"You''re still arguing?!" Mark shot Jade an icy re and added coolly, "The sgoes for you too! Fifty


    lashes and a hundred ps!" "What?!" Jade dropped limply on her bottom upon hearing Mark''s


    merciless sentence, all light in her eyes fading.


    While the bodyguards took Jade away, Mark finally turned to Gable.


    There was no sympathy in his eyes as he shook his head and sighed. "My brother Henry has always


    rebuked me, tellingthat I shouldn''t get too many wives and mistresses. But I was convinced that having


    more heirs would ensure the family''s property. Well, look atnow..." Snorting in sheer disappointment, he


    nced at Gavin. "There''s so many of us, but only Gavin here has an eye on the big picture or is able


    to differentiate right from wrong." Then, he turned to Helen with a look of relief. "In the first ce, I gave


    Helen the candidacy as the next head of the Lane family because I wanted to whip the family into


    shape. I wanted the family to strive... but my own sons don''t evenpare to Henry''s granddaughter.


    Oh, the irony..." "Granduncle...?" Helen frowned, clearly sensing that Mark was not thinking straight.


    Mark simply ignored her. "Now that things have cto this, I hereby announce that you are the next head


    of the Lane family, Helen." "Grandpa?!" Jon gaped, stupefied by his grandfather''s sudden decision.


    Fleur quickly intervened as well, et snapping at Mark, "Are you getting senile, old man? Helen''s a


    woman... She has no right taking up such an important position!" Only Gavin was smiling and nodding


    at Helen, clearly epting the decision.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Save it!" Mark bellowed at the dissenters just then. "I''m still the head of the family! I have the right to


    appoint my sessor, and Helen will seed me-that''s final! Cnext week, she will also be given the


    investmentpany in Zamri!" While the Lane family was left with mixed reactions to the


    announcement, Mark sighed and turned towards Gable Lane.


    "Lastly, this ingrate..." Mark hesitated unable to sentence hisz own son to die. "Fiftyshes, and he will


    be indefinitely confined to the rear block of Laneville. He is ever to leave, or get in touch with anyone."


    He appeared exhausted as he finished and turned away, ready to leave.


    That was when Frank strode up to him, holding out a pill, "Mr. Lane, please take this. It''d help


    reinvigorate you." Mark took it without a word, and pped Frank on the shoulder in approval.


    Fleur was ready to snap at Frank again, but decided to hold back remembering what happened to Jade


    Zahn and Luna Lane. Instead, she grumbled sarcastically under her breath, "Hmph. Who knows if it''s


    poison? You''d want the geezer to die sooner so Helen would take over, don''t you?" "I''m not deaf!" Mark


    wheeled on her with an icy re. "I only refrained from punishing you because you''re old. Or would you


    rather join Jade Zahn?"