Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 552: The waiter noticed right away, grabbed two glasses from the very top of the tower, and handed them over. For Maia, who knew her way around good wine, this champagne was hard to resist. She reached out to grab a glass but accidentally let it slip. The glass hit the floor and shattered in an instant, releasing its rich aroma into the room. The guests nearby couldn't help but swallow hard. What a waste! "Sorry about that. Could I get two more glasses?" Maia asked the waiter, nodding toward the table.

"Please set them down there - I'd rather pick them up myself." The waiter agreed, fetched two fresh glasses from the top, and carefully set them on the table. Maia stepped forward, took the glasses, and faced Rosanna. "As your elder sister, I think I should let you pick first. I'll take whichever one you don't want." Rosanna laughed softly, saying with a smile, "Since you're so eager, I'll go first." She eyed the glasses and picked the one with a bit more champagne in it. Maia took the other glass without hesitation.

Meanwhile, the waiters moved through the crowd, handing out champagne to all the guests. When everyone had a glass in hand, Mariana raised her voice. "Let's toast to Maia's and Rosanna's birthdays!" "Cheers!" "Maia, cheers!" Rosanna looked at Maia with happiness. Glasses clinked loudly throughout the room as everyone savored the moment, lifted by the fine champagne. Yet behind Rosanna's and Mariana's eyes, a victorious grin spread. Once Maia tasted this champagne, she'd never hold her head high again. Their long-awaited revenge would be sealed.

gⲁν⧺ At that moment, the living room doors swung open, and a multi-tiered cake rolled in on a silver trolley, lovingly prepared by the Morgan family. Flickering candles crowned the top, their glow dancing across the carefully piped frosting. Scrawled in delicate script across the layers were the names Rosanna and Maia, followed by a cheerful, sugar-dusted Happy Birthday. The crowd instinctively parted as Maia and Rosanna stepped forward, all eyes on them. Laughter bubbled up in pockets as the two began cutting the cake, their smiles framed by camera flashes.

Just then, Mariana clapped twice, summoning the waitstaff. "Bring out the wine!" she called, her voice lilting with excitement. A moment later, a procession of servers emerged, each carrying a bottle of red so fine that it glinted like rubies under the chandelier light. With a glint in her eye and mischief in her tone, Mariana raised her glass high. "Everyone, let us drink until we cannot stand tonight!" A wave of cheers followed her declaration. "Let's drink until we can't stand!" many guests echoed, their voices igniting the room.

Thanks to the fine wine, the guests began to let loose, laughing and chatting as they drank. The men, in particular, seized the moment. Glasses were filled to the brim, clinking wildly as they toasted Maia again and again. Before long, several of them were already consumed by drunkenness. Vince had taken more than a few hearty swigs himself. He slouched in his chair now, a lazy grin tugging at his lips as the room spun slightly. His vision danced and blurred. In his hazy state, he seemed to see Maia pleading with him to reconcile. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Meanwhile, Claudius had barely touched his drink. He had kept to the fringes of the crowd, one eye always trailing Mariana's movements. So far, her wine appeared untouched - at least nothing had struck him as unusual. . . .