Chapter 514 Unyielding
Her eyes were swalten and red, leard streaming down her stubborn face “Elsie may understanding than my own daughter ever was! I can’t live without her!
Blake watched her obstinacy and felt his patience pally snap.
beiny blood, but
He shook his head in despair, his cloudy eyes heavy with ghef. “Then why did you come back? Huh? for that fugitar you willing to throw away your husband, your son, your own daughter–even the family tharaned your An
“Riley has been back for so long, and you haven’t once thought to bring her here so we could meet fer, Your heart has been only on that adopted daughter of yours!”
Melissa flinched under the barrage of accusations, but she still refused to yield.
She resorted to her usual weapon and sobbed pitifully, “Grandpa… I came home to ask for your help, not to be ganged up on and scolded by all of you…”
Seeing her so unrepentant, Blake let out a long, weary sigh.
He wondered if years of overindulgence had shaped her into this selfish, stubborn, morally–blind woman.
But now, with the Blackwood family’s fortunes hanging in the balance, there was no time to dwell on the past. He had to be ruthless; even if it meant severing ties that could drag them all down.
“I’ve given you my answer,” Blake said, his tone cold and final. “If you won’t accept it, then from now on, you’re on your own.”
Without another glance at her, he turned and walked out of the study, his heavy footsteps echoing down the hall, leaving Melissa t weep alone.
The door remained open, as if to signal that the Blackwood family’s doors might soon close on her for good.
Not long after, Melissa’s father and eldest brother returned, their faces grim and somber.
She quickly wiped her tears and rushed to them, pleading for help.
But their response was just as cold as Blake’s.
J
“Melissa, Grandpa’s decision is final,” her brother said, his gaze carrying an unfamiliar distance. “Either you send Elsie away and properly apologize to the Harpers and Riley. Or consider yourself no longer part of this family.”
Melissa was crushed.
She stared at her closest relatives, feeling as though they’d turned into cold strangers.
In her twisted logic, all they saw was the immense benefit of an alliance with the Torres family–not the deep bond she had forged with Elsie over all those years.
Heartbroken, she returned home; only to be met by a frantic Elsie the moment she walked through the door
“Mom! Finally!” Elsie’s voice was shrill with panic. “All my bank accounts are frozen! I can’t use any of my cards!”
Melissa’s mind was still reeling from the blow of being cast out by her family, and she barely registered Elsie’s words
Chapter 514 Meldom
awked whimiquenny. Stor repeated herself, her mice cracking. “dom When i trong ba nag
Got me my cds had all been occred
Those cards, mostly under the Harper name, had been their lifeline for extravagant spending
Even before the divorce was finalized, Zavier was already moving to revoke the privileges that had bere synth
status
The thought of living without money terrified Elsie. She’d grown accustomed to splurging and being adored: loging that veside ba worse than death.
So, abandoning any pretense of comforting Melissa, she urged, “Mom… maybe you should just swallow your pride and apologize to Dac? If you don’t get divorced, won’t everything go back to the way it was?”
While the two of them spiraled into chaos and despair, Riley’s life had finally begunto settle into a steady rhythm.
Her relationship with Sebastian remained far from intimate, but they treated each other with respect and gave each other space maintaining a delicate harmony under the same roof.
Professionally, however, Riley was nothing short of brilliant.
Since taking over the Harper Group’s marketing department, she’d turned it around entirely, shaking off the stagnation that had plagued it before.
Several campaigns she’d masterminded hit the market at exactly the right angle, scoring unprecedented successes.
At the monthly review, the department’s performance report showed earnings more than triple what they’d been under her predecessor–stunning the entire board.
The staff, who had once been skeptical, now looked up to her with genuine admiration.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

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