Hans came over to Frank, gesturing with a searching gaze. "What about these two, Mr. Lawrence?"Frank smiled in disdain. "They'd remain a pest if kept alive, and there's no reason for the Graves family to live…"He then leveled a haughty look at Neil as if he were a dog, even as Neil kept kotowing at his feet. "Despicable, traitorous scum. List down all his crimes and deliver it in writing to the Turnbulls, then kill him.""Yes, sir," Hans replied with a salute.With that, two soldiers came and dragged Neil away, even as he kept begging, "Please, Mr. Lawrence! Mercy! I was tricked… Chaz tricked me! Please, just let me live…"On the other hand, Chaz was laying on the floor, laughing so loudly even as he shed tears as if he had lost his mind. "Color me surprised, Frank! It's my blunder… I didn't think you had that many friends!"As several soldiers strode up and restrained him with a vice-like grip, he promptly cried out in panic, "This is all my fault, and I'm man enough to take
Gina urged, "Hurry up already, Cindy! We can't stay here in Riverton… No, we can't stay in this country at all! We need to escape abroad, and we only have twenty minutes to make it to the airport!""Coming!" Cindy exclaimed, carrying a pile of Helen's branded cosmetic products out of Helen's room and shoving everything into a suitcase. When Gina saw that, she promptly snapped angrily, "Oh, just drop it, Cindy! How much are those cosmetic products worth anyway? Let's go!""Have you bought our plane tickets, Aunt Gina?""I did—I still have dozens of millions in savings, and with these treasures, we'd have enough money to survive abroad for a while."Despite what she said, anxiety was written all over Gina's face.They did not stay at Graves Mansion earlier and fled with the guests instead.After all, judging from Helen's reaction, Gina knew she would not marry Chaz on this day.And with that going up in smoke, the Southstream Lanes would never accept them, while the Graves famil
Jade bellowed, "Don't think that you Northstream Lanes can leave before you take responsibility for this mess! We're handing you over to the Graves and the Lionhearts, so that they won't believe that we're on your side… No, from this day forth, the Northstream Lanes and Southstream Lanes have nothing to do with each other!""What?!" Thunderstruck, Gina almost collapsed!Even Cindy's face fell, but she hurried to Jade with an apologetic smile. "Please, Aunt Jade. We're family aren't we? There's no need to go that far, is there?""Hah!" Jade sneered at Cindy right then. "Did you just say we're family, Cindy? Is there no bottom that you wouldn't sink to? You're only family with Gina. How are you related to me? Also, I refuse to have anything to do with someone who'd steal a bride's jewelry on her wedding day!"There was no news like bad news—Jade's outburst left Cindy's face falling.She did not think news of her stealing Helen's bridal jewelry had already spread. Was there any pla
The bodyguards violently snatched Gina and Cindy's suitcases from their grasp before shoving them to the floor and restraining them."Take them away!" Jade bellowed, and the bodyguards carried them away.Then, Jade's eyes lingered on the suitcases filled to the brim with jewelry before ordering to have all of it carried to her.Naturally, she was going to keep everything for herself—Gina and Cindy certainly did well packing everything up for her!-An hour after they left, a restless Helen returned safely to Lane Manor, escorted by Burt.She thought Gina would be home since she saw the car she had bought for her outside, only to walk through the front door to find everything a mess.Forget Gina and Cindy—none of the maids on the payroll were in sight.Helen felt a foreboding sensation right then—despite her misgivings toward Gina, Gina was still her mother and Helen was immediately concerned for her safety. "What's this?" Burt murmured as he picked up two pieces of papers off
Frank's Maybach drove into Lane Manor soon enough.Frank felt emotional even as he stared at the building—the last time he had gone inside was during Henry Lane's funeral.He made up his mind to have Helen move into Skywater Bay with him as well. Cindy and Gina could have the manor if they knew their place and stopped messing with him.Still, his phone rang just as he was about to press the doorbell.It was an unfamiliar number, but Frank answered without hesitation."I'm surprised you're alive, Frank," an ancient but authoritative voice spoke from the other end.Frank's fingers clenched around his phone—the voice invoked all sorts of memories from the past.Taking a moment to calm down as much as possible, he soon replied flatly, "You do indeed seem surprised.""Hoho… Holding a grudge now are we, boy?"The voice seemed to pierce Frank in the brain, striking a nerve. Still, Frank changed the subject instead of answering. "Hans, huh?" "Nope. You've really moved heaven and
The valet named Fenton replied respectfully, "Sixty-three years, sir.""And your daughter… I heard she's doing well in Morhen?" Godwin asked."More or less." Fenton nodded, chuckling. "Word has it that she's the leader of the Martial Alliance or some thingamajig. We'd never understand what the young ones are up to these days."Godwin turned toward his valet and old friend with a smile. "Well, Frank's alive. Does their betrothal still count?""Of course, my lord. I'll send word to my daughter right away and have her depart to Riverton and protect Master Frank immediately.""Good." Godwin nodded in satisfaction but soon shook his head and sighed. "Danger lurks in every corner of Draconia. We can only wait until that silly boy comes around!""He's wise beyond his age. He will eventually understand your plight, sir."Both men were still speaking when a uniformed soldier suddenly entered."Sir!" He saluted Godwin."Report." Godwin was suddenly the figure of authority from earlier.
Burt returned to Lane Manor in half an hour and told Frank the information he had. "I've found them. Both Gina and Cindy Zonda were taken by the Southstream Lanes.""The Southstream Lanes?" Helen was confused—were they not all family? Why would they abduct Gina and Cindy?Seeing that she did not realize what was happening, Frank stayed impassive as he pointed out, "They want to prove that they had nothing to do with us."While Helen scowled in realization, Frank continued, "Let's go. Even if Gina is a failure of a mother, blood runs thicker than water—in that sense, I can't stay out of this either.""Thank you, Frank." Helen could naturally tell that he would go with her to bring back Gina from the Southstream Lanes and was endlessly grateful.She felt endlessly guilty—why had she never realized that Frank was so perfect?-After parting ways with Burt, Frank took Helen straight to the Southstream Lanes.Once they alighted outside their mansion and announced themselves, they
Gavin then finished, "But you never reached out to us, and Gina kept us from reaching out to you directly. That's why things ended up the way they are now."It was only then that Helen understood why Gina constantly forbade her from visiting Mason here in the Southstream Lanes' mansion.He was already dead, and Gina wanted everything he had for her own!Even her constant schemes for the Northstream Lanes to be taken back into the main family was for that purpose alone!She suddenly felt light-headed and would have collapsed on the ground if Frank did not catch her.Seeing that Helen was crumbling under pressure, he asked, "Where's Gina now?" "Frank Lawrence, was it?" Gavin was clearly unsentimental, shaking his head at Frank as he ignored his question. "I don't know how you managed to get away from the Graves and the Lionhearts, but I can't let you leave now that you're here."Still, with just a look, he had his family's bodyguards clear a subtle gap among their ranks.Frank c