Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 30:

Chris kept his attention on the road, his reply easy. “I should be the one treating you. You picked out all those clothes for me today. It’s only fair I return the favor.”

In the backseat, shopping bags rustled with the car’s movement. Those bags held the afternoon’s spoils, carefully chosen by Maia.

Remembering how earnestly she had gone about selecting each item, Chris let a small smile curve his mouth.

Maia, on the other hand, felt a bit awkward. She touched the tip of her nose and said, “But I didn’t actually pay for them.”

Chris turned his head slightly, his gaze lingering on her with unexpected warmth. “Doesn’t matter. You put thought into it. That’s what counts.”

A sudden flutter stirred in Maia’s chest, but she kept silent.

The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of a secluded, high-end restaurant.

Maia stepped out and lifted her gaze toward the sign above the entrance. Though tucked away in a quiet suburb, the place had a distinctive charm — its design elegant, understated, and polished. Establishments like this rarely came cheap.

When she turned back, she caught sight of Chris tossing the car keys to the valet with casual confidence. Then again, Chris was his boss’s chauffeur. It made sense that he had been here plenty of times.

Setting her questions aside, Maia followed him through the entrance.

Inside, the ambiance shifted immediately — serene and refined, with each booth nestled among vibrant greenery and blooming flowers that gave the space a soft, natural calm. Every seating area was enclosed with a screen, offering guests a sense of privacy and seclusion.

Maia and Chris were led to one of these secluded booths and took their seats without much conversation.

Not far behind them, a tall figure strolled past — but abruptly came to a stop, his steps stilled by instinct.

gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs﹒𝚌o𝗺 is where stories live

Vince turned sharply, his sharp eyes narrowing in recognition.

Maia? What on earth was she doing here?

Behind him, Brian barely avoided colliding with his back and blinked in confusion. “Mr. Ward, is something wrong?”

Though Vince shifted his gaze away, his thoughts churned.

He had just seen Maia walk in — with another man.

Vince’s hands curled into tight fists as Rosanna’s words from earlier echoed in his mind.

A high-end restaurant like this wasn’t for casual meals — had Maia really found herself a sugar daddy? Was it that middle-aged mall manager she’d mentioned before?

“Mr. Ward, we’re running short on time,” Brian said, glancing at his watch. Every instinct in Vince urged him to march in and demand answers. But this meeting was with a major client, and any misstep could cost him.

Reluctantly, he buried the anger bubbling beneath the surface and forced himself to focus on work.

Meanwhile, inside the booth, Maia leaned against her hand, her eyes tracing the outline of the moonlit sky beyond the window.

“What’s on your mind?” Chris asked, breaking the silence.noveldrama

Snapping out of her thoughts, Maia reached for the coffee and took a slow sip. “Mr. Cooper, how possible is it to recover something that was thrown away four years ago?”

Chris looked up from the menu, slightly surprised by the question. “Well, that depends. Most trash goes through a recycling center — recyclables are reused, and the rest gets discarded. But after four years? Even recyclable materials would be tough to track down.”

Something in his response sparked a small glimmer in her eyes.

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