Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 641: Chris clicked open the message, curiosity flickering across his features. "I just saw you defending my sister on Twitter... Thank you." A knowing smile tugged at Chris' lips when he saw the message. He was only standing up for his own wife. Wasn't that the most natural thing in the world? Amusement danced in his eyes as his fingers moved across the keyboard. "Remember? I'm JusticeBlaze, after all. Upholding justice is my sacred duty." The truth was, Chris had devoted his entire day to championing Maia online, wielding his "JusticeBlaze" persona like a digital sword.

Across the city, Ethan hunched over his desk in the lamplight of his study, eyes fixed on the glowing chat interface, breath held in anticipation. The moment JusticeBlaze's response materialized on his screen, Ethan straightened as if electrified, excitement coursing through him as his fingers flew across the keys. "JusticeBlaze, you truly believe Maia wouldn't plagiarize, don't you?" The answer appeared almost instantly. "Of course I believe her! I've never questioned Eileen's integrity for a second." Heart racing, Ethan felt certainty crystallize in his chest.

The person behind this screen had to be Hurst! Beyond himself and Kathie, only one other soul would defend Maia with such unwavering conviction: her boyfriend. Ethan typically lived buried in textbooks, Twitter barely registering on his radar. Only an incident of this magnitude could have dragged his attention to the digital battlefield unfolding online. Nerves coiling tight in his stomach, he chewed his lip in contemplation before finally typing the question that had been burning inside him. "May I ask...

is your surname Cooper?" The moment he hit send, tension seized every muscle in Ethan's body. Yet, this time, there was no immediate reply. Minutes crawled by like hours, and disappointment settled over Ethan like a heavy shroud. Self-doubt crept in as he wondered if perhaps he'd been too presumptuous. Stay tuned for updates at gⱯlnσνℓs․cøm Yet as he mulled it over, a spark of hope rekindled. While "JusticeBlaze" hadn't admitted it, he hadn't outright denied it either! Maybe circumstances beyond his control were keeping him from revealing his true identity at this moment.

The thought brought Ethan a measure of comfort. More than anything, he yearned for his sister Maia's happiness. But whenever the image of Chris surfaced in his mind, that man who'd emerged at Maia's side during the gaming tournament, a cold unrest settled in Ethan's chest. Though his sister had implored him to dismiss the swirling rumors, doubt gnawed at him relentlessly. If Chris was truly innocent, why would there be such rumors? The thought that terrified Ethan most was his sister falling for Chris' undeniably handsome face.

If he could somehow warn Chris that his sister already had someone, that Hurst was her intended, maybe it would discourage Chris from pursuing her any further. . . .