Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 165

"Is this your first day back?" Mira asked.

She hadn't seen Natalie around campus since the incident.

Natalie nodded. "I just came to warn you—whatever you do, absolutely do not give Mara your blood. That girl is pure poison."

Mira offered a faint smile. "If she dies, won't you be the one facing serious charges?"

"Don't worry about me. My family can make it go away."

Mira knew it was true. Elite families had an endless supply of wealth and connections; most scandals could be buried under enough cash.

But that only applied as long as no one died, and the victim's family didn't push for prosecution.

Natalie's violent outburst in the teahouse was fully documented. If Mara survived, the issue could be settled with massive payouts and asset transfers. But if Mara died, even Natalie's powerful family wouldn't be able to completely shield her from the fallout.

"You've got some nerve," Mira noted.

"You probably won't believe me, but I really wasn't trying to start anything that day. But she absolutely refused to stop meddling with Wesley, and I was forced to handle it. I just... hit a little harder than I meant to."

"You have no idea. I spent half the afternoon trying to talk sense into her. I tried every angle, but she completely shut me down. You should have seen how incredibly arrogant she was before I finally snapped."

Mira nodded in agreement. "So, she brought it on herself."

"Exactly! She brought it on herself."

"Relax," Mira said. "I have no intention of saving her."

In this lifetime, Mira and Mara were sworn enemies.

Their conversation was brief, and Mira soon said her goodbyes.

She walked out of the school gates with Mr. Harth and Brayden, meeting up with Ronan, who was waiting by the car.

With four people walking together, they formed an imposing group. The hidden eyes that had been watching from a distance immediately backed off.

When they reached the twelfth floor, she gave Mr. Harth the tour.

"See? It's spacious, gets plenty of natural light, and the layout is great. I even had Elara deep clean it. Spotless, right?"

"Why did you make Elara do it?"

"She's an independent student paying her own way. It's an easy way for her to earn some extra cash."

Mr. Harth looked at her, realizing she was actively finding ways to employ her classmate.

"Don't give me that look. She refuses to take charity."

"Nice to meet you!" Rachel beamed. "It's wonderful having you so close. We can all look out for each other."

Over dinner, Mira casually dropped the hook. "Mr. Harth, I actually have a script-editing job available. Is that something you'd be interested in taking on?"

She knew his background in literature was impeccable.

Mr. Harth couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. No wonder she had been rolling out the red carpet for him—she was headhunting.

"They're for short dramas," Mira explained. "The scripts have already passed initial review. If you do the final punch-ups and edits, you'll get a cut of the profits based on the word count and how well the show performs. Or, if you prefer, you can just take a flat-rate editing fee upfront."

"You wouldn't have to pull all-nighters or let it interfere with your teaching. If you can carve out just two hours a day, the pay is entirely based on your output."

"You've laid it all out so perfectly," he smiled. "If I said no after all this, I'd just be unreasonable."

"Perfect. I actually have a script ready right now. I'll leave a copy with you, and you can grab the next one whenever you finish it."

"Wait, you already have the scripts prepped?"

"I figured it was worth a shot," Mira admitted. "To be honest, I developed a streaming app for these kinds of shows. Solflare Entertainment has already produced a few of them, and the numbers are incredible."

Short dramas were fast-paced, highly addictive, and designed to hook the audience from the very first scene—making it utterly impossible to stop watching.