Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 511

Adrian Mercer lay in his hospital bed, haunted by the past. A woman's ambition, he realized too late, was a bottomless pit. In the beginning, Fiona Quinn had been satisfied with the bare minimum. But as time wore on, her hunger grew. She wanted the luxury penthouse, the imported sports cars. Once he gave her those, she wanted a place in his actual home. She wanted the status, the child, the right to stand by his side in public.

At the time, Adrian had basked in his twisted sense of having it all. He had loved the idea of keeping his perfect wife at home while keeping a dazzling mistress on the side. Fiona’s child would be his flesh and blood too, right? What was a little extra wealth to spare? He was a billionaire; he could afford it.

Caught up in that toxic high, he had entirely taken his real family for granted.

If he had just drawn a line, Lacey Quinn Mercer’s pride would have demanded a divorce the moment the affair leaked, but he could have salvaged his relationship with his children.

Instead, worn down by Fiona’s relentless pleading, he had agreed to let her get pregnant.

But giving her a child hadn't quenched Fiona’s thirst. It had only poured gasoline on the fire.

Her jealousy toward Lacey turned vicious. She wanted Lacey gone, wanted Lacey's children gone, so she could be the one and only Mrs. Mercer.

When Fiona and Lacey ended up pregnant at the same time, Fiona poisoned his mind. She whispered that Lacey’s unborn baby belonged to Norman.

She claimed she had overheard Lacey and Norman cursing Adrian’s name.

Though half-skeptical, the seed of doubt had taken root, and he had subconsciously distanced himself from Lacey’s children.

When Fiona gave birth to a daughter, she pitched the ultimate betrayal: swap her baby with Lacey’s.

"Don't worry," Fiona had cooed. "I'll treat Lacey's baby as my own."

If he had just said no, none of this nightmare would have happened. The company wouldn't be in ruins.

But he had nodded, burying a ticking time bomb in the foundation of his own life...

When did the Mercer family begin its downward spiral?

But reality didn't care about "ifs..."

Whether Adrian wanted to face it or not, the sun was rising.

That morning, Adrian stared at the ceiling, utterly defeated. He picked up his phone and called Wyatt Grant.

"Contact the lawyers. File for bankruptcy."

Saying the words out loud shattered his remaining pride, but a bizarre wave of relief washed over him.

He sank back into the pillows, resigning himself to his medication, waiting for the legal avalanche to hit.

Almost simultaneously, the news hit Mira's desk. She dialed Ethan's number. "The board is set. Start shorting Porter Entertainment."