Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 913: As Maia drew nearer, holding it in both hands, Chris leaned back and asked with mild interest, "That got here pretty quick. What'd you have delivered this time?" Maia returned to the table without a word. Instead of replying, she gave a small, knowing smile and said, "You'll find out soon enough." She set the box down with care, her fingers moving quickly as she peeled away the outer layer. A sleek electronic blood pressure monitor lay nestled inside, gleaming white with rounded edges and a screen still wrapped in its protective film. Chris furrowed his brows.

Moving with deliberate care, Maia arranged the pieces, connected the device to the outlet, and lifted her head toward Chris. There was a softness in her gaze, steady and light, though it carried a flicker of subtle hesitation. "Hand, please." Chris let out a low chuckle. "You really are determined to play doctor with me." He didn't resist. Instead, he crossed the room, eased into the chair, and positioned his arm across the table without a word. Without making a sound, Maia reached for the cuff, gently pushed up his sleeve, and adjusted it with steady, practiced hands.

The glow from the lamp threw delicate shadows across her cheeks, the sweep of her lashes faint but visible. When the monitor displayed the readings, both numbers landed safely below the danger mark. Only then did Maia let her shoulders drop, releasing the breath she had been holding. "Have you had any headaches since last night?" "None at all," Chris said right away. "If I did, you'd catch on before I could even try to fake it." Instead of responding immediately, Maia leaned slightly and gave him a teasing smile. "Glad to hear it.

And don't bother trying to keep anything from me, all right?" An odd pressure settled in Chris's chest, quiet but unmistakable. Maia had chosen her words with care, not just to express concern, but to keep Chris from hiding anything out of misplaced worry for her. gν﹐ⅽ Chris caught the unspoken warning wrapped in her tone and nodded without hesitation. "I understand." Maia offered him a faint, knowing smile. Although they hadn't actually had sex the previous night, something in the air had shifted.

The emotional gap seemed smaller now, and a quiet harmony had begun to settle between them like dust after a storm. Still, Maia wasn't one to let her guard down completely. "You're not in stable condition," she reminded him softly. "You can't afford to be careless." Chris chuckled, his voice warm and light, like sunlight filtering through morning mist. "Understood, honey." Maia gave him a sidelong glance, equal parts amusement and warning, but didn't reply. Instead, she adjusted her grip, carefully peeled away the bandage, and gently stored the blood pressure monitor with practiced precision.

They spoke no more. Only the clock on the wall dared to interrupt the silence, its ticking unusually loud in the stillness of the morning. Yet within that hush, something tender passed between them. Neither spoke of love, but their eyes betrayed them-it was there, bright and unmistakable. Just then, Maia's phone-resting idly on the table-lit up. A push notification blinked onto the screen from a financial news outlet. It showed that Kiley had arrived in Wront via private jet. She would assume the CEO position of the Cooper Group.

The message flared briefly before being swallowed by a stream of other updates. Moments later, the screen dimmed and turned black. . . .