Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 825

"Mom, you never should have asked me to come back for this pointless dinner," Bella threw over her shoulder as she vanished into the night.

Sabrina stared at the empty doorway, tears welling in her eyes as she turned a devastated look toward Martin.

Martin had been a lovesick fool for Sabrina his entire life, and tonight was no exception. Seeing the woman he adored looking so fragile and heartbroken, he immediately rushed to her side, wrapping his hands around hers.

He whipped his head around and roared at Brandon. "She is getting married tomorrow! It's the happiest day of her life, and you go out of your way to ruin it? Look at yourself! Do you have even an ounce of decency as an older brother? With you acting like this, how is this family ever supposed to find peace?"

Brandon rolled his eyes, utterly disgusted by his father's blind devotion.

"Peace? This hasn't been a real family in years. What peace? It's hilarious, honestly. You threw your own biological daughter out into the cold and treat another man's bastard like she's royalty.

"She refuses to lift a finger to save the company, and you're still defending her?"

Sabrina let out a choked sob, leaning weakly against Martin's chest. She played the fragile victim perfectly, pointing a trembling finger at Brandon. "Brandon... how could you... how could you say such cruel things about Bella? Even if you refuse to accept her as your sister, she is still your father's stepdaughter!"

Brandon couldn't even stomach looking at Sabrina's pathetic act.

She had spent months hiding in a luxury hospital suite pretending to be ill, only miraculously recovering just in time for her daughter's high-society wedding. Brandon had secretly paid off one of the specialists weeks ago. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Sabrina's health. She was as strong as an ox. Yet here she was, playing the delicate, wilting flower to farm sympathy and devotion from his father.

The worst part was that his foolish father bought every second of it. Even if Brandon slapped the medical reports on the table, it wouldn't change a thing.

With a final sneer, Brandon turned his back on them and marched up the stairs.

"If he was having a midlife crisis over some twenty-something gold digger, I'd at least understand the cliché. Every man has his weaknesses. But no, he treats this specific woman like some sacred, untouchable goddess. When push comes to shove, he doesn't even think about the survival of his own flesh and blood. He's completely lost his mind."

Colin sighed heavily. "So what do we do now? We're never going to get that contract from the Blake Group. The company is bleeding out, and every cent I invested is gone."

Brandon downed his drink, the burn matching the bitterness in his chest.

Every dime he had was tied up in the company too. There was no safety net left. His personal accounts were running on fumes, and he was running out of options.

"Bella is a useless parasite," Brandon spat. "All she thinks about is securing her spot next to Sebastian. Did she completely forget she lost millions in the market too?"