Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase

Chapter 58:noveldrama

Realizing something was wrong, Rosanna lunged for Jarrod’s phone in a panic, but she was a second too late.

The video clearly showed Rosanna standing alone upstairs — no Maia in sight — then stumbling backward on her own and tumbling helplessly down the staircase. Not a single finger from Maia had touched her.

Silence fell like a heavy curtain across the room. No one moved.

Sandra’s face drained of color, then flushed red with humiliation. Every harsh word she had just thrown at Maia now echoed back at her like a slap. She looked like she wanted to sink straight through the floor.

“Done watching?” Maia asked indifferently, folding her arms across her chest. Her gaze swept across them, cold and unhurried, before finally landing on Jarrod. “You said you’d act if I had evidence. Now, it’s time to take action.”

Still stunned, Jarrod blurted out, “Where did this video even come from?” He couldn’t remember any cameras being installed in the house.

Maia lifted her hand and pointed casually toward a hidden corner near the second-floor railing.

“You probably never noticed it, but back then, it was just Vicki and me most of the time. There was one afternoon she fell on the stairs while I was at school. Tricia was busy cooking and didn’t hear anything. Vicki lay there for hours. After that, I installed hidden cameras to keep an eye on her in case anything happened again.”

Back in high school, Maia had purchased the surveillance system and personally modified it to be as discreet as possible. Only the custom software she designed could unlock the footage.

She had installed it with the intention of sparing Vicki any unease, and as it happened, the Morgan family had gone all these years without ever noticing the camera.

Now, with the truth laid bare, the Morgan family could hardly hide their embarrassment.

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Jarrod’s hand shook as he clutched his phone, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Rosanna. He could barely ask, “Rosanna… is it true?” Even though he asked, the video left no space for lies.

“You fell by yourself. Why would you accuse Maia? Why?”

For the first time ever, Jarrod raised his voice at Rosanna. Tears streamed down her face in thick, messy tracks. “Jarrod… I got dizzy going upstairs… I thought — I thought it was Maia who pushed me. I’m sorry, Jarrod. I didn’t mean to blame her.”

Across the room, Richard shifted awkwardly, stiff and uncomfortable. He had no intention of scolding Rosanna; all he wanted was to smooth things over as quickly as possible.

“Maia. Rosanna probably got dizzy from low blood sugar since she skipped dinner. It wasn’t something she did on purpose. We were wrong to accuse you without knowing the full story. But tonight’s supposed to be a family celebration. Let’s not let this spoil the atmosphere.”

Sandra hurried to chime in, forcing a smile across her face. “Yes, yes, Maia, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to teach Rosanna to get her facts straight before she opens her mouth next time. Look, the food’s getting cold. Let’s all go eat.” She then motioned for everyone to head toward the dining room.

Maia let out a scornful smirk. They had been so self-righteous when throwing accusations at her, swearing they wouldn’t let it slide. Now that Rosanna was the one in the wrong, they wanted to brush it off like nothing had happened? How convenient.

Maia didn’t bother with any more words. She calmly pulled out her phone, holding it lightly in her hand, and glanced at the Morgans with a faint smile.

“No one’s forcing you to act. But the moment I press this button, the video goes live. Rosanna’s pretty popular online, isn’t she? So, tell me — what do you think her fans will say when they see it?”

What the footage showed went far beyond Rosanna hurling herself down the stairs. It exposed her lies, her false claims against Maia, and the Morgan family’s plain, ugly overreaction.

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