Chris' eyes were evasive even as he quickly came up with another excuse. "I have no connection with Viola—I bought that red diamond necklace! She wanted it too, but I didn't give in, so she bore a grudge over that!"The Lanes were all trading glances, not sure who to believe with Frank and Chris arguing.Frank turned toward Cindy just then and said, "Why don't you tell us. Is the necklace Viola's or Chris'?"Cindy did not think that Frank would turn his crosshairs on her.At that moment, what she said would decide what the Lanes would believe, and she certainly knew the truth. After all, during the party, Viola wore a blue diamond necklace with a design identical to Chris' red diamond necklace.However, if she told the truth, she would upset Chris… And Frank was not going to thank her anyway.And considering all the grievances she harbored toward Frank, helping Chris and getting in his good graces was much more ideal."O-Of course it's Mr. Steiner's," she said. "Ms. Salazar is j
Henry's eyes lit up as he exclaimed in disbelief, "Really?""Of course. Let me take this call." Frank nodded and strode outside to answer Donald's phone call.Donald was bellowing as soon as the call connected, "Frank Lawrence! My daughter is dying! Get over here and treat her right now!"He was utterly frantic as Viola's condition grew progressively worse.She was wheelchair bound, unable to lift any of her limbs!On the other hand, Frank remained nonchalant. "Calm down. She still has three days and plenty of hurting in between.""You little—"Frank cut Donald's outburst short. "I guess I should remind you that you're the one asking for a favor. You have no right to demand anything.""Fine! What do you want?" Donald growled through his teeth. "I'll lift the sanctions against Lane Holdings too, okay?""I told you. Have your daughter apologize to Helen if you want her to live," Frank replied. "If anything, lifting the sanctions is only right."Donald clenched his fist. "My dau
Chris chuckled. "Oh, it's nothing… It's no big deal at all."Henry and Frank entered just then, and Helen quickly told Henry, "You have nothing to worry about now, Grandpa. The sanctions against us have been lifted.""Really?" Henry did a double take and quickly realized that Frank did it since he was just on his phone. "Well, we really owe Frank for that."Frank nodded—it seemed that Donald had caved, and Viola would soon be here to apologize to Helen.Gina, however, snorted in disdain. "Him? What does it have to do with him? It's all thanks to Mr. Steiner that the sanctions were lifted!""Impossible," Henry retorted. "Frank was on his phone just now, and the sanctions were lifted soon after.""Haha!" Peter laughed as he pointed at Frank. "He made a phone call, and it's done? Who did he call, Donald Salazar? Who does he think he is?""Exactly." Chris laughed. "What are you going to say next, that the Salazars would come to apologize now?" "What if I do?" Frank replied flatly.
Helen gulped—she certainly did not have the right to deny Viola anything! "O-Of course. I forgive Ms. Salazar," she said."Wonderful. From now on, our family and yours would still be friends," Alfredo flashed a gentlemanly smile."Yeah, that's for sure." Helen nodded repeatedly.Gina was grinning as well. "It's all just a misunderstanding. Just give us a shout if you need anything too."The rest of them were certainly awash with delight that the Salazars came personally to apologize, even make peace with them.Even in hiding, Chris could hear them from his corner and was left in shock as well!However, that was when Frank strode up to Alfredo and snapped, "What's this? Why are you apologizing to the Lanes, geezer? Viola Salazar was the one who hurt Helen. She should be apologizing instead.""Uh…" Alfredo was left stunned.Gina freaked out right then and glared at Frank. "Shut up! You don't get to speak here!"Even Helen was frowning and snapping at him. "Stop it, Frank." T
Gina nodded repeatedly. "Absolutely. Former classmates should help each other—it's only right.""Pfft. Him, telling the Salazars to apologize? Who does he think he is?" Frank snorted in disdain."You're just jealous." Chris chuckled coolly.Even if he actually did nothing, it did not matter as long as the Lanes believed him.Frank glared at him with contempt. "Jealous of a lowlife like you? Really?" "Shut up!" Gina bellowed right then, her finger inches from his nose. "You, calling another person a lowlife?! You're the worst there is! Freeloading from my house for years!"Peter nodded beside her. "Exactly—he even has the balls to slander Mr. Steiner. Get out of here already!""Stop it already, Frank." Even Helen was snapping at Frank in disappointment."Stop what?" Frank asked, frowning. "I've been telling the truth all this while."Helen glared at him in turn. "The truth? Are you saying Viola came to apologize because you told her to? That her family lifted their sanctions b
Gina gulped and asked tentatively, "A-Are you joking, sir?"Alfredo frowned. "Do I look like the type of person who jokes around?""O-Of course not," Gina replied.However, she was too afraid to tell the man that she chased Frank away and instead stammered, "H-He just left… you might catch up if you go after him now?'Alfredo turned and hurried away without delay at those words.On the other hand, Helen suddenly felt dizzy and would have almost dropped to the floor if Gina did not catch her."Helen? Are you alright?" Gina asked worriedly.Helen was leaning in her arms even as she murmured softly, "Mom… I hate this so much…"It turned out that everything Frank said was real. He was the one who was always there for her—heaven knows how much he had been through just to get even for her sake.And yet, she only offered Frank those hurtful words…She felt a pang of guilt when she realized the truth, but she had no idea what to tell Frank now.She would actually rather he scold h
Frank glanced inside the car at Viola and started towards her.Viola flinched and trembled, as if she had developed a phobia for the man."What are you doing, Mr. Lawrence?" Alfredo asked warily."Freeing her acupoints, unless you're going to do it?" Frank shot him a look.Alfredo stepped back awkwardly, while Frank tapped Viola's acupoints twice, clearing it.Viola could instantly feel the pain, her body fading, and inhaled deeply in relief.Nonetheless, Frank quietly said with murderous coldness, "This is just a lesson. Disrespect Helen again, and you'd be dead.""No, I'd never do it again." Viola quickly shook her head, utterly terrified by Frank's torment.With that, Frank turned to leave, while Alfredo frowned in his wake. "The kid's really full of himself…" he muttered."Shut it. Die all you want—don't get me involved," Viola snapped at him right then.Alfredo quietly hung his head, while Viola was staring warily at Frank and breathed a long sigh of relief when she sa
Trevor was stumped. "Uh… Birthday present? What kind?""For Winter Lawrence, a young lady around eighteen," Frank said, rubbing his chin."Oh…" Trevor realized with a start.Winter Lawrence was the only daughter of Frank's mentor and should be regarded with importance, but it was still a question as to what present suited her…"Should we give her something valuable or economical?""Valuable, of course," Frank said solemnly—his mentor's daughter deserved that much."Alright, understood." Trevor nodded repeatedly."Send it over to Skywater Bay as soon as you can," Frank told him.Trevor nodded again and hung up to get to work.-Trevor was soon at Frank's door with the present.Frank opened it to find a necklace with a crystalline green diamond pendant, sculpted with the lifelike impression of a phoenix. "A master craftsman sculpted this three years ago from the finest grade of green diamond, Mr. Lawrence," Trevor said. "The material alone is worth twenty million."Frank br