Luna's chest rose and fell with anger, her gaze cold as ice. "The nerve… No one's ever dared speak to me like that, especially not some backwater hick. You're the first." Nonetheless, he did not plan to take Andrew to heart. He was just a small-time nobody—at most, a temporary annoyance. Now that he had left the Phelan estate, she figured it was better this way. Out of sight, out of mind. … Back at the mansion, Luna found Montgomery resting in his room. "Grandpa, earlier… when you said Andrew looked familiar, what exactly did you mean? Who does he remind you of?" Montgomery's eyes grew distant as he murmured, "He really did look familiar. Back when I was in Chetvine, I caught a glimpse of a young man like him once—dashing, bold, and absolutely unmatched in presence." Luna was caught off guard and grew even more curious. "Grandpa, who exactly are you talking about? You always say I'm the only one worthy of praise—now you're giving that to a stranger? I don't like that!" On
Just as expected, the moment Andrew left the Phelan estate, someone started tailing him. Even so, he did not care in the slightest. He casually pulled out his phone and called Aspen. "Come pick me up. I'll send you my location." Then, he spent the next few minutes strolling through the streets, purposely leading the tail through a maze of turns. Once he reached a busy part of the city, Andrew made a few quick moves through the crowd and lost the stalker without breaking a sweat. At the arranged pickup point, a cherry-red LaFerrari was parked boldly at the curb, gleaming under the sun. Leaning coolly against the hood, wearing sunglasses and radiating confidence, was Aspen—a full-on showstopper. The second she saw Andrew, she did not say a word—just grabbed him and shoved him into the passenger seat. Then, she quickly slammed the gas and shot off like they were escaping a crime scene. "Okay, you're being a bit dramatic," Andrew said with a laugh, watching Aspen drive like s
Andrew stepped into the upscale private dining room, placed his order, and waited for the food to arrive. He had been running around all day, and the Phelan family had not even offered him a sip of water. By the time he sat down, he was starving. So, he could not care less about his image and dug right in. Aspen hesitated, then said shyly, "Hey, do you want to have a drink? You know, to celebrate?" Andrew looked up at her. "Drinks? What are we celebrating?" "Celebrating our company's launch," Aspen said with a slight nod. Andrew chuckled. "Sure, let's open a bottle then. But I gotta say, you've changed since moving to Blumedale. Never thought you'd be into these fancy little celebrations." Aspen blushed, which was rare for her. "I just feel like… you're this big-time CEO managing billions in assets. It'd be a shame not to mark the occasion." So, they ordered a bottle of wine. Or at least tried to—an '82 vintage wine, to be specific. However, those legendary vintages had
Andrew started clapping slowly. He mocked, "Bravo. That was truly something. A full-on knight-in-shining-armor performance!" Aspen pleaded, "Andrew, please don't get mad. I'll make him leave right now!" Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Mad? I'm not mad at all. Actually, I'm happy for you." Aspen blinked in confusion. "Happy for me? Why?" Andrew gave her a chilling smile. "I mean, look at you—some heir to a powerful family wants to marry you, all head over heels, ready to rescue you from a so-called nightmare. That's gotta be something worth celebrating, right?" Aspen fell silent. She could not explain it, but something about that smile of his sent shivers down her spine. Seth tugged at his collar and looked down on Andrew with a smug grin. He said, "Kid, I know you've got a little something going on. Back in a small dump like Jayrodale, you might even pass for a big shot. "But this is the capital. It's a battleground full of real players. This isn't some backwater town you can
"Starting trouble at Aroma Exchange? Do you have a death wish?" A sharp, commanding voice sliced through the room. Striding in at the center of a group of men in fitted black suits was a tall woman in a crimson designer dress, a lit cigarette delicately balanced between her fingers. Her wavy hair and cold expression made her presence impossible to ignore. Behind her, the men stood like trained operatives—buzz cuts, sharp eyes, and temple veins slightly bulging—the kind of guys you just knew were professionals. Seth pointed at Andrew and barked, "Ms. Sinclair, I know the restaurant's rules! But I'm not the one who started anything—it was him, this crazy bastard! Just look at me! He beat me like an animal!" Ruth Sinclair's gaze darkened as she turned toward Andrew. "So you're the one who smashed Mr. Haywood's head open?" Before Andrew could respond, Aspen stepped in. "Ms. Sinclair, we were just having dinner when Seth barged into our private room and disrupted everything. As pe
Ruth turned her head slightly, voice sharp and cool. "Mr. Haywood, is it true—what Ms. Aspen said? Did you barge in and stir things up first?" Seth growled, "I only said a few words. I never crossed the line! But that lunatic just snapped and attacked me out of nowhere! Ms. Sinclair, the Haywoods and your establishment have always had a good relationship. You have to stand up for me!" Aspen quickly countered, "Ms. Sinclair, that's not how it happened at all! He came into our private suite without permission and kept throwing insults at Andrew, calling him names over and over again. If you don't believe me, check the surveillance footage!" Seth sneered coldly. "Aspen, everything I did—I did for you. I was trying to save you from this nightmare, and this is how you repay me?" Aspen scoffed. "Mr. Haywood, are you really going to pretend your intentions were noble? Let's be honest—you had your own motives. I've told you before, I'm not one of those starry-eyed girls who fall for a
"Let's go! What the hell are you doing? Move!" Aspen was so pale she looked like she might pass out, and she shoved Andrew hard—twice. She could not understand why he was being so reckless. Why could he not lower his ego and let this slide? After all, this was not Jayrodale. This was the capital, a place crawling with power players and hidden sharks. Even Seth had the sense to shut up, and back down in front of Ruth, yet Andrew was still out here picking a fight. Was he trying to get them killed? Andrew suddenly pulled her into his arms, his gaze sharp and cold. He said flatly, "Don't worry. I've got you tonight. If anything happens to you, I'll make sure this trash excuse of a restaurant gets wiped off the map." Aspen's mind went completely blank, and her body went numb. They were in trouble—deep, terrifying trouble. Ruth let out a slow, furious laugh and snapped, "You've got a sharp mouth for someone so young! Do you really think you're untouchable? One word from me, an
Some guests watched on with smug amusement. Ruth bit down her rage and gave a chilling command to the man at her side. "Wait until they finish their meal and leave the restaurant. I want that punk's tongue." With that, she turned and walked away, the contempt on her face thick enough to cut through glass. What a joke—he actually thought he could touch her? Ruth was beautiful, yes, but she was also powerful. In a place like this, people did not just treat her with courtesy—they treated her with reverence. No one had ever dared to say something so disrespectful to her, and the reason was simple. Behind her stood a monster of a man, a silent force that kept Aroma Exchange untouchable. He was the one who made this restaurant sacred ground. … Back in the private suite, the food was served again, freshly plated. A new bottle of Celestial Reserve had also been opened. Andrew ate happily, completely unbothered. Meanwhile, Aspen sat stiff as a board, her face pale and tense, an