Diego’s eyes lit up. “Tim, so you mean… we wait and see?”

Timothy nodded, then shook his head, looking very much like a master strategist. “Not just wait and see! If Andrew turns out to be a useless waste who gets crushed by the Driscolls in just a few moves, then we need to strike fast to show our loyalty and earn merit!

“But if Andrew really is as formidable and troublesome as they say, then we will pay lip service while secretly preserving our strength! Our people aren’t cheap, and we’re not stupid enough to lead the charge for someone else.”

Diego chuckled. “That’s my boy. We’ll do it your way.”

Timothy’s thin lips curved into a half-smile. “That said, I do want to meet Andrew face-to-face someday. The Hopkinses rarely get involved in Blumedale affairs, so I’ve never had the chance to size up this so-called rising star. Honestly, I doubt he’s as amazing as the rumors say. These days, most so-called prodigies are just hype, nothing worth mentioning.”

Diego appreciated his son’s confidence and encouraged him. “Tim, don’t be impatient. There will be opportunities. In my opinion, if the Driscoll family really goes to war with Andrew, you’ll be the one who steals the spotlight in the end!”

Timothy looked disdainful and said proudly, “Dad, you’re underestimating my ambitions! I’ve been training day and night, sharpening both my martial skills and my intellect. I had planned to win over Scarlett and use her to soar to the top. But who knew she’d turn out to be useless and get taken down by Andrew?”

He scoffed. “With my looks, my brains, and my skill, if I step into the arena, I could at least be the man to steal Maurice’s woman right out from under him.”

Diego’s brow twitched, ready to scold his son for such nonsense. What kind of ambition was that? Then again, he thought about it and could not deny that Timothy was otherwise perfect, aside from this habit of chasing married women just to prove himself. Still, if Timothy really could humiliate someone as powerful as Maurice, that would still be quite the brag.

Just as father and son were each lost in their beautiful fantasies, a servant rushed in to report.

“Mr. Hopkins Senior, Mr. Hopkins… T–There’s someone requesting an audience.”

Diego frowned at the servant’s panic. “Why are you stumbling over yourself like that? Who is it?”

The servant swallowed hard. “H–He said his name is Andrew Lloyd. He wants us to hand over Mr. Walter Burke, or we’ll be wiped out.”

Diego and Timothy’s eyes widened at the same time, both momentarily speechless.

The next moment, Timothy broke into a cold, amused laugh. “Let me handle this nobody who crawled out from who knows where! Whether he’s really that Andrew or not, how dare he speak to us that way? He’s not leaving this place alive!”