Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) novel Chapter 678

Chapter 678

The line went dead as Marvin hung up without giving Christina the chance to say another word.

She sat there, the phone still pressed to her ear, her mind utterly blank. Marvin’s parting words echoed through

her skull like a relentless drumbeat.

“Christina, by giving him up, you didn’t just lose a relationship–you lost everything.”

“No,” she whispered to herself, gripping the phone tighter. “No, my judgment wasn’t wrong. Andrew was lazy. He had no ambition. We didn’t match anymore–I made the right decision… I did the right thing.”

Yet, no matter how many times she repeated the words, the doubts gnawed deeper. Denial was always the first response when confronted with a painful truth. People instinctively clung to their own version of events, unwilling to admit they had misjudged, unwilling to face the consequences of their choices.

Her breath quickened, and before she could think twice, she dialed another number. This time, she called Mark’s office.

“Hello, this is Mark Thatcher,” came the familiar, steady voice on the other end.

“Mr. Thatcher, this is Christina Stevens from Stevens Corporation,” she said, forcing calm into her tone. “I’m really sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could help me with something. It’s about… Andrew Lloyd.”

There was a pause. Then, Mark asked in a surprised tone, “You’re calling me just to ask about Mr. Lloyd?”

“Yes,” Christina said quickly. “I know it sounds unusual, but this is really important to me. Please, if you have a moment.”

“All right,” Mark said, his tone softening. “What exactly would you like to know? I’ll tell you what I can, though I know little about his personal affairs.”

Christina swallowed hard. “A while back, when Jayrodale Bank tried to deny us that loan, and you stepped in to help… was it Harvey Weller who asked you to intervene?”