Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 518

"You're the CEO of a massive entertainment empire, and you're really going to force my hand over a tiny business that barely keeps my family fed?"

Adrian had gone to incredible lengths to bypass the other shareholders and creditors, secretly funneling the final payout from a Mercer subsidiary and liquidating some hidden personal assets just to open Vantage Pharmaceuticals. The business wasn't a runaway success, but it was profitable enough to comfortably cover his household expenses. That was exactly why Adrian had chosen the industry. If it were too successful, it would draw unwanted attention and people would start digging into the identity of the owner. Opening a lucrative business right after his empire collapsed was already a massive risk.

He had been so careful. He hadn't even shown his face to manage the pharmacy's affairs; he had delegated everything to his butler. How the hell did Shane find out?

Wait, the butler! That treacherous dog! He must have been the one to tip off Shane. If Adrian ever got his hands on him, he would tear the man apart.

"Whether you sell this mansion or not is your problem. Your cost of living is none of my business," Shane replied, completely devoid of sympathy. "But I'm taking the pharmacy. Sign it over, or get ready to be exposed to the creditors. Or perhaps you'd prefer to spend your retirement in a prison cell."

"Shane, do you really have to be this ruthless? Did Victoria put you up to this?"

The 'Victoria' Adrian referred to was Victoria Porter—his childhood sweetheart.

"You have the nerve to bring up Victoria?" Shane's eyes darkened. "You abandoned her for money and status. When you were busy getting engaged to the wealthy Lacey Quinn in Aethelgard, did you ever spare a single thought for Victoria? She was already pregnant, did you know that?"

"What? Pregnant?" Adrian froze. "Where is the child?"

Decades ago, the Mercer Group had been in crisis, and Adrian had been desperate. While networking in Aethelgard, he crossed paths with Lacey, a young heiress who seemed deeply infatuated with him. Realizing the immense power of the financial empire backing her, Adrian eagerly played along and quickly won her heart.

No matter how wonderful Victoria was, she came from an ordinary working-class family and offered him no strategic advantage. Adrian had dumped her without a second thought. He assumed she would move on, marry someone else, and live a happy, quiet life. After all, she was stunning and brilliant.

And she did. Shortly after their messy split, Victoria married Shane, who had always been devoted to her. From the outside, they had a happy marriage, so Adrian had deliberately ignored their existence over the years. But he never expected this.

"Where is the child?" Adrian demanded, his voice trembling.

"The child? You really want to know?" Shane toyed with him, savoring the moment.

"Hahaha! Adrian, you already have six kids. Brilliant ones, useless ones, legitimate ones, and bastards—you've collected them all. Do you really care about one more? You've already brutally kicked five of them out of the house. Why obsess over this one? Or is it just morbid curiosity?"

"I'm asking you, where is the child?!" Adrian roared, the veins bulging furiously against his temples.

In the adjacent room, Fiona Quinn and Mara Mercer, who were eavesdropping in the shadows, felt their hearts leap into their throats as they pressed their ears against the wall.

"No need to yell. It seems you really do care," Shane drawled. "Fine. Seeing as you've hit absolute rock bottom, I might as well tell you. You've already crossed paths with her. She even tutored Mara, helped me set up the traps from within the Mercer Group, and single-handedly pushed your beloved empire into the abyss..."

"Roxanne Porter! How could it be her?!" Adrian screamed the name before Shane could even finish.

"Roxanne is a year older than Ethan. Why wouldn't it be her?" Shane sneered. "Well? Are you surprised? Are you thrilled?"

Adrian was utterly paralyzed, his jaw unhinged in shock as Shane continued to gloat.

For once, the three of them were in complete agreement.

"What a massive pain. The deal isn't even done, and now I have to help drag him to the hospital," Shane grumbled as he turned and headed for his car.

Later, the moment Shane stepped out of his vehicle at his own estate, Victoria Porter, who had been pacing anxiously in the yard, grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

"What's wrong, Victoria?"

"Roxanne just told me the news from the South-Eastern Corridor. Norman and his family were ambushed by robbers. They took all their cash and valuables. Norman was stabbed repeatedly and died on the spot..."

"Good. Dead men tell no tales. Saves us the trouble of worrying about him running his mouth." Shane wasn't bothered in the slightest. Norman knew a fair amount of his secrets—mostly surface-level operations, but still things that couldn't see the light of day.

"But... his wife and two kids got away..."

"Let them run. What kind of threat can a weeping widow and two brats possibly pose?"

"But before they fled, Norman's son screamed at the robbers, saying they had a blood feud with Porter Entertainment..."

"What? What the hell does this have to do with Porter Entertainment? I paid them every cent they were owed." As a seasoned corporate shark, it only took Shane a second to connect the dots. "Someone is deliberately framing us. Have Roxanne look into it immediately. Find out if anything unusual happened around the South-Eastern Corridor before Norman died."