Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 1216

Meanwhile, on Chloe Abbot and her son's end.

Owen had secretly arranged for a DNA test; the young man was undeniably Master Ellis's biological son.

Just because they shared blood didn't mean the boy was a saint or that they were obligated to care for him, but since he was their mentor's only living flesh and blood, they had to treat the situation with the utmost caution.

At the very least, they needed to give him one fair shot so they wouldn't harbor any regrets later.

Shortly after, without breathing a word to their mentor, Mira and Owen arranged a private meeting with the young man, once again choosing the discreet elegance of the Solflare Grand Hotel.

"You know who we are, don't you?" Owen asked the young man sitting across from them.

He posed the question after the three of them had settled into their seats.

The mother and son had been in Aethelgard for quite a while now, so they must have done their homework on Mira and Owen—otherwise, they never would have been able to track down Mira's private residence earlier.

This time, they deliberately only invited Master Ellis's son; that troublemaking mother of his wasn't worth a single second of their time.

The young man nodded earnestly. "I looked into you. You're my father's apprentices, and you're both highly renowned corporate elites."

Owen gave a slight nod, appreciating the kid's honesty.

"What's your name?"

"I go by Julian Ellis."

The young man spoke at a steady, unhurried pace, and undeniably, his facial features bore a striking resemblance to Master Ellis.

"Are you aware that your mother stole your father's assets and fled to the Javenaire Federation all those years ago?" Owen asked, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

He locked onto the young man's eyes, looking for any trace of deceit.

"My mother mentioned it."

"Then you should also know that the ties between your mother and your father were permanently severed over a decade ago. I heard that back then, forced to choose between them, you picked your mother. So why come crawling back to him now?"

"But because my mother burned through cash like water, we never managed to build a nest egg and barely lived paycheck to paycheck."

"Late last year, my mother fell seriously ill. We needed to pay astronomical medical bills, but we were completely broke."

"I ended up begging my friends and classmates for loans, mortgaged our house, and took out heavy bank loans just to cover her treatment."

"After that, life became an absolute nightmare. Between covering our basic living expenses, paying back my friends, and the bank aggressively garnishing my wages every month... I just can't keep us afloat anymore."

"I was completely out of options."

"Recently, my mother mentioned that my father is extremely wealthy now, so I thought... maybe I could ask him for some financial support."

"I'm not asking for a fortune. I just want a loan to help me survive this crisis. Once I get back on my feet and start making money, I swear I'll pay him back. Is that possible?"

Everything Julian Ellis had just confessed was entirely accurate; after running into Chloe Abbot, Master Ellis had secretly dispatched investigators to the Javenaire Federation, verifying every pathetic detail.