Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 122: Plenty of rich young heirs, but Chris' combination of perfect physique and good looks had her cheeks turning red.

There was something dangerous about his good looks-a magnetic mix of unruly charm and effortless elegance that clashed in the most intoxicating way. With a laid-back ease, he stretched out on the sofa, his shirt collar falling open to show collarbones that looked like they had been shaped with an artist's careful touch. His sleeves, pushed up carelessly, revealed a glimpse of his strong forearm.

One look was all it took to set wild imaginations spinning, pulling people closer without a second thought.

Sensing an opportunity, the woman inched closer, sending him a series of lingering, flirtatious glances. But the sickly-sweet stench of her cheap perfume turned Chris' stomach. Without a word, he pushed himself off the sofa and muttered, "I need to take a call."

With long strides, he left the private room.

While the others stayed busy having fun, no one seemed to notice him. The woman next to him, feeling ignored, pressed her lips together in quiet frustration.

Finding a quiet spot in the hallway, Chris leaned against the wall, one knee bent casually. He lit a cigarette, the glow briefly illuminating his sharp features as he blew a slow stream of smoke into the air.

But his mind wasn't on the party, the drinks, or the smoke. All he could think about was Maia.

What was she doing right now?

Inside another private room,

Initially, Rosanna had planned to arrive with Stacy, but a last-minute issue delayed her friend's arrival.

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Right now, a small crowd of Wront's elite young women had circled around Rosanna, their eyes locked on the sparkling Radiant Jewels bracelet wrapped around her wrist - a piece worth more than four hundred thousand dollars.

"Rosanna, Vince must be crazy about you to give such an extravagant gift. Are you two getting engaged soon?" someone asked enviously.

"Hmm," Rosanna shyly pressed her lips together and responded softly.

"It's amazing how life turned around for Rosanna! After spending all those years away from the Morgans, she came back and swept Vince right off his feet. That impostor never stood a chance!"

"You really hit the jackpot, Rosanna. The Ward family is way out of our league. We couldn't even dream of breathing the same air as them. Who would have guessed they had a marriage agreement lined up with the Morgans?"

"That's right! Once you marry Vince, you'll be living on another level altogether. Bet you won't even glance back at small gatherings like this!"

Admiration mixed with jealousy filled their every word.

This kind of talk, though, was exactly what fed Rosanna's vanity.

Her marriage agreement with Vince did little to change the fact that years spent in a slum made the true upper-class socialites look down on her. Before she could officially become part of the Ward family, she was forced to maintain shallow friendships with the lower-tier socialites.

It was the only way to keep her less-than-glamorous past hidden.

Rosanna's voice turned sweet as she said, "Oh, don't be silly. Even after I marry Vince, you'll still be my closest friends."

"Hey, Rosanna, didn't you say that impostor was supposed to show up today? Where is she?" someone asked curiously.

Before Rosanna could reply, another woman scoffed, "You know, it would have been better if you had left her out. This is supposed to be our time together. Letting someone with a prison record hang around is just inviting bad luck."

With a graceful motion, Rosanna tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said softly…

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