Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 270

With that, Ethan threw his napkin on the table and walked out.

Damon awkwardly excused himself and followed his brother.

Adrian shook his head in frustration. "I apologize you had to see that, Fiona. They've grown their wings and think they don't have to listen to me anymore."

"Oh, Chairman, you shouldn't be so hard on them," Fiona soothed with a warm smile. "Besides, you still have your darling Mara right here."

"Mara has always been the sensible one." Adrian looked at his daughter, his eyes softening with deep, unconditional affection.

"She's incredibly sharp," Fiona agreed smoothly. "With the right mentorship, she'll become your greatest asset."

...

Later that afternoon, Mira's brewing exam ended in complete disaster.

She was confident she had perfectly controlled the temperature and timing, but Master Ellis ruthlessly failed her anyway.

"Master, I'm running three companies right now. Can't you just let me pass?" Mira pleaded.

"If you're too busy to put in the work, you're too busy to study medicine," he replied coldly.

"But I need the certification to legally handle the ingredients!"

"Nothing in this world comes for free, Mira. If you don't bleed for the craft, you don't master it."

"Fine. I'll practice harder," Mira sighed in defeat.

She grabbed her coat and was heading out with the Iron Wolves when she ran into Owen returning from the office.

"So, did you get your Intermediate Apothecary certificate?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

'Failed,' Master Ellis answered for her as Mira refused to look at him."

"Hahaha!" Owen burst into laughter. "Finally! There is actually something you can't conquer on the first try!"

"Keep laughing," Mira shot back, glaring at him. "When I finally master this, don't come begging me for medicine."

As her empire expanded, she was going to need ruthless, capable lieutenants. Liora Bennett and Celine Ward were wonderful friends, but they lacked the killer instinct required for high-stakes corporate warfare. Harvey, however, was a prime candidate.

It took Mira four grueling, relentless days of practice before she finally satisfied Master Ellis and earned her Intermediate Apothecary certification.

Holding the hard-earned document, she realized that once she left Melvion City for university, she wouldn't have her master's daily guidance.

"Master, when I leave for college, you should come with me," Mira suggested.

"I'm deeply rooted here. I have no desire to pack up and move to a new city," he replied dismissively. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

The end of the year was rapidly approaching.

The revenue across all her companies was staggering, but it had come at the cost of brutal overtime.

The artists and managers at Solflare Entertainment, the regional directors at EcoRide, and the tireless staff at Solflare Hearth & Grill had practically lived at work for the past month.

To reward them, Mira issued a company-wide mandate: every single employee would receive a fifteen-day paid vacation. Anyone who volunteered to keep operations running during the holidays would receive triple their standard pay.