Chapter 1185
Andrew finally paid a visit to the Rhodes family.
โAndy, youโre here! Come in, have a seat,โ Jameson greeted warmly, his tone unusually enthusiastic.
The way he looked at Andrew was not just the admiration of a family elderโit was the hopeful gaze of someone eyeing a perfect son-in-law.
Lauren giggled behind her hand. โAndrew, youโve become quite the welcome guest around here. Everyone in the Rhodes family is thrilled you came.โ
Andrew glanced around casually and noticed several of the Rhodes familyโs core members smiling and nodding in greeting. A few girls around Laurenโs age were sneaking glances his way, their cheeks tinged pink.
Cecelia, the youngest among them, blurted out, โAndrew, when are you marrying Lauren?โ
Andrew laughed and replied, โAnytime works for me.โ
Cecelia clapped her hands excitedly. โGreat! Letโs do the wedding today and the honeymoon tonight!โ
Jamesonโs eyes widened. โCece! Stop saying nonsense!โ
His youngest daughter was a wild oneโalways blurting things out and giving him endless headaches. Lauren, thoroughly embarrassed, quickly added, โAndrew, please donโt mind Cece. Her mouth works faster than her brain.โ
Andrew chuckled. โI donโt mind at all. In fact, her idea about the honeymoon tonightโฆ sounds pretty good, if you ask me.โ
The entire Rhodes household burst into laughter. Andrewโs laid-back, approachable personality had clearly won everyone over.
Lauren, on the other hand, was flustered. She pouted playfully and said, โAndrew, youโve gotten so shameless!โ Andrew smiled, then asked, โI havenโt seen Mrs. Rhodes. Is she not around?โ
The real reason for his visit today was, in fact, Tiana.
Jameson replied, โSheโs been feeling under the weatherโmigraine. Sheโs resting in her room. We actually asked you here to see if you could check on her.โ
Lauren added, โAndrew, could you please take a look at my mom? She hasnโt been looking well lately, and weโre worried it might be something serious.โ
Andrew stood and nodded. โSure. Lauren, would you mind showing me the way?โ
She shook her head. โMom said herself that you could just go to the room in the back garden. Sheโs waiting there.โ
Jameson smiled. โYeah, Andy, just head on back. Relaxโyouโre family now.โ
Andrew did not think much of it and headed toward the back wing of the estate. Now that Tiana knew who he really was, she would not dare pull anything. And if she did, Andrew was more than capable of handling her.
In the rear courtyard, nestled among blooming flowers, sat a cozy little villa.
Andrew pushed open the gate and called out, โMrs. Rhodes? Itโs me, Andrew.โ
A calm voice came from inside the house. โCome in.โ
He stepped through the door and found Tiana sitting by the window in a blend of red-and-white attire.
It was her, but the way she was dressed was strange. She wore a full vintage-style dress usually reserved for young women doing costume play. Her hair was elegantly styled with crystal hairpins, and her makeup was pristine.
This look might have been charming on a teenage girl, but on Tianaโa stunning woman in her early 40sโit felt oddly theatrical.
Andrew frowned slightly as he looked at the woman who had always given him trouble. He had no idea what game she was about to play this time.
Still facing the mirror and applying lipstick, Tiana set the tube down and turned with a soft smile. โAndrew, tell meโdo you think Iโm beautiful?โ
To be fair, Tianaโs beauty had not faded with age. If Lauren embodied youthful charm and vitality, Tiana possessed the sultry elegance and allure of a mature woman.
And that allure could drive men mad.
There was something dangerous about her. Her icy, untouchable demeanor gave her a divine, almost sacred aura, which only made her more irresistible to the wrong kind of man.
Especially those who craved the thrill of conquering something pure and cold.
From the side, even with her loose robes, Andrew could tell that Tiana had kept her figure remarkably wellโher waist was narrow, and her curves flowed in all the right places.
She was, without question, still an absolute stunner.
However, Andrew was not some hormone-driven fool. More importantly, Tiana was someone he had to treat with distance and respect.
Chapter 1186