Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 60

Leonard let out a soft laugh. “What a shame. It seems a little family concern can go a long way.”

The Mercer family was scouring the globe for connections and opportunities, fawning over Bella, believing she was the key to their future success. They had no idea that the Li Algorithm Bella was desperate to partner on belonged to Lillian. They had no idea that the esteemed Professor Avery they were all trying to court was Lillian’s teacher.

Leonard wasn’t one to meddle, but he couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation. He was eager to see the fallout when the Mercers finally discovered the truth.

“I’d like to borrow some of your men tomorrow,” Lillian said.

“Ready to make your move?” Leonard asked.

“There’s no reason to wait any longer. I don’t want to waste any more time.”

She had taken a week off from work with Nathan, originally planning to arrange housing and medical care. Now, all of that was taken care of, and her algorithm update had gone smoothly. There was no reason not to bring her grandmother and mother over sooner. She had no time to waste.

“Alright,” Leonard said. “I’ll have Ethan gather the men. They’ll be ready for you tomorrow.”

The Mercer family was indeed worried about Lillian’s next move. The psychiatric hospital where Eleanor Lancaster was staying was one thing, but at the grandmother’s facility, they had posted extra bodyguards both inside and outside her room. Their message was clear: they would not let Lillian take her.

That night, after completing and verifying the Li Algorithm update to her satisfaction, Lillian released it. The IT department at Litech NaLabs operated on flexible hours, so even late at night, the office was brightly lit and bustling with employees. The update was discovered almost immediately.

“Hey, can someone check my screen? Am I seeing things, or did our algorithm just get an update?”

The first programmer to notice shouted, and others quickly verified it.

“Whoa, it’s real! It’s been updated! The legend was that the creator, the great master, disappeared years ago. That’s why Mr. Cole has only been doing maintenance, never updating.”

“So, does this mean... the master has returned?”

“It has to be! Mr. Cole wouldn’t dare touch the core algorithm. No one would, except for Li ‘himself’.”

The news of the expert’s return sent the department into a celebratory frenzy.

Lillian, however, was unaware of the legendary status she held among these young programmers. What should have been a quiet night erupted into a major event across the entire tech industry.

“Yes, ma’am.”

——

That morning, Lillian went to the psychiatric hospital with Leonard’s men. Although the hospital staff tried to intervene, she was the patient’s daughter and had the legal right to take her mother. Faced with Lillian’s determination and the men she had brought with her, the hospital had no choice but to process the discharge papers and let her take her mother away.

The news reached the Mercer family while Brandon, a late riser, was still having breakfast. He slammed his fork down in a rage. “She has the audacity to actually take her by force?”

“Dad, don’t get angry yet,” Brandon said. “We need to find out where Lillian took Mom. And if she’s already made a move on Mom, does that mean she’s really going to try and take Grandma too?”

“Exactly,” Colin added. “Grandma’s situation is completely different. Mom’s issues are mental, but Grandma... if moving her causes something to happen...”

Before Colin could finish, Martin was already on his feet. Forgetting his breakfast, he ordered the driver to take him to the hospital immediately. As Colin said, taking the psychiatric patient was one thing—he knew Sabrina had always been uncomfortable with the fact that he was still married to Eleanor But his mother was different. If Lillian’s recklessness caused his mother’s death, the consequences would be dire. As long as his mother was alive, certain powerful connections remained intact. If she died, the Mercer family’s situation would become even more precarious.

As he got into the car, Martin couldn't help but curse under his breath, “That wretched child. Just wait until I get my hands on her and teach her a lesson.”