?Chapter 254:


    She strained to piece together the events, only to recall being rescued.


    And the rescuer was Chris.


    At that realization, her heart clenched suddenly.


    A wave of anxiety swept over her.


    The previous evening, Chris had seen her with Vince, and now, the rumors linking her to Vince continued to circte. Would this deepen Chris’ misunderstandings about her?


    She struggled to recall the details of the night, even how she had ended up back in her own bed.


    ncing at her phone, she noticed several missed calls from Brielle and Pattie, along with text messages filled with concern.


    Pattie’s message read, “Maia, where did you go? If you don’t get back to us soon, Brielle and I are going to call the police!”


    Brielle’s message added, “Maia, are you okay? Pattie and I had too much to drinkst night, and when we woke up this morning, we realized you hadn’te back the whole night. Please don’t be mad, alright?”


    Choosing to ignore these for the moment, Maia quickly got out of bed, donned a coat, and left her bedroom.


    She found herself standing before Chris’ door, hesitating.


    After a moment of gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock.


    Maia’s mind was clouded with confusion, and with each passing moment of silence, her anxiety grew, urging her to resolve the uncertainty.


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    A quiet creak echoed as the door edged open.


    Standing there, Chris leaned casually against the frame, his hands tucked into his pockets. He shifted his weightzily, giving a wide yawn that hinted he hadn’t gotten much sleepst night.


    Blinking a few times, Chris rubbed his eyes before setting his gaze on Maia, a faint, unreadable smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “Couldn’t wait to see me this early, huh?” he teased, his voice light and yful.


    After a brief pause, he chuckled and added, “You’re not here because you’re hungry, are you? I slept in and didn’t have time to make breakfast, but I ordered some food — it should arrive any minute now.” Just before bed, Chris had sent a request to the Wront Grant Hotel, asking them to have porridge ready for him.


    For a moment, Maia stood still, wondering if Chris was actually not upset.


    Still, she understood that she couldn’t leave things unclear.


    Taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with him and said seriously, “Mr. Cooper, nothing’s going on between me and Vince. Those stories online? They’re fake. The paparazzi twisted everything with those pictures they took! Last night wasn’t what it looked like. He just…”


    After rushing through everything in one breath, Maia faltered, struggling to find the right words to continue.


    Chris arched a brow, azy grin slipping onto his face. “You’re exining so fast — worried I’d get the wrong idea?” Without missing a beat, Maia gave a firm nod.


    “Exactly.”


    A brief flicker passed over Chris’ face, too fast for her to catch. “So, you’re starting to see me as your real husband now? Not just a name on a piece of paper?”


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