Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 311: Outside the Nightingale Ballroom, Maia halted abruptly and released Chris' hand as though it had burned her. Her once-warm demeanor transformed into cold contempt. She turned toward the handsome figure before her, her lips curving into a sardonic smile. "My instincts rarely fail me. Mr. Cooper, your reputation as a calculating libertine proves remarkably accurate." Chris' dark gaze deepened as he lowered his eyes to meet hers. His voice drifted through the cool night air.

"What if everything you perceive is merely an illusion?" "Then illuminate the truth for me," Maia replied with a hollow laugh. She had witnessed his deceit firsthand, yet he dared to feign innocence. With biting derision, she continued, "Don't resort to that tired script-claiming those women meant nothing while I alone hold your heart." Chris found himself momentarily speechless. The situation left no room for explanations Maia would accept in her current state. His carefully orchestrated plan couldn't afford any mistakes.

The circle of confidants needed to remain minimal-not just for Maia's protection, but for the plan's success. For now, he had no choice but to try to calm her down and figure things out later. Noticing his telling silence, Maia released a brittle, self-mocking laugh. With deliberate nonchalance, each syllable dripping with sarcasm, she inquired, "Had our paths not crossed tonight, how many women would have awaited your charming attentions? Remarkable, Mr. Cooper.

Your stamina truly deserves admiration." The final word had barely escaped her lips when Chris lunged forward, grabbing her slender wrist and pulling her sharply toward him. Maia's body crashed against his unyielding chest. She stiffened momentarily but then defiantly raised her chin to meet his gaze, refusing to show even the slightest sign of vulnerability. G3t th3 l3g1t v3rs10n 0n g4ln0v3ls.c0m Confronted with his blatant deception, she would neither yield nor display discomfort. Beneath her piercing glare, Chris' lips curled into a dangerous smirk.

Leaning in close, his breath brushed against her ear as he whispered with seductive audacity, "You've already claimed me entirely. From this moment on, I exist solely for you." The soft warmth of his breath brushed against her face, and for a moment, Maia's sharp, frosty demeanor seemed to melt into something softer, like a downy pillow. Without a second thought, she shoved Chris away and stepped back several paces. Chris, still wearing that lazy, faint smile, tilted his head slightly, quietly savoring the fleeting glimpse of panic that danced across Maia's usually composed face.

Yet that crack in her armor vanished in the blink of an eye. Like a fortress slamming its gates shut, Maia quickly gathered herself, restoring her usual cold and distant poise, which warned others to keep their distance. "That was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. Don't read too much into it," Maia said coolly, her gaze as cutting as frost. Chris simply raised an eyebrow, pulling out the black card she had handed him earlier, and gave it a playful wave. "But I've already taken the money. It's too late for second thoughts now. From now on, I am all yours." Maia was struck speechless.

Had she known things would spiral like this, she would have chained her impulsive instincts before they could break loose. At that moment, it had been more of an instinctive reaction. Although she and Chris were just a nominal couple, as his wife, seeing another woman drag him away made her feel deeply uncomfortable. For Chris, however, Maia's impulsive claim to "keep" him had been nothing short of a godsend. He had been wracking his brain, desperate to find a clean break from that clingy woman's constant shadow. In fact, he knew she had been sent by someone to keep him under surveillance.

Thanks to Maia's bold move, he now had the perfect shield to sever ties without raising any suspicion. Better yet, he finally had a valid excuse to end his charade of chasing other women. His heart had long ago anchored itself to Maia alone. . . .