Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 1316

Or so Sebastian thought.

He was painfully oblivious to the fact that while Owen was brilliant, more than half of his global corporate dominance in their past life had been directly engineered by Mira.

And in this life, as long as Mira maintained her staggering excellence, finding a partner even more spectacular than Owen would be effortless.

Having unraveled the full scope of the situation, Mira and Ethan dismissed the matter entirely, shifting their absolute focus back to expanding their empire.

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Side Story: Ethan's Rebirth (Part 35)

What the Mercer siblings hadn't anticipated was receiving a formal invitation from Dominic West—their mentor from their past lives and the current Secretary of Finance—just a week into Mira's university semester.

Dominic had booked a private dining room. It wasn't an ostentatious venue, just a respectable, high-end restaurant. It was strictly a private dinner, not an official political reception.

There were no other guests in the room, save for one unexpected presence: Owen.

Dominic was dressed in a casual black jacket, lacking the icy, unapproachable demeanor that Owen permanently wore. They were roughly the same height, though Dominic was slightly leaner.

Perhaps due to years spent confined to a government office, he had a slightly paler complexion.

Truthfully, looking at the man who had been her mentor and savior across two lifetimes brought a sudden, overwhelming sting of tears to Mira's eyes. The only words she desperately wanted to say were, "Professor, do you remember me?"

But blurting that out would be wildly inappropriate. He hadn't been reborn; this was technically their first meeting.

In her first life, Dominic had been on an official trip to Melvion City when he unexpectedly crossed paths with Mira online. Looking back, he had likely uncovered her tragic origins and dire circumstances.

Driven by pure compassion, he had casually mentored her in cyberspace, passing down invaluable skills.

Why else would a high-ranking federal official randomly teach advanced hacking techniques to a stranger?

But due to the massive chasm in their social standing—or perhaps other confidential constraints—they had never met in person.

As far as Mira knew, across both her previous lives, Dominic had never taught his signature skills to anyone else.

His specific brand of cyber-warfare was highly classified, rarely utilized, and known only to an exclusive fraction of the elite.

While Ethan was still formulating how to formally address the Secretary, Mira seamlessly took the lead. "You have a sharp eye, Professor West."

The title "Professor" was respectful, perfectly balancing deference and professionalism for an esteemed elder in any field.

Following her lead, Ethan echoed the sentiment. "It's an honor, Professor West."

"With you two calling me professor so naturally, I'm going to feel guilty if I don't teach you something,"

Dominic chuckled.

The easy rapport, however, left Owen sitting rigidly beside him in palpable awkwardness.

Sensing the tension, Dominic quickly moved to formally introduce them. "This is my close friend, Owen Lance. I believe you've crossed paths before."

He glanced between Mira and Ethan.

Ethan gave a curt nod. "We did. We met at the Quinns' estate. He's my cousin's fiancé."