Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 638: Raising her chin defiantly, she met his gaze. "Hurst, hear me out. If you choose Maia as my stepmother, we're done. I will not call you my father anymore." "You're being ridiculous!" Hurst's voice thundered. "There's nothing between Ms. Watson and me. Nothing like what you're imagining!" Hurst's hands quivered, knuckles whitening as fury surged through him. His eyes burned with rage as he lifted his hand, fingers curling mid-air - poised to strike Melanie across the face. Melanie's eyes narrowed, unconvinced. "Nothing? Then why are you so worked up?

Why defend a thief?" She stepped closer, her voice icy. "Go ahead, hit me if you want. Then you can marry whoever you please because I will never see you as my father anymore." Hurst's hand shot up, trembling with fury, but the memory of Melanie's mother flashed in his mind - her gentle smile, the promises he'd made. His face flushed, veins pulsing at his temples. Slowly, his hand dropped, his voice a strained rasp. "You're... impossible." With a final, frustrated curse, Hurst stormed out, the door slamming in his wake.

Melanie stood frozen, her chest tightening as a wave of resentment surged through her. Her voice trembled with fury. "Maia, I swear - I will never let you get close to my father again!" She spun on her heel and stormed off to her room, the door slamming behind her with a force that echoed her fury. At her vanity, she stared into the mirror, her reflection framed by reddened eyes. Ever since Maia came into their lives, her father had changed.

Lᴀтєѕт chαpтєrѕ ιи gαℓиσνєℓѕ.¢σм The memory of her father's raised hand, his blind defense of Maia, pressed against her chest like a stone, stealing her breath. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the vanity, crumpling the cloth beneath. "I cannot let Maia win." Determination surged through her. She grabbed her phone, scrolling through her contacts until her gaze landed on Ethan - Maia's brother, her classmate. A plan flickered to life in her mind.

To make her father despise Maia, she needed to uncover Maia's secrets, and Ethan, Maia's brother and also her own classmate, was the perfect entry point. If she could extract some secrets from Ethan about Maia, she might have the chance to make her father dislike Maia. For example, if she found that Maia still had some intimate relationships with other men... Her thoughts drifted to the mysterious Mr. M, who had showered Maia with extravagant gifts on her birthday just days ago. Ever since that evening, the internet had been alive with rumors about Mr. M.

People jumped to wild conclusions, with some claiming that the whole thing was nothing but a cleverly planned publicity stunt. They swore it was all fake. There was another rumor floating around. Some believed that Maia's marriage was a complete farce, and that Mr. M had her set up as his secret lover. . . .