Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 45

Sabrina overheard some of it and was bewildered. "Where did Lillian get such capable men? And Martin, didn't you revoke her access? How did she open the door?"

That was precisely what enraged Martin. "Sabrina, I'll have the nurse stay with you. I'm going to see this for myself. That rebellious daughter of mine has completely lost all respect for me."

Sabrina nodded. "You go. I'll be fine here. I'm not alone."

Martin's greatest fear now was that Lillian, having already forced her way in, might try to move her grandmother. If she took the old woman, he would lose his last piece of leverage over Lillian.

Inside the room, Lillian sat by the bed, pressing her grandmother's hand to her own cheek. "Grandma, it's me, Lillian. I'm here to see you. Grandma, I miss you so much. Please, won't you wake up soon?"

Lillian held her grandmother's hand, imagining the gentle comfort she used to provide whenever she was upset. It had been two years, and the old woman remained in a vegetative state. At her age, it was only a matter of time. Lillian wanted to provide her with the best possible treatment.

Moreover, today's events had made one thing crystal clear. As long as her grandmother remained here, her family would use her as a pawn whenever she refused to obey them. Today it was revoking her access; tomorrow it could be something far worse. Lillian knew with a painful certainty that her family was not what it once was.

"Grandma," Lillian whispered, "I'm going to take you away from here. Just wait a little longer. As soon as I've arranged for the medical resources, I'll move you out of this place and take care of you myself."

Having been threatened once, Lillian was determined not to let it happen again.

"Dad!" she cried out, her voice sharp, before catching herself. She remembered that even in a coma, her grandmother might still be able to hear. The last thing the old woman would want is to see her family tearing itself apart.

Lillian lowered her voice. "Don't forget, the evidence that sent me to prison two years ago was fabricated by you and Sebastian. You went to such lengths to help Bella, and now you dare to bring up the past in front of Grandma? I took the fall for two years. Have you really convinced yourselves that I was the guilty one?"

For a fleeting moment, Martin looked guilty, but the emotion vanished as quickly as it appeared. He raised his voice. "We all sacrifice everything for the Mercer family! Why is it that when it's your turn to contribute, you have so many complaints? What's two years in prison? The benefits it brought the family were shared with you, even if you chose to reject them. I am your father! I gave you life! Why shouldn't you be expected to contribute to this family?"

"Contribution?" Lillian shot back. "Was it really a contribution, or was it your selfish desire to protect your mistress and her daughter? Was it your own greed? You know the truth! When I was young, I only saw the facade of a loving father. Now that I'm older, I see your coldness. Your love for your children is based purely on their value to you. Brandon is just like you, a true student of your ways—selfish, with profit as his only god. Colin is meek, but he's obedient and compliant. That's why they both thrive by your side. And me? I was pretty and talented from a young age. Wherever we went, you loved to show me off so you could hear endless praise. That's why you doted on me, gave me the best of everything, sent me to the best schools—all because you knew it would bring you greater returns in the future. You were against my relationship with Sebastian at first, weren't you? It was only later, when you discovered he was an illegitimate son of the Blake family and might inherit their fortune, that you gave your approval, right? When Bella appeared, you already knew she was Sabrina's daughter. You'd been funding her upbringing all along. You knew who she was, and you turned a blind eye as she repeatedly tried to seduce Sebastian, to steal your own daughter's husband, because you saw her potential value. And on the other hand, you wanted to bring Sabrina home. The reason Grandma is lying in this bed is you. You're the real culprit!"