Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 980

His girlfriend was getting more incredible by the day, and her admirers were multiplying. If he didn't keep stepping up his game, he risked getting left in the dust.

"Did that York guy take these photos for you?"

"Yeah, Instructor Vance took them. Why?"

Although Owen hadn't been there, he could tell from the angles exactly how York had been looking at Mira—with deep admiration, and perhaps something more.

He knew of York Vance. He was from a prominent family, exceptionally talented, and had already made Battalion Commander in his early twenties...

But what was he worrying about? His girlfriend was amazing; it was only natural that other men would fall for her.

As long as he remained exceptional, no one could steal Mira away. No, Mira would never fall for someone else, because he had always been at the top of his game.

Owen silently reassured himself.

"Mira, don't spend too much time alone with that York guy."

"What's wrong with Instructor Vance?"

He was acting crazy for no reason.

"Oh, I get it. Are you jealous?"

"Who said I'm jealous? No, definitely not. I'm just reminding you that young women need to keep a safe distance from other men."

"And you still claim you aren't jealous? Hmph, I'm ignoring you now."

After hanging up, Mira made a separate call to Rachel. When she had spoken to Grandma Eleanor earlier, Rachel had been right beside her, and Mira had even heard her voice.

But out of courtesy and respect, she wanted to check in with her directly.

They chatted for a few minutes, and Mira sent both Rachel and Grandma Eleanor a set of photos from her day. Only then did she finally settle in to focus on her own thoughts.

Putting her phone away, Mira closed her eyes and began mentally reviewing her shooting mechanics, recalling every tip and correction Instructor Vance had given her.

The next morning, before Mira was even out of bed, the sharp, blaring sound of the reveille echoed through the camp.

She glanced at the clock. It was five minutes to 6 AM, the exact time the soldiers woke up every day.

If she guessed correctly, morning drills were next.

Yesterday, York had told her she didn't need to wake up early. She only had to make it to breakfast at seven, with shooting practice scheduled for seven-thirty.

He hadn't intended for her to join the troops for their morning run.

But Mira got up anyway. At home, she usually woke up around this time to practice martial arts. Since it was a rare opportunity to be on a military base, she wanted to see their morning routine.

She quickly got dressed and headed out.

As she stepped out of the courtyard, she bumped into Winifred again. "Miss Mercer, I'm so sorry about last night. Felicia demanded I bring her to you, and I had no idea what it was about."