Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 533: Pattie sent a text, teasing, "So I'm your best friend, but I don't even get a birthday dinner? You ignored my call! You owe me, and you know I won't forgive you that easily!" Maia answered, "I'm with my family today, but I promise, tomorrow I'll take you out for a real feast." When Maia mentioned family, she was really talking about Ethan and Kathie. Elvira chimed in, "Happy birthday, Maia! Your present is on the way, so keep an eye out for it!" A few others dropped simple notes. "Happy birthday, boss!" Scrolling through the flood of messages, Maia paused for a second.

Amid all the cheerful wishes, Chris' message caught her eye because it was different. "I finished the dinner you made. Are you coming home tonight?" She stared at the message, not sure how to react. Maia hadn't told him about her birthday, but by now, it was nearly impossible to miss. Still, she hoped - just a little - that Chris would send a birthday greeting. Instead, all she got was a casual question about dinner. A strange emptiness settled in. Even with so many people celebrating, Chris' silence made her happiness feel smaller. Maybe she should stop expecting anything from him.

After answering everyone, Maia set her phone aside. The younger guests were already snapping selfies and updating their Twitter feeds. "Hey, I'm at Maia's birthday party! Let me show you how gorgeous she looks tonight!" "You're all sending birthday wishes on the internet, but my dad and I are actually here with Maia, wishing her a happy birthday face-to-face!" Cont3nt hozt3d at glovels.o In the comment sections, the numbers kept climbing as people posted their reactions. Off to the side, some of the older guests caught on to what was happening.

Eager to make the most of it, they barely managed to hide their enthusiasm. For them, this was an unbeatable publicity moment. They quickly contacted their families, urging them to get on Twitter and post birthday wishes for Maia using their company accounts. This sudden wave of attention was perfect for promoting their businesses and flagship products. Passing up a chance like this would have been a real loss. Richard stood frozen, struggling to make sense of it all. Maia had just spent four years behind bars. How had she become the star of the evening right after her release?

The whole thing felt impossible, almost like a strange dream. To make sure that he was awake, Richard pinched his arm. Suddenly, a heavy feeling of regret settled over him. In a shadowed corner of the courtyard, away from the glittering crowd, Rosanna and Stacy stood like forgotten ornaments. Stacy gripped her phone with white-knuckled hands, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. "How is this even happening? Maia has this much pull? Are these celebrities completely out of their minds?

Do they all know her personally?" Rosanna let out a bitter snort, her gaze cutting across the space to Maia like a blade. "They're not sincerely celebrating Maia's birthday; they're just doing it because of Brielle - the Queen of Pop. Everyone knows Maia wrote One More Day for her. That song made Brielle who she is now. What's so unbelievable about that?" Her tone was sharp, dismissive, but jealousy seethed beneath her composed exterior, curling hot and venomous in her gut. But Rosanna quickly calmed herself. It didn't matter. She would drag Maia down soon enough.

Her fists tightened at her sides, eyes glinting with a cold, calculated fire. Across the lawn, Sandra's patience snapped. She rushed toward Richard, her heels tapping furiously against the wooden floor. "Richard, what do we do now? We spent a fortune on this party - Rosanna's birthday party - but somehow everything is revolving around Maia! Rosanna is being overshadowed!" She flung an exasperated glance around the opulent courtyard, her voice rising with each word. "Look at these elite families. Spineless! Like weathervanes turning with the wind.

They all swore they'd bring gifts for Rosanna, promised they'd shower her with treasures. But now? They're all crawling after Maia instead. Can you imagine how humiliated Rosanna must feel right now?" . . .