Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1258

Lillian Mercer had no idea that behind her back, Brandon Mercer and Sebastian Blake were actually discussing a partnership—all because of her.

Not that it mattered.

She was no longer the Lillian who could be easily manipulated by the chains of family or love. She had her own ambitions, knew exactly what she wanted, and understood her own capabilities. As for the rest, she simply couldn't care less. Whatever deal the Mercer and Blake families struck was their business. It had nothing to do with her.

Meanwhile, Brandon couldn't help but chuckle at Sebastian's proposal. "Mr. Blake, you really don't do anything that doesn't guarantee a return, do you?"

"If Lillian is already returning to the Mercer family, why would we even need to partner with you? When that happens, we'll have so many investors begging to work with us that we won't even be able to entertain them all. You're trying to catch a wolf with bare hands, Sebastian. You want all the rewards without bleeding a single drop."

Brandon leaned back, his gaze sharp. "We've already seen the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to bringing Lillian home. But you? Do you honestly see even a shred of hope in getting her to remarry you?"

"Noah's been completely poisoned by Bella Ward's influence, and he isn't exactly cooperating with you right now, is he? If you lose our backing on top of that, do you really think Lillian would ever return to a man who caused her so much pain?"

Sebastian's expression tightened. "If we can't reach an agreement, then let's drop it. At the very least, Lillian and I share a son. Noah might be spiraling right now, but he is still her flesh and blood. Blood is thicker than water. If your family can bring Lillian back, repairing her bond with Noah should be a natural progression."

With that, Sebastian turned to leave, not intending to waste another breath.

He had barely taken a step when Brandon's voice floated over lazily. "I was actually planning to stand in your corner, Sebastian."

Sebastian stopped.

Their last exchange was from that very morning. Brandon had texted her about Bella hiring two bodyguards for Sabrina Ward.

Lillian had replied with a simple, three-word text: *Got it.*

To an outsider, those two words might seem dismissive. But to men who had been exiled to her block list for months, receiving even a cold, brief response held an immense amount of weight.

"When did the two of you get so close?" Sebastian asked, a hint of jealousy slipping through. Compared to the void of a block list, this was practically a warm embrace.

Brandon pocketed his phone. "That whole spectacle you witnessed today was just a formality."