Andrew smiled at her. "And what else?"Luna's face turned red again. She turned her head away, embarrassed. "I don't know."Andrew stepped closer until their breath brushed between them. He whispered, "What else? If you don't say it now, we won't get another chance once we're back in Chetvine."Luna bit her lip and mumbled, "What do you want me to say?" Andrew kept his eyes on her and said, "You know exactly what I want you to say. Come on."Luna opened her mouth, hesitated, then finally murmured, "I-I like you! There… happy now?" Andrew burst out laughing and said, "Happy? I'm thrilled."He grabbed her delicate hand and said, "Come on, let's head back to Chetvine."Luna nodded hard, and for some reason, she felt more relaxed and at ease than she ever had before. She followed Andrew closely, unable to take her eyes off him for even a second. She kept thinking that she wished this moment could last forever. Luna had no idea that in the years to come, she would often think ba

The moment everyone left, Lorenzo dropped to his knees and knocked his forehead against the floor repeatedly. He cried, "Mr. Vazquez, I was wrong, terribly wrong. Please calm your anger."Guillermo clasped his hands behind his back as he stood and said, "Ever since Reginald betrayed me, I stopped taking apprentices. Throughout my entire life, I have only taken on three."The first died young and offered nothing worth mentioning. The second was Reginald, a once-in-a-generation talent. To be honest, I still think it's a shame even now. As for the third… that would be you."He continued, "Lorenzo, your talent was nowhere near Reginald's. But you did have one good trait. You were steady, patient, and capable of enduring what others couldn't. Yet this time, you revealed yourself to be all bark and no bite, greedy for quick success."You are my apprentice, and although your martial ability is limited, your real strength has always been strategy, planning, and manipulating the field behin

Jose was standing outside with his arms crossed. "Lorenzo, did Mr. Vazquez chew you out? You look terrible."His chuckle clearly hinted that he was enjoying this.Lorenzo's expression darkened as he grunted, "He didn't exactly yell at me, but he did hold me accountable."Jose chuckled. "Don't take it to heart. That kid does have some guts. Besides, our goal was to get Mikayla out, not to kill him. Otherwise, I would've stepped in. You know I'm not afraid of Sheena and the others showing up. If we really fought, I could've taken down at least two of them."Lorenzo did not doubt it because Jose was Guillermo's strongest fighter for a reason. He replied, "What I hate is that the Owens family lost a golden chance to rise into the noble houses. I'm going to make him pay for this humiliation."Jose dropped his arms and said thoughtfully, "I agree, we can't let him live. I don't care whether his energy core still has seals on it or not. That brat had the nerve to look down on me, and t

Elaine shook her head. "I'm not joking with you. Andrew, you have to marry Valerie. As for the reason, you should already know. She got angry and confessed everything that you did to her. When Finnegan heard about it, he was furious. You have to take responsibility."Andrew's brows furrowed deeply. Just moments ago, Valerie had returned with him from the Advanced Medical Institute. He had practically shaken an entire peach blossom tree for her, and it had been such a beautiful memory. Yet, she went and betrayed him, telling Finnegan about those stupid little incidents from the past.Among Chetvine's major families, every family head was a person of high status and power.The strongest fighter was Sergio, head of the Harding family. However, the one with the most backing, the most domineering and fierce personality, was Finnegan.Andrew did not fear the Reyes family, but he also did not want to get involved with Finnegan. Yet now, even Elaine had shown up on his doorstep.Did this

Andrew was not a man ruled by lust, but he could not help it. After all, Luna truly was an extraordinary woman. Their relationship now existed in a gray area, but it had become an unspoken understanding between them, an open secret.The moment they entered the office, Luna locked the door behind them.Andrew smirked. "Is that really necessary? We're not having an affair."Luna let out a sigh of relief and tried to look composed. "I value my privacy. Keeping the door locked is just a habit."Andrew circled her office once and asked, "So, what should we do next?"Luna pressed her lips together. "First, tell me… Do you have any actual business at military headquarters?"Andrew shook his head. "Nothing really. I just happened to drop by to see you. I don't know why, but I suddenly wanted to come. Maybe because I missed you."Luna's heart skipped a beat, an indescribable warmth filling her. Even so, she refused to show it on her face. "I'll… pour you some water first."Just as she t