Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 405

It was a humble brag, veiled as self-deprecation.

"We could never compare to you," Liora interjected cheerfully. "I heard you were winning awards left and right back in the day."

"Oh, stop it. People exaggerate," Roxanne laughed, before turning her attention back to Mira. She pointed gracefully across the lawn. "Your family is here as well. They're sitting right over there."

"Your mother just mentioned she wasn't sure if you were attending. Don't you want to go say hello?" Roxanne's tone dripped with fabricated concern, deliberately prodding at Mira's deepest wounds.

"It's common knowledge that I have legally severed all ties with them," Mira said, her voice ice-cold. "They are no longer my family, so there is absolutely no need for me to greet them."

Mira's commanding presence was undeniable.

"But they are still your flesh and blood," Roxanne pressed, her voice softening in a calculated display of empathy. "Blood is thicker than water. There is no insurmountable hatred between a parent and a child. You shouldn't be so terribly stubborn."

The implication was clear: Mira was ungrateful, disrespectful, and petty.

Mira held her gaze, her posture immaculate. "I believe there's a saying: 'Do not preach forgiveness when you haven't tasted the suffering.' I'm sure you mean well, Ms. Porter. But I strongly advise you to focus on your own affairs. My life does not require your unsolicited intervention."

As she spoke, Mira unleashed a suffocating wave of authority, the kind typically reserved for seasoned apex predators.

Roxanne momentarily froze, a chill crawling up her spine. The overwhelming intensity rolling off this teenager felt eerily familiar. The last time she had felt this exact flavor of dominance was during a brief encounter with a ruthless financial titan in the Javenaire Federation.

But that was impossible. Mira was just an entertainer. Roxanne had already run a background check on her. Even as a famous composer, she was merely an employee of Solflare Entertainment. She couldn't possibly compare to the power players of global conglomerates.

Roxanne brushed off the sensation as a trick of her nerves. Flustered and slightly embarrassed, she masked her faltering composure with a polite smile. "My apologies. I spoke out of turn without knowing the full story."

Shortly after, the formal banquet commenced. Grandma Evelyn sat at the head table, basking in the well-wishes of friends and family. Mrs. Bennett sat to her right. Because Liora was a social butterfly who rarely sat still, Roxanne claimed the seat of honor to the matriarch's left.

As the younger guests began to migrate toward the dance floor, Lacey Quinn Mercer nudged Mara. "Go on, mingle if you want to." She shot a glare in Mira's direction, but seeing her daughter thoroughly ignoring them, she quickly looked away.

Mara's eyes locked onto Wesley Scott, but he was heavily guarded by Natalie Rivers. Mara knew Wesley wouldn't give her the time of day with Natalie hovering. She scanned the room, sizing up the other eligible bachelors from prominent families. Since Wesley was a lost cause, it was time to lock onto a new target.

However, none of the wealthy heirs seemed to notice her lingering gaze. In these circles, men traditionally initiated the dancing. A woman could ask a man, but the sheer humiliation of a rejection was social suicide. Mara didn't know these men well enough to guarantee a yes.

Just as she was about to surrender to defeat, she spotted Harvey Rivers standing up.

Was Harvey actually interested in her? Sure, he was Natalie's brother, but should she accept him?