Chapter 672
Christina turned to Aspen, her expression uncertain and her voice trembling. “Aspen, did Mr. Woods… really kill someone?”
Aspen clutched her throat, her eyes filled with resentment. “Mr. Woods’ actions are beyond my control. All I can say is that Andrew brought this on himself!”
Christina’s face twisted with anger. “Andrew, all of this happened because you provoked Aspen in the first place! I told you long ago–if you’d just apologized to her and returned the money, this whole mess would’ve been over. But you just had to be stubborn, didn’t you? Who do you have to blame but yourself?”
Andrew sneered. “Christina, I swear, you’ve gotten even dumber these days. Can you even tell right from wrong anymore? How the hell are you running Stevens Corporation when you can’t see the truth right in front of you?”
He let out a cold laugh, shaking his head. “Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. I helped you and Stevens Corporation more times than I can count, but you never appreciated it. Instead, you chose to trust idiots, like Shawn and Harvey. How did that work out for you?”
Christina’s face flushed with embarrassment and rage. She shot back through gritted teeth, “What help? What did you ever do for me? Don’t act like you were some savior. I know exactly what you’re trying to do–you just want me to feel guilty, to be grateful to you!”
She continued, “Well, forget it. I, Christina Stevens, don’t need your help, and you are certainly not worthy of giving it!”
Her chest heaved with each angry breath, her emotions spiraling out of control.
Andrew chuckled and shook his head. “Christina, look at yourself. You’re no longer the poised, elegant CEO you pretend to be. Right now, you look like a bitter woman too scared to face reality.”
He added, “Fine. Since you’re so determined to stay blind, let me break it down for you. The South City Orphanage project? I handed that to you on a silver platter. That time you went to Jayrodale Bank for a loan and nearly got assaulted? I was the one who saved you. Mark stepping in to defuse the situation? Yeah, that was because of my connections–not Harvey’s pathetic attempts to impress you. You chose to believe Harvey’s lies and turned your back on me. In the end, you paid the price for that decision.”
He took a step forward, his voice sharp and cold. “And let’s not forget your whole family fawning over Shawn like he was some golden boy while treating me like garbage. Your mom and your brother both looked down on me like I was nothing. Well, guess what? The Stevens family is nothing to me. Shawn? He’s been lying low because he’s scared that I’ll go after him.”
Andrew did not stop there, saying, “Remember when your family poured all that money into that doomed East Side project? I warned you about it beforehand, didn’t I? But you all thought you were smarter than me. Meanwhile, Lauren, Fran, and I made a killing because I knew exactly where the city planned to develop next. While you were busy kissing up to the Weller family, I was already ahead of the game.”
His eyes glinted with satisfaction as Christina stood there, her mouth slightly open, speechless.
“One more thing,” Andrew added with a smirk. “If it weren’t for Mr. Stevens Senior helping me when I first arrived in Jayrodale, I wouldn’t have lifted a single finger for the Stevens family. So let me make it crystal clear for you, Christina. The success Stevens Corporation is enjoying today? It’s because of me. You’ve been living comfortably off the empire I built, and not only did you never thank me, but you also had the audacity to call me unambitious, someone who couldn’t keep up with your grand vision.”
Andrew’s eyes were cold and sharp. “That’s why I say you’re an idiot, Christina. You just don’t see it. I’ve said my piece. You and the Stevens family? Good luck–you’re gonna need it.”
With that, Andrew turned around and walked away without looking back.
Christina stood frozen, her mind swirling as memories from the past flooded in. One by one, the moments Andrew mentioned resurfaced, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Her face grew pale, and a cold wave of dread washed over her.
“No… no, it can’t be. He’s lying,” she muttered, shaking her head. “He’s just a doctor… a nobody. How could he have pulled all of that off?”
“This has to be a lie… it has to be!” Tears streamed down her face as she bolted toward the front door.
She ran outside, her heart racing, only to see the taillights of Andrew’s car disappearing into the night.
Her voice cracked as she screamed after him, “Andrew, stop! You need to tell me the truth! You can’t just leave it like this!”
But the only response was the roar of the engine as his car vanished into the distance.