Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 478

"Adrian and I spent years thinking Mira was my biological flesh and blood," Fiona hissed, her face twisting with rage. "We unknowingly let your bastard child steal Mara's rightful place in this family for over a decade!"

"My child is not a bastard! Yours is the illegitimate one!"

Lacey screamed, her voice tearing.

Hearing the word "illegitimate," Mara marched over and viciously kicked Lacey in the ribs. "Who the hell are you calling a bastard?! Mira is the bastard! Every single child you gave birth to is a piece of trash!"

Surprisingly, Adrian grabbed Mara's arm, pulling her back before she could kick Lacey again.

"Mara, enough. Since the day you came back, I've given you nothing but love and protection."

Lacey looked up at the daughter she had worshiped, her eyes filled with murderous betrayal.

"And this is how you repay me?!" she gasped, clutching her ribs. Between the lack of food and the emotional trauma, she barely had the breath to speak.

"I repay you like this because you're a moron," Mara sneered, looking down at her like dirt.

"You treated me like a princess and eagerly helped me destroy your own flesh and blood.

Every accusation your sons made against me was the absolute truth. Every tear I shed was a lie.

But as their mother, you chose to believe me over the children you birthed!

Honestly, it's pathetic. I don't think a dumber mother has ever existed."

The words were a physical blow. Lacey slumped against the floor, gasping for air as the sheer magnitude of her failure crushed her.

"Look at you," Fiona taunted. "You pushed out all those kids, and what did it get you?

You systematically drove every single one of them away.

Look around. We are destroying you, and you have absolutely no one to help you. This is your own karma.

Any other questions? Ask them now, because I won't be wasting another breath on you after tonight."

Lacey stammered, picking up the pages.

"God, you really are slow," Mara mocked.

Adrian and Fiona had already turned their attention back to the massive flat-screen TV, entirely bored with Lacey's breakdown.

In this world, if you weren't ruthless, people would bleed you dry and mock you for being an easy target.

"This is impossible! When did I sign this? You forged my signature!"

But the handwriting was undeniably hers.

"Open your eyes and look at the ink," Mara sneered, crouching down to meet Lacey's devastated gaze.

"Do you remember the night Ethan refused to drink the soup I brought him?

I had spiked his bowl. Because he was too smart for his own good, the plan failed, and I wasted thousands of dollars on Oblivion Drops."