Chapter 685
Aspen’s expression darkened as she watched Christina nervously hover her thumb over the call button. “Christie, are you sure you want to make this call? You and Andrew have already gone your separate ways. What’s the point of reaching out now?”
Christina bit her lip, her anxiety plain to see. “Honestly, I don’t even know what I want to say. But… I need to know. I need to hear his voice. I need to know if he really hates me as much as I think he does.”
Aspen did not say another word. She just leaned back and crossed her arms, her eyes cold with indifference.
‘What a waste of time,’ she thought. ‘Andrew is long gone, probably feeding worms in a coffin by now. This phone call is pointless.’
Still, if Christina wanted to chase ghosts, so be it. The phone would either go straight to voicemail, or someone else would pick up. Andrew was not alive to answer.
To Aspen’s surprise, the call connected.
“Hello?” came Andrew’s familiar voice on the other end.
Christina’s heart leaped. She clutched the phone tightly. “Andrew? Is that you?”
“It’s me,” Andrew replied flatly. “What do you want, Ms. Stevens?”
Christina’s throat went dry. “I–I went to verify everything you said earlier, and I…”
Andrew cut her off coldly. “Whatever it is, I don’t care. Just leave me alone. From now on, let’s not contact each other again.”
Christina’s heart clenched. She furrowed her brow and pushed past her pride. “Wait, Andrew, hold on! Can’t you at least have a little patience with me? Are you really that unwilling to even listen?”
Andrew let out a mocking snort. “Patience? What do you expect, Christina? Do you want me to go back to the way I used to be? To worship you? To bend over backward for you?”
Christina felt a sting deep in her chest. “Andrew, yes, you helped me a lot in the past. You helped the Stevens family, and you helped the corporation. But it’s not like we treated you like trash. You’re acting like you have some massive grudge against me.”
Andrew’s tone was completely detached. “You’re imagining things. I don’t care about you or the Stevens family anymore. You can’t hold a grudge against something you no longer give a damn about. Now, if you’re done, I’m hanging up.”
Christina’s pulse raced. She was used to Andrew being calm and patient with her–never this cold or dismissive. Nevertheless, she swallowed her frustration and softened her voice.
“Andrew, I’ve realized that I made a huge mistake,” she said, forcing herself to stay calm. “Can’t we meet somewhere and talk things through?”
Andrew let out a bitter laugh. “A mistake? Christina, you’re still the same stubborn woman who refuses to admit when she’s wrong. Save yourself the trouble. I’m not interested. And even if I were, meeting you would only piss off Lauren.”
Christina froze, her breath catching in her throat. Lauren’s name twisted her heart with an irrational pang of jealousy.
“So… you and Ms. Rhodes are together now?” she asked, her voice low and tight. “Andrew, have you considered what you’re getting yourself into? She’s Lauren Rhodes–heiress of the Rhodes family. She’s the darling of Jayrodale.”
She continued, “You might be successful now, but the gap between the two of you is still massive. Do you really think this relationship has a future? Don’t you see how impossible it is for someone like you to be with someone like her?”
Andrew let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Thanks for the advice, Ms. Stevens, but my relationship isn’t your concern.”
And with that, the line went dead.
Christina lowered the phone, her face burning with humiliation. Her jaw clenched as she swallowed the sharp sting of rejection.
“He’s so damn stubborn,” she muttered. “Still holding a grudge… still unwilling to give me even the smallest way out.”
She stared at the blank screen, her thumb hesitating over the redial button. She thought, ‘To hell with it!’ She called again, and again, but every time, the call went straight to voicemail. Her stomach dropped as she realized she had been blocked.
“Andrew, you’re such a petty, small-minded jerk,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “Still so stubborn after all this time. Can’t even let me apologize, can you?”
She was so absorbed in her rant that she did not notice Aspen sitting across from her, her face drained of color, her entire body rigid.
When she finally glanced his way, she jumped. “Aspen, what’s wrong?”
Aspen’s lips were pressed into a tight, bloodless line. Her eyes were wide with shock, and her skin looked ashen – like she had just seen a ghost.
Her voice trembled as she mumbled, “Christie… I just remembered… I need to report something to the main family. I–I’ll catch you later.”
Christina nodded. “Sure! Go ahead.”
Before Christina could say more, Aspen bolted from her chair and rushed down the hall, disappearing into her room.
Inside her locked room, Aspen leaned against the door, panting heavily. She could not hide her shock, her mind racing as she realized Andrew was alive.
‘But how? What the hell is going on?’ Aspen wondered.