Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) novel Chapter 2335

Just as the thought appeared in Mikayla's mind, she quickly denied it. She realized that Andrew was the kind of man who carved his own path, leaving everyone else with nowhere to go.

They were close in age, and she had spent years building her perfect image, trying to become a prodigy in both medicine and martial arts. Her combat skills were decent, her alchemy talent was solid, and she had already reached the level of a sixth-grade alchemist.

Yet, compared to Andrew, she was nothing but a clown.

Just then, a senior alchemist walked over and reminded her, "Mikayla, Madam Baxter has ordered the junior alchemists to return to their duties. You may be special, but you still cannot go against her command. You need to leave."

Mikayla glanced one last time toward Andrew. She was certain he had noticed her presence because she was the only one left lingering nearby. Moreover, wherever she went, she was always the center of attention.

However, Andrew showed no reaction at all. He only continued chatting with Brielle and Amari, laughing with them, never sparing her so much as a glance.

"Andrew, I know you did that on purpose. You saw me, but you refused to even look my way. That was your way of humiliating me, of acting like I didn't exist," she muttered darkly.

Her face clouded over with anger, but then a sly smile crept across her lips. "But your deliberate grudge and your intentional silence also prove that you still can't let me go. Somewhere in your heart, you still think about me.

"After all, men always want beautiful women. Now that you're back in Chetvine, you need power, fame, and women to prove yourself. I don't believe for a second that you won't want to conquer me and make me yours, just to prove your worth."

Mikayla convinced herself she knew Andrew well, or rather, she knew all men well. She was beautiful, dazzling, and the Owens family's treasured daughter. If she threw herself into Andrew's arms, she refused to believe he would not be tempted.

Because of that, Mikayla had blundered again and again, letting her rift with Andrew grow wider and wider.

She had always dismissed Isabelle as nothing more than a silly, innocent tagalong, never worth her concern. Yet now, suspicion crept into her heart.

Maybe Isabelle was not as simple as she looked.

Women could sense these things, and Mikayla trusted her instincts. With Andrew's return, Isabelle's heart and intentions were probably shifting in ways hard to guess.

That ability was something women were born with. No matter how pure their hearts appeared, a woman's thoughts could always change in an instant.