Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 853: Her mind jumped to the conclusion that she must have imagined it. Chris hadn't shown any signs of waking up until now. But then, a slight flutter of his lashes caught her attention, and slowly, he blinked his eyes open. He looked around in a daze, as if pulling himself up from the depths of sleep. Catching sight of Maia, he knit his brows together in confusion, unable to shake the thought that they had been sleeping in separate rooms all this time. A question escaped his lips, his voice carrying genuine surprise.

"What are you doing in my room?" Maia jolted upright, her hand shooting out to smack the emergency button on the wall. "Doctor!" In a heartbeat, a team of doctors and nurses burst into the room, bringing a rush of energy as they hurried to take his temperature, measure his blood pressure, and test his level of awareness. She stepped back as they worked, yet her eyes never once left Chris. Gradually, the medical staff completed their flurry of checks, and once they confirmed that his condition had stabilized, they filed quietly out of the room. Now, only the two of them remained.

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds. A memory flickered through Chris' mind, lighting up his expression with a sudden smile. "I could have sworn that while I was out, I heard you saying you missed me calling you 'honey.'" Bright red instantly bloomed across Maia's cheeks. "Ahem... you probably misheard." A teasing grin spread across Chris' face as he relaxed back against the pillows. "Honey!" he called out again, his tone light and playful. "If you like it, I'll call you 'honey' as many times as you want!" Maia turned her head, determined not to meet his eyes.

: g꞉ A wider smile tugged at Chris' lips, though he understood there were moments when he had to hold back. Until the Cooper Group was finished, he couldn't reveal their relationship in public. After letting the silence linger, Chris changed the subject and asked quietly, "How long was I unconscious?" "Three days," Maia answered. He fixed his gaze on her and asked, "Did the doctors say anything about my condition?" Maia paused, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. She decided to soften the truth, not wanting Chris to worry.

She picked up an apple from the bedside and began to peel it, keeping her voice and hands steady. "It was just the shock from regaining a lot of your memories at once. That overwhelmed you for a bit, but the doctors said there's no danger. You just need to keep your emotions in check from now on." Her calm tone seemed to reassure him, and Chris returned her steadiness with a gentle smile. "All right." Meanwhile, no one knew where Maia had gone. She seemed to have disappeared without a trace, yet in just three days, her name had spread across the global art world.

The duel of paintings she had taken part in turned her into an overnight icon. Alice, during a highly anticipated interview, recounted the event with extra flair and emotion. . . .