Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Chantelle had an impressive figure, and even though she wore oversized custom business attire, it could not hide her alluring silhouette, the kind that sparked all kinds of thoughts in a man's mind.

However, her facial expression left much to be desired-she constantly wore that frigid, emotionally detached look.

Just as she entered Serenity Villa, Chantelle stepped back out and looked to the side. "You're Tora, the Wrights' security captain, aren't you?"

Her tone was professional but slightly curious.

Tora grinned broadly. "Nice to see you, Ms. Garcia!"

Chantelle nodded curtly. "Why aren't you going inside? You're here to see Andrew too, right?"

Tora looked frustrated and dejected. "He won't let me in-told me to wait outside!"

Chantelle frowned. "That's a bit much, even for him. But it's better if you wait out here. He's no small fry anymore. Someone of his level is worth the wait."

On the third floor, Chantelle did not bother knocking-she just pushed the study door open and walked in.

Andrew was leaning over his desk, working on something, and did not even look up. "Ms. Garcia, your manners are getting worse."

Chantelle's face was unreadable. "You, Mr. Lloyd, talking about manners? That's rich coming from someone who has none."

Andrew replied evenly, "I don't bother with manners because I've earned that privilege. You, on the other hand, are a bit short on that."noveldrama

Chantelle gritted her teeth but agreed with him. "True enough. You change every single day now, even becoming the head of the Gabo Creek Chamber of Commerce. I'm just a government representative, so I'm definitely inferior."

Andrew finally looked up and laughed. "Hey now, I was just teasing. No need to get all serious. Come on, have a seat. I'll have someone bring tea. You government folks outrank us small business types any day."

Chantelle scoffed, not believing a word of it. Sure, other wealthy businessmen might suck up to her However, Andrew

s obviously just

paying lip service with his

politeness. Sometimes, she even suspected his respect for Derek was all surface-level.

The man was infuriating, no doubt, but the way he carried himself so composed and mysterious made her wonder what kind of background he had before all this.

To this day, even Derek has not been able to dig up Andrew's past. And that, in itself, was a serious problem.

"Mr. Lloyd, I came to talk business-specifically, about launching a new phase of cooperation between Blumedale and you. You now control Gabo Creek's largest Chamber of Commerce, and the resources at your fingertips could genuinely shift the province's entire economy."

She paused for a second, her tone becoming more cautious. "Governor McCormick hopes you'll play a bigger role in the province's development. And... if you're open to it, the governor wants to invite you into politics."

Politics?

That caught Andrew off guard. This was not just a polite gesture anymore-it was a serious offer.

Chantelle sighed. "Andrew, your rise has been ridiculous. Blumedale has never been short on gifted elites. People with connections, power, money-you name it, we've got it.

"But someone who's risen like a rocket the way you have-there's only ever been one person I've seen do it like that, and that's you. Honestly, I'm not jealous, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't shake me."

"In your brilliance, people like me seem to be working in vain, no matter how hard we try-it feels like I'll never catch up. You've made me start doubting my entire life path."

Andrew chuckled. "Ms. Garcia, it's

really not as dramatic as you're making it sound. I've just been lucky. A few coincidences, that's all. As for politics... It's not really my thing. Actually, I used to be part of the system. Getting out of it was hard enough-I'm not looking to dive back

in."

Chantelle's eyes sharpened. "You used to be part of the system? What kind of position? Where were you stationed? Who was your superior?"