Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 804:

Before Maia could get a word out, Chris pursed his lips with exaggerated suspicion, his eyebrows climbing upward. “Hold on… could it possibly be that you’re jealous?”

Maia whipped her head away with theatrical indignation, folding her arms across her chest. “Absolutely not.”

“It’s just a little strange, that’s all,” she muttered after letting the silence stretch between them, her eyes flickering with something unreadable. “You might see her as just a cousin, but does she really see you the same way?”

Her seemingly innocent question cut straight through to something deeper.

Chris felt his thoughts scatter for a moment. His mind drifted back to those brutal days at the Cooper family’s residence, when everyone else treated him like an unwanted stain on the family name. Mariana had been different, though. She had offered him warmth and genuine concern when no one else would even look his way.

“Maybe she just took pity on me back then,” Chris said with a soft chuckle.

further, shifting her gaze slightly before changing the subject. “Speaking of tomorrow’s competition, if I actually manage to win, is there anything

The question clearly caught Chris

for a moment, then broke into a smile that radiated such genuine warmth it could have melted Maia on the spot. “Honestly, there’s nothing from Cooper Group that I need or want. Just seeing you

expression then, as if a memory had surfaced unexpectedly. When he spoke again, his voice carried the gentle quality of wind across still

fell into thoughtful silence. She looked into Chris’ deep eyes, realizing for the first

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voice regaining its steady warmth as his expression settled back to normal. “You should focus on what you want from Cooper Group when you win. Don’t be modest about

are, a Cooper family

me an ounce of appreciation, so why should I waste any concern on them? What matters to me is making sure you, my wife, get what you

clearly held deep affection for you, and he seemed to have a wonderful relationship with your mother as well. So why couldn’t she marry into the Cooper family?