Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Shiloh nodded. "Fine, I'll give you some leeway. But I act based on my mood. If I'm in a bad mood, even you won't be spared."

Andrew raised his hands in surrender and chuckled nervously, saying, "Whatever you say. So please, make sure to stay in a great mood!"

Lauren was drowning in work, her stress levels through the roof. However, the moment she saw Andrew walk in, she immediately brightened up and was about to greet him with a kiss.

Then, her gaze shifted, and she spotted Shiloh standing behind him. She asked, "Dr. Lloyd, is this the wellness guru, Ms. Shiloh Greene?"

Lauren, all warmth and enthusiasm, stepped forward with a bright smile and extended her hand. "Hello, I'm Lauren Rhodes, Dr. Lloyd's girlfriend."

Shiloh reached out and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Rhodes."

Andrew noticed something odd-Shiloh did not seem nearly as distant with Lauren as she had with everyone else. That made him curious. "Shiloh, you seem to like Lauren, don't you?"

Shiloh answered without hesitation. "I like all beautiful women. Besides, she's not annoying like you people. She doesn't call me Master or Madam every two seconds. She called me Miss, which felt just right. It made me happy."

Lauren huffed. "Who's been calling you Master or Madam? I'll rip their mouths off. Seriously, you look so young! And oh my, your skin is flawless-it's practically glowing! Shiloh, you have to teach me your skincare secrets!"

Shiloh chuckled. "I don't do skincare. My skin is just naturally perfect. But if you want to learn about wellness and skincare, I can help. Just so you know, though— I charge a fee."

Lauren burst into laughter. "Good! If it were free, I'd be worried it wouldn't work. Name your price!"

Shiloh's straightforward and unfiltered nature was oddly charming, and Lauren found it hilarious.noveldrama

Andrew, on the other hand, just shook his head and sighed. He thought, 'A martial king, reduced to worrying about money... What a world.'

It finally made sense why people often joked that even an international genius or

brilliant individuals would have to go all out, joining so social events or even bribing officials just to get a teaching job in Holtrien or Etharia.

The real world was really just too damn tough.

Andrew pulled himself from his thoughts and said, "Lauren, I'll leave Shiloh in your hands. You can start arranging her commercial shoot right away. She's going to be to turning around the

Love key

pharmaceutical division's stump and clearing up the bad press.

Lauren nodded. "Got it. I'll set up the studio and call in the photographers immediately. Shiloh is a huge wellness influencer online. With her endorsing our two flagship products, I'm confident the pharmaceutical division can bounce back!"

Andrew turned to Shiloh. "Shiloh, from now on, just follow Lauren's schedule. I won't be tagging along."

Shiloh's expression darkened. "That

won't do. We agreed on 20 million

upfront. Mr. Lloyd, where's my

money? You need to pay up first. Also, I'm not going back to that broken-down monastery. The city is way more fun, with good food everywhere. I want to live here-get me a place."

Andrew did not think her demands were unreasonable. He had promised to pay her upfront, after all.

Lauren laughed. "Dr. Lloyd, I'll handle it. Shiloh's 20 million should come from the company anyway."

Then, she turned to Shiloh, adding, "Just give me half a day, and I'll have the funds transferred to your account!"

Shiloh nodded. "Alright, then I'll wait half a day. But not a minute longer."

Lauren covered her mouth, giggling at how serious she was.

However, Andrew knew that Shiloh was dead serious. When she said half a day, she meant it. She was not the type to tolerate delays, especially when it came to money.

So, he gave Lauren a heads-up. "Lauren, make sure you get it done within half a day. She doesn't like being kept waiting, especially when it involves money. If you drag this out, the consequences won't be pretty."