Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 174: "If I didn't show up, you'd let that jerk pull the wool over your eyes!" Elvira snapped, her disgust for Maia's husband evident in every syllable.

Maia froze, her mind spinning in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Elvira took off her sunglasses, turned around, and retrieved a photo and a file from the glove compartment, shoving them into Maia's hands.

"See for yourself. Don't even think about thanking me - this is just what best friends do!" Elvira said, tilting her chin proudly, as if expecting a round of applause for her effort. Maia glanced at the photo - her and Chris, casually talking at the entrance of the residential complex earlier that day. She opened the folder, her eyes quickly scanning the documents inside. They were all about Chris.

"This is your mysterious husband, right?" Elvira's tone was sharp, dripping with disdain. "Chris Cooper, the illegitimate son of the Cooper Group's president. Lazy, self-indulgent, and a complete disaster. Do you even know how many women he's been with?"

Elvira's heart clenched at the thought - seeing Maia tied to someone like Chris felt like a cruel twist of fate. She softened her tone just a fraction, as if trying to pull Maia out of her delusion. "Okay, fine, Chris is good-looking. But marriage isn't a joke, Maia. It's not something you just throw away for a pretty face, is it?"

Maia's face hardened, and her voice went icy. "Did you… have someone follow me?"

A gust of wind swept through, sending a chill across Elvira's skin, her body bristling with tension.

"I just wanted to know what kind of man you married," Elvira muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing.

Then, with a huff, she added, "No wonder you've been so tight-lipped about your husband. Looks like you couldn't even bring yourself to say it out loud."

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Maia was momentarily speechless.

She should've known better - Elvira had never been one to let things slide. Once her mind was set on something, she'd tear through it like a freight train.

Keeping secrets from Elvira was never an easy task.

Sighing, Maia shifted, trying to explain. "It's not what you think…"

Elvira wasn't in the mood for excuses. She grabbed the photo from Maia's hands, holding it up in front of her, and demanded, "Just tell me - is this man your husband?"

Maia paused, hesitation flickering in her eyes before she finally murmured, "He's not."

It was a lie she had no choice but to tell. If she admitted that Chris was indeed her husband, her life would be anything but peaceful.

Elvira would be convinced that Chris was bad news and would stop at nothing to push for a divorce. Worse, Elvira would enthusiastically try to set her up with her brother.

Maia didn't have the time or energy to entertain Elvira's meddling. She still had Zoey's tasks hanging over her head.

For now, denying it was the only way to keep the storm at bay and silence Elvira's hopes of Maia becoming her sister-in-law.

Elvira blinked, stunned by Maia's firm response. Her suspicion flickered, her brow knitting. "Really?"

Maia nodded, her gaze unwavering.

Elvira stared at her for a long moment, the frown deepening as she studied the photo again.

The two people in the picture were standing at the entrance of the complex, but a closer look revealed that the distance between them wasn't particularly intimate. If they were married, they'd surely be closer - perhaps even holding hands, especially if they were newlyweds. Instead, they looked like distant acquaintances sharing a polite conversation.

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