Chapter 232
“That’s true. He has the basics down and knows his spices.” Rachel’s eyes lit up at the prospect of her son learning a master’s trade. “I’ll call him right now p>
“No rush,” Mira said. “Let’s sit down with him when he’s back on Sunday. You know how craftsmen are about their secret recipes. It takes a lot of careful observation to learn the nuances. Also, if Mason has any reliable friends in the industry, we can recruit and train them too p>
Rachel nodded. “You’re right. Some things need to be discussed face-to-face p>
Mason was part of their inner circle; training him would make managing future branches infinitely easier.
Just as Mira opened her textbooks, Lacey Quinn Mercer called.
“Mira, come home. Mara has forgiven you p>
Lately, Mara had been constantly whispering in Lacey’s ear, urging her to bring her sister back.
Forgiven me? Do I look like I need her forgiveness? Mira scoffed inwardly.
“That’s a shame, because I haven’t forgiven her. What now p>
“Enough is enough. We’re family. Stop being so petty,” Lacey scolded.
Family? Hilarious.
“I haven’t forgiven her, and I haven’t forgiven you either,” Mira said coldly. “We’re done. I’m never coming back to that house, so save your breath, my dear stepmother. Or rather, ex-mother p>
She hung up and dove into her studies.
The semester had entered its final grueling month. The academic pressure was suffocating as teachers mercilessly handed out endless stacks of mock exams.
Mr. Harth had advised her, “Since you have people managing your company, dedicate more time to your studies p>
At this stage, academics were paramount.
Despite Mira’s stellar grades, a single moment of slacking could allow a swarm of competitors to overtake her.
The state exams were fiercely competitive, brimming with top-tier talent.
Aside from weekend visits to EcoRide, Mira devoted all her evening hours to studying. Emergencies were handled via phone or email.
As a senior homeroom teacher in his first official year, Colin Harth was equally dedicated.
He synchronized his schedule with Mira’s, ensuring his teaching duties were complete before reviewing any scripts for Solflare Entertainment.
While his side hustle was infinitely more lucrative, his heart remained in education.
After dinner, just as Mira laid out her stationery, Owen called.
“Boss, someone tried to buy out the company this afternoon p>
Owen always called her “Boss” when discussing serious business. She had given up trying to correct him.
“Who p>
“Your worst enemy p>
“Mr. Porter? How much did he offer p>
EcoRide’s saturation in Melvion City had seamlessly woven the green bikes into the urban fabric It was inevitable that local billionaires would come sniffing around.
“If the price was right, would you actually sell?” Owen asked.
“Of course. We’re in this to make money. If he offers two billion dollars, he can have
it p>
“You’re out of your mind asking for that much p>
“It’s not crazy. By early next year,
we’ll have rolled out in every majet
city across
Mavaria. Our valuation
will shatter that number p>
.net>
The Aethelgard deployment was complete. Anthem City and Dovefield were
wrapping up, and several other metropolises were underway.
In mere months, EcoRide had dominated half the provincial capitals in the country.
They were hoarding millions of dollars in user deposits with skyrocketing daily ridership.
“Fair point. They offered two hundred million today p>
“Not selling for two hundred million p>
“It won’t be smooth sailing from
here,” Owen warned. “We’ve caught
the ion of major financial
syndicates Master Ellis’s securit detail is being stretched thin p>
“Tell him to tap into his network. Hire reliable contractors from other security firms p>
Let others take a cut of the profits, as long as the core operations were guarded by their own people.
“You really know how to stir up a storm. Master Ellis says he’s never felt so short- staffed in his life p>
The Iron Wolves and the rest of his elite guards were exceptional, but their numbers were limited.
“Porter’s people also said they’d settle for buying equity p>
“And when we say no, Porter’s going to play dirty, isn’t he? Tighten our security. We need to be ready p>