Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 926:

Years might have passed, but living in Wront had taught Cade that those wounds ran much deeper than outsiders ever guessed. Risking everything for twenty thousand dollars no longer seemed remotely worthwhile. His earlier doubts weighed even heavier, and right then, Cade resolved to walk away from the assignment. He’d return the payment and make sure to cut all ties with his client.

As for whether he should give Maia a heads-up, he saw no need to do it himself, for he trusted that his assistant would handle it.

As these thoughts circled in his mind, Cade’s phone began to vibrate. One glance at the screen revealed a new message from Melanie: “Keep tracking Maia. I need a report on every stop she makes, every person she meets, and, if possible, record or remember every word she says today. Complete this, and you’ll earn another eighty thousand dollars.”

Stuck at school with Ethan for the day, Melanie had little choice but to leave everything to the private eye she hired. So far, Cade’s speed and results had impressed her, and now she dangled a much larger reward to have him uncover the truth about Maia’s mysterious husband.

Reading the offer, Cade squinted and reread the figure, making sure he wasn’t imagining things. Eighty thousand stared back at him from the screen. That amount just for another day of surveillance?

no sense in second-guessing. When money

hand, Cade quietly caught the waiter’s eye, pressed some cash into his palm, and murmured a request. Within minutes, he’d claimed a spot just steps from Claudius and Maia. He lowered the brim of his cap, slipped in

had dressed with clear intention—navy shirt beneath a charcoal blazer, every strand of hair neatly slicked back. The cool confidence of a polished executive surrounded him, though the subtle way he traced his finger around his coffee cup hinted at

the right words, as though answers pressed at his chest but refused to be spoken

𝙖𝙧𝙚

Maia said, skipping past

took Claudius by surprise. After a moment’s recovery, he offered a small

paused, lips pressed tight, before turning his attention back to Maia. “There’s something I wanted to tell you face-to-face. I’ll be leaving soon for Otruitho for business. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying there;

from Maia told him she had already heard. “The