Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 223: Maia set down her bag, slipped off her coat, and made her way slowly toward the table.

She couldn't help but wonder if word about today had already spread, and what Chris might think of it all. But since he kept quiet, she figured it was best not to mention it either.

"This is incredible… You really made all this?" Maia asked, eyes wide with surprise. Somehow, he had prepared all her favorite foods, and the taste was spot-on.

Chris turned to her with a grin. "If you like it, I'll make it for you whenever you want," he said warmly. "I just picked up cooking recently. Honestly, I was afraid it wouldn't match your taste," Chris added, a bit of pride creeping into his tone. "But I guess my skills aren't too far behind yours."

In truth, he had messed up more than a few times, burning through ingredients before finally managing a few decent plates.

Maia's eyes flicked toward the hefty black trash bag by the kitchen door but chose not to call him out.

"I'll stick to cooking most of the time," she said, a faint smile playing on her lips. "But you can take over the kitchen once in a while. It's actually pretty good."

Her words were simple, but they held genuine approval.

Neither Maia nor Chris brought up anything about The Voice of Zephyria.

At that moment, Maia's phone started ringing.

It was Elvira on the line.

"Maia! I can't believe I only found out today that you're K! What else are you keeping from me? How can you be both gorgeous and insanely talented? I just posted a picture of us on Instagram, and guess what? In under a minute, it got over a thousand likes! Now my inbox is blowing up. I'm honestly-"

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Meanwhile, Maia was calmly eating. Even though Maia hadn't switched to speakerphone, Elvira's excited voice was so loud that Chris couldn't help but overhear.

"I'm having dinner with my husband right now. We'll chat later," Maia said quickly.

Then she ended the call without waiting for a reply.

Maia took a small breath and looked at Chris, ready to clear things up. But Chris beat her to it.

"Maia…" he said softly.

Chris raised an eyebrow, a playful half-smile tugging at his lips. His gaze lingered on Maia, eyes sparkling with quiet amusement. "So, what else have you been hiding from me?"

He lifted his right hand, counting off on his fingers. "Let's see - you're reserved, mysterious, incredibly talented." He paused, adding two more fingers with deliberate slowness. "Beautiful, and, as it turns out, an amazing cook."

Tension tightened his slender fingers into a hard knot.

In that moment, Chris' eyes, burning with intensity, spoke volumes without a single word. His gaze conveyed more warmth than his playful words ever could.

Maia found herself locked in his stare.

Suddenly, Chris leaned slightly forward, his voice deepening, growing more sincere. "Honestly, how did I end up this lucky?"

Maia snapped out of her daze. No wonder he was such a renowned charmer - she had almost gotten lost in his charm. Chris truly had an enviable appearance, and his words were incredibly smooth.

"Lucky?" Maia echoed softly, feigning skepticism.

"Exactly." Chris pointed from Maia to himself, his eyes twinkling. "Getting to call you my wife - if that's not good fortune, I don't know what is."

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