Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 432:

Claudius set his utensils down and shot Mariana a cold look, clearly unimpressed by her outburst. He had heard the chaos from upstairs when he returned the night before and was shocked that she hadn’t moved past it yet.

At the party, Mariana had seemed to be getting along just fine with Rosanna. Claudius’s gaze hardened.

“Was it that troublemaker Rosanna who filled your head with this?” His voice was steady, emotionless. “It’s one thing to act out at home, but can’t you keep up appearances outside? You’re the cherished daughter of the Cooper family! Everything you do or say represents the whole Cooper family. Please, stay away from women like Rosanna; they’re beneath you!”

To Mariana, his words were laced with sarcasm. Claudius didn’t deny it, which meant he had really fallen for Maia? She couldn’t believe what she was hearing—it felt like the most absurd joke ever!

“Me, insane?” She banged her fist on the table, making the silverware rattle. “Who’s the real insane one here? Do you have any idea how badly Maia embarrassed me last night? She even stole Aurora Apparel from me. Instead of standing by me, you actually fell for her, and here you are, criticizing me?”

Mariana clenched her jaw and yelled, “Are you still my brother?”

Claudius raised an eyebrow. Who he was attracted to was his own business, and Mariana had no say in it. His face turned stone-cold as he snapped back, “You’ve got the nerve to say that? This whole mess is your fault! You’re the reason Cooper Group lost Aurora Apparel, and instead of owning up to your screw-up, you have the audacity to point fingers at me? You’ve been spoiled rotten your entire life!”

With that, Claudius dabbed his mouth with a napkin, his appetite completely gone. Without even acknowledging Mariana, he got up and walked away, not sparing her a second glance.

Mariana shook with fury, wondering what kind of spell Maia had cast on her brother. She screamed at his disappearing figure, “If you so much as get involved with that woman, don’t even think of calling me your sister!”

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁 gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⫽𝖼𝗈𝗺

Claudius didn’t slow down as he walked out of Mariana’s view.

For as long as she could remember, Claudius had always spoiled her, the caring elder brother who never once scolded her. But now, he was speaking to her like that, all because of that cursed Maia!

Mariana’s fury almost pushed her to the brink of insanity, and her hatred for Maia grew stronger with each passing second.

“Miss Cooper, would you like to eat?” a servant asked, his voice careful.

Mariana shot him a quick glance, her fists tightly clenched. The servant, clearly intimidated by her angry gaze, took a step back, fear in his eyes.

“I’m so mad, I can’t even eat!” Mariana snapped, throwing him a cold glare before turning and heading back to her room. She plopped down on the edge of her bed and called Rosanna.

Meanwhile, Rosanna was at home, sitting down to a meal with her parents and Jarrod. Out of nowhere, her phone rang.

When Rosanna saw that it was Mariana calling, her curiosity was piqued, and her eyes lit up.

She quickly made an excuse, saying, “I have to take this call,” and rushed out of the dining room.

As soon as she picked up, Mariana’s voice came through, dark and threatening. “You told me Maia went to a hotel with some guy from the party last night. Who was he?”

Rosanna thought back to the message she had sent to Mariana the previous evening, primarily to request Claudius’ contact details, casually bringing it up during their conversation. She was surprised and a bit puzzled that Mariana only remembered to ask her about it after an entire night had passed.

After a brief hesitation, Rosanna muttered, “It’s regarding the Cooper family’s outcast, Chris.”

Mariana’s thoughts scattered, a suffocating weight pressing down on her as though something vital had shattered inside her. Her fingers trembled, barely able to hold her mobile. “What did you just say?”noveldrama

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