Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 912: Chris pressed his lips gently to her forehead. "Couldn't get any rest." Raising her gaze, Maia studied him with concern. "Was it because of last night...?" Chris let out a quiet laugh and touched her nose with his finger. "You're reading into it too much." Unconsciously, Maia pressed her teeth into her lower lip as she remembered that Lenny would be arriving in Wront soon to guide her through advanced surgical procedures. Even the idea of performing a craniotomy made her hands tense up, the knowledge of how critical each movement was weighing heavily on her.

Without thinking, she gripped the edge of Chris's shirt, needing something steady. "Is something bothering you?" Chris asked, his gaze falling to her hand before lifting to her face, worry flickering in his eyes. "It's nothing." Her head dropped as she quietly rested against his chest. In her heart, she made a silent promise. She wouldn't put Chris in danger-never. Maia had held on to that promise like a lifeline, whispering it to herself more times than she could count. Her deepest wish now was for Chris to recover completely.

What began as a favor for Zoey had grown into something far more personal. Chris deserved to live without pain-not just because of what others wanted, but because he mattered to her. Their past had been messy and raw, yet through it all, Maia found herself unlocking the door she had long shut on him. Loving someone meant showing up for them. It meant staying. That was why she clung to the hope that his operation would go well and give him a second chance at life. Chris stepped closer, closing the space between them with quiet urgency.

"You're sure you're all right?" he asked, his eyes searching Maia's face. A moment passed before he added, "Something's on your mind, isn't it?" Without waiting for an answer, he pulled her into his arms, his hands settling gently on her back. There was care in his touch, but also a quiet insistence. "It feels like you're holding something back. It's okay. I'll wait until you're ready to let me in." Chris spoke in a voice that carried warmth and quiet strength, his smile gentle but genuine. "You don't have to keep it all in.

I'm not going anywhere." : g⍶νꞏ The words caught Maia slightly off guard, though her lips soon curved into a gentle smile. Clearly, he had misunderstood. She decided to explain that she was genuinely fine, only a bit nervous and worried. Just as she opened her mouth to clarify, a knock interrupted the moment. Knock, knock... "Delivery!" Whatever Maia had planned to say vanished in that instant. She eased out of Chris's arms without hesitation. There was no roughness in the way she moved, but something about it felt rushed. Her gaze darted toward the door as she spoke.

"Let me take care of that." Without slowing down, she crossed the room and turned the knob. Waiting outside was a delivery person, holding a plain white box in both hands. "Ms. Watson? This is for you. I just need your signature here... and here." "Thanks." Maia signed swiftly, accepted the package, and glanced over her shoulder toward Chris. Chris was leaning against the armrest of the sofa, a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his lips. He wasn't sure if Maia had been turning this over in her mind before now. Did it catch her off guard, or had she expected it all along?

His curiosity shifted to the box-what exactly was inside? . . .