Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 2

Standing in the doorway, Lillian heard every word clearly.

Her own son wanted someone else to be his mother.

And that someone was the very person responsible for sending her to prison.

A roar filled Lillian's ears. Martin, however, just chuckled. “If you want Auntie Bella to be your mommy, you’ll have to ask your daddy.”

Bella blushed demurely. “Mr. Mercer, please don’t joke like that.”

Even her own brother, Colin, chimed in. “Sebastian and Bella make a handsome couple. They look perfect together.”

Bella protested again, “Colin, not you too!”

She was already calling him Colin?

Lillian’s gaze fell on Sebastian. Two years had made him look more mature, radiating an effortless authority. The face that had captivated her since she was young was just as handsome as ever.

But through it all, the man hadn’t said a single word. The way he casually accepted a piece of fruit from Bella spoke of a comfortable, intimate rapport.

So this was what daily life had become in the two years she was gone.

Lillian felt a sharp pang in her heart, as if a giant hand had squeezed it. Then, her big brother Brandon's voice came from behind her. “Lillian, you’re out?”

At the same time, everyone inside heard him. They all turned, their eyes landing on her.

Lillian’s gaze met Sebastian’s. His expression was a blank canvas, showing no ripple of emotion.

In prison, Lillian had imagined this moment countless times—how she would run into his arms and sob her heart out.

But now, standing face to face with him, she saw only coldness and distance in his eyes.

With her pregnancy and Noah's birth, Lillian shifted her focus to her home and child.

Gradually, she began to suspect that Sebastian was seeing someone else.

Then one day, Sebastian grandly welcomed a former protégée from his university into the core team of the Blake Group’s AI division.

Only then did Lillian realize this woman was his idealized love, the one he'd never forgotten.

It was Sebastian who brought this woman to the Mercer’s estate, saying she was there on behalf of the company to celebrate her grandmother's birthday—an occasion that ended in her grandmother's tragic accident.

And in the immediate aftermath, it was Sebastian who coolly calculated the odds and decided she should take the fall for Bella.

Now, looking at Sebastian, Lillian wondered if her entire life’s misfortune had begun the moment she fell in love with him.