Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 129: "Vince."

It did not take Maia long to catch on. Everyone in Wront's tight-knit upper circles knew about her history with Vince, so it made perfect sense that Chris would too.

Worried he might get the wrong idea, Maia quickly explained, "There's nothing between us anymore. Hasn't been for a long time. There won't be in the future either."

An awkward silence hovered over them. A low chuckle slipped out of Chris. He reached over and flicked the light switch. Instantly, warm light flooded the room, chasing the shadows away.

With a small sigh, he rubbed at his forehead. His eyes stayed lowered as he said, sounding almost lazy, "I think I had a bit too much to drink tonight. My head feels a little light. I'm going to call it a night. Sleep well."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Maia standing there. She released a shaky breath. What was wrong with Chris tonight? He was acting completely out of character.

Inside the private lounge, the tension hung heavy.

Unable to keep up with Maia, the socialites stormed back into the room, their faces dark with frustration.

Rosanna slouched low on the couch, her face drawn tight with misery. Red blotches marked her swollen eyes, and angry bruises peeked through her skin.

She wanted to chase after Maia too, but her strength had long abandoned her. Earlier, a fight over a bracelet had shattered whatever fake friendship they clung to, leaving only raw hostility in its place. An awkward, suffocating silence settled among them as they turned their attention to smoothing their rumpled clothes and messy hair.

"Rosanna, we're so sorry. We were just trying to help you get the bracelet back. Who could have imagined things would get out of hand?" one of them finally said after clearing her throat.

Another interjected quickly, "Really! The lighting here is so bad, we could barely see anything. If we hurt you by accident, we truly didn't mean it!"

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Rosanna forced a smile so brittle that it looked painful but kept her mouth shut. "Is that bracelet seriously worth 150 million dollars?"

Moments ago, greed had driven their hands to violence. Now, regret flickered across their faces as doubt crept into their voices.

Watching them scramble to excuse themselves only deepened the pit in Rosanna's stomach. There was no chance she would tell them the full story.

"I really don't know how much it's worth. You can't believe everything online. But that bracelet belonged to my late grandmother, Vicki. Maia isn't part of the Morgan family anymore. She had no right to take it. I'll get it back, no matter what it takes."

Understanding clicked into place for the women. The bracelet's value wasn't about money after all. It was about blood, family, and betrayal.

Shame crept over them, tightening their lips into thin, uncomfortable lines.

"Did you notice? Maia wasn't alone earlier," one of them blurted out, desperate to change the mood.

"Yeah! She was with some guy. They looked pretty close too."

A spark returned to Rosanna's tired face. She dropped her voice into a whisper and said, "You might not believe this… but Maia has landed herself a rich backer."

"What?" Shock spread across the women's faces. "Someone is actually willing to stand by a woman like her, even after prison?"

"She probably picked up a few tricks to hook men while she was locked up. Did you notice what she had on today? She looks like a slut!"

"Did anyone catch a better look at the guy she was with? From behind, he looked like he could be a model," said another woman, her voice thick with curiosity.

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