Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 778:

A faint trace of disappointment flickered in Mariana’s eyes at her sister’s words. Deep down, she had suspected it. Kiley wasn’t in Sceibar just to see her. Still, Mariana reminded herself that Kiley had always been like Claudius — ambitious, driven, and guided by what was best for the family, not sentiment.

“I get it. I’ll give it everything I’ve got,” Mariana replied, keeping her voice steady.

That didn’t escape Kiley’s notice. A quiet laugh slipped out as she leaned forward. “You sound a little upset, Mariana. But I promise I didn’t just come here on Cooper Group’s behalf,” she said, placing her glass down with care.

Her tone softened a beat later. “I also heard things didn’t end well for you back home. Aurora Apparel Company got pulled out from under the Cooper Group, didn’t it?”

Mariana had tried to stay composed, but Kiley’s words struck a nerve. Her eyes turned misty in an instant.

No matter how loud or fearless she usually was, standing before Kiley always made Mariana feel like a younger version of herself — uncertain, exposed, and longing to be understood.

couldn’t shake. She had counted on the plagiarism scandal

realized it was the perfect moment to unload everything she

and began recounting every slight Maia had supposedly inflicted

accusations, she didn’t forget to claim

“So that’s

now at

reserved, disinterested in women, and always composed — to fall for her? That was

even tapped into Cooper Group’s finances to

had distanced herself from local affairs. Her focus had been strictly professional. If Mariana hadn’t shared all this face-to-face, she never would have believed

stand in the way of Cooper Group’s

and her tone dropped to a chilling calm. “Anyone who crosses the Cooper family pays a price.