Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 156: A sly grin crept across Rosanna's face, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. Vince hadn't just stirred public opinion - he had flooded the internet with paid traffic and hired an army of bots to guide the narrative exactly where he wanted it.

"Now that the footage is gone, Maia, let's see how you plan to crawl out of this one."

Meanwhile, Vince stood motionless by the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze fixed on the flood of trending headlines on his phone. Everything was unfolding just as he planned. The backlash against Maia was growing, while Rosanna's image was quietly being polished. It was truly a masterstroke, achieving two goals at once.

A low, humorless chuckle escaped him. His lips curled into a faint, detached smile. "You'll come to me soon enough, Maia. You'll have no other choice." Vince lifted his phone and calmly dialed an international line. When the call connected, his voice turned smooth and firm. "Handle the surveillance footage properly. Leave no traces."

A lazy chuckle came from the other end, tinged with mockery. "Mr. Ward, you really think you need to remind me of something so basic? Don't worry. As long as the payment's good, there won't be anything left for them to find."

The man he spoke to was a ghost in the digital world - a top-tier hacker known for his clean jobs and steep prices. Getting the footage back would take top-tier hackers from elite groups like ST or Polaris - the kind of people you could barely even find, much less hire. Thus, he was confident.

"It better be flawless." Vince's eyes sharpened into something colder as he ended the call and sank back onto the sofa. For now, every piece was right where he wanted it.

Meanwhile, Maia lounged in her apartment, the glow from her laptop flickering over her face. A faint, knowing smile tugged at her lips as she skimmed the latest headlines.

Without hurry, she picked up her phone and made a call.

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The line clicked, and a familiar, weary voice answered, "Boss, what's the plan this time?"

Reclining deeper into the cushions, Maia spoke with a lazy edge that carried a hidden sharpness. "I need L'Auréole's surveillance footage restored. Send it to me. Also, find out who is pulling the strings."

The person on the other end had already seen the online drama and had anticipated her request. Their voice wavered slightly. "Uh… There's a small problem. Whoever wiped it is serious. It's going to take a hacker on your level to fix this, and, well, I'm nowhere close."

Maia chuckled lazily. "Do you want to finish your backlog of orders faster or not?"

The line crackled with a flustered cough before the voice rushed out, saying, "Got it, got it! I'm on it!"

With a flick of her wrist, Maia tossed her phone onto the coffee table after the call ended, her smile fading into something cold and dangerous.

Rosanna had indeed put some thought into her plan this time, but her methods remained as underhanded as ever.

Too bad Rosanna had picked the wrong person to mess with.

As Maia mulled it over, her phone buzzed again. Seeing Vincenzo's name flashing on the screen, she sighed and picked up.

"Miss Watson, I'm really sorry about this mess. It seems my enemies are trying to target me, and you got caught in the crossfire. But don't worry, I'll make sure your name is cleared. I've already hired a top-notch legal team. Those people spreading lies won't get away with it."

The guilt in his voice was obvious, and he kept apologizing over and over, blaming himself for everything. In this regard, he was quite responsible.

"It's not what you think, Mr. Casadei. I was the one who had been targeted, and you ended up caught in it by accident. I owe you an apology," Maia said gently, feeling a little awkward.

Before he could interrupt, she added, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

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