Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 697: Pattie was thinking along the same lines as Maia. She couldn't believe that Chris had the means to cover a job like that. Maia had once mentioned that Chris didn't make much - just a modest salary as a chauffeur, barely scraping by. And hiring someone of Maxwell's caliber? That would cost a small fortune. Pattie leaned closer and whispered in Maia's ear, "Maia, what exactly did Chris give Maxwell?

Isn't he kind of broke?" Maia gave Chris a brief look and replied softly with a shake of her head, "I'm not sure either." Pattie raised one brow, clearly intrigued, but chose not to push. Still, the question stayed on her mind. Before long, Chris pulled over to let Maxwell and Pattie out. After that, he headed toward Elysium Apartments with Maia in tow. Outside, the rain kept coming down in sheets, showing no signs of easing up. A chilly gust swept through the air, causing people to shudder involuntarily. Chris slipped off his jacket and placed it over Maia's shoulders.

With one hand, he held the umbrella. With the other, he pulled her close. He spoke casually, as if it were no big deal. "The umbrella's on the small side. I'd rather you stay dry." Maia didn't respond. She simply let him hold her as they made their way toward the entrance. There was a quiet closeness between them, hard to put into words. Maia glanced sideways at Chris, taking in his profile just as he turned to her with a soft smile. "How about we go somewhere nice for dinner later?" he asked, lightness in his tone. "We should celebrate your name being cleared and warm up a bit.

What do you say?" Maia looked at him, her lips lifting into a faint smile. "Alright." As they arrived at the doorway, she paused unexpectedly and asked in a low voice, "By the way, what did you give Maxwell to get him to look into all this?" gαℓησνs．çоm takes you away Chris folded the umbrella, his eyes settling calmly on her face. There was a playful glint in his gaze, but he didn't respond right away. His mouth tilted into a sly smile as he said, "Why don't you take a guess?" Maia froze for a second, caught off guard. She wondered why Chris hadn't come out and told her straight.

Still, if it hadn't been for Chris, who asked Maxwell to dig through old business, she'd still be living under a cloud of suspicion. That thought lifted her spirits. A satisfied grin crept across her face as she glanced at Chris's sharp features. "If you won't spill the beans, I'll just start guessing!" she teased. Chris hadn't seen Maia beam like that in ages. He was momentarily spellbound, until she turned to head upstairs. That finally got him to say, "Alright." As Maia ascended the stairs, she began to ponder the whole situation.

Maxwell held sway in the black market, and he wasn't known for doing favors out of kindness. His acquaintance with Chris was likely a casual one formed through work. So, why would he lend a hand with something this deep without some angle of his own? . . .