Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 485

"When the old man Adrian kicked Mira out, he didn't even let her take her old phone or laptop. How on earth could she start a company from nothing?" Julian argued.

Lacey ducked her head, trying to make herself invisible. She had tacitly approved of Mara doing exactly that. The memory made the brothers grimace in shared guilt; it was no wonder Mira refused to look their way now.

"You can't judge her using average standards. She has an insane gift for songwriting and a phenomenal voice. Finding investors wouldn't be hard for her. Making money is easy when you're that talented," Ethan analyzed.

Damon nodded. "But I heard that in the beginning, Solflare Entertainment was literally just Mira and Kieran. Then came Gavin Hale and Aidan Chase..."

After a beat, Damon dropped another bombshell. "I also heard a rumor that the entire Solflare Group belongs to her."

"Impossible. Isn't Solflare Group owned by Owen?" Julian asked, utterly floored.

Ethan sighed. "With her, anything is possible."

"If Adrian hadn't screwed everything up, and if we never brought Mara into the house, having Mira with us would have made our family the undisputed kings of Melvion City. It's all Adrian's fault," Julian muttered bitterly.

Lacey remained a ghost at the table, focusing entirely on her food. When she finished, she sat there in absolute silence, painfully aware that she had been just as guilty as Adrian.

Shortly after, Ethan followed through and sold Lacey's half of the shares. He didn't move in with her; instead, he bought her a comfortable new apartment and hired professional bodyguards and a full-time maid. As a son, he felt he had thoroughly fulfilled his duty.

"I don't need it. Get out." Mira's expression turned to ice. She dropped her bag and walked straight to her room to wash up and change.

When she emerged, Lacey was still standing in the middle of the living room.

"Leave. And don't ever come back. Whatever ties we had are severed. Continuing to pester me is entirely pointless."

"Mira, please... can't you just give me one more chance?"

"I gave you countless chances before I left that house, and every single time, you enabled Mara to frame me. You secretly made nutritious soup for Mara every night, and when Rachel saved just a tiny portion for me, Mara accused her of stealing. While I was out, you and Adrian stood by and let Mara beat and humiliate Rachel. If you had shown even a shred of conscience back then—if you had stopped Mara just once—I would still call you my mother. But you didn't. You stood there and watched Mara break Rachel's arm. How vicious do you have to be to allow that? Later, when I came home and beat Mara for it, your heart bled for her. You screamed outside the door and ordered the bodyguards to break it down. If you had just scolded me a little less back then, maybe we could have salvaged this. But you didn't."