"But if you can't cure my condition, I'll make sure you regret it!" Francesca threatened. Andrew nodded, looking serious. "Indeed, we must cure your condition. If you keep that fiery attitude and let your hormones stay out of balance without any outlet, you'll just snap at everyone at sight." "You bastard! I'll kill you!" Francesca exploded with embarrassment and rage. Just then, a group of flashily dressed young people approached, surrounding a skinny guy. He greeted, "Ms. Rhodes, Ms. Aicker, what a pleasure!" His eyes wandered inappropriately over Lauren and Francesca as he spoke. "Juan, take your men and get lost," Francesca said with disgust. Juan Madden gave a sleazy grin. "Still hot-tempered as ever, Ms. Aicker. How about I help you cool down?" Francesca swung at him in anger, but he dodged easily, licking his lips with a perverted smile. "Feisty… I like that!" Lauren was furious and warned, "Juan, don't think you can act like trash just because your father runs
Francesca exploded with anger. "Juan, what did Andrew ever do to you? Besides hiding behind your father's reputation, bullying seems the only thing you're good at!" Juan flashed a smug grin. "I just can't stand that guy. What makes him so special that all the girls fawn over him? What does he have that I don't?" Lauren let out a cold laugh. "You're not even in the same league as him!" "Everyone's talking about how Ms. Rhodes has fallen for some pretty boy. I didn't believe it at first, but now it's pretty obvious. Given how head over heels you are, you must've done everything in the books with him." Juan spoke as he looked Lauren up and down with a shameless grin. While he would not dare mess with the Rhodes family, he figured he could easily handle some guy who was just living off others. Lauren's face flushed with anger and shame at his crude remarks. Before she could react, Andrew stepped forward. "Ms. Rhodes, let me handle this." Francesca quickly warned, "Andrew, d
With a sickening crunch, Juan's nose broke, spraying blood everywhere. At first, he stared in disbelief as blood streamed down his face. However, Juan's shock quickly turned to fury. "You actually hit me? I'll make you—" Before he could even finish his threat, Andrew slapped him hard across the face over and over again. Just like that, Juan's threats transformed into agonized screams. Juan's gang members finally snapped out of it and charged toward Andrew, shouting to get revenge for him. "What the hell! He actually hit Mr. Madden! Get him!" "Take him down!" Andrew grabbed Juan's hair, exposing his bloodied face, and swept a cold gaze across the approaching gang. "One more move and I'll make sure this dog right here is down for good," he stated calmly. The gang members stumbled to a halt, their confidence shattered. Having gotten used to following Juan's bullying ways, they had never encountered someone as formidable as Andrew, and fear paralyzed them. "Apologize
Francesca finally snapped out of her shock from witnessing Juan's brutal defeat, her face filled with fear. She stuttered, "Y-You actually beat up Juan so mercilessly? Do you have any idea what—" Andrew cut her off with a bored expression. "You're going to say I'm in big trouble, right?" "Isn't that obvious?" Francesca exploded. "Don't you know who Juan's father is—" Andrew interrupted again, "Of course I know. He just told us—his dad is some East Side Tony, supposedly a big deal or whatever." "Then why would you attack him?" Francesca demanded. Andrew's face darkened. "He was spouting filthy insults and harassing Ms. Rhodes. Should I have applauded him instead? Besides, I've dealt with Dylan's people before, so what's one more from East Side?" Francesca turned to Lauren in desperation. "Lauren, this is serious trouble. This could bring Tony himself into it!" "This is just a little scuffle between us young folks. If Tony gets involved, I won't let Dr. Lloyd face this alon
Juan grinned maliciously at Andrew. "Not so tough now, are you? What happened to all that talk about breaking my neck? Get over here and beg me for a quick death!" Andrew stepped forward with a weary sigh. "You East Side lots sure talk a lot of trash, don't you?" Rocco and Juan froze, stunned by his words. In front of hundreds of East Side gang members, this guy was not just unafraid—he was openly mocking them. "If you're going to do something, do it," Andrew said coldly. "I'm tired of listening to you bark like dogs. And Juan, I let you off easy before, but this time, I'll turn that bruised face of yours into something unrecognizable." Anger quickly overwhelmed Juan, and he screamed, "Rocco, tear this bastard apart! I want him in pieces!" He had ruled the streets for over twenty years and never once had anyone pushed him this far. Rocco's eyes turned deadly as he gripped his blade and charged at Andrew. "Kid, you're really asking for death!" Lauren's face turned icy a
Rocco immediately backed down, gritting his teeth. "Mr. Garner, I've never offended you. Isn't this a bit extreme?" "If you'd offended me personally, we could talk this out for Tony's sake," Dylan said coldly. "But you idiots actually threaten Mr. Lloyd, and I'm not okay with that." With that, Dylan kicked Rocco hard in the chest, sending him reeling back as he coughed blood. "Get the hell out of here!" Dylan barked, his gaze murderous. Rocco shuddered, completely baffled by why this notorious Dylan would defend some pretty boy. However, the situation was clear—hurting Andrew was no longer an option. "Let's go!" Rocco commanded, quickly retreating with his East Side crew. Meanwhile, Juan blended into the crowd, shrinking down as he tried to make himself invisible, not daring to make a sound. "Wait!" Andrew called out. Juan trembled and nearly broke into tears. "W-What do you want? My dad is—" Andrew slapped him twice across the face, cutting him off. "Yeah, yeah. Yo
Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Someone put him up to it? Who?" "Harvey Weller," Dylan replied simply. Lauren gritted her teeth. "I was wondering why Juan would randomly target Dr. Lloyd. So, it was that sneaky bastard Harvey pulling strings behind the scenes after all." Dylan growled, "Mr. Lloyd, just say the word. I might not be able to touch the Weller family, but I can definitely teach Harvey a lesson." Andrew shrugged it off casually. "Forget it. He failed anyway. But you helped me today, and I don't like owing favors. Give me your hand." Dylan was a bit puzzled by the request but complied, stretching out his hand. Andrew's grip was lightning-fast, his fingers hitting specific pressure points on Dylan's arm and along his meridians precisely. A wave of intense pain shot through Dylan's body, making him break into a cold sweat. Suddenly, the pain transformed into an unprecedented feeling of clarity, and he felt a rush of energy flowing through his entire body. "Did I just…
Dylan was caught off guard by Francesca's question. Then, he chuckled. "Ms. Aicker, I think you've got it wrong. While Mr. Yates has something to do with my respect for Mr. Lloyd, it's not the main reason." "So, you're not doing this just to please Mr. Yates?" Francesca pressed, still doubtful. Dylan scoffed. "I respect Mr. Yates, but I wouldn't grovel before somebody for his sake. Anyway, it's not just me who respects Mr. Lloyd. Even Mr. Yates himself holds him in the highest regard. I can't say much more. All I'll say is, Ms. Aicker, it's best not to dig too deeply into Mr. Lloyd's business." The cautious look on Dylan's face sent Francesca's mind reeling. The fact that even Marvin, the wealthiest man in Jayrodale, someone with enough influence to command the city, respected Andrew was unbelievable. If she had heard this from anyone else, she would have dismissed it as pure exaggeration. Yet, the person who said this was the crime lord of South City, an existence that e