Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 701

"Understood. I'll forward the surveillance footage from the encounter.

We ran a preliminary search, but relying solely on his build and body language yielded far too many potential matches."

"You're probably casting too wide a net. To be honest, I just got into a massive conflict with the Lance family. I'd bet money they're behind this.

It's highly likely Lady Lilian and Luna.

They brought a crew to the university yesterday, hoping to make an example out of me. I beat them black and blue and utterly humiliated them. Given her vindictive nature, trying to have me killed is perfectly on brand."

"Is that so? The boys completely failed to mention that to me."

"Don't worry, they didn't lay a finger on me.

You all have far too much on your plates to monitor my every move. Besides, my own combat skills are more than enough. You don't need to stress over it.

If things actually go south, I'll definitely call you."

"Glad to hear it. Just remember to reach out if you need anything. Under no circumstances should you put yourself in unnecessary danger."

If Master Ellis ever found out she was at risk, there would be hell to pay.

"Mr. Lawson, why don't we just accept the contract? Quote them a few billion dollars, and then tell them the target is untouchable."

"Miss, we don't involve ourselves in wet work. And if we did, we'd have to uphold our professional integrity. It's not a game.

Our underground reputation has been forged over generations; we can't let one malicious client destroy our credibility."

"But if we turn them down, they'll just take their money to another syndicate."

"Maintain a tight defensive perimeter and leave no openings. I'll deploy operatives to monitor Lilian and Luna's every move."

"Alright, I'll leave that in your capable hands, Mr. Lawson.

There is one more thing. Owen and I were just discussing the need for protective details for our key corporate staff. Do we have the manpower available?"

"Currently, most of our personnel are deployed. We don't have many high-tier operatives on standby."

"Could you spare a couple dozen?"

"For the elite tier, I can provide just under fifty. However, we have plenty of lower-tier muscle available.

Though even our lowest tier isn't exactly weak. The absolute minimum requirement is the ability to easily neutralize over ten average men simultaneously."

"What about you? Are you fully stocked on supplies? If not, send someone over to grab more."

"I haven't even tapped into the batch you gave me last time.

Alert your detail and ensure they remain on high alert. When you're on campus, they need to stick closer to you.

Also, start sleeping at home. Having male bodyguards lurking around the women's dorms is a logistical nightmare and leaves too many blind spots."

"Alright, understood."

"I'll assign a female operative to your detail,"

Owen stated after a brief pause.

"Don't bother. The two I have are perfectly fine. I don't want a massive entourage drawing attention.

I'm sending you the surveillance footage of the guy who tried to hire the assassin. Run it through your network and see if he's affiliated with the Lance family."

...

In the days that followed, Mira attended her classes as usual, eating lunch on campus but ensuring she had her remaining meals safely at home.