Before breakfast, Martin went to find Lillian to question her about forbidding Sabrina from eating at the main table.
"Dad, this is your house," Lillian said. "I'm just an outsider staying here now.
"You're the one who makes the rules here."
Martin wasn't in a good mood, and her words irked him, making him want to lose his temper.
But then he remembered that the Blakes had entrusted her to his care, so he held back.
She was seriously ill, and it wouldn't be right to give her a hard time.
So, Martin sighed. "Lillian, we're all family. Sabrina and I are legally married now; we're husband and wife. You are the younger generation. Don't you ever say such disrespectful things to her again. Do you understand?"
"Dad, you seem to be in a good mood today," Lillian remarked. "You're speaking to me so gently."
Martin was trying to suppress his anger, but Lillian's teasing only poked at it.
She then turned and walked away. "I'm hungry. Let's eat breakfast."
Martin felt helpless but didn't say anything more, letting Lillian go downstairs to eat.
At the breakfast table, Brandon and Colin were sitting with dark expressions, clearly stewing over something.
As Lillian walked over, she could feel the tense atmosphere emanating from her two brothers.
She had no idea what had happened.
But it seemed to have nothing to do with her. Lately, because of her illness, they had been mostly patient with her, regardless of their own moods.
Lillian pretended not to notice, sat down in her spot, and began to eat.
"I'm starving. Brandon, Colin, aren't you eating?"
Brandon and Colin were already full of anger and had no appetite for breakfast.
They certainly weren't in the mood to sit down for a proper meal.
Lillian, however, had a great appetite. The household staff almost always prepared food that suited her tastes, so she enjoyed nearly every meal.
"Eat what? Where's Dad? Why isn't he down yet?"
Lillian looked up at Brandon. "Brandon, from your tone, it sounds like you're asking after your son, not your father."
Brandon was furious. "Lillian, you don't understand. The older Dad gets, the more clueless he becomes. He's handling things in such a muddled way."
Muddled? What could it be? It had to be about the Mercer family's money, which was currently stretched thin.
It used to be that every dollar was accounted for, but now there were more mouths to feed and more expenses to cover.

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