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Rising from the Ashes Chapter 174
"Kane, the head of the Weller family, has been thinking about stepping down due to his poor health," Francesca said with disdain. "But judging by Harvey's stupidity and self-destructive behavior, if the Weller family ends up in his hands, it will be a complete disaster!" Andrew shook his head. "That's the Weller family's business, not mine. I just hope Harvey doesn't do anything too foolish." "If he actually gets control of the Weller family, someone as petty as him will definitely come after you," Francesca remarked with a frown. Andrew replied calmly, "Then I'll make sure both he and the Weller family meet their end sooner rather than later." "Harvey has no idea what he's getting into by targeting someone like you—a silent powerhouse!" Francesca giggled. "I'm getting chills just thinking about it." "I'm no powerhouse," Andrew responded. "I just believe in live and let live. Don't mess with me, and I won't mess with you." Suddenly, Francesca remembered something and exclai
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 175
"Make sure our security stays close to the convoy at all times," Lauren instructed Eunice. "We can't afford any problems." Eunice protested, "But Miss, are we really going to leave behind a third of our herbs? If we go back with this amount, we'll have to shut down several pharmaceutical plants. The losses will be substantial." "I'll cover the losses personally," Lauren replied with a cold smile. "If Michael wants to play games, I'll play along until the end." Eunice was worried but stayed silent, turning to relay the orders to the convoy. After that, Lauren stepped out of the car and approached Tracia Martin, a scar-faced woman standing nearby. "Tracia, the convoy is heading out. Please have your team keep watch over them during the journey." Despite her unremarkable appearance and small frame, Tracia's eyes held a sharp gleam that revealed her expertise as a martial arts master. "I apologize, Miss, but my team and I have only one mission—to protect you. Anything else is b
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 176
Lauren bounced in the back seat, nearly getting sick from the rough ride. She exclaimed, "Tracia, what are you doing? We need to go back and help!" "Going back would be suicide," Tracia replied grimly, keeping her foot on the gas. "As for those useless people back there, their deaths mean nothing—they're worthless anyway!" "Tracia, do you even hear yourself?" Lauren shouted angrily. "As your employer, I order you to take me back right now. For this noncompliance, I'll put in a request to the family to terminate your contract as soon as we return!" Tracia let out a cold laugh, her scarred face looking more sinister than ever. "You're just a little girl. Who do you think you are, trying to order me around?" "What are you planning?" Lauren's expression finally changed as realization dawned. "What am I planning? Why, delivering you to my new employer, of course!" Tracia cackled. "I'm sorry, Ms. Rhodes, but while your family pays well, those who want you dead pay better. Don't tak
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 177
"What are you thinking about?" Tracia suddenly asked. "About someone… a man," Lauren replied softly. "Ms. Rhodes, you're such a stunning beauty. I'm curious who could be on your mind," Tracia said with interest. "His name is Andrew Lloyd," Lauren answered honestly. "He's an incredibly skilled doctor and quite handsome too. Before I met him, I never knew loving someone could be so painful—sometimes the loneliness makes me want to cry." "Shut up! I don't want to hear this nonsense," Tracia snapped. Lauren studied Tracia's scarred face with sudden understanding. "You've never been in love, have you, Tracia? Or rather, no man has ever loved you?" Tracia's expression turned ugly, as if Lauren had struck a nerve. "Men are all worthless idiots. Their so-called love makes me sick. Since you're about to die anyway, I don't mind sharing this with you. When I was young, I met several men. But they all betrayed me, sweet-talking liars who got what they deserved when I cut their throats
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 178
Andrew said earnestly, "Of course I'd come when you're in danger. I'd walk through fire for you." Lauren suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears. "Andrew, you're such a jerk! Turn around—I won't let you see me cry. And just so you know, I'm not crying because of you!" Andrew was uncharacteristically flustered, having never seen this softer, more emotional side of Lauren before. "I hate seeing people being all lovey-dovey in front of me. Since you dared to come, I'll kill you first and let this girl die of heartbreak!" Tracia spat before laughing maniacally. "Perfect! I was planning to kill you anyway," Andrew replied, his eyes turning ice-cold. Then, Tracia lunged forward, curling her hands as she clawed at Andrew with lightning speed. The air whistled with the ferocity of her attacks, her movements almost too fast to follow. "Be careful, Andrew! She's a hidden force master," Lauren warned anxiously, wiping away her tears. Andrew remained calm. To ordi
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 179
Andrew shook his head. "There's no need for such formalities between us, Ms. Rhodes." Lauren felt warmth in her heart at his words but still huffed, "Well, at least you have some conscience. I thought you'd forgotten all about me now that you're rekindling things with Ms. Stevens!" Andrew gave a wry smile, wisely choosing not to explain. After all, some things would only get worse with explanation. Later, they made their way out of the forest and found the Rhodes family security team. "Miss, thank goodness you're safe!" they exclaimed upon seeing Lauren. "What happened to those thugs who ambushed us?" Lauren asked. "Mr. Keoghan arrived and drove them all away," Eunice replied angrily. "He even killed a few of them." "Jerry came? Where is he?" Lauren asked excitedly. Just then, a muscular middle-aged man strode toward them with purposeful steps. "Miss, where's Tracia? I don't see her," he asked. "Tracia is dead," Lauren replied coldly. Jerry Keoghan, the Rhodes family'
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 180
Only three of the Rhodes Corporation's ten trucks were recovered, while the other seven, fully loaded with medical supplies, had vanished without a trace. Jerry pointed at the injured security guards and shouted, "You're a bunch of good-for-nothings! The Rhodes family would've been better off keeping a pack of dogs than paying you!" "Come on, we all did our best," one guard protested, clutching his bleeding arm. "They caught us by surprise, and they had too many skilled fighters. We were overwhelmed." Jerry's eyes narrowed as he strode over and slapped the guard hard across the face. "Who do you think you are to talk back to me? Those supplies better be found, or I'll make sure you pay for your incompetence!" The guard swallowed his anger, and the others shot Jerry resentful looks. Within the Rhodes family, Jerry was the most despised figure. As the Rhodes family's elite fighter, he never treated them like human beings, regularly beating and berating them at will. "Jerry,
Rising from the Ashes Chapter 181
Lauren was angry at how arrogantly Jerry had been acting. She could not help but think these martial arts experts were all challenging to deal with, whether it was Tracia or Jerry. Andrew suddenly spoke up. "I know what he's so smug about, but unfortunately, it won't help him at all!" "Please tell me where to find the clues about the stolen herbs!" Lauren exclaimed excitedly. Andrew explained, "He must be thinking about following the trucks' tire tracks." Lauren nodded thoughtfully, "That's actually not a bad idea. There are plenty of dirt roads in the countryside, and our trucks would definitely leave tracks." Andrew shook his head and replied, "Unless the thieves are complete idiots, they wouldn't leave such obvious tracks for us to follow. Besides, Ms. Rhodes, have you considered what happens when the trucks hit concrete or asphalt roads?" "I guess that would make the tracks useless…" Lauren deflated. "Let's go," Andrew said with a smile. "Where to?" Lauren asked, co
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Chapter 1212
Andrew shook his head slowly and said, "No, you're not like some middle-aged lunatic, and you're definitely not trash or a hooker. You look like a cute little bunny rabbit, just begging to be eaten up. You forced my hand, Aspen!" As soon as he finished speaking, Aspen's eyes widened in sudden panic, realizing what was about to happen. She struggled fiercely, desperate to escape Andrew's grasp. Her voice trembled with tears as she pleaded, "No, no, no! Andrew—Mr. Lloyd—I'm sorry, I admit it, I was wrong! I swear, I won't do it again, please don't do this—please, no!" Her frantic protests ended abruptly with a soft, electric whimper as Andrew silenced her, pressing his mouth firmly onto hers. What followed was a hungry, unstoppable kiss, intense and overwhelming. Aspen's clear eyes widened, her expression first filled with shame and anger, then disbelief, and finally melting into a dazed, dreamy blankness. Their rapid breathing mingled in the confined space of the Ferrari, th
Chapter 1211
Andrew let out a cold laugh as he stared at the trembling Aspen right in front of him. "What am I doing? What do you think I'm doing? When you were trying to suppress Christina and Davon earlier, you used my presence to scare them off. Don't tell me you forgot that?" Aspen flushed, both embarrassed and angry. "I didn't forget! But what I said—was any of it wrong?" Andrew snorted. "No, it wasn't wrong. But you did get one thing messed up: your grudge with Christina has nothing to do with me, so don't drag me into it just to make yourself look good. You used your own boss as a pawn. That takes some guts, Aspen." Aspen instantly felt a chill. She shrank back and begged, "I-I-I… I won't do it again, okay? Andrew, just let me down first. My butt's right up against the window, and if someone walks by and sees this, how the hell am I supposed to live that down?" The corner of Andrew's lips curved into a teasing grin. "Isn't that perfect? You're my little secretary. This? This is very
Chapter 1210
Someone joked loudly, "But we get it… I mean, with a secretary like that, why would you even look at anyone else?" The others burst into raucous laughter, not bothering to hide it even in front of Aspen's increasingly dark expression. "Exactly!" another chimed in. "Mr. Lloyd is living the dream. Damn, I look at my office girl and suddenly feel dead inside!" "Mr. Lloyd's not just talented—he's got the best of both worlds. That little secretary of his is a top-tier beauty!" A bespectacled executive chuckled crudely and added, "Mr. Lloyd, let me give you a piece of advice: when there's work, let the secretary handle it; when there's no work, handle the secretary! That line fits you perfectly!" The entire room erupted in laughter as Aspen's face flushed deep red, her cheeks burning. Furious, she shot Andrew a murderous glare, then stormed out of the room in her heels without a word. Andrew, looking utterly unbothered, leisurely followed behind. He even muttered to himself, "Han
Chapter 1209
"You two went from loving each other to trying to kill each other. Pretty entertaining," Andrew said with a glance at Aspen, smiling faintly. Aspen's face stayed cold. She snapped, "She deserved it, and besides, isn't everything that happened because of you?" Andrew replied calmly, "Had nothing to do with me. I never touched your Bridgefields' Stevens family." Aspen secretly gritted her teeth. Sure, he had not moved against the Stevens family directly. But her? She had been forced to sell herself into slavery, body and soul. Was that not tragic enough? Moreover, who knew when she might completely fall into his hands, devoured, with nothing left? Davon, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, squeezed out a smile. "Mr. Lloyd, Ms. Aspen, I've already taken care of that issue. Should we get down to proper business now?" Andrew nodded. "Okay, let's talk business." Immediately, the business partners who had been waiting nearby all jumped to their feet, smiling brightly and ea
Chapter 1208
"And since Mr. Lloyd needs a new target to let off some steam, maybe you should volunteer, Davon," Aspen said sweetly. The moment those words landed, Davon jumped up in pure panic, wailing, "Ms. Aspen, no, no, please! Don't say another word. I'll do exactly what you say—everything, exactly as you want!" After groveling, Davon's plump face darkened in shame. He spun around toward Christina, pointed straight at the door, and roared, "Christina, you worthless tramp, get out! Right now! You heard Ms. Aspen. Get the hell out of Phoenixdream Enterprises!" Christina's eyes widened. She could not believe that Davon was this spineless, that easy to terrify. She hissed, "Davon, you'd better think twice about what you're doing! If you throw me out, do you really think Mr. Wright will let you off afterward?" She barked a bitter laugh, furious to the core, and deep inside, her hatred for Aspen grew even sharper. Being thrown out in front of everyone, this humiliation would haunt her in Bl
Chapter 1207
Davon blinked in confusion and asked, "Ms. Aspen, who exactly are you calling bitch'?" Aspen smirked coldly and pointed straight at Christina. The latter's face darkened as she stood up stiffly. "Aspen, you're going too far!" Christina snapped. "If I had known Supreme Capital Group was the major client here, do you really think I'd have bothered showing up?" Her tone was sharp, but there was a flicker of unease in her eyes. Aspen remained utterly indifferent. "Since you don't care, then do us all a favor and leave. Christina, I told you once that I would make sure your entire family would struggle in Blumedale. And when I say something, I mean it." Christina's face turned from merely unpleasant to downright ugly. She turned sharply to Davon and demanded, "You're the one who invited us here. Now what's your decision?" It was a clever move, throwing the ball back into Davon's court. After all, they were on Phoenixdream Enterprises' turf—surely Aspen and Andrew could not compl
Chapter 1206
Aspen knew that Ronan charged a reasonable medical fee, and his medical skills were also quite good. Andrew started the car and sped off while answering casually, "I met Mr. Bates by chance. Showed him a few tricks, and he was so impressed by my skills that he practically worships me now. He even offered to introduce me to his granddaughter." Aspen let out a sharp laugh. "Just met by chance, and he's ready to hand over his granddaughter? Come on, if you're going to brag, at least make it believable!" Andrew just smiled, not bothering to argue with her. He and Ronan had bonded over their shared passion for medicine—it was nothing unusual. In truth, after witnessing Andrew's medical skills firsthand, Ronan nearly dropped to his knees, begging to become his disciple, though Andrew firmly refused. And yes, Ronan did have a granddaughter who was currently attending college. Ronan had hinted that if Andrew did not already have a girlfriend, he should consider his granddaughter.
Chapter 1205
After breakfast, Andrew, the ever-hands-off boss, got strong-armed by Aspen into actually going to work. Otherwise, Supreme Capital Group, a company sitting on billions in investments, would end up being nothing more than a shiny nameplate. Aspen's exact words were, "If you keep ignoring everything and leave me to worry about it alone, I'd rather go sell myself on the street than keep slaving away for you! At least if I'm selling, I'll make some money. Meanwhile, I'll probably die broke working for you—or just die!" Andrew winced when he heard that. Realizing that his little maid was seriously holding some grudges, he quickly agreed to tag along to the office. "Give me a minute. I'm gonna change," Aspen said before disappearing into her room. A few minutes later, she strutted out—black stockings, high heels, and a sleek blue business suit that shimmered slightly under the light. She was absolutely stunning, and even Andrew had to admit it. Aspen smirked inwardly. 'Yep, the
Chapter 1204
Whenever Andrew was alone with Tiana, he could not help but feel a little uneasy. Seeing that Tiana had nothing more to say, he quickly took the chance to excuse himself. However, Tiana hesitated. Then, she smiled slyly and asked, "Hold on, let me ask you—have you and Lauren… done it?" Andrew blinked, confused. "Done what?" Tiana rolled her eyes and snapped, "Don't play dumb, Andrew. You know exactly what I'm asking." Andrew finally caught on and answered honestly, "Lauren and I have done pretty much everything, but we haven't crossed the final line." Tiana nodded approvingly. "Good. You need to remember that you can't go that far until you're married. I made sure to tell her that too, and she understands." Andrew's face darkened a little. "Mrs. Rhodes, seriously? This isn't the Dark Ages anymore. We're in a real relationship, and sometimes things get a little… heated." Tiana shook her head firmly. "It's not about being old-fashioned. There are other reasons, but I can't
