"It doesn't matter when I came back," Andrew said with a cold smile. "However, you seem pretty scared of Dr. Aicker finding out. I wonder how he'd feel about his star student doing something so disgraceful?" Terror flashed across Simon's face. Cedric knew about his feelings for Francesca but had never approved of them, which frustrated Simon deeply. If Cedric found out about tonight's attempted assault, Simon knew he would be expelled from in disgrace. As this realization hit him, a murderous glint appeared in his eyes. He snarled, "Andrew, since you've seen everything, I'll have to silence you permanently." At this point, he knew murder was his only way to keep this from reaching Cedric. "I wouldn't try it," Andrew warned calmly. "You'll be the one getting hurt." Simon sneered. "You're really full of yourself. Let me show you what it means to be Dr. Aicker's senior apprentice!" Just as the tension peaked, Francesca stirred in her sleep, the commotion waking her up. She ru
It immediately dawned on Andrew that Cedric must have made the detox pill. Such medication was not particularly rare, as anyone with decent knowledge of traditional medicine could create it. "So why did you pretend to still be drunk when you were actually sober?" Andrew asked, giving Francesca a curious look. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red as she kept her head down, staying silent. After a long moment, she finally admitted with embarrassment, "I wanted you to… take me home." Worried that Andrew might misunderstand, she quickly explained, "It's not what you might think. I just felt that it wouldn't be safe for a woman to go home alone after drinking. Since you were already taking Lauren home, I thought I could just tag along!" Andrew chuckled and said, "I wasn't thinking anything else. Since you both had been drinking, I would've made sure to get you both home safely anyway." "Well, you know what happened after that," Francesca continued. "As soon as you left afte
At the Weller residence, Harvey sat in the main seat with a smug expression. This was his first time presiding over a family meeting since becoming the head of the family. All the top executives of the Weller family had shown up, as no one dared to disrespect his new position. Next to Harvey sat Serena, with her seductive smile and alluring presence. Their eyes met occasionally, sparking an undeniable chemistry in the air. Some observant executives noticed these exchanges but dismissed their suspicions. After all, one was the new family head, and the other was Kane's widow. Moreover, such an age gap and relationship dynamic surely meant nothing inappropriate could happen between them. "Everyone, please begin your reports," Harvey said with a smile. He wanted to get a clear picture of the Weller family's current strength to plan his next strategic moves. The first one voiced, "Mr. Weller, Jayrodale Bank is aggressively demanding loan repayments. If we don't pay soon, they'll sei
Serena barked, "I'm foolish? What about you? Your father managed to keep the Weller family stable even while sick. Meanwhile, you're young, yet your arrogance has no limit. You're worthless compared to Kane." In a fit of rage, Harvey slapped her hard across the face, causing her to stumble backward. Clutching her reddened cheek, Serena stared at him in disbelief. She shouted, "You actually hit me? It's only been a few days since you've risen to this position, and you're already getting violent with me?" Harvey's face twisted with malice as he shouted, "So you acknowledge I'm the family head now? Who gave you the nerve to speak to me like that? Remember this—this is the first and last warning. If there's a next time, you'll no longer sit here next to me." "Harvey, you ungrateful snake," Serena spat, her chest heaving with anger. "When I helped you, you called me 'sweetheart' every day and promised me the world. Now that you've gotten what you wanted—both my body and the famil
"But last time at the Weller residence, Andrew managed to walk away unharmed from the family elders," Irene persisted hopefully. Christina shook her head and said, "Mom, Andrew might have some skills now, but the situation isn't as simple as what you saw. After returning from the Weller residence, I spoke with both Bruce and Jackie. They confirmed that Andrew only succeeded because of them. If they hadn't already worn down the Weller family elders' strength beforehand, Andrew would have been walking to his death." "Oh, so that's how it was!" Irene exclaimed with sudden understanding. "I was wondering why those two would be so kind as to help us—they were just letting Andrew take the credit!" "That's why I never considered asking Andrew for help," Christina explained. "Now that Harvey has his way, Andrew can barely protect himself, let alone help others." Irene spat in disgust, "And here I thought that loser was some hidden strength—turns out he's just as useless as ever. I must
Christina gritted her teeth and said, "We can't match the Weller family in a fight. Our only option is to stall Harvey until the family representative arrives." With a loud bang, her office door was kicked open. Harvey strode in with a smirk on his face, followed by over a dozen Weller family enforcers. "Christie, my dear fiancee, I can't wait for us to get married!" Harvey's voice was menacing despite his gentle expression. Christina took a deep breath and met Harvey's gaze directly. "Harvey, whatever was between us is long over. If you're a real man, stop with these desperate tactics—just tell me what you want." Harvey sneered. "Over? How convenient for you to say that. After everything I've invested in you, do you think you can just end it? Where does that leave my reputation?" "I never asked for anything from you or your family," Christina replied, struggling to contain her anger. "What exactly did you invest in me?" Harvey declared shamelessly, "I don't care about any
Harvey smirked playfully and said, "It sure is a rare sight to see the Ice Queen of Stevens Corporation so enraged. You want me to leave you alone? Simple—just transfer 150 million dollars from Stevens Corporation to support the Weller family." "150 million? That's outrageous! We don't have that kind of money!" Christina immediately refused. Such an amount would effectively kill Stevens Corporation—the Weller family was indeed ruthless. Harvey scoffed. "Don't be so quick to refuse, because I'm not done with my conditions. Not only must Stevens Corporation transfer the 150 million to us, but you must also marry into the Weller family and become my woman." "Harvey, you're delusional!" Christina shouted, burning with anger and humiliation. "That's right, you can keep dreaming!" Irene chimed in. "Christie is innocent and beautiful as an angel. Have you looked in the mirror? You're not worthy of her!" Harvey slapped Irene hard across the face, sending her rolling across the floo
Behind Andrew, Christina's grandfather, Douglas, wheeled himself into the room. Douglas stated calmly, "I asked Andrew to come here to save the Stevens family." "Grandpa, the Weller family is oppressing us, and Andrew can't possibly help," Christina said anxiously. "And you shouldn't be here in your condition. Please go home. I'll handle everything." Douglas suddenly thundered, "Handle it? How exactly? The Stevens family may not be among the elite, but we still have our dignity! Now we're being bullied right to our faces, and you, my ungrateful granddaughter, didn't even tell me! Do you no longer respect me as your grandfather?" Douglas's rebuke finally made Christina cry. "Grandpa, I'm sorry my incompetence has brought shame upon you." Douglas scoffed. "I'm already one foot in the grave, so my dignity doesn't matter. But why didn't you ask for help when Stevens Corporation was being pushed around like this?" Christina wiped her tears and replied desperately, "Who do I ask
Lauren nodded. "I've realized both of these issues too. The Pharmaceutical Division's reputation has tanked, and there's no way to fix that in the short term. But for the second issue, I think we can bring in a well-known spokesperson to endorse our two formulas." Marcus' eyes lit up as he immediately agreed. "That's a great idea, Ms. Rhodes. Our products will gain instant recognition if we get a solid endorsement!" Andrew chuckled. "Getting a spokesperson is a good move. But for our two formulas, it would be best to have an expert in traditional medicine or holistic wellness—someone with real authority in the field." Marcus suggested, "How about we get Mr. Aicker to endorse us?" Lauren shook her head. "No way. Mr. Aicker is the head of the Aicker family. There's no way he'd personally endorse Rhodes Corporation's products." Andrew smirked. "That works out perfectly. I need to drop by Moonlit Apothecary to see him anyway. When we get there, we can ask him about any well-respe
Jerry said, "Mr. Lloyd, Mrs. Rhodes is sincerely asking for your input this time. She really wants you to come in and help strategize." Jerry's voice was urgent. "Like it or not, we're all in the same boat right now. If the Pharmaceutical Division goes under, you're going to take a loss too, Mr. Lloyd." Andrew let out a light scoff. "What, you mean the five billion I invested? Big deal. Even if Rhodes Corporation's Pharmaceutical Division collapses, the rest of the corporation will still stand. "If worst comes to worst, Mrs. Rhodes can just file for bankruptcy and liquidation. Whatever I get back is whatever I get back. And even if I lose all five billion, I couldn't care less." Jerry could not believe how Andrew was dismissing the five billion dollars like it was nothing. Was Andrew even human? His expression darkened as he lowered his voice. "Mr. Lloyd, I understand you don't approve of Mrs. Rhodes' methods. But don't forget—Ms. Rhodes is her daughter. If you ever want thin
Michael had been in his office, getting a little too comfortable flirting with his secretary, when his subordinates suddenly barged in, looking grim. They reported, "Mr. Rhodes, the Weller family is playing dirty! They're openly marketing against us, calling our products garbage that not even dogs would buy. And that scumbag Harvey even hired a professional team to run tests on our products and posted the results online! "Now, the entire internet is trashing us, saying our products are nothing but a cash grab with zero real value. Our Pharmaceutical Division's reputation has completely tanked, and we're being dragged through the mud online!" Shoving the secretary aside, he did not even have time to zip up before he exploded, "What the hell happened? How did things turn to shit this fast? Get me the latest market reports—now!" Grabbing the report, he skimmed through it with an increasingly dark expression. By the time he reached the last page, veins bulged on his forehead. With
Michael grew anxious and blurted out, "Aunt Tiana, why are you asking him? What can he possibly do?" He quickly followed up, "You have nothing to worry about. Even if the Stevens and the Wellers both jump in, I guarantee I'll keep them completely suppressed!" Tiana shot him a cold glare. "I hate when people interrupt me while I'm talking. Right now, I'm asking Andrew, not you. So shut up—that would be the best thing you could do!" Michael's face turned red, then pale. He could not understand why Tiana was turning to Andrew instead of relying on him. He was the backbone of Rhodes Corporation now, was he not? Andrew remained completely unfazed. "Sorry, Mrs. Rhodes, but I don't have any great solutions at the moment. But it's easy to predict that with Stevens Corporation suddenly jumping into Jayrodale's pharmaceutical market, the situation will only become even tougher." Tiana's expression darkened even further. She replied, "Mr. Lloyd, I know you still hold a grudge against
Michael sneered. "When the time comes, I'm going to crush you so hard, you won't even know what hit you!" He truly could not understand why Andrew and Lauren were still bothering to put up a fight. Even with Glorious Pharmaceuticals backing them, he believed there was no way they could produce anything worthwhile in such a short period. Michael had never been more confident. At this point, losing was not even an option. Just then, Tiana called them over. Michael walked up with a smug smile. "Aunt Tiana, what can I do for you?" With his numbers climbing, he spoke with newfound confidence. Tiana's expression was slightly grim as she slammed a document onto the table. "Take a look at this!" Michael frowned and flipped through the pages. The moment he grasped what was inside, his face twisted in anger. "Stevens Corporation is entering the pharmaceutical industry? "And according to this analysis, their products are almost identical to Rhodes Corporation's Pharmaceutical Divisi
Andrew chuckled and said, "No pressure. Even if, down the line, you decide not to work with us or you don't want to handle orders this big, I'd understand. Right now, our products are all investment and no return. No one knows if they'll actually sell. If they flop, that's a massive loss!" He added, "But let me remind you—golden opportunities don't come around every day. When the market is hot, the smart ones soar. Those who hesitate and miss their chance? Well, they'll just be watching from the sidelines." Stephen's eyes flickered, and after a brief internal struggle, he clenched his teeth. "Mr. Lloyd, I'm in!" Andrew shot him a look of distaste. "We're both grown men. Watch how you phrase that—it sounds way too suggestive." Lauren nearly burst out laughing. Andrew was definitely a little sensitive about certain words lately. Stephen let out an awkward chuckle. "Right, poor choice of words. What I meant is that my company is taking this on, Mr. Lloyd. You don't need to go lo
Lauren blinked her big, expressive eyes and asked in confusion, "Why?" Andrew spread his hands and said, "Because I don't think I even went all out." Lauren's expression froze instantly, thinking that Andrew was truly terrifying. Watching as the flirty Lauren quickly turned and fled, her graceful silhouette disappearing in the distance, Andrew felt completely misunderstood. However, he had only spoken the truth. Last night, he had actually held back with Francesca. If he had not, things would have taken a much wilder, more intense turn. … Today was the scheduled delivery day for Stephen's shipment. Andrew and Lauren personally went to oversee the product being sent out. Stephen wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned. "Mission accomplished, Mr. Lloyd. Please check if everything meets your expectations." Andrew clapped his hands and said, "No need. I already looked it over—good work, Mr. Brunner!" Stephen quickly laughed along. "As long as you're satisfied, Mr. L
Andrew packed up and drove to Rhodes Corporation. Right at the entrance, he ran into Marcus, who had just stepped out of his car. The moment Marcus saw Andrew, he gave him a once-over, grinning from ear to ear. He chirped, "Mr. Lloyd, you're looking great—full of energy and in high spirits!" Andrew raised a brow in surprise. "Mr. Chapman, how exactly can you tell I'm feeling good?" Marcus smirked knowingly. "Mr. Lloyd, let's not play dumb. We're both men. That kind of glow? It's obvious you had a very… satisfying night." Andrew was even more surprised. Could Marcus really tell something like that just by looking at him? Then, it clicked. This department head at Rhodes Corporation might appear serious on the surface, but he was a regular at certain high-end clubs. That explained a lot. Lowering his voice, Marcus chuckled. "Every time I spend the night at a club, I see plenty of like-minded gentlemen walking out in the morning with the exact same look as you. "It's the kin
Lauren's teasing voice came through the video call. "Fran, are you at Dr. Lloyd's place right now?" Francesca's cheeks instantly flushed red. She hesitated for a second before mumbling a quiet "Mm-hmm." Lauren gasped dramatically before covering her mouth with a giggle. "Oh, so that means… Fran, you got the full Dr. Lloyd treatment last night?" Francesca gritted her teeth. "Lauren, you better not laugh at me! Do you even know how close I was to being ruined last night? I can barely walk!" Lauren blinked, looking both impressed and mildly horrified. "Wait… you mean Dr. Lloyd is that intense?" Francesca huffed. "You'll find out soon enough. When it's your turn, let's see if you can handle it!" Lauren snickered. "Oh no, no, no—I hate pain. I'll let Dr. Lloyd go wild with you first, and then I'll swoop in once he's all tired out. That way, I can dodge the first wave of his attacks!" Francesca narrowed her eyes and smirked. "Nice try. Next time, you go first—I'll sit back and