Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Andrew said, "If you think it's impossible to handle Marcelo, that just means you're weak. But me? I'll destroy those people you can't defeat. What you think is

impossible? I'm going to make it happen. Marcelo and I are past the point of no return. I won't stop until he bleeds."

Ronald felt a cold sweat drip down his palm as he saw the icy glint in Andrew's eyes.

This guy was seriously ruthless.

Ronald had spent half a lifetime building what he had today, yet even he never dared consider going after Marcelo.

But this guy? He did not even blink. He was going to take Marcelo head-on.

Was this what the underground scene in Blumedale had come to?

Were the Dragon Kings no longer feared?

"Since we're talking this far already, what exactly are you planning to do?" Ronald asked, his expression now serious.

He could not get a read on Andrew, but what scared him more was the possibility that Andrew really could pull this off. And if Marcelo went down, then his decision today would look very foolish in hindsight.

Andrew smiled. "It's simple. I'll rally multiple forces, hit him from all sides, and split the spoils. You wouldn't be going in alone. If I can bring in White Dragon King, some of the elite families, and a few people on the government side to help me cover things up and handle the surface work...

"When that happens, tell me how many lives do you think Marcelo has to fight that off?"noveldrama

Looking at Andrew's seemingly harmless but actually ice-cold smile, Ronald fell silent. He just felt his throat tighten as cold sweat poured down his back.

"Do you really have that kind of power to pull all these forces together for joint action?" he asked, his voice dry.

Andrew said nothing more. He simply turned with Rachel and headed out. His voice floated back with a quiet confidence. "Don't forget about Victoria! She said that if you're too proud to play along, she'll come down here herself and handle you."

Ronald bolted to his feet, scrambling to catch up with a strained smile.

"Hey, if she already gave her

then that changes everything!

Alright, I'm in. I'll back you up on this. As long as you get White Dragon King and the others onboard, I'll be your first man on the frontlines."

Andrew grinned. Victoria's name really was a golden ticket.

He made a mental note that he was going to keep holding tight to that fine, dangerous beauty.

And with that, Andrew was gone.

...

Inside the hidden room, Ronald stood still. His men looked at him, waiting for his reaction.

"Sir, what if he's playing us?" one of them asked cautiously.

Ronald slowly shook his head. "Doesn't seem like it. Victoria's name isn't something you just throw around. If he's pretending, she'll personally break him before I ever get the chance."

Another man spoke up. "But he's going after Marcelo. Marcelo's the kind of guy who'd take on the Five Apex Families without flinching Do we really want to get involved and bring all that heat down on ourselves?"

Ronald did not answer immediately. He exhaled deeply and said, "But what if he actually pulls it off? What if he gets everyone together and wipes Marcelo out? Then what? Are we in or out?"

His men looked at each other, hesitation all over their faces.

One man snorted. "Come on, that's impossible. He acts like he's one of the Three Titans or something. Even they don't have that kind of influence anymore."

Ronald stared up at the ceiling, muttering to himself, "You never know. He might just become the next George Keller, or even Maurice Driscoll. It's been years since Blumedale saw someone bold enough to play at this level. Maybe it's time we followed him and carved out a fat piece of the pie."

the wrong enemy."

He added, "Marcelo's had a lifetime of success, but this time... he might've picked