Read Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Novel by Only For You Updated 2025 -26 - Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Chapter 2722

Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Chapter 2722

Andrew smiled softly. “And what else?”

Luna’s face flushed again. She turned her head, flustered. “I don’t know.”

Andrew stepped closer until their breaths almost touched. His voice dropped to a whisper. “What else? If you don’t say it now, we won’t get another chance once we’re back in Chetvine.”

Luna bit her lip, hesitating. “What do you want me to say?”

Keeping his eyes locked on hers, Andrew murmured, “You know exactly what I want. Come on.”

Luna opened her mouth, paused, then finally blurted, “I—I like you! There… happy now?”

Andrew burst out laughing. “Happy? I’m thrilled.” He caught her delicate hand. “Come on, let’s head back to Chetvine.”

Luna nodded quickly. For some reason, her whole body felt lighter, calmer than ever before. She followed Andrew closely, unable to look away from him for even a moment. All she could think was how much she wished this moment could last forever.

Luna had no idea that in the years ahead, she would look back on this day over and over. She would regret that on an afternoon filled with drifting peach blossoms, she hadn’t wrapped her arms around the man she loved. She would feel the sting of knowing she should have been brave enough to fall into his embrace.

Meanwhile, watching them walk away hand in hand, Valerie said nothing as she turned and left alone. No one knew she cried in secret. She cried and cursed through her tears, whispering, “Andrew, I hope you choke. I hate you…”

There were thousands of words in the world, but none cut deeper than love—especially the kind that creeps up on you without warning. Valerie realized too late that she had walked into this little game casually, only to lose herself completely.

On the flight back to Chetvine, the two chiefs of the Lloyd family were exceptionally polite to Jerome.

“Mr. Thornton, welcome back to Chetvine. The Lloyd family is honored to host you.”

Jerome smiled warmly. “No need for such formality. Right now, I’m just an old wanderer tagging along with Andy to offer a little support.”

One of the chiefs was a martial emperor, and Jerome couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer depth of the Lloyd royal family. Yet both men treated him with kindness, and their conversation was relaxed and genuinely respectful.

After a moment, one of them asked, “Mr. Thornton, we’d like to hear about Andrew’s experiences at Advanced Medical Institute—everything, if possible. Would you mind sharing?”

Jerome raised a brow. “Is that really necessary?”

The man nodded. “Yes. All of it contributes to the evaluation for Andrew’s future takeover of the Lloyd royal family.”

Jerome straightened immediately. “Then please rest assured—I’ll tell you everything, down to the last detail.”

The conversation stretched on for more than two hours before finally winding down. The martial emperor—who rarely attended such occasions—exhaled deeply and said, “Even if I had been there myself, I couldn’t have done better than Andrew. He’s been growing toward perfection right under our noses for years.”

“Now he carries the authority and instincts of a true leader. With him at the helm, even if the world changes, the Lloyd family won’t face any serious challenges.”

Jerome was stunned. Only now did he understand that everything Andrew had done had been part of the family’s secret evaluation. Page after page was filled with perfect scores, analysis, and glowing commentary. Not a single flaw.

Top-tier families were on another level entirely—their evaluation standards alone were enough to impress him.

Andrew was indeed extraordinary.

Silently, Jerome made up his mind. From now on, he had no other ambitions. The glory of his past no longer mattered. As long as Eric could keep pace with Andrew, that would be enough.

Life worked like that: follow the right person, and you were already two-thirds of the way to success. Follow them all the way, and you’d live a life most could only dream of.