Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1454

Lillian laughed out loud. Brandon was incredibly naive.

Did he actually believe she wanted the Mercer Group?

Why would she want that sinking ship?

Before Martin and his sons had run it into the ground, she might have considered stepping in out of respect for her grandmother's legacy. But now? That legacy had been thoroughly trashed.

"I have zero interest in the Mercer Group," Lillian said, her tone dripping with disdain. "But if you're offering... I'll gladly take Sabrina and Bella's lives. Are you willing to hand them over?"

Brandon stiffened. Did she really hate them that much?

He supposed it made sense, given the sheer cruelty of their actions.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to reason with her. "Let's not say things we don't mean out of anger. I genuinely need you to come home and help me rebuild the company."

"Their confession is over," Lillian replied flatly. "I don't want to wake up every morning and look at the people who disgust me."

"So, the public apology is enough?" A flicker of hope crossed Brandon's face. Maybe her hatred wasn't insurmountable after all.

"We're done here for today. Mom is tired. We're going home."

Lillian didn't even bother pretending anymore. Eleanor followed her lead without question. They hadn't come today just for a party; Lillian had orchestrated this entire outing specifically to let her enemies feel the crushing weight of public condemnation.

Brandon trailed after her, desperate to keep the peace. "Since the apology is done, what's the next step? What else do you need from us?"

She shot him a strange look. "I don't need anything from you. You simply did what you were supposed to do, didn't you?"

She looked down at him and softly said, "Good. Hold onto that conviction. Don't ever make the mistake of liking me just because I'm your mother."

With that, she turned and walked away for good, her entourage following close behind.

Her voice hadn't been loud, but enough people overheard.

The guests exchanged baffled looks.

But one thing was crystal clear—the relationship between the famous tech genius and her son was a complete disaster. Noah blatantly despised her.

If this were the old Lillian, people would have understood. But the new Lillian was a powerhouse, an idol to countless young people. What kid didn't dream of flying high with Lillionix technology?