Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 718: Hurst's tone came through the phone, cool and impatient. "Why don't you say anything? Then why did you call me? If you're not going to talk, I'll just hang up now." At the sound of his threat, Melanie's nerves kicked in. "Dad, don't hang up! I haven't finished. There's something I need to say," she blurted out. Only the low hum of the line filled the next few seconds. Hurst finally let out a soft laugh. "You've come to your senses, huh? Go ahead, I'm listening." Pausing for a moment, Melanie clenched her fists and tried to steady her voice. "I'm actually starving.

I want your tomato meat sauce pasta," she admitted, half-whispering. Hurst glanced at the clock and shook his head, a smile creeping onto his lips. "Right now? Melanie, it's almost midnight. Let's save it for tomorrow. I promise I'll cook it for you then." His frustration had faded. The anger he felt earlier was gone, replaced with the understanding that Melanie, still so young, was bound to be affected by whatever rumors swirled online. Melanie didn't argue. "Okay, tomorrow is fine!" she said, a little too quickly. Once again, silence settled between them.

"If you have nothing else to say, I'm hanging up for real this time," said Hurst, his tone softer. Right as he prepared to end the call, Melanie's voice cut in, shaky but determined. "Actually, I changed my mind!" she cried. "I mean - I've had time to think. Dad, if Maia is really so important to you, I want you to know I'll support your decision." Before Hurst could get a word out, the call ended with a sharp click. Melanie, cheeks burning, dropped her phone on the bed. Relief and embarrassment crashed over her all at once. Lₐtᴇst chαptɘrs in glnovels.

She threw her blanket over her head and hid, her heart racing so fast that she could barely breathe. Meanwhile, Hurst just stared at his phone, still processing what had happened. He could hardly believe it. His daughter's sudden change of heart left him at a loss for words. After a moment, a crooked smile broke out on his face. "Melanie can't make up her mind to save her life," he muttered. He decided that she deserved the truth, no more confusion. Although he had already clarified his relationship with Maia before, Melanie didn't seem to have taken it to heart.

He picked up his phone again and began to type out a message. Hearing her phone buzz, Melanie snatched it up. As she read the message, her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. "Ms. Watson really is something special, but she's already married." Shock rolled through Melanie. "No way. That can't be true!" she cried, jumping out of bed. She lost no time searching the internet for anything about Maia's marriage. To her surprise, the news was everywhere.

Since relentless PR teams scrubbed the Morgan and Ward families' engagement banquet footage from every corner of the internet, nobody could find a single clip of Maia declaring herself married or flashing a marriage certificate. Rumors and heated debates spread like wildfire online. . . .