Chaptér 261
It immediately dawned on Andrew that Cedric must have made the detox pill. Such medication. was not particularly rare, as anyone with decent knowledge of traditional medicine could create it.
“So why did you pretend to still be drunk when you were actually sober?” Andrew asked, giving Francesca a curious look.
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red as she kept her head down, staying silent. After a long moment, she finally admitted with embarrassment, “I wanted you to… take me home.”
Worried that Andrew might misunderstand, she quickly explained, “It’s not what you might think. I just felt that it wouldn’t be safe for a woman to go home alone after drinking. Since you were already taking Lauren home, I thought could just tag along!”
Andrew chuckled and said, “I wasn’t thinking anything else. Since you both had been drinking, I would’ve made sure to get you both home safely anyway.”
“Well, you know what happened after that,” Francesca continued. “As soon as you left after dropping me off, Simon snuck in. I was terrified and angry, to be honest. If you hadn’t come back in time, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Andrew responded, “Since you were conscious the whole time and that monster tried to assault you, why didn’t you fight back and report him to Dr. Aicker?”
Francesca shook her head and said, “If only it were that simple. I’ve been holding back because Simon is my senior apprentice and Grandpa’s first disciple.”
Andrew raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you afraid of your grandfather finding out about Simon’s attempted assault?”
Francesca sighed. “I’m not exactly afraid, but I’d rather keep this shameful incident within the family. Grandpa values reputation highly, and Simon is his prized student. If I exposed- Simon’s true nature, it would bring shame to the Aicker family, and I fear it might create a rift between them that could tear our family apart.
Andrew scoffed, “Simon is just Dr. Aicker’s apprentice. Does he think he’s untouchable?”
“Over the years, Grandpa has handed over many of the Aicker family’s affairs to Simon,” Francesca explained with a bitter smile.
She added, “Simon’s influence in the family is second–only to Grandpa’s, even surpassing mine. That’s why I’ve been enduring his advances–to prevent internal conflict within the family.”
“So what’s your plan?” Andrew asked. “Are you going to keep tolerating this forever?”
Francesca took a deep breath and stated firmly, “Of course not. When the opportunity arises, I’ll be direct with Simon and tell him I don’t have feelings for him and never will. He needs to
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Chapter 261
move on.”
Andrew shook his head and warned, “He doesn’t seem like someone who would back down easily. When he can’t get what he wants, he might act out of spite.”
“Even if he does, I won’t force myself to accept him,” Francesca declared. “I used to see him as a brother, but his behavior has become increasingly inappropriate. Now, he just disgusts me.
Andrew stood up and said, “It’s getting late, and I should head back. Get some rest, and don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.”
Francesca smiled. “Thank you for coming back to save me tonight.”
Andrew dismissed her thanks with a wave and quickly left the Aicker residence. He could understand Francesca’s predicament somewhat. After all, he knew well that old families like that valued their reputation above all else and feared public scandal.
Nevertheless, in Andrew’s opinion, Simon needed to be eliminated sooner rather than later, as there was no saying what he might do later. It was better to be safe than sorry, no matter how -promising Simon’s talent was.
