Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Andrew did not linger long at the Peck estate before heading to his next stop- Aaron's turf.

He tossed the briefcase across the room and got straight to business. "Here's 100 million. Where's the information?"

Aaron was lounging on the couch, getting a leg massage from a curvy woman. He raised a hand to stop his men from checking the case, saying, "No need. If it's coming from Mr. Lloyd, I trust it's legit."

Then, he pulled the pen hanging from his chest pocket and scribbled down a note on a clean sheet of paper. Once he was done, he set the pen down and glanced at Andrew with a meaningful look.

"Mr. Lloyd, I never said a word. Whatever you plan to do has nothing to do with me."

Andrew took the slip, gave it a quick read, then shredded it into pieces. He smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I was never here, and we don't even know each other."

Aaron let out a hearty laugh. "That's what I like about you, Mr. Lloyd. Doing business with you feels refreshing."

The note contained details on Scarlett's whereabouts and expected schedule. Andrew's people could not investigate something that discreet, but the underworld's Dragon King could.

When Andrew wanted to strike at the Driscoll family, Ronald did not dare take the job. Yet, Aaron jumped at the payday without hesitation.

Money had a way of emboldening the bold.

Later that day, Andrew returned to Serenity Villa and made a call to Logan. "Get me a high-powered sniper rifle. Yeah, the Barrett M82A1."

Logan's tone shifted instantly. "Andy, what the hell are you planning? That kind of gear isn't easy to get, you know."

Andrew responded flatly, "Then figure it out. The Keller family isn't supposed to be incompetent in a place like Blumedale."

Logan chuckled. "Alright, alright. Since you put it like that, I guess I'll have to show off a little. I've actually got one in my private stash. I bought it off some rebel group in the Middle Veruin. It's been maintained perfectly. One bullet, one body- guaranteed."

Andrew grunted in reply and hung up, his face unreadable.

Scarlett had made her move in broad daylight, so it was clearly meant to kill. If she wanted to play like that, then Andrew had no choice but to return the favor.

Victoria had suggested drawing

P

Scarlett out and killing her quietly, cutting off the Driscoll family's strongest wing before they even knew what hit them. After all, if Andrew planned to dominate Gabo Creek, going up against the Three Titans was inevitable.

So, why not strike first? It was a tempting plan, tactical and aggressive.

However, Andrew had turned it

down. He did not actually care about becoming the so-called King of

Gabo Creek. The only reason he was retaliating now was because

Scarlett had crossed a line that could not be ignored.

Suddenly, he asked, "Shiloh's been pretty close to Joe lately, hasn't she?"

At that moment, Lauren, Francesca, and Aspen were all out handling work. He was home with Natasha and Dylan.

Natasha replied, "Shiloh's still doing her usual part-time shifts. But Joe's been sticking to her like glue. He's with her practically every day now. They're basically attached at the hip."

Andrew did not say another word and slipped into the alchemy room to continue his pill refining.noveldrama

Zachary was about to take the student trial soon, and as a former subordinate, Andrew couldn't just sit back and do nothing.

Andrew had heard about the Southern Martial Union's leader, Jerome, but did not know him personally. He only knew that Jerome ranked eighth on the Titan List, a legit martial saint.

Andrew was genuinely happy that Zachary managed to land a spot under him.

That evening, the three women returned home from work.

Aspen hesitated for a moment, then approached Andrew alone. "Honey, I think maybe we should just let the whole Driscoll thing go."

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Let it go? What do you mean by that?"