Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 919

Jocelyn cooed in a sickly-sweet voice, tracing light circles on Richard's chest with her manicured finger.

Richard's tense expression gradually softened. Before long, his breathing grew ragged. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he scooped up Jocelyn's still-alluring figure and carried her to the massive bed...

After a passionate session in the sheets, Richard's anger had completely vanished. He leaned back comfortably against the sofa, lighting a cigarette.

Taking a deep drag, he exhaled slow, mesmerizing rings of smoke, savoring the lingering afterglow.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure Lawrence gets out of this unscathed," Richard promised.

"I know you're the most capable man in the world, darling. No matter how competent Owen is, he's still just your son."

Jocelyn seized the opportunity to stroke his ego.

Over the years, she had mapped out Richard's personality flawlessly.

No matter how massive their arguments got, as long as he had a soft, willing woman in his arms, everything could be smoothed over.

His ex-wife, Grace Valerius, had been a woman of high moral character—capable, strong-willed, and fiercely independent. Owen had inherited her exact personality.

But what did that matter? She had still managed to send the woman to an early grave.

Now, not only did she have Grace's husband, but all the immense wealth Grace had bled and sweated to build belonged to her as well.

Ironically, at that exact moment, Richard was also thinking about his late ex-wife.

That woman had been entirely too capable, too dominant. The harder she worked, the more incompetent it made him look.

It had gotten to the point where his father had bypassed him entirely, handing the CEO position—which rightfully belonged to Richard—straight to his daughter-in-law.

What was worse, Grace had effectively usurped all the authority, prestige, and dignity that should have been Richard's.

He wanted to live like a real man. He wanted to be a powerhouse in the business world. He desperately wanted to be admired and revered, just like Grace was.

Even his own father had never shown any concern for him.

It wasn't until he met Jocelyn that Richard finally felt like a true man.

Jocelyn came from a lower-class background, completely lacked Grace's talents, and would even cheat on him behind his back.

In the eyes of outsiders, Jocelyn couldn't hold a candle to Grace.

One was the radiant moon in the sky; the other was a filthy toad scraping by in the mud.

Everyone said the Young Master of the Lance family must have lost his mind and gone blind to throw away a pearl for a useless pebble.

But nobody knew that Jocelyn could speak in a gentle, soothing voice. She knew how to be tender, how to pout, and how to look up at him with pitiful eyes, whispering, "Richard, I can't live without you."