Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) novel Chapter 2426

Lost in thought, Andrew did not look discouraged, nor did he see the fight as a failure. He calmly cleaned himself up and crossed the street to the food stall across from Nightfall Bar.

Sitting down, he began to eat quietly.

Olivia stared at him with concern. "Sir, your clothes are soaked through… And you're bleeding."

Andrew gave a faint smile. "It's nothing. I slipped earlier, that's all."

He quickly finished his meal, left a few bills on the table, and waved off the change before disappearing into the night.

Gianna and Manuel, the stall owners, came out trembling.

"You think that guy's in the mafia or something?" Gianna muttered.

"I don't know… But he didn't look like someone who had just fallen. He looked like he'd just been in a fight. There was blood all over him… It was terrifying," Manuel said, frowning.

He sighed. "We thought we'd found a rich, generous customer, but turns out he's probably some kind of gangster. We'd better be careful from now on."

Olivia suddenly shouted, "No! He's not a bad guy! Even if he's hurt, I can tell that he's not bad."

Gianna and Manuel stared at her, dumbfounded. Had their daughter really just taken his side?

"What's gotten into her?" Manuel whispered.

Olivia murmured, almost to herself, "He's been coming here all this time to watch over the bar across the street. After tonight, I don't think he'll come back anymore."

…

The next morning, Luna arrived early at Sovereign's Apothecary. "What? Andrew's gone?"

Her brows knit together, and worry crept into her voice.

She was furious, gritting her teeth. She thought Luna must be out of her mind.

Andrew's leaving was one thing, but why was Luna following him out? Sovereign's Apothecary was massive, and surely she could find another mentor worth learning from.

…

Later that morning, in his private courtyard, Theon sat back in a chair, smiling confidently. "So, General Phelan came by earlier, didn't she?"

Caden quickly nodded. "Yes, Mr. Orben, she arrived this morning."

Theon looked pleased. "Good. Then bring her to me. Right now, I'm the only one here qualified to train her. I'll make sure she becomes my apprentice."

Caden's expression turned awkward, and before he could speak, Mikayla stepped forward with a grin. "Mr. Orben, General Phelan didn't know what was good for her. She's already left."

Theon's face immediately darkened. "Left? What do you mean, left? She just got here… Why didn't anyone bring her to me?"