Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1439

Hearing this, Old Mr. Blake let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Old Mrs. Blake's posture visibly relaxed, a genuine, warm smile finally gracing her features.

"It feels like a lifetime since I last saw our Lillian. I wonder how she's holding up."

Old Mr. Blake nodded in agreement. "She's always been remarkably grounded. With her current meteoric rise and the terrifying speed of her tech innovations, if she wanted the spotlight, her face would be plastered on the front page of every financial paper in the world.

She's playing the long game. That girl's potential is absolutely terrifying."

Hearing his father's lavish praise, a sudden realization slammed into Sebastian. No wonder his parents had practically bled themselves dry trying to force a reconciliation after the divorce. They were constantly dropping hints, orchestrating encounters, practically begging him to win her back.

Frowning, Sebastian demanded, "Dad, Mom... did you two secretly know who she really was this whole time?

Is that why you fought so viciously against my marriage to Bella? Because you knew Lillian was an industry titan and you wanted me to secure her?"

Old Mr. Blake leveled a cold, unimpressed stare at his son. "We didn't know her secret identity. All we knew was that during your initial startup phase, her sheer competence eclipsed yours in every conceivable way."

When speaking to his son these days, Old Mr. Blake abandoned all pretense of diplomacy. He frankly didn't care about bruising Sebastian's massive ego.

Why should he coddle such a disgraceful son?

Sebastian had taken a guaranteed, world-dominating victory and set it on fire. Now, swimming in an ocean of regret, it was far too late to salvage the wreckage.

Sebastian looked genuinely stunned. "The startup phase? Before I officially took over the Blake empire, she was just... a lead engineer. How could she possibly..."

Old Mr. Blake violently rolled his eyes. "Do you honestly believe your mediocre achievements were what impressed us enough to hand you the keys to the kingdom?

The single most deciding factor in making you the heir was the fact that you managed to marry Lillian. Without her, you lack the vision to sustain this family's dominance for the next century."

But the true power brokers in Northwyn knew the dark, whispered reality of his actual lineage.

The elaborate cover story of him being Old Mrs. Blake's flesh and blood was a carefully constructed shield, designed to legitimize his ruthless ascent to the CEO's chair.

If a screaming match echoed through the halls, the rumor mill would feast on the "illegitimate street rat clashing with the aristocratic patriarch" narrative.

That kind of scandal was toxic in their rarefied air.

Since Old Mrs. Blake's word was absolute law to her husband, Old Mr. Blake instantly snapped his mouth shut.

With the patriarch silenced, Sebastian swallowed his furious retort.

But the sting remained. He couldn't easily dismiss their terrifyingly accurate business acumen.