there like idiots and help her up!" The two men rushed forward to assist Natasha, but she impatiently pushed them away. "Get out! All of you get out!
Andrew's fingers struck with precision, targeting pressure points that sent waves of intense pain through Natasha's body. "Darling, no! Please, stop! I was wrong—I'm sorry! I can't take it anymore. It hurts so much!" "Ahhh! Stop it, please stop! Don't do this anymore!" Natasha cried out, her voice switching between desperate wails and hysterical laughter as the unbearable pain pushed her to the brink. The excruciating pain caused Natasha to writhe on the floor. She crashed into the couch and coffee table, making loud thudding noises that echoed through the room. … In the hallway outside, several heads peeked around the corner, intently watching Natasha's door. Conan led the group, his weathered face twisted with concern as he whispered, "Something doesn't sound right about this." One of the West End enforcers chuckled. "Come on, can't you tell? Madam is just having a good time!" Another man with a scruffy beard joined in with a knowing chuckle. "Exactly! Madam Vostoko
Andrew remained seated on the couch, his expression unchanged, as he raised his leg to intercept Natasha's attack. "You won't even stand up? Fine! If you're going to disrespect me like this, I'll have to teach you a lesson!" Natasha's chest heaved with anger. Her combat abilities surpassed Dylan's, and she was just a hair's breadth away from matching Atlas. Yet, this arrogant young man would not even bother to get up from his seat to face her attack, which felt like a direct insult to her pride. She transformed her claw-like strikes into palm strikes, alternating blows aimed at Andrew's chest. Without even looking, the latter countered with two palm strikes of his own, and their hands collided with two dull thuds. Natasha felt an overwhelming force transmitted through Andrew's hands, causing her to stumble backward. Meanwhile, Andrew remained as steady as a mountain on the couch, even taking a moment to pick up his teacup for a casual sip. He commented, "I'm surprised that a
With frustration written across her face, Natasha gritted her teeth. She had decided it was better not to show off her strategies in front of Andrew anymore, wanting to avoid further embarrassment. Andrew ignored her visible discomfort and said calmly, "I want you to understand that anything gained through deception and betrayal will eventually become too hot to handle and turn to dust. That's the lesson history has taught us time and time again." Natasha scoffed. "Fine, I can't argue with you. But you have to admit that two-thirds or more of Jayrodale's underworld is now under my control. Either you and Dylan submit to my authority, or you'll face death!" Andrew shook his head and replied, "You're seeing things through rose-colored glasses. While Dylan might not be able to handle you, I can take you down with a single move. That's another lesson I want to teach you today—that in the face of absolute power, no amount of schemes or clever tricks will work." Natasha paused, then
After her initial shock, Natasha's face flushed with embarrassment and anger, refusing to back down as she questioned him. "Alright, you call yourself a master physician. Then let me ask you this—why did I still get injured in my fight with Atlas after taking the Blood Surge Pill? And now you're accusing me of faking it?" Andrew's lips curled into a mocking smile as he replied, "Is that so hard to figure out? The moment you got back, you took a high-quality healing pill. Judging by your complexion, it must've been a top-tier Vitality Pill. These pills can quickly replenish energy and restore blood, bringing you back from weakness in no time." "Well, am I wrong?" Andrew's tone was dripping with sarcasm as he stared at Natasha. Natasha fell silent for a long moment before clapping her hands, a rosy blush spreading across her face—there was not a hint of weakness left in her demeanor. "No wonder Dylan swears unwavering loyalty to you. Even I have to admit defeat before you, darlin
"At this point, West End can't even send out a proper representative," Andrew stated emotionlessly. "Since you're treating me like I don't exist, I'll kill you first, then have a chat with Natasha." "Mr. Lloyd, please don't go too far!" a voice suddenly thundered from behind. "Conan, done watching the show from your hiding spot?" Andrew smirked as he released his grip and kicked the tattooed giant toward Conan. Conan's face twitched. He knew the tattooed giant was one of Natasha's most fearless fighters, young and skilled in hand-to-hand combat, yet Andrew had broken him so effortlessly. "Please follow me, Mr. Lloyd. Madam Vostokoff will see you now," Conan said coldly. Andrew sneered. "Oh, now she's willing to meet after this show of force?" "Mr. Lloyd, West End has already absorbed Atlas's territory," Conan stated angrily. "If you were smart, you wouldn't have come here." "So, if I hadn't shown up, Natasha would just take everything herself?" Andrew's face remained expr
Andrew's patience had run out as he spoke in a cold tone. "One last time—tell Natasha to come out and talk now." The tattooed giant mocked, "Or what? What can you do? Andrew, you might have some history with West End, but if you think that gives you the right to make demands, you're in the wrong place." As he moved to push Andrew away again, the other guards snickered. With Atlas' fall, Natasha had become Jayrodale's most powerful underground leader, and they could not believe this man's audacity in challenging West End. Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed through the air—the sound of a wrist being broken. The tattooed giant let out an agonizing scream. "My hand! You broke my hand! Get him! Attack!" The fifty-over guards stood shocked for a moment before charging forward with angry shouts. Andrew's face turned cold as his leg swept out. Screams filled the air as the first wave of guards went flying, their faces meeting Andrew's foot. The tattooed giant, his wrist still in Andrew
Aspen had invested ten million dollars in Atlas's operation, and if it were all gone, there would be serious consequences. They immediately got into the car with Irene and Leroy, heading toward Jayrodale's Northern District. … Meanwhile, Andrew's G-Wagon drifted to a smooth stop in front of the West End headquarters. Unlike usual, the building was surrounded by guards in black suits, dark ties, and sunglasses, creating an intimidating atmosphere. One of Natasha's top enforcers blocked Andrew's path. "Sorry, Mr. Lloyd, but you can't enter right now!" "I'm here to see Madam Vostokoff. Is there a problem?" Andrew asked with a smile as he sized up the man. The enforcer was a muscular giant with a crew cut and tattoos covering his neck, chest, and arms. His bulging muscles and fists the size of melons marked him as someone not to be messed with. "Mr. Lloyd, please understand that Madam Vostokoff isn't available right now," the man chuckled, pushing Andrew back. "You're an honore
Leroy's soup dripped onto the table as he anxiously asked, "Aspen, now that Atlas is dead, what about our money?" "Shut up!" Christina kicked him under the table. "How can you think about money at a time like this?" With a grave expression, Christina turned to Aspen. "We need to act fast. Contact someone in the Northern District and get your investment back immediately." Aspen snapped out of her daze and quickly dialed Atlas' office number. A raspy voice answered, "Who are you looking for?" "This is Aspen from the Bridgefields' Stevens family. I need to speak with Mr. Atlas Giordano," she said urgently. "Are you stupid? Mr. Giordano is as dead as he can be. If you want to find him, try looking in hell," the voice sneered. Aspen snapped, "Watch your tone! Who do you think you are to speak to me like that?" "I'll speak however I want, lady. Like I said, Mr. Giordano's dead, and he's finished," the voice replied coldly. Aspen gritted her teeth. "Atlas may be dead, but the