RISE OF EROS

Cassandra's building, being the headquarters of a shipping company, was obviously located near the port. More specifically, Cassandra's office was located overlooking the sea.

The reddish sun could be seen in the distance, and even though the view was of the port and not a pristine sandy beach, it was still a beautiful sight with the sea filled with boats and a dazzling sunset.

Inside the office, there were only Cassandra and Andrew, both silent, sipping a cup of tea without any conversation. The silence had stretched out for several minutes, but there didn't seem to be any discomfort between them.

It was a very strange scene, as they weren't old acquaintances or anything like that, so a silence like this must have been awkward. Thanks to his Eros eyes, Andrew could sense Cassandra's aura of annoyance and distrust.

As a woman of great power and status, she didn't look kindly on people like Andrew, having experienced many similar situations where men approached her with ill intentions.

As your position increases and you wield a certain amount of power, opportunists obviously appear, and this is one of the reasons why Cassandra didn't trust Andrew, believing him to be another of these opportunists.

Furthermore, Andrew's actions showed that he didn't have much trust in her. As the head of the largest shipping company in the city and even the continent, as this is the largest port in existence, Andrew was wary of her.

Cassandra knew that if Andrew wanted, he could ally with her to be his sole freight forwarder, and that way he wouldn't have to worry about competition. However, she knew that Andrew hadn't done this, instead dividing his operations between his company and his two closest competitors, Duglas and Lustas, so she didn't trust Andrew.

It was clear he wanted to use Duglas and Lustas to pressure her, and he was also using her to pressure the former two. Although he appeared to be maintaining the status quo, he was actually limiting them all.

Cassandra couldn't trust Andrew because of this, as he demonstrated a lack of commitment to some of them and at the same time a lack of sincerity, especially toward her, who valued this highly in her business partners.

Still, she couldn't let go of the business Andrew was bringing her, as she would lose an advantage over her competitors. So she had to swallow the bitter pill and continue the game.

After a few more minutes, Cassandra decided to set the record straight, or at least lay her cards on the table. She certainly didn't want to end her relationship with Andrew, but she couldn't stand this false attitude either.

"Mr. Andrew, why don't you tell me what your intentions are?" Cassandra asked calmly. Although irritated by his attitude, she decided to keep the conversation cordial. Despite that, she wanted to know where she stood with Andrew—well, that is, if he dared to reveal what he really wanted. Cassandra wasn't so naive as to believe Andrew would tell her everything.

She had been a merchant for several decades, and her empire wasn't something she built, but something she inherited from her ancestors, who had built and developed this company for several centuries.

She understood the machinations that went on in business and that merchants' word couldn't be trusted, especially those like Andrew who seemed to have ulterior motives. Andrew obviously noticed all this. His Eros eyes showed Cassandra's deep-rooted distrust. This made things difficult for him, as he didn't know how to confront her.

It was true that his intention was to get her into bed, but he didn't want to be too aggressive either. Although his mentality had changed, he still wasn't willing to cross his moral line. He thought for a few minutes about how to respond to Cassandra, but in the end, he decided to be a little honest, but not too honest. "Ms. Cassandra distrusts me, right?" was her reply.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes as if in acceptance of this statement, but said nothing, and Andrew just smiled at her attitude. He took a sip of his tea and continued, "I really have no ill intentions toward you and your company."

"It's laughable that you should say that, when you're using my competitors to pressure me," Cassandra sneered. "Well, I'm not denying that. I need something from you, but it won't be easy to get, so I must be a little dishonest," Andrew replied.

This caught Cassandra's attention, as Andrew was admitting that he wanted something from her, but not knowing what it was, she decided to probe. "And that would be it?" Andrew replied, "It's hard to say."

Cassandra was annoyed by Andrew's refusal. He really had a hard time telling her, as he couldn't just say he wanted to sleep with her, but to Cassandra, it seemed as if Andrew was making fun of her.

Andrew noticed this and could only let out a sigh of resignation. His plan was to approach Cassandra little by little with casual encounters like this, but now he realized he was only making things worse.

Coming without a detailed plan had worked against him, but he had no choice. Andrew really wasn't good at relationships. All the women in his current life had taken the initiative, so trying to win Cassandra over was stupid.

Now she could see that he wasn't cut out for this, even though he was a candidate for the god Eros, with overflowing charm and special abilities. In his past life, he was a social misfit, and that didn't change in this one.

It was true that he fared better thanks to his skills and many chance encounters, but he had to stop pretending to be something he wasn't. Drinking the rest of his tea, Andrew placed the cup on the small table in front of him and looked at Cassandra seriously.

She noticed Andrew's change in attitude and looked at him seriously, thinking Andrew would finally say something that interested him. Andrew hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to take a chance.

"Cassandra, what I want from you isn't your status, wealth, business, or power. What I want is you," Andrew said directly. Knowing he was a failure as a charmer, he decided to be direct. In short, he was trying his luck.

Andrew's words took Cassandra by surprise, as she hadn't expected Andrew to say that. However, she wasn't offended, but she did remain defensive. He wasn't the first man to try to charm her, although it was the first time they used such a direct tactic, and despite this, Cassandra still didn't believe Andrew.

In her mind, Andrew could deny all he wanted about the fact that he didn't want her property or status, but if he took her, it was the same as taking everything, so Cassandra was even more on guard.

Although she didn't understand why Andrew was so direct, it was obvious to her that Andrew was another opportunist who claimed to love her, but only seemed to covet what she had. However, he wouldn't say it directly.

She decided to be a little mocking, so she said, "Mr. Andrew is truly a man who covets women. From what I understand, he has several wives and even some special women outside his marriage, and he still intends to expand his harem."

Hearing her, Andrew smiled. It was obvious she was being sarcastic, even though she was telling the truth. It was impossible for Andrew to hide from others that he had many wives and even some concubines.

Especially in a place like Comers, where information is easily obtained, but Andrew still didn't flinch. "Well, what can I say? I'm a special man, so having multiple wives and concubines is normal."

It's true that in this world, this thought isn't abnormal, but it still didn't sit well with Cassandra. "So you want a new trophy?" she asked with a hint of contempt in her tone. "Lady Cassandra may have investigated me, but her information seems incomplete," Andrew replied, adding, "I don't have a single woman I consider a trophy."

Andrew's tone as he said this was firm. He didn't allow this statement to be taken lightly, and Cassandra noticed. She understood that Andrew truly wouldn't allow his wives to be mocked, which improved her impression of him, but she was still suspicious.

"I apologize for the offense, but I'm still suspicious of your actions," Cassandra said, looking seriously at Andrew. Andrew smiled and replied, "I understand that. Even I agree that my actions are not appropriate."

"Knowing that, are you still going?" Cassandra asked again, and Andrew, smiling wryly, replied, "Despite having many wives and women, I'm really not very good at courting". Cassandra raised an eyebrow at that and was about to scoff, as with so many partners, the comment seemed disingenuous, but Andrew said before she could, "I've just been blessed."

"That's a bit unrealistic, isn't it?" Cassandra continued, growing increasingly suspicious. Andrew noticed that the more he talked, the further he got from his goal, and with a sigh, he stood up.

His plan had failed, and trying his luck had also failed, so to avoid complicating things further, he decided to leave. After standing up, he added his clothes and, looking at Cassandra, said, "I know it's hard to believe, but I'm not lying."

Then he started walking toward the door, and before leaving, he spoke again, "You should watch me more closely. Like I said, I'm bad at courting the ladies, but my actions speak louder than words."

"Watch me carefully and draw your own conclusions. Right now, all I can say is, I want her and I'll do whatever I can to get her. However, I won't force her," Andrew concluded, looking at Cassandra with a confident smile that made the liquid spirit's heart flutter. She didn't understand why, but somehow, these words and Andrew's gaze made her curious; at least a small interest had been sparked in her.