Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 168

"What good intentions? If they had actually treated her well, Mara wouldn't have refused to acknowledge them."

"But from what I know, they pampered her like a princess as she grew up.

Otherwise, how would she know how to play the piano?

When she first arrived, her academic performance was incredible, especially considering the rural education system she came from."

"That's because my daughter is naturally brilliant."

"Mom, we have to be reasonable.

If they hadn't invested their money in her, no amount of natural brilliance would have mattered."

"You're Mara's own brother. Why are you always taking their side?

Even if they spent money, didn't we leave them a massive payout? We don't owe them anything."

Ethan knew there was no point in arguing with her.

"Your blind, unprincipled spoiling is going to cause a disaster sooner or later."

"That's none of your concern."

"Alright, I've seen her. The company is busy, so I'm leaving."

Once Mara was discharged from the hospital, she was burning with impatience to find out how Mira was doing after being away from the Mercer family for months.

Her condition actually hadn't been as terrible as the rumors claimed. The genuine critical window had only lasted a few days.

The multiple critical status alerts were merely a ploy. Taking advantage of Lucas's absence, she had bribed a doctor and used a specific drug to trigger the symptoms.

It was all to force the family to track down Mira and drain her blood.

If Mira agreed, Mara planned to fake her symptoms a few more times to completely wreck Mira's health.

If Mira refused, her relationship with the family would sour completely, ensuring Mira could never return to the Mercer household.

"Heh, Mara, it was just luck. My grades didn't really improve."

They came from ordinary families; their futures depended entirely on their own hard work.

Hanging out with Mara had been purely transactional—they just wanted the free perks. They weren't blind to her true nature.

Out of sheer jealousy, she had even forced her own sister out of their home.

Every student received their report card, except for Mira.

Mira felt a sudden wave of apprehension. Had she bombed the test? Was she about to be publicly reprimanded? But she remembered feeling fairly confident about her answers.

Mira wasn't the only one thinking this. Several classmates shared her suspicion, and Mara was absolutely banking on it.

Under the desk, Mara clenched her fists tightly, praying viciously. Let Mira bomb it. Let her grades tank. If she drops, I can easily surpass her next month...

Just as Mara was lost in her venomous fantasy, the homeroom teacher continued speaking. "For this mock exam, we have a student in our class..."