Andrew quickly removed his hand from Christina's, feeling awkward. Francesca raised an eyebrow and asked, "Ms. Stevens is in such a vulnerable state right now. You're not falling for her again, are you?" "It's not like that at all," Andrew replied wearily. "She got hurt because of me, so it's my responsibility to help her recover." "That better be all it is," Francesca warned. "You know Lauren would be heartbroken if you got back together with Ms. Stevens. I think you know that better than anyone." "Why are you bringing up Ms. Rhodes?" Andrew groaned. "That's completely unrelated." "Don't play dumb—it's totally related," Francesca snapped. "Everyone can see Lauren has feelings for you. If you break her heart, you're nothing but a jerk." Andrew wisely chose not to argue, knowing it would only make things worse. This irritated Francesca even more. "Well? What are your plans with Lauren?" "Ms. Rhodes has helped me a lot, and she's beautiful and kind. I consider her a good f
Lauren's heart sank, but her face remained cold and distant. She declared firmly, "No one has the right to decide about my marriage except me." Michael let out a scornful laugh. "I knew you'd resist, but it's pointless. This arranged marriage has been approved by the head of the family and the Rhodes Corporation board members. You have no choice in the matter, whether you object or not." With a mocking glance, Michael walked away. Lauren sat back in her chair, feeling helpless as she mumbled, "Even after everything, I still can't escape being another steppingstone for the family's expansion…" Her gaze flashed with determination as she continued, "The Driscoll family might be powerful, but I refuse to accept this arrangement!" However, it did not last long. The light in Lauren's eyes quickly dimmed as she let out a bitter laugh. She wondered aloud, mumbling, "What about his feelings for me? These past few days, he's completely focused on Christina, ignoring me. Perhaps Mic
After being hospitalized at the Jayrodale General Hospital for three days, Christina finally regained consciousness. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the luxurious private ward, where a tall figure in a white coat was busy working with his back turned to her. His handsome profile was serious and striking, just as gorgeous as she remembered. Suddenly, Andrew turned around and said, "You're finally awake." Christina quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing. "Yes, I am." Andrew replied. "That's good news. I'll notify your family that you can be discharged." Christina frowned, hurt evident in her voice. "Are you that eager to see me leave now that I'm awake?" Andrew stared at her directly. "What else would you have me do? Am I supposed to beg you to say?" Christina fell silent for a long moment before speaking through gritted teeth. "Andrew, why does every conversation between us have to turn into an argument fill
After a moment's hesitation, Christina said, "Harvey, I have some questions I'd like to ask you. If you're uncomfortable answering, I won't press the matter." Harvey's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a smile. "Christie, darling, there's nothing you can't ask me. I've always been completely honest with you." Andrew secretly scoffed, realizing Christina had finally noticed some of Harvey's suspicious behavior. However, it was no longer his concern. "Tony mentioned that you owed him millions when he kidnapped me," Christina said carefully. "Harvey, is that true?" Harvey immediately denied it. "Absolutely not. It's completely false. Tony is nothing but a common thug. As a member of the Weller family and one of Jayrodale's elite, I wouldn't even speak with someone like him, let alone owe him money." Irene chuckled. "Christie, you silly girl! The Wellers are old money, and Harvey was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. People owe him money, not the other way around." The
Andrew's sudden comment instantly darkened the mood for the Stevens family and Harvey. Harvey replied with a scowl, "As I said before—I was busy calling in favors and gathering support the moment Christie was taken. Andrew, what's the point of constantly criticizing me?" "Even if you were gathering support, that wouldn't prevent you from answering your phone," Andrew shot back with a cold smile. "Or was the support story just a cover because you were too scared of Tony to do anything?" Harvey's face darkened even further because Andrew had hit the nail on the head. When Tony had disrespected and mocked him earlier, Harvey had spent hours fuming helplessly. Owing Tony millions, he dared not confront him, let alone demand anything from Tony. "Andrew, you're just a small-time doctor. I'm letting this slide for Christie's sake," Harvey said smoothly. "You may not understand the extent of my family's power from your limited perspective, but those who know, know." Though seething w
"Mom, please stop it with the flattery—there are people here," Christina said uncomfortably. Then, she asked, "Harvey, has the paperwork on the East Side redevelopment investment you mentioned earlier been approved? What's the status?" Harvey immediately broke into a confident smile. "You're right, Christie. The documents have been officially approved. I was planning to surprise you when you woke up, but you beat it to me." "Does this mean my 15-million-dollar investment return is coming?" Irene asked excitedly. Leroy chimed in eagerly, "Harvey, don't forget about me! I'm not as greedy as Mom—just a few million will do. I'll immediately buy a Bugatti, and it'll make someone's cheap car look like trash." He shot a deliberate smirk at Andrew as he spoke. Andrew ignored the fool who was counting on the East Side investment money to buy a luxury car. In fact, these two idiots would be lucky if they had enough money left to buy even a meal when this was all over. Harvey said
Harvey shot Andrew a cold smirk, determined to put him in his place. "Andrew, I kindly offered to let you in on this investment opportunity to help you make some money. Too bad you didn't take advantage of it. Are you having regrets now?" The Stevens family members joined in with mocking laughter, eager to curry favor with Harvey. One mocked, "Don't waste your time on lost causes, Mr. Weller. Some people are destined to stay poor forever." "Next time there's easy money to be made, count me in, Mr. Weller! Unlike certain idiots, I won't turn down free money," another chimed in. "Exactly, Mr. Weller! You should just tell us and not waste time on those losers!" "Remember how you called us all fools, Andrew?" Irene gloated. "How does it feel now? Jealous?" Andrew let out a mocking laugh. "Jealous of you all losing everything by falling for this scam?" Leroy taunted, "Classic sour grapes. Just wait until the money comes in—I'll make sure to drive my new Bugatti past you so yo
Harvey stated confidently, "You just mentioned the new development zone. If it's not East Side, where else could it be? Let's turn on the TV and watch the news. I'm sure the media will be calling me, the biggest winner, for interviews any minute now!" Then, he lounged back, feeling smug. Leroy rushed to turn on the TV like an eager puppy, and the Stevens family watched intently, brimming with excitement. Someone muttered, "Wait… that doesn't look like the East Side!" "It's not East Side. It looks more like West End." "Yeah, it's definitely West End—that run-down area with all the cheap land around it. The city tried to sell it before, but no one was stupid enough to take it," another commented. The Stevens family members quickly realized something was wrong. The payments being discussed on TV were not for the East Side at all, but for the West End—the complete opposite side of town. Cold sweat broke out on Harvey's forehead, though he tried to maintain his composure. "Ah, W