Read Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Novel by Only For You Updated 2025 -26 - Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Chapter 3206

Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Chapter 3206

Guillermo’s laughter rang out—bitter, sharp, laced with ridicule.

“Philip, oh Philip… since when did you become a fortune teller?” he sneered. “I’ll die? Of course I’ll die—but not for another hundred years. Other than time itself, I don’t see what in this world could possibly kill me.”

His tone shifted, hard and challenging.

“You’re talking about Andrew, aren’t you? Fine. Then answer me—what gives him the right?”

He slammed his palm onto the desk with a thunderous crack.

“What right does he have?!”

Philip didn’t so much as flinch. He simply regarded Guillermo’s fury with calm detachment.

“Because,” he said evenly, “he now has the power to kill you.”

The words hung in the air like a blade.

“Guillermo, you are one of Holtrien’s rarest talents. This country needs you. But you’re dragging yourself, step by step, toward the abyss.”

His gaze sharpened.

“You never should have touched Reginald or Andrew. In every other respect, you’re exceptional. Your only flaw is arrogance.”

He continued steadily, “When someone slips beyond your control, you refuse to let go. You insist on pulling them back. And if you can’t pull them back—you eliminate them.”

Philip leaned back slightly.

“Tell me something. As the player moving pieces across Holtrien’s grand chessboard, have you ever considered that you’ve been playing for far too long?”

He didn’t wait for an answer.

“Fortunes shift. No one wins forever. You’ve held the board for decades—eventually, you will fail. And when that moment comes, shouldn’t a more capable, more brilliant player take over?”

Guillermo’s expression froze, then darkened.

“You want me to step aside? Hand everything to Reginald and Andrew?” His voice dripped with contempt. “Of course you do. You’ve wagered everything on that father-and-son pair.”

He let out a harsh breath.

“You’re right about one thing—I’ve been playing this game for too long. But how could I willingly give up my seat at the table? Andrew isn’t worthy. Maybe one day he’ll have a sliver of a chance. But now? He’s nowhere near qualified.”

Philip’s face remained serenely composed.

“I knew you wouldn’t turn back.”

He rose slowly.

“Farewell, old friend. When you die, I’ll place a bouquet on your grave.”

A faint, mocking smile touched his lips.

“Now… do you prefer daisies? Or sunflowers?”

Guillermo said nothing.

He turned and walked out.

Outside the office, the door closing behind him with a muted thud, Guillermo’s face turned icy.

“Notify the Nieves family of Sylvan Peaks,” he ordered Jose coldly. “Tell them Andrew killed Skylar. They’ll know what to do.”

Jose frowned. “But Skylar died on military territory. Shouldn’t we… pressure the military first?”

“Pressure the military?” Guillermo barked. “Philip and I are finished. Completely.”

His eyes burned.

“If he has that much confidence in Andrew, then the boy must truly have some trump card now. I need to test him again.”

Jose immediately shook his head. “Sir, test him if you must—but don’t send me.”

There weren’t many capable men left under Guillermo’s command. The thought weighed heavily on him.

Fortunately, someone from the Hearst royal family had already agreed to step forward.

Originally, the simultaneous loss of Reginald and Andrew had been good news for the other two major royal families. But Andrew’s return had changed everything.

The Hearst family—long aloof, long disdainful of the rest of Holtrien—could no longer sit still. They were preparing to act.

And their objective happened to align perfectly with Guillermo’s.

If he couldn’t probe Andrew’s true strength himself, he would simply let the Hearst family do it.

Guillermo’s anger flared anew.

“You useless fool!” he snapped at Jose. “Weren’t you the one who said that once you became a Martial God, you’d challenge Reginald? Why are you afraid of Andrew now?”

Jose’s expression darkened.

“That slap last time wasn’t an accident,” he said grimly. “The more I think about it, the more unnatural it feels. That kid has probably already reached the realm of a Supreme Martial God.”

His voice tightened.

“I was caught off guard and defeated in a single strike. I still haven’t recovered.”

Guillermo’s chest rose and fell violently, fury barely contained.

In that moment, he truly wished he could strike down his once-prized subordinate with his own hand.