Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

At the last second, a government-issued sedan screeched to a halt beside them. "Stop right there!"

A woman in a perfectly tailored business suit stepped out, her presence immediately commanding attention. Though her clothing was modest and loose- fitting, there was no hiding her striking figure-an impossibly full chest and legs that seemed to go on forever.

Still, what stunned people most was not her body, but her face-icy cold, flawlessly beautiful, and chilling to the core. She had the kind of beauty that made jaws drop at first glance, but the longer you looked, the colder your spine felt.

It was a strange contradiction-stunning and unapproachable—but on her, it somehow blended perfectly.

The moment she appeared, Seth's expression shifted. He stepped forward immediately, respectful and even a little nervous. "Ms. Garcia..."

Yet, Chantelle Garcia did not even look at him. She walked straight toward Andrew, her face emotionless as she said, "You must be Mr. Andrew Lloyd from Supreme Capital Group?"

Andrew nodded calmly. "That's me. And you are..."

She gave what sounded like a faint snort through her nose. "You really don't know who I am? Your company just accepted a major government project assigned by Mr. McCormick himself. Yet, you don't even recognize his chief secretary? Mr. Lloyd, your standards... are a little underwhelming."

Andrew raised a brow. From her tone and posture, she did not seem like someone who came to help. Instead, she acted like someone here to lay down the law.

Aspen saw it too and quickly stepped in with a polite smile, worried Andrew's temper would spark. She said sweetly, "Greetings, Ms. Garcia. I'm Aspen Stevens from Supreme Capital Group. Mr. Lloyd just arrived in the capital recently, so there's still a lot he's unfamiliar with.

"But please rest assured, both you and the governor-we'll handle the project with full dedication and responsibility."

Chantelle gave a soft hum in response. Then, she turned her cold gaze toward Seth. "Remove the Haywood security team. Now."

Seth's face turned stiff with disbelief. "Ms. Garcia, you can't seriously be defending Andrew. Look at the bandage on my head-that's his doing!

"Not only that, he's a manipulative scumbag! He's got that poor

woman, Ms: Stevens, trapped in an abusive relationship-she's under psychological control! My actions today were about two

nov

things-revenge and rescue. I came to free Ms. Stevens and help recover her dignity!"

Chantelle remained unfazed. She said, "I don't care what personal drama you all have going on. I only care that you immediately withdraw the Haywoods' private force from this property.

"This is outrageous. The capital is not your personal playground-this entire region is under the governor's jurisdiction!"noveldrama

Seth clenched his jaw, frustration rising. "Ms. Garcia, are you really going to push the Haywoods aside over something like this? And

Andrew? How did he manage to get you involved?"

seriously, what's so special net

Chantelle's expression did not change. "Everything I'm doing is in line with orders. And in case you didn't know, Mr. Lloyd is someone the governor personally values. So, either call off your men right now, or I'll lose my patience—and trust me, you don't want that."

Seth's jaw dropped. He could not believe that Andrew, the same guy he was about to cripple, had already gained Derek's attention in just a matter of days.

What the hell kind of luck—or power-was that?

"Fine," Seth muttered bitterly. "If this is coming from Mr. McCormick, then I won't push it."