Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 416:

A scandalous affair between a married woman and the Cooper family’s black sheep? That would be the talk of the town!

The Maserati glided to a stop at the hotel entrance.

Chris deftly found an open spot and parked with practiced ease. Above them, night stretched its velvet canopy, while the city’s lights kissed the windows in shimmering reflections.

Maia’s heart thudded like a drum. Chris’s driving was dazzling — a thrilling dance with danger.

In prison, she had picked up driving tricks from Zoey, but nothing had prepared her for Chris’s high-speed showmanship. His drifting and flawless parking had left her breathless.

Chris stepped out and made his way to her side, opening the door and bracing his hand above the frame to shield her head as she exited.

It was the picture of gallantry.

As she alighted, she murmured, “Did we really lose them? Do we still have to go inside?”

Chris’s lips curled into a sly grin. “We’re already here. Are you afraid I’ll take advantage of you?”

But even as he teased, his eyes turned hawkish, scanning the distance. “Two cars are closing in. Let’s go. No matter what, let’s drive them mad first.”

Maia hesitated. “You’re not joking?”

She turned, searching his face for signs of a joke, but before she could react, he pulled her into his arms. Her palm instinctively landed on his chest.

She froze. Solid muscle. Tense and warm beneath her fingers.

𝖥𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝖈𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗈𝗇 g𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝗌⨳𝖈𝗈𝗆

“Well,” Chris leaned in, his voice low and amused, “if you’re that curious… you can explore more once we’re in the room.”

Still holding her close, he guided her through the hotel’s revolving doors.

Rosanna, watching from behind, clenched her fists until her knuckles blanched. She jerked her car to a stop at the curb and quietly followed. A few dozen yards back, a black MPV also drew to a silent stop.noveldrama

Inside sat Claudius’s personal chauffeur.

He wasted no time and called Claudius to report what he had witnessed.

“I see. Stay close and confirm whether Chris actually books a room,” Claudius ordered, his expression turning stormy.

He was livid.

At tonight’s party, he’d tasted the bitterness of rejection — for the first time. And to add salt to the wound, Chris had swooped in and carried Maia off.

What did Chris have that he didn’t? Was it just his looks?

Claudius was the Cooper family’s heir apparent! Chris couldn’t hold a candle to him.

Maia had simply made a mistake — one any woman might make.

Eventually, she’d open her eyes and see Chris for what he truly was — an illusion dressed as a prize.

Or maybe, Claudius mused, she already had.

Was she playing a deeper game, pretending to lean toward Chris, when her true aim was him all along?

The more he dwelled on it, the more it made sense. Maia was merely playing her cards — using Chris as a stepping stone.

A clever woman always knows where to place her bets. And Maia didn’t seem like the kind who would settle for a shadow like Chris.

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