Irene, embarrassed and angry, snapped, "Who asked you to defend us? Stop acting so high and mighty. If Harvey were here, he could have handled it just as easily." Leroy added smugly, "Exactly! If Harvey were here, that idiot Conan wouldn't have dared to act so shamelessly." Deep down, both mother and son felt bitter. The fact that Andrew handled someone who had trampled over them only made them look weak and useless in comparison. Christina could not take it anymore and scolded them. "Mom, Leroy, can you two just stop?" She sighed in exasperation. "Andrew helped us out, and that's the fact. Thanks to him, the issue with Thrive Enterprise's materials has been resolved perfectly." Christina turned to Andrew with a complicated expression. "Whether you accept it or not, I need to thank you. If it weren't for you, my mom and Leroy would have been beaten for nothing." "Christie, why are you thanking him? We didn't ask for his help," Irene muttered resentfully. "Andrew, please
Christina said, "I was trying to give you friendly advice, but if you won't listen, forget I said anything. I understand you might not have access to Mr. Yates, which is why you're pretending not to need his help." "Don't worry though. You helped me once, so even if you can't get Mr. Yates to speak up for you, I'll stand up for you if Mr. Huxley causes any trouble," she added. Andrew chuckled dismissively. "That won't be necessary. Stevens Corporation should focus on its own problems." Irene snorted. "What problems? Our company is thriving. Don't you dare spread rumors." Andrew gave a cold smile. "From what I hear, Harvey's drowning in debt and barely staying afloat. Stevens Corporation's investment is probably going down the drain. If I were you, I'd try to get that money back now to minimize losses." "That's bullshit!" Irene snapped. "Andrew, just admit you're jealous. Harvey just confirmed everything's on track. Once the paperwork comes through, Stevens Corporation will be
Tony's expression turned cold as he replied, "Mr. Eslinger, it was a young man named Andrew Lloyd." Bane Eslinger frowned. "A young man? That seems unlikely. Mastering pressure point techniques that could manipulate someone's life and death isn't something a youngster could achieve." Tony said bitterly. "Mr. Eslinger, I'm not lying. Andrew not only struck Juan's pressure point but also took down one of my top lieutenants. I'll make him pay dearly for this." Michael interjected, "Mr. Madden Senior, are you talking about that junior doctor from Jayrodale General Hospital?" "That's exactly who I mean!" Tony replied, surprised. "Do you know him, Mr. Rhodes?" Michael's expression darkened. "Of course I do. Right now, he has my dear cousin Lauren, the Rhodes family's heiress, completely wrapped around his finger." He turned to Bane and said, "Bane, remember the Death's Draught you gave me? Andrew was the one who neutralized it." Bane was surprised. "Ah, so it was him. If he can
"You're making too big a deal out of this. Why bring me in for such a minor player?" Bane remarked. Michael scoffed. "Bane, you're oversimplifying things. To inherit Rhodes Corporation, I need to get rid of Lauren. With your help, eliminating her would have made my path to leadership smooth sailing, but then Andrew showed up and ruined everything. I can't even enjoy messing around with women anymore with this rage burning inside me." Bane nodded. "Fair enough. He has sparked my curiosity too. The fact that he could neutralize my poison shows more skill than that old fool Cedric—I'd like to meet him myself." Michael smiled coldly, confident in his plan. "With Lauren protecting him, I couldn't touch him directly. But now that Tony's involved, that punk is as good as dead." … Later that evening, Christina was preparing to leave the South City project office after a long day's work. "Christie, please buy me a Porsche. I'm begging you," Leroy pleaded, following behind her. Chr
"Take her." As soon as the command rang out, two East Side thugs immediately grabbed Christina's arms and started dragging her away. "Let her go! Who the hell do you think you are, touching someone from the Stevens family?" Leroy shouted in rage. "You better not lay a finger on her!" Irene screamed. "My daughter is Harvey Weller's fiancee. Do you have any idea what's going to happen to you?" The leader stood emotionless, radiating deadly intent. "Do you think I care about the Stevens family? Here in Jayrodale, I've killed people from families way more important than your little family. Back off if you want to live. I won't hesitate to kill you right here." His menacing presence sent chills down everyone's spines, but Leroy refused to back down. "You think I'm scared of you? Go ahead, try something! Harvey will have your head if you touch me!" The leader's eyes flashed coldly as he suddenly struck Leroy with devastating force, sending him flying. Blood spurted from Leroy's m
Harvey knew exactly what kind of man Tony was, but there was a problem—he owed Tony millions and had no right to challenge East Side's crime boss. "Mrs. Stevens, don't worry. I'll handle this. How dare that old bastard touch Christie! He'll regret it for sure!" Despite his fear, Harvey's tone was full of bravado, acting as if Tony was beneath him. "I knew it!" Irene's tears turned into smiles. "With you stepping in, Harvey, even Tony will have to release her." "You can rest assured, Mrs. Stevens. Tony will have to respect the Weller family name, whether he likes it or not," Harvey promised confidently. After hanging up, Harvey's expression was replaced with, his previous confidence completely gone. "Tony, Christina is my woman. Do you actually think you can get to her before I do? That's not how this works!" Growing angrier by the second, Harvey's face contorted as he dialed Tony's number. "Mr. Madden Senior, even if I owe you money, you didn't have to take my woman. Pleas
At that moment, Andrew was at Jayrodale General Hospital when Dylan called. "Mr. Lloyd, there's something urgent I need to report." "What is it, Dylan?" Andrew asked. "My men saw Tony's people take Christina, the CEO of Stevens Corporation, from the South City project," Dylan reported gravely. "When did this happen?" Andrew's tone turned icy. "Just moments ago. She's probably been taken to the East Side by now. I suspect Tony is planning to use her against you, Mr. Lloyd." "I'll make sure he pays with his life for this!" Andrew growled. Dylan felt a chill running down his spine. "Mr. Lloyd, are you going to intervene? I'll gather our men right away to storm East Side with you." "No need. I'll go alone. I want to see what Tony's up to," Andrew replied calmly. "But Mr. Lloyd, Tony's dangerous! Going alone is—" Before Dylan could even finish his warning, Andrew interrupted, "Don't worry. Once I'm there, no matter how many men or skilled fighters East Side are protecti
Tony chuckled. "Of course, Mr. Blackwood. Even just having you here is worth every penny." Even though he said that, his heart ached at the cost. These martial arts masters had extraordinary skills but were also arrogant and greedy. Each job they took was like an excuse to extort the clients, draining them dry with every outrageous demand. Nonetheless, Tony's thoughts turned cold as he remembered the rumors circulating in Jayrodale's underworld—that he, the East Side crime lord, was a useless old man, and Juan was equally worthless. Both father and son had been humiliated by some nobody, tarnishing the reputation of East Side's ruler. The shame was simply unbearable, and Tony believed the only way to salvage his reputation was to eliminate Andrew. By doing so, he would restore his image as the unshakable ruler of the East Side. Just then, Christina was brought in. Her face turned pale at the sight of the hundred-plus thugs and the martial art masters seated at the front. "