Christina turned to Aspen, her expression uncertain and her voice trembling. "Aspen, did Mr. Woods… really kill someone?" Aspen clutched her throat, her eyes filled with resentment. "Mr. Woods' actions are beyond my control. All I can say is that Andrew brought this on himself!" Christina's face twisted with anger. "Andrew, all of this happened because you provoked Aspen in the first place! I told you long ago—if you'd just apologized to her and returned the money, this whole mess would've been over. But you just had to be stubborn, didn't you? Who do you have to blame but yourself?" Andrew sneered. "Christina, I swear, you've gotten even dumber these days. Can you even tell right from wrong anymore? How the hell are you running Stevens Corporation when you can't see the truth right in front of you?" He let out a cold laugh, shaking his head. "Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. I helped you and Stevens Corporation more times than I can count, but you never appreciated it. In

Leroy snorted. "Christie, go ahead and get to the bottom of it. I can't wait to see that bastard's face when you expose him for the fraud he is." Not wanting to get dragged into the Stevens family's drama, Aspen slipped away to her room and dialed Gordon's number. She warned him, "Mr. Woods, you should be careful. Andrew might come looking for you." Gordon's voice came through the phone, cold and dismissive. "If that kid wants to come die at my doorstep, I'll gladly help him with that." Aspen replied, "Still, you should stay alert. I'm worried Andrew might show up with some of the underground forces in Jayrodale to ambush you." Gordon scoffed. "Numbers mean nothing against someone at my level. If they come swarming like ants, I'll just retreat and pick them off one by one later. It's nothing but a waste of my time." Aspen's voice turned icy. "I'll wait for your good news, Mr. Woods." Gordon chuckled darkly. "Relax. Once I clean up the mess here in Jayrodale, I'll be heading

Gordon staggered backward, his eyes wide with fear as he gasped out, "Why don't we just end this here? Let's call it even. If you push me too far, I'll fight to the death—and I guarantee you won't walk away unscathed." He was retreating frantically now, his voice trembling beneath the bravado. Survival, not pride, was his priority. Facing Aspen's disappointment was one thing—but losing his life was another matter entirely. More than that, Gordon was struggling to process the reality in front of him. Jayrodale was supposed to be a stagnant backwater town. How had a terrifying powerhouse like Andrew emerged from this place? He thought returning from Bridgefields after years in hiding would allow him to dominate this city easily. Instead, he had stumbled into a nightmare—a young monster who dismantled him with brutal efficiency. The realization gnawed at his sanity. His entire worldview, built on decades of superiority, was collapsing. Andrew's voice cut through the tension, col

The line went dead as Marvin hung up without giving Christina the chance to say another word. She sat there, the phone still pressed to her ear, her mind utterly blank. Marvin's parting words echoed through her skull like a relentless drumbeat. "Christina, by giving him up, you didn't just lose a relationship—you lost everything." "No," she whispered to herself, gripping the phone tighter. "No, my judgment wasn't wrong. Andrew was lazy. He had no ambition. We didn't match anymore—I made the right decision… I did the right thing." Yet, no matter how many times she repeated the words, the doubts gnawed deeper. Denial was always the first response when confronted with a painful truth. People instinctively clung to their own version of events, unwilling to admit they had misjudged, unwilling to face the consequences of their choices. Her breath quickened, and before she could think twice, she dialed another number. This time, she called Mark's office. "Hello, this is Mark Thatc

Christina let out a deep breath; her expression strained with unease. "I just hope I didn't make the wrong decision back then." Aspen did not bother to answer. Whether Christina admitted it or not, the truth was already clear. Yet, here she was—desperately clinging to the belief that she had been right all along. It was laughable. No, it was downright pathetic. Aspen found it amusing, but in a way, she was the same. She had been crushed by Andrew time and time again, only to refuse to accept it. She had also kept chasing after her so-called dignity, convinced that she, Aspen of Bridgefields' Stevens family, could never lose. In the end, she and Christina were not so different. … The two women soon arrived at the Weller family estate. Harvey had not seen Christina in a while, but the moment she walked through the door, he smirked. He teased, "Christie, don't tell me you've come to your senses and decided to crawl back to me. If that's the case, I might be willing to give