Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Jamie gasped and immediately shouted for his men to stop. He stepped forward, and what he saw made his scalp tingle-curled up inside the trunk was a man so battered and bloodied that his face was completely unrecognizable.

The man was barely clinging to consciousness, struggling to breathe.

Jamie asked, "Sir, who are you? And why are you in Mr. Lloyd's car?"

He kept his weapon pointed at the man, his tone sharp. "Where's the wild boar? Mr. Lloyd said he brought one back-did you let it escape?"

Michael was already half-dead, barely holding on to his sanity. During the ride, he had vomited every last drop of fluid in his stomach, nearly passing out from exhaustion.

When the trunk finally opened, he had been ecstatic, thinking he was finally free. Yet, before he could even take a breath, he was met with a brutal, merciless beating-one so bad that he nearly pissed himself.

His hatred for Andrew burned so deep it could have swallowed him whole. He clutched his head and let out a miserable wail. "Andrew, you goddamn bastard... I-I will never forgive you!"

Jamie frowned. "Oh? So not only did you let Mr. Lloyd's wild boar escape, but now you have the nerve to insult him? Screw it-boys, get him!"

Seeing that another round of beatings was about to start, Michael suddenly found a burst of strength. He jerked his head up, revealing his swollen, misshapen face, and snarled, "Back off, you blind morons!"

He shouted, "Are you all dumb? Do you even know who I am? Open your damn eyes and take a good look! I'm Michael Rhodes the heir of the Rhodes family! I'm not a wild boar, you brainless bastards!"

After his furious outburst, his chest burned with pain. He clutched his ribs and trembled violently.

The security guards were stunned, their confidence immediately wavering. They quickly lifted him out of the trunk.

"Mr. Rhodes? You're Mr. Rhodes?" One of the guards stammered. "Then... why were you in Mr. Lloyd's trunk?"

Michael's eyes were bloodshot, his voice weak but filled with rage. "I didn't get in there willingly, you idiots! That bastard Andrew stuffed me in Now... hurry up and get me to a hospital. I'm dying here... Get moving!"

The guards exchanged uneasy glances. They all wondered if the wild boar Andrew mentioned was actually Michael.

A shudder ran through them as the realization hit: they had just given Michael a merciless round of beating. Without wasting another second, they carefully lifted Michael and rushed him to the hospital.

On the way, they could not help but glance at him with sympathy. After all, the heir of the Rhodes family was locked in a trunk and mistaken for livestock. It seemed that Andrew sure knew how to have fun.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of Jayrodale. Christina and Aspen had just returned to the city.noveldrama

Aspen's driving skills were average at best, nowhere near Andrew's level. Since it was already late, and the mountain roads were tricky to navigate, their trip back had taken longer than expected.

"Christie, let's grab something to eat first. I'm starving!" Aspen groaned, barely holding herself together.

Christina, however, looked tense and unamused. "I have no appetite. Just thinking about how Andrew stole Shiloh right from under us makes me sick!"

Aspen gritted her teeth, equally

furious. "I still don't get it. What does Shiloh even see in Andrew? Back when she stayed at the Stevens family estate in Bridgefields, my father pulled every trick in the book to recruit her.

"He went all out, trying everything to get her to stay and work for us. But none of it worked. And now, Andrew gets to have her just like that? That bastard hit the jackpot!"