Liliana had been listening from the backseat, and her eyes widened in shock. She asked in disbelief, “Mom, what are you even talking about with him? Andrew? He thinks he can become King of Gabo Creek? Seriously?” She could not believe what she was hearing, and her voice carried a mocking tone.

Victoria let out a cold chuckle. “You’re just like your father, always dismissing others without knowing a damn thing. Let me ask you this: if Andrew’s not good enough, are you?”

Liliana shrank back, feeling a little wronged. “Of course I’m not worthy. I wouldn’t even dare think about something like that. But Andrew? Come on, Mom. How could you actually believe he is?”

Victoria scoffed. “Maybe if you spent less time partying and paid more attention to what’s going on in Blumedale, you wouldn’t sound so ignorant. Didn’t you hear a single word of what we were just talking about? Andrew’s already a top-tier figure in Gabo Creek, you clueless girl. At this point, the Five Apex Families barely even register in his eyes. And clearly, you know absolutely nothing about his skills as a martial artist, do you? When it comes to strength, the only one in all of Gabo Creek who could even come close is Luna.”

Liliana looked stunned and completely unwilling to accept it. “Mom, no! Joe is still better than him.”

Victoria gave her a dismissive glance. “Joe is talented, I won’t deny that. He has huge potential. But compared to the heir of the Lloyds royal bloodline? They’re not even in the same league. You really thought just because you happened to share a car with Andrew that he’s ordinary like you? That you’re somehow entitled to judge him? You foolish girl, Andrew’s real identity is that of royal blood; he’s from the Lloyds line in Chetvine. You and Miles grew up hearing about Chetvine’s noble houses and the royal families, didn’t you? Then you should know what it means to come from one of Holtrien’s royal bloodlines. This is the last time I’ll let it slide, but I better not catch you acting this ignorant and foolish again, understood?”

Victoria was clearly disappointed in her daughter. She cared for her, of course, but her love came with sharp expectations and stricter standards.

At that moment, Liliana was completely stunned, and her mind was buzzing. She could not believe that Andrew was from Chetvine’s royal bloodline. In their social hierarchy, family clans were below wealthy elites, who were below noble houses, and only topped by the royal lines. The Peck family sat at the family-clan level, which made them three whole tiers beneath royalty.

The gap between them was too big. Even among the Three Titans in Blumedale, none of them truly qualified as noble houses. Any of the Driscolls or Fischers could stomp the Peck family without even trying. So, if Andrew were from the royal line of the Lloyds, he could turn their entire world upside down with just a whim.

Liliana sat frozen, as if she were meeting Andrew for the very first time. All the disdain, the judgment, the superiority she had held onto vanished in an instant. What was left behind was fear and regret. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the image of Joe, her beloved, her perfect ‘prince charming,’ suddenly didn’t seem so dazzling or tall anymore. Meanwhile, the man in the front seat, Andrew, felt entirely out of reach. She thought back to the way she had treated him before, the words she had thrown his way.

And now, a chill ran through her bones. If Andrew really wanted to, he could probably crush her with just a finger.