After a long silence, Rodney finally growled through gritted teeth, "Just forget about it. Don't bother with him anymore. Let Andrew deal with him however he wants—might as well let him kill that troublemaking idiot! That cursed fool brings nothing but disaster! Of all the people he could provoke, why did he have to mess with Andrew?" Dean said, "I didn't intervene, but Mr. Lloyd ordered him to eat the kitchen slop." Rodney quickly responded, "Good, good, that's perfect! Make sure he eats until Andrew is satisfied. Do you hear me? If there isn't enough trash, get people to buy more from other places—I'll cover the costs!" Dean chuckled. "Don't worry, Mr. Sanford. I'll make sure he's well-fed." … "Dr. Lloyd, do you think Hugh can actually swallow that kitchen slop?" Lauren asked playfully. Her eyes glimmered with amusement, as their shopping trip had turned out to be more entertaining than expected. Andrew placed their shopping bags in the back of his G-Wagon and said with
Andrew exclaimed in surprise, "Lauren, I didn't realize you had that in you!" Lauren smiled sweetly. "Of course! I'm not just a pretty face. Remember, I was the one who chased Michael around with a knife, threatening his manhood!" Andrew could imagine Michael's miserable situation back when Lauren was at the height of her influence at Rhodes Corporation. That man was probably living in constant fear of losing everything at any moment. "I hadn't expected Ruby to be out of prison already. Someone must have pulled some strings," Lauren said thoughtfully. "It seems Ruby might be targeting Rhodes Corporation again," Andrew replied. Lauren smirked. "Let's head home. No matter how well she plans, it won't work. I just hope Troy doesn't do anything stupid." After dropping Lauren off, Andrew drove straight to his villa at the top of Moonlit Sanctuary. He had spent two days establishing himself at Rhodes Corporation, and it was time to focus on his own priorities. In the privacy of
"If I wasn't here, were you planning to spend your nights out with Andrew instead of coming home?" Tiana's voice grew sharper with every word, each sentence harsher than the last. Lauren looked at her calmly and asked, "What are you trying to say?" "I want you to show some restraint," Tiana snapped. "Remember, you're the heiress of Rhodes Corporation, not some wild party girl with no self-respect." Lauren let out a cold laugh and said dismissively, "Everything I do appears wrong in your eyes. You even want to control who I date, but what I can't tolerate is—what makes you think being with Andrew means I have no self-respect?" Tiana sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you think I'm blind? You're out there shopping, holding hands, whispering sweet nothings to each other in public—I know about your every move." Lauren's voice dropped, laced with accusation. "So, you let me go out, but then you spy on me?" "I'm not spying—I'm preventing you from doing something you'll
Faced with Tiana's fierce demeanor, Lauren responded in disbelief, "Are you really going to deny everything Andrew has done? How can you be so self-deceptive and blind?" Tiana's tone calmed, but her disdain was evident. "I'm not denying it. I'm just looking at the bigger picture from a wiser perspective. This boy is all show and no substance—everything he's shown you is borrowed from Marvin's influence and power." She continued, "His money comes from Marvin, his influence stems from being tied to Jayrodale's wealthiest man, and even his life has been protected by Marvin. Otherwise, with the enemies he's made, he wouldn't have survived this long." Tiana's relentless questioning completely dismissed all of Andrew's contributions to Rhodes Corporation. Lauren, enraged, responded, "You can criticize me all you want, but what Andrew has done for me and the company are undeniable facts. I absolutely won't let you insult him or someone who's devoted himself to helping me." Lauren, w
"Marvin and Andrew are probably father and son," Lauren said hesitantly. Tiana scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. "You're overthinking it. When Marvin escaped from Chetvine, no one even knew the scale of the forces he had crossed. But one thing's certain—he was already in his 50s and gravely injured. Do you really think a man in that condition could father a child?" She continued, "And Andrew is 26, isn't he? There's no way he's Marvin's son. He's just a smoke screen—a decoy Marvin set up to confuse his enemies, or worse, a pawn to execute Marvin's schemes." Tiana paused, her gaze growing colder and more penetrating. "Now, do you finally understand the lengths I've gone to for your sake? I'm not just doing this for you—I'm doing it for the entire Rhodes family. Marvin's criminal past will catch up with him sooner or later." She added, "The forces he angered are unimaginably powerful, far beyond anything you or I can comprehend, and certainly beyond what the Rhodes family
The Rhodes residence was massive. After leaving Lauren's bedroom, Tiana made her way through various corridors to another wing of the mansion. "Mrs. Rhodes!" Jerry greeted respectfully in the dimly lit hallway. Tiana's expression was indifferent as she asked, "Jerry, is there something you need?" Jerry hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Mrs. Rhodes, there's something I want to say, but I'm not sure if I should." Tiana raised a brow and stated coldly, "If you're here to tell me to stop meddling in Lauren's matters, then save your breath." Jerry carefully chose his words, lowering his voice. "Mrs. Rhodes, I wouldn't dare interfere in Ms. Rhodes' affairs, especially since this involves the family's leadership decisions and Mr. Rhodes' intentions. I wanted to discuss something else—about Andrew." "Oh? What about that boy?" Tiana asked, slightly surprised. "Mrs. Rhodes, he's no ordinary person," Jerry said gravely. "In my opinion, Mr. Rhodes' relationship with him might
Before Harvey could even use his family's influence to suppress the negative online news, he had become Jayrodale's hottest headline. Social media erupted with comments. [What an absolute animal! How could such scum become the head of the Weller family? It's ridiculous!] [Is this a moral failure or a loss of humanity? How could he sleep with his stepmother? Isn't he afraid his father will crawl out of the grave to haunt him?] [Man, the scandals in their circles are wild! Honestly, I'd pay 50 bucks to see a video of Harvey and his stepmother hooking up. Anybody got one? DM me!] [I've seen Serena before, and she's definitely still got it—curvy, voluptuous, and oozing mature charm. When she wears those body-hugging dresses, she could drive any man crazy!] [Honestly, this isn't even surprising. A playboy like Harvey would sleep with anything that moves!] "This is a PR nightmare for the Weller family, though. Let this be a lesson for all of us: keep your pants zipped and you
When the call connected, a voice answered, "Who is this?" "Are you kidding me? You don't know who I am?" Harvey exploded. "Kill Marcus's daughter and dump her body at Rhodes Corporation! I want Marcus, Andrew, and Lauren to learn their lesson!" "Sorry, but the Jayrodale Police Department only catches criminals—we don't do murder for hire," the voice replied coldly. "This is Donald, the police commissioner, and I'm ordering you to identify yourself and your location immediately, then turn yourself in." Harvey froze, his heart nearly stopped as the blood drained from his face. It felt like his entire body turned to ice. What the hell just happened? He had clearly dialed the number of those hired thugs, but how on earth did Donald answer the call instead? Donald barked through the phone, "I'll repeat myself: state your identity and address, then surrender at the station. If we have to catch you ourselves, you'll face serious jail time!" Harvey threw his phone down as if it had
Tiana said coldly, "And these last two are from Rhodes Corporation. Aspen, do you have any idea how much damage you've caused? Because of you, Rhodes Pharmaceutical has taken hit after hit. We're barely hanging on! "Now get lost. Go back to Bridgefields, and don't ever set foot in Jayrodale again. Otherwise, if I'm ever in a bad mood, I'll make sure to slap you every time I see you!" Exuding pure dominance, Tiana let out a disdainful scoff before turning on her heel and walking away with her entourage. Aspen collapsed to the ground like a pile of broken rubble. Her whole body trembled as tears streamed down her face. The pain was unbearable—not just physically, but mentally. "W-why… why did it come to this?" she choked out. "Why, of all people, is it me? First, Andrew torments me, and now Tiana! Why?" She lay there, shoulders shaking violently as sobs racked her body. Tiana had completely destroyed her face, but that was not the worst part—the worst part was that her spirit w
Christina gritted her teeth, refusing to say a word. She hated the idea that anyone could think she was beneath Andrew. Deep down, there was a dark, bitter part of her that would never accept that he was doing better than her. After all, admitting it would mean that leaving him had been a monumental mistake—one of the dumbest decisions she had ever made. Christina was too proud to ever acknowledge that. Even if she said it out loud, she would never truly believe it in her heart. Tiana scoffed. "Forget it. I only said all that because I found you incredibly irritating. But I'm actually here for Aspen." As she spoke, her icy gaze shifted to Aspen. Aspen, already trembling, started shaking even harder. She stammered, "M-Mrs. Rhodes, what can I do for you?" Tiana took two slow steps forward, her smile sharp and merciless. "I never expected the Stevens family to produce someone like you, nor did I think Zephyr would raise such a thieving daughter!" Aspen swallowed her anger an
Christina said flatly, "Let's grab a bite first. We can deal with everything else after. Andrew is even taking the people I set my sights on now. Fine. If he wants to force my hand, then I have no choice but to go against him." Aspen hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Christie, have you considered that maybe Andrew really isn't on the same level as us anymore?" Failing time and time again, getting crushed by Andrew repeatedly—it had shattered Aspen's once-proud and confident heart. Whenever she faced him, she found herself losing the drive to compete. Instead, she just wanted to keep her distance. Aspen did not want to admit it, but deep down, she knew she was scared of him now. Christina's voice was icy. "No. I don't think he's that impressive. I'll admit, he's changed. He's become more powerful and holds much more influence now. But I'll never bow to him. I'll prove to him that if he can thrive, I can do even better." Aspen parted her lips, about to say something when
Jamie gasped and immediately shouted for his men to stop. He stepped forward, and what he saw made his scalp tingle—curled up inside the trunk was a man so battered and bloodied that his face was completely unrecognizable. The man was barely clinging to consciousness, struggling to breathe. Jamie asked, "Sir, who are you? And why are you in Mr. Lloyd's car?" He kept his weapon pointed at the man, his tone sharp. "Where's the wild boar? Mr. Lloyd said he brought one back—did you let it escape?" Michael was already half-dead, barely holding on to his sanity. During the ride, he had vomited every last drop of fluid in his stomach, nearly passing out from exhaustion. When the trunk finally opened, he had been ecstatic, thinking he was finally free. Yet, before he could even take a breath, he was met with a brutal, merciless beating—one so bad that he nearly pissed himself. His hatred for Andrew burned so deep it could have swallowed him whole. He clutched his head and let out
Lauren assured him, "Don't worry, I'll get it done!" Andrew turned to Shiloh and asked, "As for where you'll stay… I have no idea where to put you. How about I just buy you a place?" Shiloh immediately shook her head. "No way! City housing prices are insane. I checked online, and in Jayrodale, it's over 15 grand per square foot. I'm not buying!" Andrew laughed. "Relax, I'll pay for it. You can just live there for free!" Shiloh shook her head even harder. "That's even worse! I don't like owing people!" Andrew felt a headache coming on. "Didn't you just make 20 million? Use your own money to buy a place." Shiloh's eyes burned with outrage. "Absolutely not! I just earned a fortune, and the first thing you want me to do is dump it into real estate? Mr. Lloyd, you've got capitalism running through your veins. Evil, evil, big bad energy—do you get that?" Andrew just stared at her, speechless. He had no counter for that. Meanwhile, Lauren could not hold it in anymore. She doub
Shiloh nodded. "Fine, I'll give you some leeway. But I act based on my mood. If I'm in a bad mood, even you won't be spared." Andrew raised his hands in surrender and chuckled nervously, saying, "Whatever you say. So please, make sure to stay in a great mood!" Lauren was drowning in work, her stress levels through the roof. However, the moment she saw Andrew walk in, she immediately brightened up and was about to greet him with a kiss. Then, her gaze shifted, and she spotted Shiloh standing behind him. She asked, "Dr. Lloyd, is this the wellness guru, Ms. Shiloh Greene?" Lauren, all warmth and enthusiasm, stepped forward with a bright smile and extended her hand. "Hello, I'm Lauren Rhodes, Dr. Lloyd's girlfriend." Shiloh reached out and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Rhodes." Andrew noticed something odd—Shiloh did not seem nearly as distant with Lauren as she had with everyone else. That made him curious. "Shiloh, you seem to like Lauren, don't you?" Shiloh answe
The elevator bell rang, and the doors slid open. Andrew stepped out with Shiloh, walking toward Lauren's office under the employees' curious gazes and polite greetings. On the way, they ran into Tiana. She eyed Shiloh up and down, her gaze carrying a hint of doubt as she asked, "Mr. Lloyd, is this the Master Shiloh you went to recruit?" Andrew nodded. "That's right, this is Ms. Shiloh Greene." He secretly let out a breath of relief—he had almost called her Master again. The last thing he wanted was to end up like Michael, who got slapped across the face for it. Tiana, exuding her usual cold and commanding presence, stepped closer to Shiloh and said, "Take off your veil. Let me see what you look like. If you're going to represent Rhodes Corporation, you can't be someone who doesn't look the part." Shiloh met her gaze calmly and replied, "Wearing a veil won't stop me from endorsing your products." Tiana's brows furrowed, her voice taking on a sharper edge. "Even so, I'd st
They chatted idly on the way back. Before long, they arrived in downtown Jayrodale, and Andrew drove straight to the Rhodes Corporation building, pulling up in front. A security guard jogged over with a big smile. "Mr. Lloyd, you're back!" As Andrew and Shiloh stepped out of the car, he handed over the keys to the guard and said, "Park it for me." The company's security guards practically worshiped Andrew now. Their respect for him was just as strong compared to Tiana's. "Of course, Mr. Lloyd, don't worry! I'll take good care of your car!" Just then, a weak knocking sound came from the trunk, along with what sounded like muffled cursing. However, with the noise of traffic all around, it was hard to make out. The security guard frowned and asked, "Uh… Mr. Lloyd, I think something's moving in the trunk." Andrew waved it off. "We picked up a wild boar on the way back. The kind that roams the mountains—mean as hell." The security guard's eyes widened. "A wild boar? Oh man,
From the moment Shiloh first mentioned she was over 80, Andrew had suspected she suffered from a rare condition—one commonly known as the "ageless syndrome". As the name suggested, those affected by it never aged beyond a certain point. Looking at Shiloh, even with her veil on, Andrew could tell she had likely stopped aging in her early 20s—still in the prime of youth. To the outside world, ageless syndrome sounded like a blessing—eternal youth. Yet, in reality, for many who suffered from it, it was a nightmare. Some stopped growing as infants, toddlers, or even newborns, forever trapped in a child's body. On the other hand, Shiloh was one of the lucky few—she had at least matured into adulthood before her aging had frozen. Nonetheless, the ageless syndrome was not as wonderful as it seemed. Certain conditions—cold, extreme heat, or even specific lunar phases—could trigger unbearable pain, or worse, episodes of mental instability. In Shiloh's case, she was not just dealing wi