Chapter 1024
Even Fleur Lang could not help complaining, “Why would you snap at the boys as soon as they come home? They’re the ones you have to rely on after you retire.”
“Hah! Rely on them?!” Mark snapped tempestuously. “I’d rather pick up a stray! How much money have I given these two pricks? They promised to accomplish something, and not only did they fail, but they only got worse!”
“That’s too much, Dad,” Clark retorted, frowning.
“Too much?!” Mark laughed despite himself, and slammed his palm forcefully on the table. “Fine, then where are the 500 million dollars I gave you each for investment? Come on—tell me whatever you’ve done over the years. I’ll curse my own ignorance if you can give me anything, how about that?!”
Both Clark and Gable hung their heads right then, too embarrassed to respond.
After all, they had wasted the millions their father gave them, and therefore had to come home.
And seeing that they were silent, Mark snorted. “See? Nothing. And you still have the cheek to talk back to me?!”
“Even so, you shouldn’t let some girlie walk all over us!” Gable snapped, shooting a glare of indignation at the silent Helen.
“Exactly,” Clark agreed. “And didn’t you and your Uncle Henry have a big fight? Why are you bringing his family back to our fold? Letting some woman become a candidate for the head of the Lane family… I’m embarrassed for you, even if you don’t feel that way.”
Even though Clark spoke the last part under his breath, Mark heard him anyway and bellowed, “What’s the problem?! At least she’s better than either of you, building a two billion dollar company out of nothing in just three years! Can either of you say the same?!”
Mark’s flattery left Helen scratching her nose awkwardly.
While her policies as CEO worked, Frank’s support was the chief reason for Lane Holdings’ groundbreaking success. Without him, her company would be at best stuck at a humble scale even if it would not fall apart, and it certainly would not grow to two billion dollars in value, gaining fame in Riverton.
Nonetheless, Clark turned toward Gable, both of them sharing a sleazy smile. “Hmph. I wonder who she owes that success too? Successful women always have some special options, don’t you agree?”
Everyone present understood what he was getting at, and even Helen was frowning.
“That’s exactly what I was saying,” Luna Lane chortled. “She’s only successful because of her pretty face, and she’d be nothing without it.”
Gavin shot her a glare and slammed his hand on the table. “Shut up!”
“Why? Am I wrong?” Luna retorted, feeling confident with her mother Jade Zahn at her side even as she kept throwing shade at Helen. “Who knows what the pretty CEO of Lane Holdings is really like in private? She might have already caught something incurable in her crotch!”
“Haha!” Gable gave her a big thumbs up right then. “That’s my niece for you—she’s a better judge of character! Tut, tut… Even if the title of CEO sounds intimidating, anyone can tell that it’s just for show!”
“And she’d have nothing when she’s older,” Clark added sarcastically.
