Andrew said, "Mr. Chapman, please wait outside. This is a treatment room, and it's best not to have non-medical personnel present." He added confidently, "As for Lucy, give me half an hour, and she'll be perfectly fine." Marcus was stunned by the young doctor's composure and confidence. After all, Bernard had been frantically trying to help his beloved daughter without success, yet Andrew claimed he only needed 30 minutes. Seeing his hesitation, Francesca smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Chapman. You're an executive at the Rhodes family corporation and one of Lauren's people. Lucy will receive the best care possible in our facility." Marcus nodded and said, "Alright, I'll wait outside for Dr. Lloyd's good news. However, let me be clear—Lucy's well-being is non-negotiable." Bernard's face darkened considerably as he asked, "Dr. Lloyd, are you stealing my patient?" He had hoped to establish a connection with Marcus, but those plans seemed to be falling apart, which deeply

Andrew was taken aback and said, "I have no intention of interfering with the Rhodes family's marriage arrangements. I just think it's unfair to force her into something she doesn't want." Marcus smiled knowingly. "No need to explain so quickly. I understand your feelings—you want to be the hero who saves the damsel, right? But think about it: even though you're accomplished and young as the deputy chief of Jayrodale General Hospital, the Rhodes family is in a completely different league." Marcus continued earnestly, "Your concern for Ms. Rhodes isn't wrong, but you need to recognize the vast gap between your worlds. Lauren is like a rare diamond, and having had her attention should be enough for a lifetime. If you push your luck, you might end up getting seriously hurt." Andrew could only smile wryly at Marcus's well-meaning advice. Clearly, Marcus saw him as someone trying to climb the social ladder. While the Rhodes family had expanded to Blumedale and their prestige grew da

"No matter how many failures I face, Andrew, I'll never stoop to being a gold digger like you," Aspen said venomously. She continued, "Natasha and Dylan might be fooled by you now, but tell them this—I won't let Atlas's death go unpunished. If they don't return my billion dollars, they'll face the same fate as the Northern District!"Andrew replied calmly, "Let me warn you one last time, Aspen. This is Jayrodale, not Bridgefields, and certainly not your Stevens family territory. You should learn to be more modest away from home. Not everyone will coddle you like your parents. If you try to cause trouble for Dylan and Natasha, you'll only be destroying yourself." Christina laughed coldly and said, "Andrew, you're acting like you represent these two underground leaders. Why put on such an act?" "You're actually right," Andrew smiled. "I do represent them. In fact, I now control Jayrodale's underground world." Aspen scoffed, "Come on, Christie. Let's go. It's a waste of time t

Lauren cried hard, but her resolve remained unshaken. She declared firmly, "No. If I choose to comply now, that's when I'll truly regret it. I've told the family countless times—Andrew isn't ordinary. He's a hidden gem, and he deserves not just me, but any exceptional woman!" The momentary softness in Tiana's eyes vanished instantly. "So you're still blindly obsessed with him?" she asked coldly. Lauren trembled as she felt the invisible barrier between mother and daughter, which had briefly narrowed, suddenly grew wider than ever. She slowly wiped away her tears and said expressionlessly, "Call it a blind obsession or say I'm degrading myself—either way, it has to be Andrew." Tiana sneered. "Fine. You've always made this boy sound extraordinary. Let's see how exceptional he really is. Do you think he's better than Joe?" Lauren scoffed. "Joe has his family's backing, of course, people look up to him. But when it comes to true excellence, he doesn't even deserve to be compared

Ernest exhaled a cloud of smoke and laughed heartily. "Kid, you're still young. There are things in life you just can't appreciate yet." He leaned back, smirking. "I'm feeling generous today, so I'll share a little wisdom with you—listen up. Women are best when fresh and youthful but being too young isn't ideal either. Aside from being fresh, there's another factor—experience. A widow like Natasha? She's got both. Her skin is smoother than an 18-year-old's, and let's not even start on the experience she brings. Trust me, a widow like her is a rare gem, an absolute treasure!" His shameless speech was so over the top that even Natasha, seasoned as she was, felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Andrew could not help but marvel at Ernest's brazenness. For someone so openly lecherous, his argument almost made sense. Andrew's gaze involuntarily flicked toward Natasha, studying her with curiosity. Noticing this, Natasha's eyes narrowed in annoyance. She wanted to punch him but set