Chapter 499
“His childhood sweetheart is actually someone you know,” Ethan said.
“Someone I know?” Mira asked, genuinely surprised.
“Yes. Her love for Adrian twisted into pure hatred. She despised our mother, she despises us, and she wants to see our entire family wiped off the map p>
Thinking back across both of her lifetimes, the only people who harbored that level of toxic, destructive obsession were Fiona and Mara—and, of course, Shane Porter. Could it be p>
“Are you talking about Victoria Porter p>
“You really are brilliant, Mira. Nailed it on the first try.” Ethan had burned through a lot of resources to dig up that piece of ancient history.
If that was the truth, then many of Shane Porter’s vicious attacks against the Mercer family—including the absolutely lethal measures he’d taken—were likely orchestrated or heavily encouraged by Victoria. In purely business terms, Shane had no logical reason to be so violently ruthless, to the point of getting blood on his hands. It explained a lot, though Mira still found some of Shane’s strategic choices baffling. She figured time would eventually reveal the rest of the puzzle.
Refocusing, Mira asked, “Why did you say Adrian only got involved with Fiona for the money? She was completely broke. What assets did she have for him to steal p>
“You know Fiona was originally our mother’s right-hand woman, right? Our mother trusted her implicitly. When Mom brought Fiona into the Mercer Group, it was supposed to be to help manage things. By buying Fiona’s loyalty, Adrian didn’t just gain access to the Quinn Group’s confidential secrets; he had a 24/7 spy tracking our mother’s every move. He even used Fiona to constantly whisper in Mom’s ear; manipulating her decisions. It was killing three birds with one stone. And after the rest of us were born and Mom stepped back to focus on the family? That was also Adrian pulling the strings, having Fiona convince her to leave the corporate world so he could take total control p>
Ethan paused for a breath before continuing. “Think about it. The Mercer Group only survived its initial crisis and expanded because our mother leveraged the Quinn Group’s immense resources in Aethelgard. Because of that, Mom’s authority and respect within the company vastly overshadowed Adrian’s. Under those circumstances, the only way Adrian could seize absolute power and control the assets was if Mom completely removed herself from the board. Do you really think getting close to Fiona wasn’t entirely about securing the money p>
“I get it now p>
“Later on, Mom deliberately left Fiona by Adrian’s side. On paper, it was to help him out, but the reality was she didn’t fully trust him. She wanted Fiona to be her eyes and ears. Unfortunately, Mom’s judgment in character was severely flawed… By that point, Adrian had already charmed his way into Fiona’s bed, and the two of them worked together to keep Mom completely in the dark. At the end of the day, his relationship with Fiona was just another calculated move to secure his wealth. He pushed me out because he saw I was getting too powerful and threatened his control. As for Damon and Julian? He used Mara to constantly stir up drama, creating excuses to drive them away, all because he was terrified we would fight him for the inheritance. He chose Mara as his heir because she was a mindless puppet he could easily control. But his fatal mistake was allying with Shane Porter. Shane barely helped him, and now he’s about to swallow Adrian’s empire whole. How could he not be having a complete breakdown p>
Ethan took a sip of water and pressed on “He went to Mom first, begging for a bailout. Not only did she reject him, but she also beat Fiona to a pulp. Then he came to me, and I told him to go to hell. He tracked down Damon and Julian next, and failed there too Julian actually came close to beating him senseless. My guess is, you’re his next target. Make sure Rachel and your security team stay on high afert. If he gets desperate enough, he might try to grab one of them to use as leverage against you. And watch out for your friends, especially that girl… Elara p>
“Thanks for the heads-up p>
“Don’t mention it. Whether we’re siblings, friends, or even complete strangers, I don’t
think either of us wants to see the other end up in a ditch, right p>
Mira didn’t answer.