Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 573:

He hadn’t told her everything. Yes, some pieces of his past felt distant and cloudy. But Maia had never faded. Through it all, her presence in his mind had stayed sharp. A flicker of emotion passed through his gaze before he shifted the mood with a soft laugh. “I was messing with you. Relax, I’ve got a pretty decent memory. Everything after eighteen’s still intact.” His hand lifted to ruffle her hair in that familiar, affectionate way. “See? This is exactly why I kept my mouth shut about all that heavy stuff. Look at your face. Where’d your smile go?”

Seeing Maia’s expression turn to one of irritation, Chris shifted his gaze and suddenly changed the subject, saying, “Why don’t we talk about your past instead?”

Caught off guard, Maia blinked. “My past? There’s really nothing worth telling.”

She rarely spoke of her childhood. But tonight, maybe because of how close they sat, maybe because of how gently he listened — something shifted. Her guard lowered just enough to let the words slip out. After a pause, her voice came quietly. “The Morgan couple was cold. They didn’t really want me. But Vicki — she was different. She loved me. We leaned on each other for everything. And after she died… Rosanna came back, and everything went downhill. I was arrested not long after.”

Chris didn’t speak. He let her words sit between them, undisturbed. Listening — not to reply, but to understand.

Maia, feeling the weight of Chris’ unwavering stare, lifted her hands in a half-shrug. “That’s really everything. Nothing more to tell.”

pieces of her story that hadn’t been spoken aloud. “I’m just trying to figure out how someone who came from all that… turned

a little. “So you

her lips, and her voice took on a dramatic flair. “Well, since you asked so sincerely… I guess I’ll stop holding

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in, resting his chin on his palm, clearly

used to ace every subject. Full marks across the board. But I’d intentionally flunk exams — get zeros — just to

behind bars, or Zoey’s lessons — the ones that molded her into the woman she was now. Zoey had made her swear to

out a low

then, I thought if I messed up enough, they’d at least look my way. Maybe ask what was wrong.” Her smile faded just a little, and for a moment, something softer

sounded casual, but beneath it lay a quiet ache — the longing of