Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 911: A brief silence stretched between them, then Ethan replied, uncertainty in his voice, "You really managed to find it?" "Absolutely," Melanie said, straightening with pride, her eyes gleaming. "Tomorrow, you're coming with me. We'll see for ourselves if she's actually married." Ethan pressed the phone closer, his knuckles whitening, torn between emotions. Still, he gave a quiet, "Alright." The moment she ended the call, Melanie kept her phone in hand, her fingers dancing quickly across the screen as she scrolled through her chat with Cade, the private eye.

Her message was brisk: "Nice work! Now dig deeper-find out who actually owns that apartment." With a decisive tap, she sent it. Pillows stacked behind her, Melanie settled back, her eyes locked on her phone, anticipation flickering in their depths. A soft whisper left her lips, meant for no one but herself. "Dad, you have no idea how much I'm rooting for you to finally capture Maia's heart." A sly smile tugged at her mouth, her thoughts swirling with secret plans. Meanwhile, just outside the Elysium complex, a black sedan idled, nearly invisible in the shadows of the street.

Cade settled deeper into his seat, studying the message he had just received-find out who owns the place. Rather than responding right away, he reached for a cigarette and took his time lighting it. Thin streams of smoke drifted upward, painting the inside of the car with a dim haze. Could this be another job for him? He wouldn't help for free, especially when it involved Maia; that would require extra fees. Years in the military had shaped Cade before he wore the detective badge. He approached every case with discipline and a strict moral code.

With narrowed eyes, he glanced once more at the address listed for Maia. He remembered his assistant's advice earlier, and in truth, he hadn't handed over Maia's actual location-just one close enough to pass. Technically, Maia lived in the same complex, but the building was different. Cade planned to figure out what the client really wanted before revealing anything real about Maia's whereabouts. gⲁν⩸ⅽ "Boss, you're incredible! I knew I made the right choice working with you," his assistant said, clearly thrilled by what he'd seen. "I didn't think you'd give the client a fake address.

Everyone back in Wront-including my mom-owes you for being smart about this. So, what do we do next?" Cade shot a warning look at his assistant. "I'll be the one to decide what comes next." After a short pause, he instructed, "Check out the actual address. I want everything you can find on who owns that property." "Got it, sir," his assistant replied with a determined nod. The following day arrived. At Elysium Apartments, gentle sunlight streamed in through wide windows, bathing the entire space in a soft, golden glow.

Still in her pajamas, Maia moved through the kitchen, half-awake as she prepared some milk. Chris appeared behind her, his gray loungewear blending into the early light, and circled her waist with his arms in a slow, easy gesture. "Morning," he whispered, his voice thick from sleep, letting his chin rest in the curve of her neck. Maia switched off the gas and melted into his hold, her voice quieter than usual. "What has you out of bed this early?" . . .