Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 778

After his initial encounter with Owen, Lawrence Lance had vanished from sight, seemingly content to play the aloof executive in the background. Meanwhile, a swarm of eager staff buzzed around the venue, attending to every detail on his behalf.

As the last of the guests filed in, Seraphina and Luna kept casting anxious glances toward one of the main exits.

"Don't worry, he'll show up,"

Seraphina teased.

She knew full well that Luna harbored a massive crush on Jude Vance.

Originally, the Lance family had arranged for Luna to marry Victor Voss, Vanessa's older brother.

Both families had initially given their blessing. However, Luna's recent string of public relations disasters had severely tarnished her reputation. Lady Lilian Lance had sent emissaries to test the waters multiple times, but the Voss family had gone completely radio silent.

Seraphina figured the Voss family was simply unwilling to welcome a walking PR nightmare into their fold.

As a result, the Lance family fully supported Luna's pivot toward Jude Vance. If she managed to lock him down, it would serve as the perfect bridge for their family's international expansion plans.

But Jude remained a wildcard. He constantly carried himself with an air of untouchable arrogance, making it impossible to read his true intentions.

...

Harvey glanced over at the huddle of young socialites and asked Mira, "Are they waiting for Lawrence?"

"No, they're waiting for Jude Vance."

This gala wasn't just a casual networking event for finance executives; it marked Jude's official debut on the domestic stage.

Given his background, Jude's presence was bound to turn more than a few heads tonight.

Yet, based on their earlier chats with various industry peers, Mira's team realized that the general crowd remained blissfully unaware of Jude's existence.

Clearly, Jude's grand schemes were strictly invite-only, reserved for the upper echelons of society. Once he publicly announced the formation of his Capital Alliance—a syndicate designed to manipulate the market like a global consortium—it was going to send shockwaves through the room.

And his very first target would undoubtedly be...

Just then, Mira spotted Jude's outrageously smug, triumphant face.

Even though Owen had severed ties with the family, he still carried the Lance name and had been raised within its walls.

"Don't waste your energy on them," Mira said calmly. "The more incompetent Lawrence proves to be, the easier it'll be for us to crush him later."

"Don't underestimate him. He might be useless at actual business, but he's ruthless when it comes to internal sabotage and backstabbing. He's exactly like his classless mother."

"Why don't we team up with Hank and just wipe them off the map?"

"The Lance family's defenses are rock solid, and the old man is still shielding them.

The power dynamics in Aethelgard are deeply entrenched. They might fight fiercely amongst themselves, but none of the major families want a new power to disrupt the established equilibrium.

If we make a move, the other factions might actually rally to Lawrence's defense."

"Which means we just aren't powerful enough yet."

Across the room, a voice suddenly gasped, "Sera, who is that guy? He's so young and handsome!"