Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 1976

"Of course, it's the right thing to do," Diego replied, laughing heartily.

Eric could only shake his head. It was not that the Hopkinses were spineless; it was that Andrew's sheer presence was overwhelming.

In the martial world, people would not bow to titles or sweet talk; they bowed to power. Moreover, with Andrew's blunt, in-your-face way of showing his strength, hardly anyone dared to object.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Hopkins Senior!" Andrew replied with a small nod at Diego. Then, he took the gem and left the Hopkins residence.

Only when they were certain Andrew was gone did everyone finally let out a long breath. Walter's corpse still leaned against the pondside walkway, head hanging, eyes bulging, his face frozen in that final mask of rage and fear.

Timothy, still being supported, walked over.

Staring at Walter's lifeless body, he muttered, "Before meeting this Andrew, I thought I was good enough. I even had the ambition to challenge Joe, maybe even look down on the Driscoll family. But now… I really overestimated myself.

"Thank goodness this happened here. If I'd run into Andrew outside, the Hopkinses would probably be throwing a funeral for me right now… A full spread in my honor…"

Diego snapped, "Tim, watch your mouth! We might not be able to stand against Andrew, but the Driscoll family is no pushover either. If it really came down to it, who knows who would come out on top."

Diego and the other Hopkins family members all had strange expressions. With another slap, Timothy struck Walter again. However, this time, it was not a face slap but a kick to Walter's groin.

Then, he clicked his tongue. "Dad, Mr. Burke really doesn't have a dick!"

Diego's brows furrowed. "Tim, that's too much! The dead deserve respect. You can't insult a corpse."

After that, he walked over and also kicked Walter in the crotch. He immediately shook his head dramatically, "This snake used to be the most feared person around Maurice. Who would've thought that he'd be dead so soon?"