Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 1252

Meanwhile, inside the Mercer Group's grand reception hall, Adrian Mercer and Fiona Quinn, dressed in formal attire, held wine glasses and smiled apologetically at the assembled executives and shareholders.

"I am truly sorry. It's my fault for not keeping my son in check, allowing him to make such a catastrophic mistake. We will personally cover all the financial losses out of our own pockets. Please accept my sincerest apologies."

"Look, Adrian, if your son doesn't have what it takes, he shouldn't be sitting in that chair. Otherwise, we can't continue doing business with you."

Fiona played the peacemaker, offering a sweet smile. "He's still young, and he simply lacks experience. Please, let's give the boy another chance."

"If he's young and inexperienced, shouldn't he be grinding it out at the bottom? Putting him in a high-level position is just a disaster waiting to happen."

Fiona's defense only made things worse. The moment she spoke, the shareholders grew even more resentful.

"Exactly. We're only letting this slide out of respect for Adrian, provided the losses are covered. We've been business partners for years, after all. Otherwise, your son would be facing prison time."

Adrian plastered on a wide smile. "Thank you all for your understanding. I promise I will handle this matter personally and make sure he stops messing around."

To an outsider, he sounded like a deeply devoted father.

But in reality, Ethan's competence was undeniable. Though he had only taken the reins a few years ago, his track record was stellar, and he was universally recognized by the board as the rightful Heir.

Yet this time...

"Mr. Mercer, why isn't your son here to apologize himself?" one of the business partners demanded.

Fiona stepped in to answer for Adrian. "I think there's a misunderstanding. It's not that Ethan didn't want to come, but he fell terribly ill today."

She put on a perfectly conflicted expression, making it seem as though she was desperately trying to cover for him.

"It's true. Ethan has been running a high fever since yesterday," Adrian added smoothly. "When I checked on him this morning, he was completely unresponsive. I ask for your forgiveness. Once he's on his feet, I'll make sure he apologizes to everyone personally."

Fiona was especially panicked. She had procured the drug herself, outright lying to Adrian by telling him, "It's just a sedative. He'll sleep through the day and wake up perfectly fine."

But she knew the truth. It was a vicious toxin. Once ingested, it caused an unrelenting fever, followed by agonizing muscle aches upon waking. Worse still, it permanently compromised the victim's immune system, leaving them chronically fatigued and lethargic.

If Ethan took that drug three times, his body would be completely ruined. And out of all the Mercer siblings, Ethan was the only one capable of running the empire.

The second son was obsessed with medical research, the third was a celebrity, and Julian was a race car driver.

Fiona didn't consider any of them a threat.

As for Lacey, she was practically a useless shell of a woman anyway.

With the hold Fiona and her daughter had over Adrian, if Ethan was out of the picture, the massive Mercer fortune would inevitably fall right into their laps...