Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 90: Maia tilted her head slightly, quickly brushing away the tears at the corners of her eyes. When she faced Kathie again, a soft smile touched her lips. "Trust me, Kathie. I'll make sure you and Ethan have the best life possible."

They talked for a while longer, but Maia couldn't shake the worry twisting in her chest about Ethan. Eventually, she stood up quietly and stepped outside to find him.

Beneath a tall, silent tree tucked away in the slums, she spotted the boy. He was curled up at its base, his knees hugged tightly to his chest, his head hidden in his arms.

Without saying a word, Maia settled down beside him, mimicking his curled-up posture. Casting a sideways glance at him, she saw that he didn't so much as flinch, and a soft smile touched her lips. "Seems like we really are cut from the same cloth." Lifting his head at last, Ethan looked at her, confusion clouding his delicate features.

A soft chuckle escaped Maia as she said, "You showed up out of nowhere yesterday, like a hero dropping from the sky to save me. Right then, I felt this strange sense of familiarity. I never guessed you'd turn out to be my little brother."

Tightening his cracked lips into a thin line, Ethan stayed silent.

Shrugging lightly, Maia kept her tone light. "Maybe heaven took pity on two lost kids and decided we should find each other."

Instead of answering, Ethan stared blankly into the distance, his eyes clouding. His voice, when it came, was low and bitter. "You still have a family. You have adoptive parents."

Letting out a quiet laugh, Maia tapped his cheek with her finger. "You mean the so-called family who threw me behind bars, then spent every waking moment trying to tear me apart once I got out?"

The words hit Ethan like a slap, and he whipped his head around to stare at her. Sunlight brushed against Maia's features, softening her calm expression, but the things she said made the air around them seem colder.

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Turning her head slightly, Maia met his stunned gaze and reached out to ruffle his hair. "I haven't had a family in a long time. But thanks to you, for the first time in years, I feel like I belong somewhere again."

Pressing his lips together harder, Ethan struggled to speak, but no words made it past his throat.

Instead of pushing him, Maia softened her voice even more. "It's just you and me from now on. Yesterday, you were my hero. Now it's my turn to protect you. Let your big sister handle it, alright?"

A quiet look crossed Ethan's face as he dropped his gaze and muttered, "I'm a man. I can protect you too."

For a second, Maia blinked, then burst into a warm, genuine laugh.

Once they made their way back to the house, Maia headed out to pick up groceries. Using the bare-bones kitchen equipment they had, she whipped up a meal for the three of them.

During dinner, Kathie couldn't seem to praise Maia's cooking enough, while Ethan quietly polished off his plate - and everyone else's - with impressive speed.

When he finally finished, Ethan gave Maia a thumbs-up, his face brimming with pride and satisfaction.

Watching his silly gesture, Maia laughed despite herself. Realizing how dark it had gotten outside, she reluctantly said her goodbyes, already busy in her mind making plans to lift them out of this life.

As Maia walked through the narrow streets, a bit of news from earlier crossed her mind. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to someone. "Heard you're coming to Wront?"

Her phone buzzed almost instantly with a reply. "Three days out of prison and you're just now reaching out? I was beginning to think you found someone better and forgot about me." A pouting face emoji rounded off the message.

Reaching out wasn't what Maia feared - it was the fallout afterward that made her hesitate.

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