Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 682

Just look at Mira. She didn't study abroad, yet she still dominated the entrance exams. Within a single year, she built an empire from absolute scratch, launching herself right onto the Mavaria Wealth Index..."

Harvey suddenly clamped his mouth shut, remembering that Mira had strictly forbidden him from leaking her private information. Her directive was clear: keep the secret as long as possible, from as many people as possible.

She still wanted to enjoy a normal college life without the intense scrutiny, and she definitely didn't want her business rivals getting an accurate read on her net worth.

Harvey's tone had been utterly ruthless, refusing to coddle their fragile, inflated egos for even a second.

Leah Monroe nudged Elara Finn in the ribs. "Wait, did he just say Mira made it onto the Wealth Index?"

"I have no idea," Elara brushed her off.

Elara deflected the question smoothly.

She had told Leah a million times by now: if you don't know something, stop prying. Yet here she was, asking questions again.

Madison blinked in shock for a second, but a nasty, cynical smile quickly crawled back onto her face. "Well, go on, Harvey. Why did you stop? Run out of lies to tell? Or did you just realize you have zero facts to back up that ridiculous claim?"

For a split second, hearing that Mira had made the Mavaria Wealth Index had genuinely terrified her.

"So what if she got the highest test scores? A local top student who doesn't go abroad for higher education is still destined for mediocrity.

She just got lucky with some musical talent, knowing how to sing and compose. Sure, she can score a few brand endorsements and make enough cash to get by.

But if she actually tried to launch a real tech startup, she would have bankrupted herself on day one.

The Mavaria Wealth Index? You must be out of your damn mind!

And as for Wyatt, I'm not trying to look down on him, but let's be real—he's just a rich kid coasting on his family's money. Strip away his parents' safety net, and how could he ever compete with Piper's boyfriend?

Forget three or five years. Even if you give him a decade, if he ever manages to make over a few grand a month on his own, I'll legally change my name."

"Alright, you made your bed," Cedric Miller snapped, unable to hold back. "Just make sure you don't backpedal when the time comes."

Cedric glared at her, completely disgusted by her attitude.

Harvey waved a hand. "Let it go, man. Arguing with Vanessa's desperate little lapdogs is just going to lower our own IQ."

"Who the hell are you calling a lapdog?!" Piper shrieked.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Piper and Madison just spent the last five minutes using Piper's new boyfriend to mercilessly trash Wyatt," Cedric volunteered, clearly irritated.

Cedric gave her the quick rundown of the entire confrontation.

"Madison was tearing people down right to their faces, acting incredibly arrogant just because of that guy. She paraded him around like he was her own boyfriend, just basking in the superiority."

Coming from Elara—who usually avoided drama like the plague—that statement proved just how vicious the clash had been.

Still, Mira figured this reality check might not be entirely a bad thing; maybe getting a little bruised pride would motivate the guys to hustle even harder for their own success.

Piper's new boyfriend clearly had a solid career. Even though Wyatt was a student at Aethelgard University, his current lack of a resume meant he couldn't compete with the guy's real-world success, and that was just the harsh truth.

"Uh, Piper's boyfriend is heading right for us," Leah suddenly whispered, snapping Mira out of her thoughts.

Mira blinked, following Leah's gaze as everyone at the table simultaneously turned to watch the man approach...