Chapter 696

Stephen hesitated for a moment before forcing out a strained smile. “Mr. Lloyd, the Reckoning Toast at the Jayrodale Grand Hotel officially started today. Raymond plans to host it for three days straight, inviting all the major players in Jayrodale to witness it.”

He explained, “If, by the end of the third day, you haven’t shown up, it will be taken as a refusal to apologize. At that point, Raymond, backed by the Wright family, might decide to make a move against you. Please, think this through.”

Andrew’s eyes darkened with indifference. “I’ll go on the third day and settle it then. But until then, I don’t have the time – or the interest – to entertain them.”

Stephen quickly nodded. “Of course, Mr. Lloyd. I’ll pass the message along to Raymond.”

Andrew gave a casual wave. “Do whatever you think is best.”

He turned and left the office with Lauren beside him.

“Dr. Lloyd,” Lauren said softly, glancing at him with concern, “I really think you should take the Wright family seriously.”

She knew his personality – he was the kind of man who never bent under pressure. However, she feared his stubbornness might draw the wrong kind of attention.

Andrew’s jaw tightened. “What happened to Dream Paradise was entirely the Chapman family’s fault. By any logic, they’re the ones who should be apologizing, not me. If the Wright family chooses to ignore the facts and bully me into submission, then I have no choice but to fight back.”

Lauren gave a small nod. “Alright. I respect your decision. But you should know… Winston is a lunatic. A spoiled, psychotic brat. If he loses his temper, things could get messy.”

Andrew scoffed. “If he’s smart, he’ll keep his tantrums to himself. But if he decides to come after me, he’ll regret it. Lunatic or not, I’ll make him kneel and beg for mercy.”

When they arrived at the Rhodes Corporation building, Marcus came rushing toward them with a tense expression.

“Mr. Lloyd, things are getting out of hand. Raymond’s pushing hard to hold you responsible – and he’s even brought in some big shot from the capital.”

He wrung his hands anxiously, glancing at Andrew with genuine concern.

Andrew chuckled, his eyes glinting with a dangerous calm. “Relax. I already know about it. I’ll handle it.”

Marcus‘ mouth opened, but no words came out. He had worked with Andrew long enough to know the man never backed down. Still, this situation was different.

“Mr. Lloyd, maybe… maybe we should rethink this,” Marcus finally said. “I’m distantly related to Raymond. I could go apologize on your behalf and offer to cover the damages at Dream Paradise.”

He continued, “If you come with me and say a few kind words, maybe we can smooth this over before things escalate.”

Andrew laughed, though there was no humor in it. “First, Stephen tries to talk me into bowing my head. Now you?

He leaned in slightly, his tone sharp but steady. “We were the ones who got provoked, Mr. Chapman. And when we pushed back, now they want us to apologize? What kind of world would that be? If we just roll over, what happens next? People like Raymond would keep running wild, while decent people live in fear. I’m not about to let that happen.”

Marcus sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re absolutely right, Mr. Lloyd. I get it, really. But… sometimes, taking one step back can help you avoid an even bigger fight.”

He added, “Why not just swallow a bit of pride, apologize, and move on? It’s not like you’d actually lose anything.”

Andrew’s smile faded. His voice turned icy. “I’m not in the habit of apologizing when I’ve done nothing wrong.”

With a resigned sigh, Marcus said nothing more. He knew that once Andrew made up his mind, there was no talking him out of it.