Juan let out an excited yell and tugged forcefully at Christina's dress. The delicate fabric tore apart, exposing a flash of her pale, flawless skin. "Stop! Get away from me!" Christina screamed, her voice cracking with fear and desperation. Tears streamed down her face as she broke down completely, the brutal beating earlier having nearly shattered her resolve. Now, faced with humiliation and violation, her defenses crumbled entirely. "Scream all you want—it only makes this more exciting!" Juan laughed wickedly as the East Side thugs, and even Herman cheered him on from the sidelines. "Go for it, Mr. Madden! Show her who's boss!" "But don't forget the order—Mr. Madden Senior will go after this, then the rest of us!" "Tonight, every one of us gets to enjoy her!" The room echoed with their wicked jeers. Christina could not take it anymore. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her head, sobbing uncontrollably. In her most helpless moment, she cried out, "Andrew… Andrew,
Tony gritted his teeth in rage, each word coming out like venom when he saw Andrew. Meanwhile, Andrew's expression was colder and more menacing than ever, unlike anything they had seen before. With lightning speed, he hurled the axe he seized during the fight, and it whistled through the air past East Side's elite fighters. The axe struck Juan's arm with devastating precision, causing him to scream in agony as his right arm was cleanly severed at the shoulder, blood gushing everywhere. Some droplets even landed on Christina's pale, horrified face, leaving her trembling in shock and disbelief. "My arm, my arm… Dad, help me! Kill him, kill that bastard!" Juan clutched at the stump of his shoulder as he writhed on the ground, rolling in the growing pool of blood. His once-arrogant demeanor was now reduced to a pitiful, blood-soaked mess. Tony roared like a madman, "Andrew, you bastard! I'll kill you and your whole damn family!" Then, he turned to his men and shouted, "Ge
Tony's massive frame froze, feeling weak all over. A moment later, he roared. "Andrew, you bastard! How dare you kill my son! Everyone, attack him! I want him dead and in pieces!" Tony was like a madman. Yet, despite his orders, the East Side thugs remained motionless. Instead, the remaining twenty or so thugs trembled uncontrollably, their weapons shaking in their hands as they backed away from Andrew, whose display of power had completely shattered their courage. Seeing this, Tony's bloodshot eyes bulged with rage. "You cowards! You spineless trash! Attack him! That's an order, damn it!" No matter how much he screamed, his men did nothing, their fear paralyzing them. "I'll handle this!" One of the three elite fighters Tony had hired stepped forward. The muscular man leaped into the air like a feral beast, aiming a devastating flying kick at Andrew. Herman snorted. "Don't worry, Mr. Madden Senior. With us three here, this punk won't cause any trouble." However, he qui
Herman glanced down at Erica's lifeless body, her wide-open eyes frozen in death. Fury consumed him as he kicked the chair behind him aside and stepped directly into Andrew's path. "Step aside, or you'll meet the same fate as them," Andrew warned in a low voice. Herman bristled at the insult. "You arrogant child, how dare you disrespect me!" He snarled, "Do you even know who I am? I'm an elder of the Crimson Alliance—surrender now, or even if you kill the Maddens, our clan will hunt you to the ends of the earth." "He's right, Andrew!" Tony chimed in, suddenly hopeful. "Touch me, and the Crimson Alliance will never stop hunting you. You probably don't know this, but they're the force behind East Side's power!" Andrew shook his head dismissively. "The Crimson Alliance? Should I be impressed? Sorry, but I don't keep track of every minor league martial arts organization out there." Herman smirked. "Our clan ranks among the top five martial arts organizations in all of Jayrodale
Herman's face contorted with rage as he spun around and slapped Tony, sending him flying across the room. He screamed, "Get away from me, you idiot! Don't you realize the trouble you've gotten us into?" He continued, "Instead of standing there clueless, you should get on your knees and beg for mercy!" Tony clutched his swollen face, his mind completely blank. Beg for mercy? What was happening? Nothing was making sense for Tony. Suddenly, about 200 men in black suits rushed into the building, quickly subduing all of East Side's remaining thugs. The suited men parted to make way as two figures walked in. Dylan walked in, immediately stunned. Meanwhile, leading the way was an elderly man with a cane, dressed in a style suit, radiating an air of authority so powerful it silenced the chaos around him. "M-Mr. Yates, why… why are you on my turf?" Tony stammered. Marvin, the wealthiest man in Jayrodale, ignored Tony completely and respectfully approached Andrew. "Mr. Lloy
"Please, help me beg for mercy and spare my life," Herman pleaded. Marvin responded coldly, "Given the Crimson Alliance's influence in Gabo Creek, I might have considered showing you mercy, Herman. Unfortunately, you didn't offend me—you offended Mr. Lloyd. Do you honestly think that even the reputation of a Crimson Alliance elder is enough to earn forgiveness in this case?" Herman's face turned ashen as he laughed bitterly. "You're right… I don't deserve mercy. This is my fate, my terrible luck." "Mr. Blackwood, who the hell is Andrew?" Tony demanded through gritted teeth. "Stop wallowing and explain! He can't possibly be that important!" Herman's expression grew lifeless as he sighed. "Since even Mr. Yates has acknowledged the truth, I might as well tell you, you ignorant fool." He continued, "He's not just important—even the most powerful would bow before him. He's a Lloyd and has the Blood-Eyed Black Dragon on his chest. Do you know what the tattoo signifies?" Tony gulp
With a sudden burst of movement, Herman struck Tony's head with his palm. Tony was stunned, muttering, "Mr. Blackwood, you… you…" Blood sputtered from his mouth and nose, and he did not even finish his sentence before collapsing. With a blank face, Herman said, "The moment we provoked Mr. Lloyd, we were already set to be buried six feet under. Don't worry. I'll join you soon." Dylan watched the scene unfold with chills running down his spine. Without any physical force or coercion, Andrew's mere identity had driven both a martial arts master like Herman and a crime lord like Tony to their deaths. He could not comprehend just how powerful Andrew's true identity was. "Mr. Yates, after I'm gone, please don't bring trouble to Crimson Alliance or my family," Herman begged, still kneeling. "Can you promise me this?" "Mr. Lloyd never harms the innocent," Marvin replied coldly. "Rest assured, the Crimson Alliance and your family will be safe." Herman sighed in relief before bit
Andrew scoffed without saying a word. Francesca assumed he was just talking tough since wiping out all of East Side seemed impossible. Well, at least she had never dared to imagine it. Just then, her phone rang with a call from Lauren. As soon as the call was connected, Lauren asked urgently, "Fran, something huge happened. Is Dr. Lloyd with you?" "Yes, he is. What happened?" Lauren's voice was deadly serious. "Ask Dr. Lloyd if he's responsible for eliminating the entire East Side and Tony." The question hit Francesca like a thunderbolt. Forgetting Lauren on the phone, she stared at Andrew in shock. She stammered, "Y-You actually destroyed Tony and all of East Side's criminal empire? How did you do it?" Before Andrew could answer, the hospital room door burst open. Irene rushed in, followed by other members of the Stevens family and Harvey. "Christie, Christie, are you okay? My baby, there's so much blood! How badly are you hurt?" Irene wailed, throwing herself beside th
"But luckily," Derek continued, "I did find out that his name was Reginald Lloyd." Chantelle sneered. "Reginald Lloyd… Andrew Lloyd—what a coincidence. They're both Lloyds. Too bad one of them earned your admiration as a once-in-a-generation strategist…" "And the other?" She gave a dry chuckle. "Let's just say… he doesn't quite measure up." Derek smiled. "Elle, seems like you've got a bit of a grudge against our Mr. Lloyd. Care to share why?" Chantelle hesitated, visibly grinding her teeth. She obviously could not tell Derek that Andrew had already seen every inch of her thanks to an earlier incident. Instead, she cleared her throat. "Mr. McCormick, stop pulling my legs. We're public servants, and since Mr. Lloyd is working with you, I have no right to dislike him." She deflected smoothly with a rehearsed tone. Derek nodded. "It's obvious Andrew has potential. The old money clans have been monopolizing power and locking up economic control for far too long. Seeing someone
Chantelle let out a cold laugh. "That's right. That's exactly what he did. Mr. McCormick, don't you think the man's out of his mind?" Derek narrowed his eyes but stayed silent. After a long pause, he finally exhaled and said, "No. On the contrary, I think you're completely wrong about him. I don't see Andrew as a lunatic—I think he's playing a long, dangerous game." Chantelle had not expected Derek to say something like that, and her expression turned tense. "Mr. McCormick, without the protection of The Sovereign Residences, do you even realize what kind of storm that madman has invited upon himself? "Two of the most powerful families in Holtrien have issued bounty kill orders at the same time. The combined reward is nearly a billion—enough to send every killer and martial artist across Gabo Creek Province, maybe even the entire country, into a blood-fueled frenzy!" Derek gave a faint sneer, his tone laced with disdain. "It's true—money can make even the dead dance. The old sayi
Richard had always tried to be considerate about his son's humiliating past. Still, every now and then, he could not help but accidentally bring it up. After all, eating literal crap was not something easily forgotten. … Meanwhile, over at the Haywoods. Roy set down his teacup and asked, "Xavier, what's the latest on eliminating that bastard?" Xavier's sharp-jawed face was full of murderous intent. "The killers we sent were either stopped outside The Sovereign Residences or killed inside, their bodies dumped in the sewage canals." Roy scowled. "500 million was too tempting. Every lowlife out there thought they could take advantage of the Haywoods. Seth's body is still lying in the ice casket, waiting for a proper burial. You need to speed this up." Xavier's tone turned ice cold as he nodded. "Don't worry, Father. The moment Andrew laid a finger on our family, his death was sealed. Those who've died so far were just trash. "This time, I've prepared something special for And
News of the bodies floating in Blumedale's reeking drainage canal reached both the Goldings and the Haywoods within hours. "The first few were just appetizers. If they die, so be it—cannon fodder at best," Elon said coldly. "Andrew, you might have some skills, but you haven't seen my real trump card yet." Elon's pudgy face darkened with a sinister grin. He had not expected those initial mercs to succeed anyway—they were nothing but disposable thugs, and their deaths did not faze him one bit. Standing at the edge of the Goldings' main hall, he clapped his hands slowly. A thin, shadowy figure emerged, walking in with a dry, grating laugh. "Mr. Golding, I knew you'd eventually call me in," the man rasped. Elon spoke evenly. "300 million dollars from the Goldings, plus another 100 million from Dr. Lake. That's 400 million in total, Mr. Black Wolf. Same deal as always—the second Andrew's head hits the floor, the money hits your account." The shadowed figure stood in the backlig
Reuben shook his head, deciding it was best not to let his thoughts wander. He had once considered making a run for it after returning to Blumedale, hoping he might find an opening. But now, it was clear that the smart move was to follow the rules, behave, and wait for Andrew to willingly set him free. Natasha asked, "Darling, what about the other eight mercenaries? None of them are from Holtrien. If we kill them outright, could that stir up trouble with foreign powers?" Andrew replied flatly, "Wipe them out. I don't care where they came from—if they dared to step into Holtrien with a blade pointed at me, then I'll be the one cleaning them up." With that, Reuben and Natasha struck again, ignoring the furious roars of the remaining mercs. Just like before, the bodies were dumped into Blumedale's foul drainage canals, unceremoniously discarded. Soon after, the head of security for The Sovereign Residences—a fellow semi-martial king—rushed to Serenity Villa with his team in tow
It turned out, Andrew's caution was more than justified. That very night, three separate groups of infiltrators attempted to breach The Sovereign Residences. Two of those groups were quickly detected and driven out by the estate's elite security team. However, the last group was on a whole different level—professionals who bypassed surveillance and snuck past the guards, heading straight into Serenity Villa. What they did not expect, though, was that Andrew had already set a trap and was waiting for them to take the bait. With Natasha leading her squad and Reuben providing the knockout blow, it did not take much effort before the entire crew of a dozen-plus assassins was taken down. Fighting for his freedom, Reuben had zero mercy—he snapped a few necks with his bare hands. In the end, only three assassins survived, trembling in fear, eyes wide with horror. "Mr. Lloyd, please! Don't kill us!" the leader begged, a senior grandmaster drenched in cold sweat as he knelt on the floo
Natasha joked, "Aspen, of all times, you could've walked out, you just had to pick the moment I was getting cozy with my darling. You're not jealous, are you? Trying to ruin the mood on purpose?" Aspen let out a cold laugh. "Madam Vostokoff, you're overthinking it. If you two want to flirt or even start going at it right here, it has nothing to do with me. If you think I was interrupting, then I apologize. I'll leave right now so you two can carry on." Natasha chuckled. "Come on now, Snow Queen, we're all on the same side here. I was just teasing. Don't take it to heart." The icy look on Aspen's face finally faded a little. "I'm heading out. A small firm is requesting investment from Supreme Capital Group, so I'm going to check them out and see if they're worth our time." She threw that out to Andrew with zero warmth, then strutted off, her hips swaying confidently as she left Serenity Villa. Andrew immediately instructed Dylan's crew to follow and keep her safe. Natasha sc
Dylan and Natasha arrived in Blumedale the same night Andrew's orders were sent back to Jayrodale. They were accompanied by none other than the semi-martial king himself—Reuben. "Mr. Lloyd, that opportunity you mentioned… the one that could set me free—what is it exactly?" Reuben asked eagerly the moment he saw Andrew. Andrew waved his hand and said, "No rush. I haven't figured it out yet, but it won't be long." Reuben held back his excitement and simply nodded, saying nothing more. The more time he spent around Andrew, the more he realized just how unfathomable this man truly was. Back when he followed Elon to storm Jayrodale, he had been taught a brutal lesson. Now, there was not a shred of resentment left in him—only fear and awe. After all, a man who dared to kill a direct descendant of the Haywoods would have no problem ending him with a snap of his fingers. Reuben had only martial skills but no powerful family backing him—if Andrew ever wanted him dead, he would not la
For Quinton, it had never been just about sleeping with Christina. What excited him more was the thrill—the thrill of a top-tier predator closing in on an ice-cold beauty. To him, conquering a woman like Christina would stroke his ego and validate his inflated sense of self-worth. Unfortunately for him, Christina never felt even a flicker of attraction toward him. At best, they could be called business allies—or to put it bluntly, she only saw him as a temporary tool. Quinton wanted power, possession, dominance. Meanwhile, Christina only wanted leverage—specifically, to use him and his connections to push the Stevens Corporation into Blumedale. … Over at the Goldings family estate, word of the Haywoods' bounty hit hard. Both Richard and Elon were momentarily stunned when they heard. "This kid really doesn't know when to stop," Richard growled. "Now he's provoked the Haywoods and even left a body behind. He's practically asking for death! He's so arrogant that it's disgusti