Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 101: With a small huff, Maia picked up her pace. "Tell him he can keep dreaming."

Jogging to keep up, Elvira teased, "Don't be so cold! Actually… I want some too! Honestly, with your cooking skills and your medical genius, have you ever considered marrying my brother? He's handsome, shredded, studied overseas, has two PhDs, paints, fights - he's practically perfect for you…"

Every single time they met, Elvira managed to launch into this never-ending matchmaking campaign. Maia had reached her limit a long time ago.

Abruptly, Maia came to a stop and faced her. Elvira's hopeful expression made Maia sigh. "Elvira," Maia said, her voice soft but firm. "Your brother and I? It's never going to happen. And…" She hesitated for just a second before continuing, "I'm already married."

Just as Elvira opened her mouth to speak, her expression shifted dramatically, as if she had been struck by lightning. Her eyes went wide with disbelief, and she nearly shot out of her seat. "Wait, what did you just say? You got married? Hold on, when did that happen? Weren't you just released from prison?"

With a faint smile, Maia met her stunned gaze. "A few days ago, give or take. So yes, I'm officially a married woman now. Whatever you were plotting - you'd better drop it."

Without waiting for a reply, Maia turned around and kept walking.

From behind, Elvira's voice rose, practically breaking with shock. "Hold up! You went to prison! Are you telling me he doesn't care?"

Honestly, it was something Maia had never really thought about. She hadn't asked Chris, and she didn't plan to.

In her mind, their arrangement was temporary. Once she handled Zoey's matter, she intended to end the marriage cleanly. Therefore, whether Chris cared or not made no difference to her plans. Casting a sideways glance at Elvira, Maia replied smoothly, "And your brother? Does he care?"

"Of course he doesn't care!" said Elvira, full of conviction. "Come on, everyone has things they'd rather leave behind. My brother has more than you."

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A soft chuckle escaped Maia, but she offered no further reply.

Clearly unwilling to drop the subject, Elvira continued, "Come on, are you seriously saying there's zero chance? Think about it. I wouldn't care even if you had ten ex-husbands, and neither would he! Seriously though, who is this mystery man you married?"

The non-stop chatter made Maia's head throb. She quickened her pace, finally ushering Elvira toward the outpatient wing.

"Go deal with your patients already. You're keeping them waiting."

Earlier, the hospital had cracked down on people hiring stand-ins to hold spots in line, and Elvira had carved out precious time just to examine Kathie herself and personally get her to a room.

Despite all her badgering along the way, Elvira could tell Maia wasn't budging an inch. Pouting, she grumbled, "You seriously won't even let me meet him? Not even a glimpse? I just want to see what kind of guy he is!"

Without hesitation, Maia answered, "Now's not the time. And I don't want him tangled up in my affairs."

The truth was, if Elvira found out that Chris was an illegitimate son with a reckless streak, she'd probably start a full-scale investigation herself.

Crossing her arms, Elvira fumed. "He doesn't even know the real you! What right does he have to marry you? Don't tell me he's just some shallow guy chasing a pretty face!"

Chuckling quietly, Maia reached over and patted Elvira's shoulder. "Relax. I know what I'm doing. Focus on your work."

Finally running out of time, Elvira pouted one last time before stomping off reluctantly toward the doctor's office, still looking over her shoulder like she hated leaving things unfinished. Slowly, her hands curled into tight fists at her sides. A dangerous glint flickered in her eyes as she muttered silently, "You really believe I'll back off just because you said no? Let me see for myself what kind of man has the nerve to win your heart!"

Far from the city's lights, tucked away inside a dim, crumbling house, lying on a rusty bedframe, Jarrod fought against the lingering fog in his mind. Earlier, he had been drinking and belting out songs with friends at a KTV lounge. He remembered stepping out to find the restroom when someone suddenly clamped something over his mouth and nose. He resisted, but the other party was too strong. And then, he lost consciousness…

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