Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 397

"Am I that easy to kill?" Mira asked, glancing at her two bodyguards.

"Hell no," Jax said, shaking his head.

"With the two of us around, nobody is touching you."

Mira mentally rolled her eyes. Even without you two, I'm not exactly easy to kill.

But she didn't voice that.

"If I'm not easy to kill, why should I be afraid of them?"

Mira was no longer the weak, defenseless girl she once was.

Financially, she was worth billions of dollars and had the resources to go head-to-head with both the Mercer Group and Porter Entertainment.

Physically, she had Silas and Jax, the formidable backing of her Master, and her own elite martial arts and pharmacological skills.

If they tried to kill her, they'd be the ones ending up in body bags.

In fact, the more desperate they got, the more likely they were to make a fatal mistake. If they stayed perfectly still, it would be much harder to take them down.

"True. No reason to fear them."

Mira turned to the men. "Thank you for saving us during the crash today. I'll be wiring you both a massive bonus."

They were incredibly skilled, and their professional ethics were top-tier.

Whether there was immediate danger or not, Silas always claimed the front passenger seat, and Jax never left Mira's side.

A truly great bodyguard needed more than just physical strength and combat skills. They needed exceptional crisis management, risk assessment, tactical driving, legal knowledge, and psychological resilience.

"How much are we talking?" Jax asked eagerly.

"I'm giving him $10,000. He's the one who grabbed the wheel and saved our lives."

"What about me? Don't I get a bonus?"

"Hmm... you've been doing a solid job lately. I'll give you $5,000," Mira teased.

"No way! If he gets $10,000, I need at least $8,000. I won't accept a penny less than $8,000!"

Silas had been the one to avert the crisis, after all.

"$8,000 is too much."

"I don't care, it has to be $8,000."

At that point, Silas chimed in. "Jax has been working hard too. Just give him the $8,000."

"Alright, alright. Just keep up the good work, you two. If you stick with me and keep me safe, I'll set up a pension fund for you when you get old. That way, you'll never run out of money."

Neither of them was good at saving. The moment they got their paychecks, they blew it on food, drinks, and entertainment.

Mira had fully intended to give Jax $8,000 from the start. But if she had offered it outright, given his personality, he would have haggled for more and never appreciated the gesture.

By playing a little game, everyone walked away thrilled.

"As long as you treat us well, we'll protect you for life," Jax replied.

...

Back inside the hospital.

"Ma'am, please don't be upset. The young lady is just acting out because of her age."

Fiona seemed to be comforting Lacey, but she was covertly probing to see if Lacey had overheard their earlier argument.

Adrian was also watching his wife with sheer panic in his eyes. He loved Fiona, but he had to maintain respect for his wife.

Not only did Lacey hold a significant portion of the company's shares, but she had also birthed his four sons. Her position in the household was absolute.

Adrian couldn't afford a scandal, nor did he want his family torn apart.

Thank God he hadn't taken a sip, or he wouldn't be sitting in a hospital bed right now. He'd be in a morgue.

Standing by the bed, Ethan spoke up. "Mira was probably here to get checked out. I just saw the news. They were in a car crash today."

"What? A car crash?" Lacey turned to Ethan in shock.

"They were on their way back from the State Academic Decathlon. Their van was nearly crushed by a freight truck."

"Ethan, someone is trying to kill us. I'm serious," Julian said, his voice trembling. "Think about it. Last time, Mira's plane almost went down. Yesterday, someone tampered with my car and I almost died. Today, Mira gets into a massive crash. You really think that's a coincidence?"

Julian was reckless, but he wasn't stupid.

"If my gut is right, Mara is involved in all of this. She's not who—"

"What are you talking about? What does Mara have to do with any of this?" Lacey snapped, cutting Julian off before he could finish.

"Mom, you've been taking care of Julian all day. You need to rest. I'll take over from here."

Lacey knew her eldest son was just trying to get rid of her, but she let it go and walked out of the room.

She felt utterly helpless. Ever since Mira left, this family had been fractured.

She had simply wanted to shower her long-lost daughter with the affection she had missed out on for 17 years. Was that really a crime?

Yet in the eyes of her sons, it was as if she had committed some unforgivable sin.

...

Mira had barely stepped through her front door when her Master called.

"My precious disciple, are you hurt?"

"Hahaha, why are you calling me that?"

"Because you are my precious disciple! Now talk—what the hell happened on the road today?"