Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 2454

Andrew drove his beat-up car through the streets and alleys of Chetvine for nearly two hours. He did not have any real destination in mind and was just out for a joyride.

The tail that had been following him eventually gave up after a while because his route looked exactly like that of a house servant from the Lloyd family running errands. His car alone gave it away. It was in such terrible shape that no real member of the Lloyd family would ever be caught dead driving it.

Once Andrew figured the timing was right, he made a sharp U-turn and sped straight toward Jaden's villa. This time, he was determined to kill the man.

…

By nightfall, the luxurious villa stood dimly lit. Every window was covered with thick curtains, making it impossible to see what was going on inside. The only light came from the front lawn, where the glow of spotlights revealed people coming and going.

Dozens of burly guards patrolled the perimeter, each with an earpiece, pretending to be alert. However, after observing from a distance, Andrew realized the whole thing was just for show.

The guards were lazy, leaning against fences, smoking, and chatting as if it were a casual night out. He stayed patient, holding a small pair of binoculars as he silently watched the scene unfold.

Then, Jaden appeared, smiling broadly as he greeted a few martial artists with hugs and cheerful chatter.

As Andrew moved the lens, he was surprised to catch sight of another figure.

It was Valerie.

She wore an elegant beige gown, stunning and captivating, radiating an almost dangerous beauty.

From the looks of it, Valerie and Jaden seemed to be on pretty good terms.

Jaden's hands kept wandering, deliberately or not, toward Valerie's pale, exposed back. Meanwhile, she only dodged politely, showing no real disgust or strong effort to avoid him.

Any obstacles ahead meant nothing to him.

With a single leap, Andrew cleared a ten-foot wall and landed like a cat at the base of the villa. Then, moving like a spider, he climbed up the side of the villa with incredible agility until he disappeared into the shadows of the roof. Two guards happened to stroll by beneath him just seconds later, completely unaware of his presence.

Once on the roof, Andrew paused briefly to get his bearings before heading toward the center of the building, where Jaden's bedroom likely was. Every window was sealed tight, which meant Jaden still had some sense of caution.

Nonetheless, that was nothing Andrew could not handle. He approached one of the outer windows and pressed his palm against the glass. He channeled his inner energy, and a burst of Inferno Strike flared through his hand.

The supposedly bulletproof glass began to heat up, glowing red before melting into a puddle that dripped down the wall.

In less than 20 seconds, a large hole had been burned through. Andrew slipped inside effortlessly, then darted down the hallway until he reached the heart of the mansion.