Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 4:

Snapping out of it, Maia quickly turned her head, realizing just how obvious she’d been.

“My bad,” she mumbled. “Should we head inside?” she asked, trying to recover.

Together, they made their way into City Hall. When they came back out, a marriage certificate rested in Chris’s hand.

“I’ll keep my end of the bargain, Mr. Cooper. Once Zoey’s request is fulfilled, I won’t stick around. I’ll file for divorce right after,” Maia said.

Feelings weren’t part of their arrangement, and she wasn’t delusional. Most men wouldn’t sign up for a life with someone who had a prison record.

Chris tilted his head, casting her a look. Her dark hair danced in the breeze, and while her face was striking, there was something clear and honest in her eyes. Instead of answering her directly, he asked, “Is my aunt doing okay in there?”

Thrown off by the change in topic, Maia answered quickly, “She’s healthy. Nothing bad has happened to her.”

After a short pause, she pressed her lips together.

Truth be told, Zoey didn’t just survive in prison — she thrived. It was practically her comfort zone.

pulled out a sleek credit card, and

head, hands raised in protest. “That’s

“My own money.”

Chris might’ve had the

what she’d heard, he held no serious job title and spent most days drifting aimlessly. She figured that he probably didn’t have much saved

He took

hers —

every right to use my money.

— sent a faint flush across Maia’s

Maia began, trying to explain, but her voice trailed off before she could land on the

word, she took the card and gave him a quiet, polite thank you. Seeing her relent,

are you heading? I’ll give

chest. Her plan was to

What mattered was the bracelet — the last gift from her

like an afterthought, Vicki had been the one constant. She had taught Maia everything from table manners to standing