Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 798:

Certain of her talent, Mariana refused to be rattled by empty theatrics. Arms folded, she arched a brow and smirked.

“Your art? It’s hardly worth my attention. But if you want to make things interesting, I’ll match your wager.”

Without warning, she raised a single elegant finger.

“But I’m not done. I’ve got a condition of my own to add.”

Mariana’s gaze finally found its mark — Chris.

She bit her lower lip, determination flashing in her eyes like a blade drawn from its sheath.

“If you lose, then from this day forward, stay away from anyone associated with the Cooper family.”

weight of her next words sink like stones into

— even if they were born outside of wedlock like Chris — you are not to go near them or have

cut through the air, sharp and cold. It

one another, bewilderment spreading like wildfire. Whispers

she subtly glanced at Kiley to gauge her reaction — still no visible shift. The corners of Mariana’s mouth lifted in

anticipated this. If she had bluntly forbidden Maia from approaching Chris, it would have sounded too personal, too obvious. It would have raised Kiley’s

Kiley, Mariana could easily justify

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That, too, had its purpose. She could argue that Chris needed the reminder: any indiscretion on his part would reflect poorly on the Cooper family. It would silence any

all of it was

truth, Mariana simply wanted to ensure that as long as she defeated Maia, this

an eyebrow and cast a

his part, only shrugged