Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) novel Chapter 344

Chapter 344 Aspen smirked and said , Ms.

Santana , you sure are devoted to Mr.

Lloyd .

From the beginning , youve been protecting this so called expert at every turn .

Arent you worried that the rest of us collectors might feel a little neglected ? Elsie responded calmly , Im not sure I understand what you mean , Ms.

Stevens .

Mr.

Lloyd is a distinguished guest of Radiant Group , and its my job to assist him .

Is there an issue with that ? Aspen let out a disdainful laugh .

For someone to earn such exceptional treatment from you , Ms.

Santana , they must be quite the expert .

So , Mr.

Lloyd , how about it ? Are you brave enough to take me on ? Dont chicken out now after all your earlier bravado .

All eyes turned to Andrew , their curiosity piqued .

His earlier confrontation with Orion had been impressive , earning hfin widespread admiration , but gemstone cutting was an entirely different challenge .

, Someone encouraged , Mr.

Lloyd , your expertise in antiques is remarkable .

Surely you can hold your own in gemstone cutting , too .

Exactly ! Win or lose , youre already a rising star in Jayrodales collectors circle .

Show them what youve got ! another added .

However , a few older experts from the antique association , who were more cautious and well- meaning , tried to dissuade him .

Mr.

Lloyd , your reputation is hard earned .

Gemstone cutting is unpredictable , and gambling on it carries great risks .

We advise you to proceed with caution .

While some were eager to see a showdown , others genuinely wanted to protect Andrews burgeoning reputation .

Aspen , however , stood by , her smile growing colder by the second .

She thought to herself that if Andrew backed out now , he would be branded a coward .

However , if he took the bait and accepted her challenge , she would finally have her chance to humiliate him and settle past scores .

Either way , she saw herself winning .

Andrew chuckled lightly , his tone was casual yet firm .

Since Ms.

Stevens is so insistent and everyones clearly looking forward to it , refusing would indeed make me look like a coward .

I suppose I have no choice but to play along .

Aspens smile froze for a moment as she processed his reply .