Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 971

"Just wait, I'll be right back."

After dropping that line, Brandon Mercer hung up the phone. He glanced up at the towering high-rise one last time before letting out a heavy sigh and driving back to the Mercer Group.

Lillian Mercer received the news almost immediately.

She let out a cold scoff and rolled her eyes. She now had a completely new understanding of the men in the Mercer family. They were truly capable of anything, entirely blind to the bridges they had already burned.

The moment they sniffed a potential profit, they would charge forward recklessly. For the sake of money, they would sacrifice family ties and throw away every ounce of their dignity.

The Mercer family had been a prominent, wealthy household for generations, but now? They didn't resemble high society in the slightest.

Far from acting like a prestigious family, they lacked even the most basic sense of shame.

Who in Northwyn wasn't laughing at the Mercers right now?

Even Lillian, who had cut ties with the family long ago, found herself unable to completely shake off the stigma of their name most days.

Fortunately, Lillian was powerful enough in her own right, so no one dared to mock her to her face.

Instead, people desperate for a partnership were practically beating down her door.

"He left?" Ethan Hayes asked. "Our young master moved pretty fast."

These days, Ethan had essentially taken on the role of Lillian's executive assistant.

He wore many hats, though. Beyond handling a massive chunk of Lillian's affairs, he still managed other critical operations for the company.

He was the ultimate utility player, stepping in wherever he was needed most.

Lillian was just about to reply when she opened an envelope the receptionist had just brought up. It was a formal letter from St. Kingsley University.

She pulled out the heavy cardstock. It was an invitation.

The St. Kingsley Centennial Celebration wanted her to return to her alma mater as a guest speaker.

Looking at the elegant gold foil in her hand, a wave of nostalgia washed over her.

She had been young and full of life once, and thankfully, she hadn't wasted all her prime years being completely consumed by a toxic romance.

With a faint smile, Lillian picked up her desk phone and dialed the contact number listed on the invitation.

Loved by a normal, emotionally healthy man.

There was simply no comparison between Sebastian Blake and Leonard. How could she even put a man completely devoid of basic human empathy in the same category as Leonard?

Meanwhile, at the Blake Group.

Lester Ross placed a neatly sorted stack of mail and packages on Sebastian's desk.

"Mr. Blake, there's an invitation in here for the St. Kingsley Centennial Celebration."

Sebastian barely registered the words. Without even glancing up, he said coldly, "Throw it out."

Clearly, he had zero interest in such events.

He received countless invitations to galas and ceremonies, but he rarely attended any of them.

Usually, he just threw a sizable donation their way and ignored the RSVP.

But suddenly, something clicked in his mind. Sebastian snatched the invitation from the pile and fixed Lester with an intense look. "Can you get your hands on the guest list for this?"