Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 35:

Seeing Pattie lounging there made Maia instinctively want to turn around and leave.

To her right, a pretty boy leaned into Pattie’s shoulder. On the other side, another guy was tipping a drink to her lips with a flirtatious grin.

Maia gave a slight shake of her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Four years might have passed, but clearly, Pattie was still the queen of indulgence.

Out of nowhere, Pattie looked up, catching movement from the corner of her eye. Her expression shifted the moment she recognized Maia. Without a second thought, she shrugged off both men, stood up, and pulled Maia into a hug that caught her by surprise.

“Maia… I can’t believe I’m really seeing you again,” Pattie said, her voice thick with emotion.

Maia gently took her hand and offered a soft smile. “Well, here I am. Still in one piece.”

Pattie let go of her, dabbed at the corners of her eyes, and gently tugged Maia down beside her on the couch. A familiar glow returned to her features. “So, come on. What’s the story? How have you really been these last four years? Did anyone give you trouble in there? Because if someone even dared to bully you, I swear I’d hunt them down myself!”

The lights overhead cast a soft brilliance, but Maia’s eyes had turned shadowed.

Thinking back to those early days in Wront Prison, where dangerous criminals roamed and every breath felt like a struggle, Maia slipped into a fog of memory. But even in a place like that, Zoey had been a spark in the dark. Knowing someone out here still cared had meant everything.

A small comfort settled over her as she reached for Pattie’s hand. She gave it a firm squeeze and offered a shake of her head. “Bully me? Please. I was the one calling the shots in there.”

“That sounds exactly like you! I knew you’d hold your ground.” Pattie grinned, giving her fingers a quick squeeze. But then something shifted in her expression. Her eyes scanned Maia from head to toe. “Hold on. What is this getup? Since when do you dress like this? This is so not your designer vibe. You’re all about luxury!”

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“You mean you’re not into it?” Maia narrowed her eyes and smirked, playful as ever.noveldrama

Pattie reached out and gave her a gentle flick on the forehead. “Don’t be silly. I’m just looking out for you, alright?”

She reached behind the bench and pulled out a gift bag wrapped in silver tissue and ribbon. “Here! Take a wild guess.”

Maia accepted the bag and peeked inside. The fabric inside shimmered under the lights — sky-blue, scattered with crystal details, like stars dipped in twilight.

Was that… Blue Sea?

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked up. “This is…”

With a triumphant smirk, Pattie nodded. “Yep. That’s your design. Your finest one, if you ask me. I made sure to save a piece for you. MCN wouldn’t have half its shine without you. And honestly, no one carries that dress like you do. Come on. Let me see you wear it — just this once?”

Maia rested the bag on the table and glanced around the room. “For you? I’d put it on any day. But here, right now? Probably not the best moment.”

“But I’m flying out to Varninski in the morning,” Pattie blinked at her with wide, pleading eyes. “Please. All I want before I go is to see you in that Blue Sea dress and hear you sing ‘One More Day.’ Just once more. That’s it.”

“One More Day” was a song Maia had written back in high school, a tribute to her friendship with Pattie. That afternoon, on Pattie’s birthday, Maia had dragged her onto the football field and performed it just for her.

Maia still remembered that day clearly. The two of them lay on the grass, their eyes on the wide blue sky above, dreaming freely about their futures.

But not long after, Maia’s life was turned upside down. She was framed, thrown into jail, and went from being the family’s sweetheart to a convicted felon, considered a total disgrace.

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