Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 150: "What's going on?" Vince, who had been resting with his eyes closed, frowned slightly at the interruption.

"Vince, look over there! Isn't that Maia?"

At the mention of Maia's name, Vince straightened, his attention sharpening. Through the wide glass window, they saw Maia inside the three-star restaurant, deep in conversation with an older man. And that man-wasn't he the owner of the jewelry store? The one who had bought the bracelet during the auction?

Anger tightened Rosanna's chest, stealing her breath. Maybe that old man had been backing Maia from the shadows all along. No wonder he had sided with Maia back then. So the two of them had been colluding all along. Thinking about it this way, Rosanna guessed that the bracelet might not even be worth 150 million-it could have all been a setup to get the bracelet back! A twisted sense of clarity flooded through Rosanna, darkening her hatred even further. At last, she had something tangible-something she could use to expose their dirty little alliance.

Smirking, she rolled down the window and angled her phone carefully, snapping photo after photo of Maia and Vincenzo from just the right distance to make the situation look suspicious.

Once satisfied, she tucked her phone away and glanced sidelong at Vince, her tone light but cutting. "This place… not exactly cheap, is it?"

Vince's expression hardened the moment he recognized the restaurant's name. It was a level above the private dining room where he had first crossed paths with Maia. His fingers curled into a fist on his lap, his jaw clenching as anger flickered in his eyes.

"Shameless," Vince muttered under his breath.

"Vince, someone really is keeping Maia. But online, people keep brushing it off as rumors and defending her, even attacking anyone who tells the truth." Rosanna gave a pitiful sniffle, her voice heavy with hurt. "I always saw her as my real sister, but that does not give her the right to twist the truth like this…"

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Vince had seen the discussions online. Rosanna had done everything she could to protect her image in Vince's eyes, painting herself as the helpless victim caught in a storm she never created.

She had cried as she told him about the bracelet, swearing she believed it was a keepsake from her beloved grandmother, Vicki - something priceless only because of sentiment, not money.

When it came to Maia's falling out with the Morgan family, Rosanna claimed ignorance, insisting that she had been kept in the dark about the whole affair. Her trembling voice and tearful confession had left a heavy mark on Vince's heart.

In his mind, Rosanna was not the type to scheme. She was simply misunderstood. Unlike the fickle voices online, Vince believed he could see true sincerity when it stood before him.

After comforting Rosanna, Vince had taken her out for a meal. Neither expected to cross paths with Maia on the way back to the Morgan Villa.

Through the restaurant's wide windows, Vince saw her - laughing and lively with an older man. It hit harder than he expected. When was the last time Maia had smiled at him like that?

A sharp ache twisted in his chest, jealousy bubbling up so fast that it nearly choked him. His hands curled into fists, knuckles whitening. His gaze dropped to Rosanna's phone, where the new photos waited like a loaded weapon.

"Send them to me," Vince said stiffly. "I'll make sure everyone sees her true colors."

Rosanna, careful not to seem too eager, offered a measured analysis. "We need to be smart about it. They're just photos. If someone traces them back to this restaurant and pulls the surveillance footage… and if that footage shows nothing inappropriate, Maia could flip the story around again."

She had been burned by Maia's tricks before - publicly humiliated by videos that showed just enough truth to make her look like a liar. This time, Rosanna had taken photos with angles meant to stir suspicion, but the reality was harmless. From a legal standpoint, Maia and Vincenzo hadn't done anything wrong.

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