Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 876: Before leaving, Gavin cast one last glance at the screen, his thoughts racing as he muttered, "Please don't do it, Vince. Don't let those bombs go off." It felt surreal. His son - always so measured and careful - now stood at the edge of something unthinkable. The moment Gavin slid into the car, he barked at the driver, "Step on it!" While chaos spiraled around them, the standoff between Vince and Maia had lasted barely ten minutes. Yet for both, it felt like being trapped in a burning room with no way out.

"You want to know something, Maia?" Vince's voice wavered unpredictably - one second gentle, the next sharp. He flailed his arms as he sank into memories that had clearly haunted him for years. "I really did value what you gave me. Back then, all I wanted was to escape a marriage arranged by my family. I pushed back against the engagement... not because I hated you, but because I didn't have the words to explain it." His eyes refused to settle. One moment they floated, the next they locked onto her with an almost frightening intensity.

His face twisted back and forth between anguish and something disturbingly close to glee. "Then came Rosanna. She wrecked everything. Lied to me. Fooled my father. They wouldn't let me near you again, and in the end, I was forced into marrying her. I never wanted this. Not any of it." With careful steps, Maia inched her way toward him, silent and steady. Only a single yard separated them now. One more step - that was all she needed. If she moved fast enough, she could grab the controller before he even registered the motion. This could all be over in a breath.

But before she could take another step, Vince's sharp voice cut through the air. "Stay right there!" He jerked back a pace, a wild grin curving across his face like a warning. "Maia, stop. I can see what you're planning. Look at me - really look at me!" gᴀʟɴᴏᴠᴇʟꜱ﹒ᴄᴏᴍ What stared back from his eyes wasn't reason. It was chaos - obsession wrapped in desperation, the kind of look that came just before everything collapsed. "Tell me something... would you marry me?" The air grew heavier in an instant, thick with the weight of his question.

Refusing to flinch, Maia bit down hard and drew in a slow breath, forcing her nerves into submission. Right then, Vince looked less like a man and more like a live explosive, needing only the tiniest spark to blow everything apart. A faint vibration buzzed in Chris' pocket. With barely a flicker of emotion, he tilted his head downward and answered the call in silence. "I'm in position," Maxwell's voice rolled through the speaker, low and steady. Chris gave a short nod before replying, "I'm counting on you. Just don't get-" Maia hurt.

"Got it." With a weary breath, Maxwell ended the call without another word. There was no question about it - Chris would go to the ends of the earth for his wife. But even without Chris' reminder, Maxwell knew he would never hurt Maia. A cold stillness settled over him in the next breath. His eyes narrowed, his demeanor shifting into something lethal and composed. Using the tip of his finger, Maxwell tested the direction of the breeze, quiet calculation guiding his every move. . . .