Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 33:

His glare sharpened, his voice like a blade. “You call me a two-timer, but what are you? Let me remind you — you’re nothing but a discarded fraud from the Morgan family. A thief. A convict who spent four years in prison for theft. A desperate woman who used her looks to climb. You think you’re better than Rosanna? If I hadn’t taken pity on you, if I hadn’t let you hang around out of nostalgia, you…”

“Wouldn’t have even made it through the front door of a family like the Ward family. So tell me, Maia — what more do you want?”

The words were so absurd, so pitiful, that Maia could only stare at him in silence.

Then her lips curved upward into a smile — one that didn’t touch her eyes. Her voice came out soft but sharp as she said, “If I’m such trash to you, why can’t you leave me alone? With your reputation, you’ve got women lining up to be used. Mistresses by the dozen, all ready to be your toy. So why keep clinging to me? Do you actually like being humiliated?”

Vince stood in stunned silence, his face shifting between disbelief and rising frustration. For what felt like ages, no words came to him, nothing sharp enough to hurl back in response.

Maia dropped her gaze to the bracelet still lying on the floor and let out a quiet laugh. “That suits Rosanna better anyway. She’s always had a taste for leftovers.”

“YOU…” Vince choked on his rage, jaw clenched so tight that it was a miracle he got any words out. “Maia, you’ll regret this.”

Regret?

Her laughter rang out, light and cold. “Do you know what I really regret, Vince?” His expression darkened, shoulders tense.

She held his gaze, each word crystal clear. “What I regret most is ever loving you.”

Something in her words seemed to hit a nerve, causing Vince to exude an even colder aura.

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Without warning, he grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him, jaw clenched, his expression barely holding back something darker.

But across from him, Maia’s eyes were unshaken — calm and cold.

The girl who once gazed at him with wide, trusting eyes had vanished. In her place stood someone cold, distant, and untouched by anything he said or did. A faint smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth, careless and biting, and for reasons he couldn’t explain, it twisted something inside his chest.

“Maia, just wait. I’ll have you crawling back to me, begging for my forgiveness and mercy!” Vince hurled the words at her, then gave her a hard shove. Maia didn’t flinch. She stood there, still, still wearing that same cool, unreadable expression.

Vince’s hand clenched tightly as he bent down, grabbed the bracelet from the floor, and slid it into his pocket. He looked at her one last time, his gaze cutting and impossible to read, then turned around and walked away.

Once the door clicked shut behind him, Maia finally let out a slow breath. She leaned against the sink, trying to gather herself. Any motivation to talk business had long since vanished.

Outside, Vince stepped into the evening air and called off the meeting, instructing Brian to have the vice president handle the clients.

His attention shifted to a man standing by the door — a tall figure leaning casually against a Rolls-Royce Phantom. A cigarette balanced between his lips, one hand buried in his pocket. The kind of posture that didn’t need to try.

He was clearly waiting for someone.

Vince’s eyes flicked toward him. Chris met the look, silent and calm.

They held the glance for a beat longer than necessary. Then Vince looked away and kept walking.

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