Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Logan grumbled, "Even if Mason did want Cillian dead, I think he would've done it quietly. There's no way he'd let anyone find out."

Andrew's eyes darkened. "And that is the most critical part of this whole thing. Everyone knows that after Mason took power, he was paranoid that Cillian might come back and reclaim the Ulrich family leadership. So, he shoved his own father into a nursing home to keep him out of the way."noveldrama

He continued, "But if Mason killed him directly? Then, the other Dragon Kings who were close to Cillian, like Marcelo, would've stormed in here and taken his head. And look at what happened... Marcelo did show up. From his reaction, it's clear that his bond with Cillian wasn't superficial."

Aspen tilted her head. "Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Keller... do you think maybe Marcelo's appearance was just for show? Like, all that praying and mourning was staged?"

Andrew shook his head. "It doesn't add up. You both remember how I deliberately provoked Marcelo earlier, right? If he had gone off on me right then and there and attacked me, it would've proved he didn't care about Cillian's passing at all. But he didn't. He held back and stayed respectful."

He added, "That tells me everything. His grief was real, and his connection to Cillian was genuine. He refused to disturb the peace of the dead."

Logan stared in shock. "So you pissed him off on purpose... just to test him?"

Andrew raised a brow. "What'd you think? That I randomly talk trash for fun? I'm not reckless. I needed to know where he stood. And yeah, Marcelo's strong. I'll admit... calling him 'the king of escorts' might've been a bit much."

Aspen giggled and reached out to gently touch her master's face. "Mr. Lloyd, please. You expect me to believe that? You're never scared of anyone! I know you too well."

Logan groaned. "Alright, fine. So you've ruled out Marcelo as Mason's co- conspirator. But what if there's no one else? What if we're just overthinking it?"

Andrew was firm. "No. There's definitely someone else involved. This entire setup was too calculated to be Mason's solo work. Someone else planned it from the shadows

and used Mason as the dows

pawn to get tome.

"Otherwise, Mason would never dare turn on me. I'm the one who put him in

charge, and he knows I could crush him with a snap of my fingers."

Logan nodded. "That makes sense. So, what's our next move?"

Andrew said calmly, "That's easy. We wait for the banquet to start. That's when the Ulrich family will

have the most people and be then et

most chaotic. Mason will go rest, which gives him time to meet with the person behind all this. And that's also when I'll make my move."

Aspen smiled. "I understand what you mean, Mr. Lloyd. Mr. Keller and I will go to the banquet to provide cover for you. You'll search the Ulrich residence for clues. We'll split up and work both angles!"

Andrew smiled back. "Smart cookie, you're truly worthy of being my precious little partner!"

Logan gagged and rushed out. "You need to stop with those ridiculous lines. I'm going to throw up!"