Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1456

Ignoring her completely, Martin turned on his heel, marched into his study, and locked the door behind him.

He forced himself to take deep breaths, actively avoiding his phone.

Half an hour later, he gave up on trying to delete the hate comments. There were simply too many. It was a losing battle.

And what was the point anyway? Deleting comments wouldn't erase the public's memory. The damage was done.

Once he had managed to calm down, Martin drafted an official corporate statement. He announced his immediate resignation from all positions within the Mercer Group, formally transferring full executive power to Brandon.

In the same statement, he publicly vowed to continue apologizing to Eleanor and pledged to do everything in his power to make amends.

The moment the statement went live, the internet tore it to shreds.

*Where was this energy years ago?* read one top comment. *You drive a woman insane, ignore her for years, and the second you get canceled, suddenly you want to make amends? Pathetic.*

After posting the statement, Martin disconnected his router. There was nothing left to see but endless hatred.

Meanwhile, Brandon was drowning in work, completely unable to manage the chaos happening at home.

He bounced from one crisis meeting to the next. The Mercer Group hadn't operated at this frantic pace in years. Even though it was the weekend, every single employee had been ordered to work overtime.

In a single day, Brandon had seized total control of the family empire.

But the empire was crumbling around him.

The uncertainty was suffocating. He was finally in charge, but the company was in a steeper nosedive than before.

Bella was the only executive who hadn't stayed for overtime. She had rushed home to comfort her frantic mother.

Brandon took a sip of the whiskey, his gaze distant. "Do you honestly think I can do a better job than Dad?"

Colin didn't hesitate. "Why are you second-guessing yourself? What did he ever do right? Grandmother held his hand through everything. Whenever he messed up, she cleaned up the mess. The second she stepped down, the company started bleeding out. Bella's deal with the Blake Group only delayed the inevitable, but it gave him the delusion that he was a genius. We both know the truth."

"I'm just afraid I won't be enough," Brandon muttered.

"You've dedicated your entire life to this company. Think about everything you've sacrificed.