Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1458

"I know," Bella said quietly.

Sabrina glared at her. Did she have to be so brutally honest?

"My reputation is completely destroyed too," Bella continued, her voice tightening. "The Mercer Group literally canceled the press conference for my new phone. Even the launch materials are trying to erase my name. Sometimes I think that once I get my hands on the money, I should just leave the country and start over somewhere else. I'll never have a normal life here. But I don't have the money yet. Without it, I'm stuck. Mom, you've survived absolute nightmares. This internet mob is nothing. They can type all they want, but it doesn't leave a bruise. It's not like they're going to break down our front door and drag you into the street."

That logic finally pierced through Sabrina's panic.

Her daughter was right. She wasn't actually losing anything tangible. As for her reputation? She had torched that the day she started sleeping with a married billionaire. It had always been rotten to the core.

A grim sense of relief washed over her.

Sabrina bristled. "Why not? It's not like they have a backup mansion waiting for us. What, does he expect us to move into some cramped apartment once Lillian moves back in? He's delusional if he thinks that's happening. The paperwork is already in my name. If they try to screw me over, I'll sell their precious family estate out from under them."

The sprawling Mercer estate was indeed stunning. It had housed three generations of the family and had been impeccably maintained. For the Mercer children, it was a sanctuary tied to their best memories.

But Bella couldn't shake the creeping unease about Lillian's endgame. She had never been naive enough to believe Lillian would simply waltz back into the family fold.