Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Lauren furrowed her brows, about to ask why. However, before she could, Andrew

had already waved over the head of the public relations department.

"You're Mr. Brown, right? Come here. I need a word with you."

Jay Brown strode over, his face ice-cold. "Mr. Lloyd, what do you want to talk about?"

Andrew's tone was calm yet sharp. "I want to discuss how you blatantly disobeyed the CEO's orders and what consequences you should face for it."

Jay's eyes widened in shock before he snapped in fury. "Andrew, stop acting like you have real authority! Do you think I'm scared of you?"noveldrama

Andrew did not waste time arguing his face remained cold as he delivered a brutal slap. Jay did not even have time to grunt before blood gushed out from his mouth, and he was sent flying. The moment he hit the ground, he passed out cold.

The effect was immediate-several of Michael's lackeys, who had been acting tough just moments ago, shut their mouths tight. One by one, they lowered their heads and kept quiet, suddenly remembering how to behave.

Andrew flexed his wrist like he had just swatted away an inconvenience. Then, as if nothing had happened, he said, "Someone, take Mr. Brown to the infirmary."

He added casually, "Since he got injured on the job, the company will cover his medical expenses."

'Injured on the job? Are you kidding me?' Michael and his lackeys were in disbelief at Andrew's audacity.

Lauren stood there speechless for a moment, stunned by Andrew's ruthlessness. Nonetheless, desperate times called for desperate measures, and she was not about to object to his methods.

Andrew quickly refocused and addressed the room. "Let's not forget-Mrs. Rhodes has officially handed over authority to Ms. Rhodes and me."

Andrew glanced at the others, his voice calm but firm. "Cooperate, and everything will run smoothly. Once the company is back on track, everyone gets paid. But if anyone wants to be a troublemaker and play games with me, just take a good look at what happened to Jay."

No one dared to speak.

Andrew's approach since arriving at Rhodes Corporation had left an undeniable impression. There were only two options when dealing with him—either completely overpower him or fall in line. And if you couldn't suppress him, the smart choice was to cooperate.

Lauren continued, "Now, the biggest

issue we're facing is the online attacks against our company. Mr. Chapman, I'm putting you in charge of handling this. Whether it takes money, influencers, or PR

campaigns, do whatever it takes to réstore our company's public image as soon as possible."

Marcus nodded. "Rest assured, I'll take care of it."

Michael's face darkened as he snapped, "Mr. Chapman, watch your words! The

acting CEO right now is Mrs. Rhodes, not anyone else."

Marcus remained unfazed. "I don't

see anything wrong with what I said. With Ms. Rhodes and Mr. Lloyd working together, saving this

CS only a matter of time net

So, let's be honest-if anyone

deserves to take over Rhodes Corporation in the future, it's Ms. Rhodes."

Michael's expression twisted in anger. "You-"

Andrew cut him off, pointing at him. "Mr. Rhodes, you're driving me somewhere later."

Michael's face turned beet red. "What did you just say? You want me to be your driver?"

Andrew shrugged. "Is there a problem? Mrs. Rhodes gave me authority, so if I tell you to drive, then you drive."

The moment he heard Tiana's name, Michael could not argue anymore. He clenched his jaw and hissed, "Fine, I'll drive. But my skills are terrible—if I drive us off a cliff, don't blame me."

Andrew let out a chuckle. "As long as you go down with me, I won't complain."