Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

"Mr. Lloyd, I swear—I don't know anything!" Mason threw up his hands, playing

dumb.

Andrew sneered. "You don't know? I was attacked at your father's funeral... on

Ulrich family grounds. And you're telling me you had no idea? Don't you think

that's a little far-fetched?"

Mason raised one hand, his face full of conviction. "If you don't believe me, Mr.

Lloyd, I swear. If I, Mason Ulrich, have lied to you in the slightest, may the

heavens strike me down and may I die a horrible death!"

A clap of thunder exploded overhead. The sky had already been overcast, heavy

with dark clouds. And right on cue, a light rain began to fall.

Mason's face froze. His jaw dropped, and he barely held back a loud curse.

Andrew smiled faintly. "Even the heavens don't buy your story. Looks like you're

out of excuses."

Still refusing to budge, Mason insisted, "Believe it or not, Mr. Lloyd, I had no

knowledge of any attack. If you're still doubtful, I'll swear on my dead father's soul!

If I lied, may I follow in his footsteps, may I die alone in a nursing home, unloved

and forgotten!"

Andrew sighed and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "You're a ruthless one,

Mason. Be careful, though. Sometimes words come true."

Deep down, Mason sneered.noveldrama

So, what if Andrew had taken Marcelo down? He did not have a single shred of

evidence on him.

That oath? He could swear hundreds of them, empty as air.

Andrew turned to the rest. "Alright, let's head out."

Putting on a fake smile, Mason politely offered, "Mr. Lloyd, why don't you stop by

our home for a bit? You've had a rough day."

Andrew smiled. "That sounds good. Alright, I'm sorry for the trouble! But you

better watch your back, Mason."

Mason frowned. "Watch out for what?"

He had no fear. He had just sworn on the dead and would do it again without

blinking.

Andrew simply smirked. "Just watch out for Cillian not to come back to haunt you

and knock you off your throne."

Mason nearly laughed.

Seriously? This guy still believed in ghosts?

Cillian was dead, and he had personally arranged for that to happen.

What could a dead man possibly do to him?

Face full of contempt, Mason turned to lead the group back to the Ulrich

residence.

Logan and Tiana followed beside Andrew, and Rachel and Duncan came up

behind.

"Hey, Andy... Did Ryder get it done?" Logan asked in a low voice, grinning.

Andrew replied calmly, "Everything's

been set up perfectly. If he still can't

pull it off, he might as well bash his

own head into a wall."

Tiana smiled. "Mason's about to

walk into his own house and realize

he's already been stripped of power.

I wonder what that face of his will

look like."

Logan chuckled darkly. "Easy! He'll look like someone who just got struck by

lightning!"

The group boarded their vehicles and headed back to the Ulrich residence.

The moment they stepped through the gates, Mason knew something was wrong.

At the entrance, two full rows of black-suited bodyguards stood at attention, as if

guarding against an intruder.

Their formation was strict and defensive, like they were waiting for an enemy.

What the hell was this? He had not given any orders for this kind of setup.

"Ryder? Ryder, where the hell are you?"

Mason stormed forward, frowning and shouting through the estate. Yet, no one

responded.

Then, one by one, members of the

Ulrich family began to appear.

However, the way they looked at him

made his skin crawl.

Their expressions were cold, unfamiliar. It was as if they were staring at a

stranger.

"Ryder! Where the hell did you go off to? Get out here, right now!"

Mason's unease turned into panic. He could feel something unraveling, and it was

starting to scare the hell out of him.