Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 873: "Seriously, Maxwell? Vince is about to propose to Maia - are you really losing it over something this petty?" Marisa shouted. Still fuming, she added, "And why can't I at least watch it unfold? What's the big deal?" Maxwell kept his lips sealed. Not a single word left him until the car rolled to a halt. "I've got something urgent. I won't be going with you." Without waiting for a reply, he popped open the trunk, pulled out a sleek black cello case, and strode straight toward the elevator.

Left standing alone, Marisa blinked blankly for a few seconds before her face twisted with frustration. "Ugh, that idiot Maxwell... always keeping secrets. He better spill everything later." Maxwell couldn't afford any distractions now. Every second mattered if he wanted to stop that maniac Vince from making his next move. Back in Drakmire, Maxwell had already earned a reputation as the prodigy of the Payne family's hidden division - particularly for his marksmanship. Sniper rifles had always been his specialty.

That same talent had earned him a hidden identity as one of the world's top ten snipers, listed on the infamous assassin network known as Killer. Meanwhile, Marisa didn't follow him. Her attention drifted away from Maxwell's strange behavior. With a flick of her thumb, she pulled out her phone and sent the livestream link to Ethan. At that very moment, over at Wront University, Ethan sat alone in a quiet corner of the library's first floor, eyes locked on his screen, his fists clenched tight as the stream played.

Even before Marisa shared the live stream, Melanie had already briefed Ethan about what was unfolding at Harmony Plaza. Now, he sat glued to the screen, rage boiling beneath the surface as his eyes locked on the two men in front of the camera. Vince, the shameless one, had spent years tormenting Maia - lying, manipulating, and betraying her trust. ν⧸ⅽ Then there was Chris. He played the role of her guardian, yet Ethan couldn't shake the suspicion that his intentions were anything but pure. Why couldn't both men just leave his sister alone?

The thought echoed in Ethan's head like a relentless drumbeat. Elsewhere, the powerful families - Morgan, Cooper, and Ward - caught wind of the commotion in no time. All eyes turned to the scene of a marriage proposal that had set the entire city of Wront ablaze. The Morgan family's villa. "Vince? How could it possibly be him?" Richard shot up from the sofa the moment he caught sight of the live stream on his phone, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief. His shock was so intense that he sent a teacup tumbling from the coffee table.

Scalding liquid splashed across his hand, yet he hardly flinched, too stunned to feel the burn. On the screen, Vince - looking visibly flustered - had dropped to one knee, proposing to Maia. Maia stood stiff as stone, her face clouded with unease. There wasn't a trace of happiness in her expression. "Has that guy lost his senses? Proposing in public like this?" Richard fumed under his breath, anger simmering. "How did he even find Maia before anyone else? And why him, of all people?" . . .