Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 315: Pattie lowered her gaze, brows knitted tightly as she battled the fear rising in her chest. Seconds dragged on like minutes. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, Pattie slammed her fork onto the plate, the sharp clang slicing through the air. She clenched her fists and met Maia's eyes with a fire Maia hadn't seen in years. "What is there to be afraid of if we are in this together?" Pattie said fiercely. "Let's go for it! If we fail, so be it. I've never known the meaning of fear! And your problems are my problems, Maia.

If I do not stand with you, who will?" Something stirred deep inside Maia - a rare warmth. It was no small blessing, she thought, to have someone like Pattie in her corner. Someone who would leap into the fire without hesitation, simply because she was asked. Wordlessly, Maia reached into her bag and pulled out a thick dossier, the fruits of months of secret work. She slid it across the table to Pattie. The two women resumed eating, their conversation hushed and intense, as they leaned over the dossier together.

"The Cooper Group's reach is too vast to challenge all at once," Maia said, her finger gliding over the densely packed pages. "We must dismantle it piece by piece. Here - this division. This is where we strike first." Pattie leaned closer, following Maia's finger. As she read, a glimmer of excitement replaced the worry in her eyes. Her lips curled into a reckless smile. "Alright," she said, nodding firmly. "I will follow your lead. We'll start with this." Pattie was the person Maia trusted the most, which was why she had shared this secret.

But trust did not mean forcing her into a battle she hadn't chosen. The Cooper Group, after all, was a mountain that few even dared to climb, let alone move. And the man Maia had pinned her hopes on - an illegitimate son without a proper foothold - seemed like a desperate gamble. Pattie lowered her gaze, brows knitted tightly as she battled the fear rising in her chest. Seconds dragged on like minutes. : gⱯν⩷⪻ Then, with a sudden burst of energy, Pattie slammed her fork onto the plate, the sharp clang slicing through the air.

She clenched her fists and met Maia's eyes with a fire Maia hadn't seen in years. "What is there to be afraid of if we are in this together?" Pattie said fiercely. "Let's go for it! If we fail, so be it. I've never known the meaning of fear! And your problems are my problems, Maia. If I do not stand with you, who will?" Something stirred deep inside Maia - a rare warmth. It was no small blessing, she thought, to have someone like Pattie in her corner. Someone who would leap into the fire without hesitation, simply because she was asked.

Wordlessly, Maia reached into her bag and pulled out a thick dossier, the fruits of months of secret work. She slid it across the table to Pattie. The two women resumed eating, their conversation hushed and intense, as they leaned over the dossier together. "The Cooper Group's reach is too vast to challenge all at once," Maia said, her finger gliding over the densely packed pages. "We must dismantle it piece by piece. Here - this division. This is where we strike first." Pattie leaned closer, following Maia's finger. As she read, a glimmer of excitement replaced the worry in her eyes.

Her lips curled into a reckless smile. "Alright," she said, nodding firmly. "I will follow your lead. We'll start with this." By the time Maia and Pattie had finalized their plans, the clock had already drifted past 3 P.M. After savoring her meal, Maia decided it was time to visit Marvelous Garden to check in on Kathie and Ethan. She also wanted to prepare a hearty, nourishing dinner for them. As she stepped through the door, the familiar scent of cooking filled the air, and there was Kathie, bustling energetically in the kitchen. . . .