Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

The red Ferrari sped down from the mountaintop of The Sovereign Residences, tires slicing through the breeze with precision.

Aspen sat in the passenger seat, hesitating for a while before finally speaking. "That Xavier... turns out he's Seth's older brother, and even worse-he's a full- blown colonel. Andrew, a colonel in the military is basically a god to most people. You'd better... watch your back."

Andrew hit the brakes and stopped right in front of the gated entrance of The Sovereign Residences. He turned with a grin. "Aspen, are you worried about my safety?"

Aspen scoffed, gritting her teeth a little. "Worried is a stretch. I'm just giving you a heads-up. And don't act like it's nothing. We haven't even cleaned up the mess with Seth and Mr. Parks."

She added, "And now you've provoked the Haywoods' golden boy too? All I can say is way to add fuel to the fire."

Andrew said flatly, "One loser or 100 losers, there's no real difference."

At that moment, the two martial arts guards at the gate stepped forward to open the doors. Their expressions were mixed as they offered a reluctant bow.

Andrew did not drive through immediately. Instead, he chuckled. "Not long ago, you two wouldn't even let us in, and now I'm the new owner of Serenity Villa. Must sting a little, huh?"

The guards exchanged glances. They said nothing, but their expressions said it all —yeah, it stung, and they thought the turn of events simply did not make sense.

Andrew smiled wider and said, "Don't fall for me—I'm just a legend."

With that, he floored the accelerator and drove off in a flash.

Aspen sat in the passenger seat and buried her face in her hands.

What now? This man was downright embarrassing, and she did not want to be seen in the same car with him.

Back at the entrance of The Sovereign Residences, the two guards could not help but sigh.

"Man, strange things are happening left and right these days," one muttered.

"Seriously. I didn't expect Serenity Villa to change owners this quickly. You think that guy might be some hidden big shot?"

"Hidden my ass," the other scoffed. "It's either dumb luck or something shady going on behind the scenes."

"I'm with you. When Mr. Fischer owned Serenity Villa, no one dared question it. But now, some no-name kid has the keys? No idea if that's a good thing or a disaster waiting to happen..."

Andrew had no idea people were already gossiping behind his back about how he had taken over Serenity Villa. Then again, if he had known, he would not have cared either way.

Half an hour later, he stepped into the official administrative tower in Blumedale. He was there on invitation from Derek himself.

Aspen had already driven off in her own car to handle matters at Supreme Capital Group.

"Mr. McCormick's been waiting on you for 30 minutes, Mr. Lloyd," a sharp voice greeted him before he even made it inside the office.

"Seems like your ego might be even bigger than that of The Five Apex Families-or the Three Titans, for that matter."

It was none other than Derek's secretary, Chantelle. Unsurprisingly, she still carried that frosty, emotionless vibe. And as usual, she came in with claws out.

Andrew chuckled. "Ms. Garcia, you look stunning today."

Chantelle's expression did not budge. "I didn't dress up for you."

Andrew's smile did not waver. He clicked his tongue and said, "Oh, I know. You're dressed up for Mr. McCormick, right? That man's taste-flawless as always."

Chantelle's cold face froze for anoveldrama

second. Her eyes narrowed as she said, "Andrew, Mr. McCormick is a married man, and he's the governor. You should really watch your jokes—unless you want to end up in prison without even realizing how you got there."