Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1426

She had used Noah multiple times to cause trouble, directly poisoning the relationship between him and Lillian.

Every time Sebastian saw a sliver of hope with Lillian, Bella managed to smash it to pieces at the most critical moment.

Noah was too unpredictable, and Bella's two years of raising him had left a deep, toxic influence.

For an occasion like a birthday, especially a semi-public one, Sebastian couldn't afford a single mistake.

Yes, after ditching the idea of a private family dinner, he pivoted entirely. The party would be a semi-public gala.

He would open it to the absolute elite of the social circle, inviting prominent families with children.

At the same time, he would invite relatives outside that immediate circle, like the Mercers.

Naturally, the guest list heavily favored families with kids.

Given the Mercers' current scandalous state, they had lost the qualifications to be on such an exclusive list. But they were lucky—they were still Noah's maternal family.

So, they made the cut.

Seeing Lillian, Sebastian couldn't suppress the urge to linger near her.

But he knew he didn't have the right.

Leonard Prescott was standing right next to her, his gaze clearly warning Sebastian to keep his distance.

Actually, Sebastian's recent actions had practically broadcasted to the public that Lillian was his ex-wife.

The media had speculated wildly, but no matter how much the internet demanded answers, Lillian had never addressed the rumors.

It was as if Sebastian was a dark stain on her past, a humiliation she wanted absolutely nothing to do with.

Hosting this semi-public gala for his son was Sebastian's way of sending out a signal.

In the past, their marriage had been a secret, and Lillian had raised Noah.

Then, still a secret, Lillian went to prison, and Bella took over.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to bring his son back. Now that Noah was home, he had to leverage the situation.

He didn't care how many men were lusting after Lillian. He needed to make sure every single one of them knew she was his ex-wife and the mother of his child.

Of course, her boyfriend, Leonard, already knew all of this, yet the guy showed zero intention of backing off.

That was fine. Sebastian could endure it for now, at least until the divorce was finalized.

Carrying the title of a married man made everything complicated, giving people ammunition to tarnish his reputation.

The Mercers immediately accepted his invitation.

They were desperate to use this opportunity to pull closer to him.

Regardless of how they schemed regarding the arranged marriage with the Winthrop family, securing Sebastian's favor would be a massive win.

An extra friend meant an extra path forward—especially when that path was paved with gold. The Blake family was at the pinnacle of society, after all.