Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

"You trying to get me whacked? Hey, I'm asking you, are you trying to get me killed here? I thought I was gonna make some easy cash with you, what's this mess you've got us into?"

As he ranted, Sergey plastered on a fake grin for the security guards walking up, looking like he had just seen a ghost.

"Hey there, fellas, no worries, we're just here to check things out! Time to go, we're heading out!"

The two guards eyed them with suspicion, and one of them snorted, "With those get-ups, you two are just street-level punks, right? Out with it, what's your game at The Sovereign Residences? Are you here to swipe something?"

Sergey, nearly out of his mind with fear, scrambled to explain, "No way, that's not what we're here for, honest!

"We were just walking by, stealing stuff? Come on, this is the fanciest part of town. We wouldn't dare pull anything here!"

A security guard swung hard, landing two solid slaps that sent Sergey, towering at six-foot-two and tipping the scales at over 600 pounds, flying through the air.

He even lost two molars from the force of those hits talk about a heavy hand!

"Last chance, buddy. Spill it. What are you really here for? Make any more noise, and you and your lowlife friends won't need to bother coming back!"

The guards at The Sovereign Residences did not mess around-they were tough as nails, always ready to throw down and throw threats.

Anyone caught sneaking around The Sovereign Residences was in for it, no exceptions.

Lately, there had been extra tension. The big shot from Serenity Villa, Andrew, was on edge, and even their top guard—a semi-martial king—had gotten chewed out until he was nothing but dust and ashes!

So, they were on high alert. If any of those nobodies had caused trouble for the high roller from Serenity Villa...

Well, they could have been out of a job faster than they could say "fired."

Clutching his bleeding mouth, Sergey staggered to his feet, looking all kinds of sorry for himself. "Look, I'll talk, okay? Isn't that enough for you guys?"

He glared at Leroy, pure loathing on his face. "It's all his fault. He's the one who dragged us here! He said we had to take care of some guy named Andrew living in The Sovereign Residences.

"If I had known that Dr. Lloyd lived at The Sovereign Residences, no way would I have messed with him-not in a million years!"

Two security guards went white as sheets "What? You actually tnoveldrama

you could mess with Dr.

Seriously, you're asking for get

Fuming, the two guards whipped out their batons!

Sergey was on the receiving end of a relentless beating!

Meanwhile, one of the guards was on the pager, summoning over a dozen of The Sovereign Residences' finest security!

Each one was as tough as a special forces soldier. The squad from The

Sovereign Residences laid intoel:

Leroy, Sergey, and his crew, leaving them bruised and swollen

A few

were lying on the ground, crying out in pain, with their dignity trampled

S nere in such bad shape t

of them!

Leroy was clutching his head, reeling from a kick down below that twisted his face

with pain!

Why?

How did their attempt to look tough go so horribly wrong?

Why did the security freak out at the mention of Andrew's name, like they had seen a ghost?

He just could not make sense of it!

"Scram, and don't even think about causing trouble again. Next time, it won't be just a beating!"

After giving them a taste of their own medicine, The Sovereign Residences' security backed off.

They were not about to kill anyone, after all.

However, they sure did not hold back.

Where did those guys get their guts from? God himself?

To think they would have the nerve to come to The Sovereign Residences and

hassle the owner of Serenity Villa!