Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 511: Maia raised an eyebrow but did not object. One day was tight, certainly - but not beyond her abilities. And besides, she had her own reasons for agreeing to compose the song. Leaning slightly forward, she smiled faintly. "Earlier, on the phone, you made a promise. Do you still stand by it?" Claudius gave a short nod. "Of course. If it is within my power, I will honor any request you make." That was exactly what she had been waiting for. She reached into her bag and pulled out the magazine, flipping it open to the full-page spread of Angel's Tear.

She slid it across the table toward him. "I would like to see this sapphire - the one your company unearthed," she said evenly. "That should not be difficult for you, correct?" Claudius studied the image, then looked up at her with a raised brow. "If you are interested, I can have it delivered immediately. That is no trouble at all." He had expected something more... complicated. A request like this? It seemed almost too easy. Claudius reached for his phone to call his assistant, but before he could dial, the screen lit up with an incoming call.

He answered, and the assistant's urgent voice came through. "Mr. Cooper, Angel's Tear... it has just been sold. The buyer paid three hundred million dollars!" Claudius' expression froze, like a pond at the first touch of winter. "What?" He had just given Maia his word, and now Angel's Tear had slipped through his fingers at the auction. How could he salvage his reputation now, with this promise crumbling before it even had a chance to breathe? Sensing Maia still at his side, Claudius lowered his voice, laced with urgency.

"Who bought it?" Ł∆†€$Ŧ ¢ħ∆₽ŧ€Ř$ įŋ glovєlo If he could trace the buyer and persuade them to at least let Maia see Angel's Tear, perhaps he could still patch things up. This wasn't the first time Claudius had danced through a tight spot. Most buyers, once they caught wind of his background, rarely had the nerve to say no. "Mr. Cooper, the buyer remained anonymous. The entire transaction was managed through an agent," his assistant responded. Claudius felt his hopes sink like a stone tossed into a deep well.

The auction house had its own code, and one rule stood tall: agents were forbidden to reveal the identities of those they represented. As he ended the call, a trace of embarrassment flickered in his eyes as he turned to Maia. "I'm terribly sorry, Miss Watson... Angel's Tear has just been sold at the auction for a high bid." Fearing that she'd be disheartened, he quickly added, "I only just heard. Had I known earlier that it caught your interest, I never would have..." "Congratulations, Mr. Cooper," Maia replied, her smile gentle but distant.

"It sounds like Angel's Tear brought in quite the sum." Not a shadow of disappointment crossed her face. Perhaps it simply wasn't her fate to lay eyes on it up close. Her composed reaction allowed Claudius to exhale, ever so slightly. "Ms. Watson, perhaps... we could settle on a different condition instead?" he offered tentatively. "There's no need," she said, gathering her things with quiet finality. "At the moment, I'm not looking for anything else." Claudius' composure began to fray. "Miss Watson, this came completely out of the blue. Please allow me some time to make it right.

That song truly matters to me. Won't you reconsider...?" But Maia's gaze turned to ice. "I've already agreed, and I won't renege on that. Time is short. I won't be staying for dinner. I'll send the song over later." . . .