Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

In the end, Christina grew frustrated and snapped, "Mom, stop talking. I already have a headache, and all this talk isn't going to change anything!"

Irene pouted. "I'm just worried! Now that the main family won't back us anymore, and that little bitch Aspen has completely cut ties with us! The Stevens family has no one left to rely on! If that bastard Harvey comes back to torment us, what should we do then?"

Leroy thought for a moment, then suddenly brightened. "Christie! Isn't Finley, the Moore family heir, still in contact with you? Back when Aspen was around, we had an alliance with him, didn't we?"

He asked, "Why don't we reach out to him now? With his ties to Hidden Dragons, he could be the perfect shield for our family!"

Irene's eyes lit up. "Yes! That's right—there's still Finley! The leader of Hidden Dragons is his granduncle. Also, he fancies you, right? Christie, think about it—if you can win over Finley, the Stevens family will officially have Hidden Dragons as our backing!"

As she spoke, Irene could not help but fantasize if they became in-laws with Hidden Dragons. Then, she would be of the same seniority as the leader of one of the most powerful underground forces.

Lost in her thoughts, she nearly drooled at the idea.

Christina frowned. "Mom, you're thinking too far ahead. First of all, Finley never explicitly said he liked me. Second, I have no interest in using my body to please anyone—that idea disgusts me!"

Irene waved it off. "Oh, come on, sweetheart. You're at the age where you should be thinking about marriage anyway."

She continued, "And let's be

honest-Finley is an excellent match. He's better than Harvey in every way, and you? You're the Ice

Queen of Jayrodale-with your

beauty, you could have him wrapped around your finger in no time!"

Leroy grinned, clearly on board. "Christie, I think it's a great idea. If you and Finley really hit it off, I can show off that my future brother-in-law is a Hidden Dragons member! And who knows?

"Maybe I could ride that wave and

join Hidden Dragons myself, land a good position there. I've heard that in martialarts sects, the girls are way more pure than those city whores. Unlike the women around here, they're all still untouched."

His expression turned downright sleazy, his fantasies running wild-just like his mother's.

Christina glanced at her brother and

let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Have you ever once considered

working fornoveldrama

your own success? A

you ever think about is leeching off others, taking shortcuts, and

indulging in luxury."

She asked, "Leroy, have you ever stopped to ask yourself what have you done to deserve all these things?"

Leroy scoffed. "If hard work actually worked, then all the farmers breaking their backs every day would be billionaires by now. The truth is, hard work doesn't mean anything. Look at Andrew-did he work for his success?

"No. He climbed his way up by using women. And what's wrong with wanting wealth and women? Mom and I already gave you the perfect solution-if you just get close to Finley, our entire family would be set for life!"