Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1242

A sudden chill swept through Sebastian's chest.

She was right. Ever since Noah returned, he hadn't once mentioned missing Lillian of his own accord.

Instead, he constantly asked about Bella Ward.

But Sebastian had been working relentlessly to condition the boy, teaching him to think about his mother, to miss her.

He had drilled it into Noah's head that the moment he saw Lillian, he had to be on his best behavior to win back her affection.

He had strictly forbidden any talk of murderers or prison.

Saying he hated his mother was absolutely out of the question.

If Noah disobeyed, the punishment would be far worse than just writing an apology.

Sebastian believed his persistent coaching had worked. The boy was highly intelligent and understood the stakes. Surely, Noah knew exactly how to act by now.

He wouldn't throw a wild tantrum like last time.

Besides, their previous encounter had been a disaster. Who could have predicted that the first person Noah would run into at Halfridge Villas was his unstable grandmother?

Sebastian blamed that unpredictable element for everything going wrong.

He had even briefed Noah on the plane, making sure the boy knew exactly what to say and do.

Noah wasn't stupid. Sebastian felt genuinely confident about this reunion.

Despite Lillian's freezing demeanor, Sebastian pushed forward with a solemn vow.

"Lillian, Noah really knows he was wrong. He even wrote the Apology Note."

He pulled the letter from his jacket and held it out to her.

"Look. It's incredibly sincere. He deeply regrets what happened.

Perhaps a little too deep, sounding almost too mature for his age.

But it had been nearly three years since the boy had lived with her. She no longer had any idea where he was at mentally or emotionally.

She didn't want to immediately assume the worst of a child, nor did she want to jump to the conclusion that Sebastian had dictated every word.

The few lines she managed to catch genuinely tugged at her heartstrings.

For a brief second, she found herself unable to flat-out reject Sebastian's plea.

He was the child she had given birth to, and now he was sick, supposedly crying out for her.

Even though she couldn't be certain Sebastian hadn't orchestrated the entire thing, her resolve softened just a fraction.

Standing nearby, Leonard Prescott easily caught that fleeting moment of hesitation in her eyes.