Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 177

Finally, one of the officials broke the silence. "Look, I'll give it to you straight. Twenty million extra."

Honestly, that number hit Mira's exact target.

She was just about to accept when Kieran cut in. "No deal. Thirty million minimum."

"Alright, let's meet in the middle. Twenty-five million, and we're done."

Just like that, Mira's abandoned factory plot was sold for two hundred and twenty-five million dollars.

Deducting her initial ten-million-dollar investment, she had netted a staggering two hundred and fifteen million in pure profit.

Mira remembered from her past life that the original owner of this land had walked away with two hundred million. By cleaning up the property beforehand and playing hardball, she had squeezed out an extra twenty-five million.

As they left, Mira's lookout informed her that Adrian had finally shaken off the angry mob and was heading straight for the Relocation Office.

Quickly throwing on some disguise pieces and swapping their jackets, Mira and Kieran slipped out the back unnoticed.

On the drive back, Mira turned to her right-hand man. "Kieran, I'm transferring ten million to your account."

It was roughly a five percent commission for his stellar work.

"No way, boss. I can't take that much," he refused immediately. "This was all your idea, and you led the entire negotiation. I just stood there and played my part.

If you really want to give me a bonus, a hundred grand is more than enough."

"Kieran, just call me by my name when it's just us.

You're my most trusted confidant and my very first employee.

I promise you, as long as I have a seat at the table, you'll never go hungry. Take the money.

When we finally build our business empire, you'll be its founding pillar."

In the end, Kieran still adamantly refused the ten million, insisting it was far too exorbitant.

Compromising, Mira forcefully wired five million into his account.

Adding in the fifteen million she had sitting in her accounts previously, Mira now had a liquid two hundred and thirty-five million dollars—and that was after pouring three hundred million into her bike-sharing startup.

"Kieran, if you have spare cash, invest in the MVX-23 stock, or buy some real estate to rent out.

Based on the current market trends, both of those are guaranteed to skyrocket."

"Saying what?"

"They're saying you bought the district."

"That's absolute bullshit! Someone is framing me to cover their own tracks."

If he had known enough to buy up that massive lot in advance, why would he waste his time nickel-and-diming a few local homeowners?

All that effort and screaming at a mob today, just to scrape together a few million in profit.

Fuming, Adrian unlocked his phone and checked the forum, only to see the city's elite absolutely tearing him apart. He nearly choked on his own rage.

Porter Entertainment was driving the hate train, even dragging the upcoming high-speed rail bid into the mess.

A dark suspicion settled in his gut. Did Shane secretly buy the factory district and then orchestrate this whole smear campaign against him?

Scrambling for damage control, Adrian hit the speed dial for Ethan.

"Get the PR team on this right now. We absolutely cannot let this rumor tank our chances at the rail bid.