Andrew gave a wry smile. Victoria was anything but gentle at heart. Even with her energy core shattered and her martial strength gone, she still thought like a predator.

The moment she saw the gem, her first thought was that he had wiped out the entire Hopkins family.

Tiana snatched the gem from him with a huff. “Let me check out this beauty first! The Hopkins are just the Driscolls’ lackeys; wiping them out would’ve been good.”

Andrew said helplessly, “I didn’t touch the Hopkinses. They were very cooperative.”

Victoria only let out a short “Oh,” while Tiana scowled.

“If you could’ve taken them out, you should have. Why give them face when you clearly have the strength to crush them?”

Victoria smirked. “Andrew is a man of reason who thinks big picture. He’s not like you, a brute… No, you’re more like a reckless brawler. All you ever talk about is fighting; no wonder Reggie liked me more back then.”

Tiana let out a sharp laugh. “Yeah, Reggie liked you more. That’s why he slept with me first, and you got his leftovers.”

Victoria’s eyebrows shot up in fury, “Tiana, do you have a death wish?”

Tiana glared back coldly. “What? You want to fight?”

Andrew really could not take it anymore. He rubbed his temples and said, “Ladies, that’s enough. You’ve been fighting your whole lives. Do you really need to settle it once and for all?”

Victoria played along. “Andrew’s right. Fine, I’ll give you this one, Andrew. Come here and let me give you a kiss.” Tiana gritted her teeth, unwilling to lose. “Andrew, come over here. They say the more a mother–in–law likes her son–in–law, the more she dotes on him. How about you go for a mother–daughter double win?”

Victoria’s face turned red, her laugh cold. “Tiana, you’re shameless, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”

Tiana flushed too, but she was not backing down. “Victoria, you know what Andrew and I are. I’m his mother–in-law. I like him, I admire him, and I want to treat him well. Is that a crime?”

Victoria slammed her palm on the table. “Yes, it is!”

The tension was about to spiral into something truly outrageous when Andrew barked, “Enough! Can’t you both just take a breath and calm down?”

Tiana gave a cold huff but stayed silent, while Victoria sipped her tea with a faint smile.

Andrew said, “Mrs. Rhodes, use the Helioheart Gem on Victoria. It’ll make her feel much better and keep the Pale Specter’s energy from tearing her apart.”

Tiana wanted to refuse, but one look at Andrew’s stern face made her nod. The feud with the Driscoll family was already to the death, and they both knew the pressure Andrew was under. Arguments were one thing, but they would not make trouble for him.

Later, Andrew left the Peck residence and turned to the others waiting outside. “Any word on Calvin?”

That bastard was not going to get away without bleeding for it.

Logan’s voice was cold. “The coward’s been hiding at the Driscoll residence and hasn’t shown his face. If we want him dead, we’ll have to wait for him to come out.”

Andrew did not comment and instead looked to Duncan. “What about Franklin’s whereabouts?”

Duncan answered respectfully, “Sir, ever since that bald rat escaped the cathedral on the mountain that day, he hasn’t returned. His whereabouts are still unknown.”

“Keep looking,” Andrew said evenly.

Then, Logan spoke up. “Andy, there’s one person who might be able to give us everything we need.”

Andrew shook his head. “You mean Luna, right? Forget it. I’m not owing her any favors.”