Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) novel Chapter 1167

Andarov could not care less about anything else and turned to flee, trying to blast through the villa wall and make his escape. However, Andrew's attacks were relentless, like crashing waves, giving him no chance to run.

With perfect aim, Andrew struck the center of Andarov's back with a palm strike that exploded like a thunderclap.

Bones shattered with a sickening crunch, and nearly two-thirds of Andarov's skeleton was crushed in an instant. Then, blood gushed out from his mouth as he collapsed, his massive eight-foot frame crashing to the floor.

Raising his trembling, blood-soaked hand, he pointed at Andrew, gasping, "You're not… not just some ordinary man. You're from… Holtrien's Chetvine… You're part of the royal fa—"

He never got to finish the sentence. Before the final word left his lips, Andarov exhaled his last breath and died on the spot.

A single drop of blood fell from Andrew's waist, and part of his shirt had already soaked through with red.

Natasha rushed over in alarm. "Darling, did you get shot?"

Andrew sank into the ruins of the couch and waved her off. "It's nothing serious."

He ripped open the fabric around the wound and calmly inserted two golden acupuncture needles. After that, he fished the bullet out like it was no big deal. He did not even flinch, nor did he twitch in pain. It was as if the injury was just a scratch.

Aspen watched in stunned silence, her heart pounding. She thought, 'Is he always this ruthless, even toward himself?'

Natasha barked, "What are you standing there for? Aspen, grab the bandages! If it weren't for him protecting you, do you really think a man like him would've been injured?"

Aspen finally realized that Andarov had spotted their hiding place only because of the noise she had made, and Andrew's first instinct had been to throw himself over her and take the hit.

She thought, 'Did this man actually take a bullet for me?'

Biting her lip, she hurried upstairs, grabbed the first-aid kit, and knelt to carefully bandage Andrew's wound. However, the more she wrapped, the more her anger flared.

She demanded, "Why did you protect me? If that bullet had hit somewhere worse, even you wouldn't have walked away from it!"

Andrew replied coldly, "If I hadn't protected you, you'd be dead by now. Is this how you treat someone who just saved your life?"

Aspen was speechless. She clenched her jaw as emotion boiled up inside her, wondering why it made her so angry to see him hurt. Moreover, why was she angry at herself?