Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) novel Chapter 1405

Kevin genuinely felt that Andrew was treating him like a true older brother. Maybe he had been too calculating in life—going forward, he owed it to Andrew to show a little sincerity.

A flicker of guilt passed through Kevin's heart as he made that silent vow.

Meanwhile, Tora had been quietly observing Andrew from the shadows the whole time. He finally stepped forward and spoke in a calm, steady tone.

"Mr. Wright, the wounds on our fallen guards were inflicted by a Ghostwillow blade. And among Grand Viper's top two enforcers, White Viper's weapon of choice was exactly that—Ghostwillow. Which confirms that Dr. Lloyd was telling the truth."

The moment those words landed, Kevin's trust in Andrew grew even stronger. He said, "Andrew, I can't thank you enough. If not for you, we wouldn't have known that bastard Grand Viper was plotting against the Wrights! Honestly… I'm ashamed to admit I nearly misunderstood you earlier."

Tora nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Dr. Lloyd has proven himself to be a man of rare courage. To bring us this warning under Grand Viper's shadow shows he truly holds the Wrights in his heart."

At that point, even Andrew started to feel a little embarrassed. All he did was put on a dramatic act to incite a war between the Wrights and Grand Viper. Truth be told, he did not give a damn about the Wrights.

If anything, he treated the Wrights like a fart—just let them out and moved on.

"You all seriously believe him?" Quinton muttered, his face pale with disbelief. "You're really going to take him at his word?"

He gave a bitter, despairing laugh. "Father, please—can you snap out of it for once? Andrew is up to no good. Grand Viper has always had a neutral relationship with our family. He's not some lunatic. Why would he randomly slaughter our men?"

Kevin's brow furrowed. He had to admit Quinton had a point, and something about this incident did not sit right. After all, Grand Viper was a respected martial master, and he had no reason to suddenly declare war on the Wrights.

Seeing the growing doubt on Kevin's face, Andrew silently cursed. Yara had warned him that Kevin was cold-blooded and rarely trusted anyone too much. If Quinton kept fanning the flames, Kevin might really start suspecting him again.

No. He had to do something—fast.

His furious shout echoed across the entire estate, rattling the very walls.

Eventually, they found the three patrolmen's bodies near the outer perimeter. The corpses were horrifying—brutally dismembered as if torn apart.

Tora suddenly shouted, "Mr. Wright—over here!"

Andrew and Aspen rushed to look. Scrawled across the outer wall in fresh, dripping blood were two lines. [The killer: Black Viper! This is just a little warning. If Mr. Wright doesn't get on his knees and apologize, the Wrights will fall.]

Andrew almost laughed out loud at the perfect timing. Just when he needed a way to calm Kevin's suspicions, Grand Viper showed up and handed him a flawless excuse.

'Thanks for the assist, dumbass,' Andrew thought, grinning. 'Couldn't have done this better myself.'