"Mark?"

"Grandfather?"

The spirited shout from upstairs left the Southstream Lanes stunned.

Fleur was stunned like the rest and snapped right then, "Silence, old-timer! I'm doing this to saveyour life!"

"I will not be denied!" Mark continued shouting from upstairs. “I'd rather die right now than liveunder such grief! I was waiting to see if any of you kids were going to stand up to these thugs... butClark and Gable bailed as soon as they heard the Soranos were here! Only Gavin and Helen stoodup against them! That's why I'm announcing it right now: only Gavin and Helen will be thecandidates for the next head of the Lane family—Oof!"

Mark was suddenly grunting just as he was about to finish, seemingly struck.

"Sir!" Helen exclaimed in shock.

Frank strode forward, leveling an icy look at Willy right then. "Come at me if you have a problem.Bullying an old man says more about you than me."

"Old man? Who are you talking about?!" Mark was laughing upstairs. “I'm not old yet,whippersnapper! Punch me again if you can—0Oof!"

As Mark grunted in pain again, Frank's brow creased in fury.

He felt profoundly guilty toward Mark—the Soranos had beef with him, but, unable to replace him,they came to the Lane family instead.

It seemed that Willy had somehow connected the dots and realized that Hubert had visited Rivertonbefore to attend the arranged marriage between the Lane and the Graves family.

That in turn led him to Helen, and then Frank.

And Frank was not about to let Mark die—not when his brother Henry had saved his life.

Leaping past Helen, Frank glared furiously at Willy as he snapped, "Debts will be paid, but only bythe debtor. Come at me with everything you have!"

"Come at you?!" Willy snorted and kicked Frank right then, sending him stumbling a few stepsbackward.

Willy then raised a palm as he sneered viciously. "You'd better kill yourself in five seconds, or mymen upstairs will kill Gavin Lane. Another five seconds, and it's Mark Lane... and any second ofhesitation after that, it's another member of the Lane family. Let's see how tough your so-calledspine is!"

Then, chuckling darkly, he said, "Oh, and your girl's quite hot... But don't worry, I'll give her someproper loving when you're dead.”

Frank, however, calmed down despite Willy's provocation.

He even closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm curious, Willy—whatever led you to believe you havepower over me?"

"What, you ask?" Willy laughed and pointed at Gus, who sat nearby. "Do you know who that is? Thisis Gus Zeller—our family spared no expense grooming him to Ascendant rank. No one in Riverton isa match for him, let alone you! So don't ever believe yourself to be invincible, because we can crushyou effortlessly whenever we want to!"

Helen glanced at Frank worriedly at Willy's boast.

She more or less heard about the rank between marital artists, and Ascendant rank was basically agod to the layman.

And Frank had mentioned that he was Birthright rank before... and there was a vast gap betweenAscendant rank and Birthright rank.

It was therefore likely Frank would not win against Gus.

And that was when Gus slowly rose to his feet, striding to the edge of the stairs and looking downat Frank as he said, "I have no interest in dealing with you, kid."

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