Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1284

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Proving a biological connection without a paper trail was a bureaucratic nightmare.

Decades ago, terrified that Old Mr. Blake would force her to terminate the pregnancy, Debbie had kept everything a secret. Sebastian wasn't born in a sterile hospital room; he was delivered in a rundown, rural shack.

For years, Sebastian had been an undocumented child, entirely kept off the books until he was old enough for grade school. By then, Old Mr. Blake had finally reconciled with Charlotte. Out of the goodness of her heart, Charlotte had allowed Sebastian to be added to the Family Registry, giving him his name and paying for his education.

But Debbie had intercepted most of that money to fund her gambling, condemning Sebastian to a brutal, poverty-stricken childhood. Aside from his middle school years spent under Debbie's toxic roof, he had practically raised himself. He had worked grueling part-time jobs through high school, surviving on the meager scraps Debbie hadn't managed to steal. For years, he had no idea his father was the formidable Harrison Blake. Debbie had only bragged that his father was 'important' and 'rich,' but Sebastian had never seen a dime of that supposed wealth.

Proving her maternity now would be an uphill battle.

Old Mr. Blake stared at his son. While Sebastian's ruthless logic was sound, the reality was messier. A public scandal, even a legally unproven one, would still drag the Blake name through the mud. High society thrived on whispers.

The money itself was irrelevant—a drop in the ocean for the Blake empire. But handing it over felt like an unforgivable humiliation. Old Mr. Blake couldn't swallow his pride for a woman he wished dead. If the loan sharks wanted to hack her head off instead, he would have welcomed the news.