Sighing, Irene said, "Christie, you might not want to hear this, but you and Andrew, you two are from completely different worlds now!" Her words were hard for Christina to swallow. She never expected that her mother, who always looked down on Andrew, was now admitting defeat. Leroy snorted, "Mom, I can't agree with you on this one. Sure, Andrew's successful, but it's not as exaggerated as you're making it sound, okay? "You only see him putting on airs, but did you ever think that by annoying all the big shots in Blumedale, he's going to have to pay the price sooner or later? And now Mr. Wright has set his sights on him. As I see it, Andrew's time's up." Irene snapped, "You little brat, when adults are talking, you'd better keep your mouth shut! Don't think I don't know what's on your mind. You're always thinking about using Christie to live in luxury, hang out with celebrities, and drive a sports car! "But have you ever thought about it? You're a man. How can you be so pathe

Leroy's face twisted in anger. "Francesca, who do you think you are? You don't like Christie? You think she cares whether you do or not?" Francesca smirked. "The Stevens family sure gets riled up easily. If you've got the guts, just stay away from Andrew for good—I'd be impressed!" Leroy stiffened and turned to Christina in frustration. "Christie, did you hear that? They don't want us here!" He huffed. "It's ridiculous. Whatever, we're leaving. The Stevens family has better options now anyway—we don't need this lousy place!" Christina ignored her noisy little brother and kept her gaze on Andrew. "Andrew, I came here to discuss something with you. Step outside with me for a moment." Andrew's expression remained indifferent. "Sorry, I'm busy. If you have something urgent, you can either wait or leave." Christina clenched her teeth. "Andrew" She knew Andrew was doing this on purpose, deliberately making her wait and giving her the cold shoulder. A real man would not be so pe

Leroy's jealousy burned even hotter as he glared at Andrew. "Andrew, look at you now! Not only are you getting girls left and right, but your business is booming too! Moonlit Apothecary is making you a fortune every month. If you count the profits, you could buy a brand-new G-Wagon monthly, huh?" Andrew smirked. "So what? What does that have to do with you?" Leroy fumed. "Of course, it has something to do with me! Andrew, you and Christie were meant to be together! Our family came here today to ask—when are you marrying her?" Andrew frowned. "Leroy, have you lost your damn mind?" Marriage? He had to give it to the Stevens family—they were shameless beyond belief. Irene forced a smile and said, "Andrew, we came here with sincerity. We truly want to make peace with you! You and Christie can still get back together—most of what happened was just a misunderstanding!" Before Andrew could even respond, Francesca had already stepped in. She stomped up front and glared at the Steve

Irene spat, "With Mr. Wright backing our Christie, she's going to be way more powerful than you! She'll crush you under her feet—just wait and see!" With that, the three members of the Stevens family scurried away, tails between their legs. Francesca, still fuming, crossed her arms. "What is wrong with these people? Christina is getting more twisted by the day! That Quinton guy is ambitious as hell. The moment he set foot in Jayrodale, he tried to snatch the Titan Essence Pill and the Vitality Pill by force! "And yet, Christina actually trusts him? Quinton is going to be even worse than Harvey—he'll devour her whole!" Andrew shrugged. "That's her problem, not mine. You can't wake someone up if they're determined to keep pretending they're in a dream." Francesca's eyes flickered with thought. "Andrew, Quinton isn't just some random guy. Maybe you should at least try to warn Christina, considering… you two had that kind of history?" Andrew shook his head. "It's pointless tryi

"I've always handed over my paycheck. I'm used to it," Nyla murmured. Andrew gave Francesca a small smile. "Fran, let's drop it for now. This is between Nyla and her stepmother—we shouldn't interfere too much." Camilla smirked. "At least Dr. Lloyd knows how to behave. Well then, I'll be heading out." She stood up and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, ordered, "Nyla, help me to the car." Then, in a warning tone, she added, "I'll be back this time next month, so don't even think about hiding your paycheck. If you don't have the full amount ready, don't bother trying to step foot in the Goth family's house." Nyla quickly nodded. "I understand, Madam. Don't worry—I'll give you everything." Camilla nodded in satisfaction, putting on a fake, affectionate smile. "That's a good girl. At least my efforts in raising you haven't been in vain. You know how busy your father is, and I'm the only one managing the household. Even in my rare moments of rest, I still have t