?Chapter 375:


    Maia? It really was her!


    How could she possibly be here? What right did she have to set foot in this ce?


    Mariana noticed Rosanna’s frozen face and followed her gaze, spotting Maia standing coolly before Jarrod.


    “Who is she?” Mariana asked, her brow furrowed.


    Her gaze took in the figure before her — a woman in a dark blue gown, the wless cut of the dress entuating her graceful form. Beneath the dazzling light of the crystal chandeliers, Maia seemed almost to glow,manding attention without lifting a finger.


    Chris, too, caught sight of Maia. His brows lifted ever so slightly, a flicker of surprise passing through his usually imprable eyes.


    Rosanna’s fists curled tightly, bitterness ring in her chest. But her voice, when she spoke, was as sweet as syrup hiding a drop of venom. “That’s my sister, Maia,” she said.


    Mariana blinked, clearly taken aback. “She’s Maia? How did she even get in here?”


    Without missing a beat, Rosanna rushed to answer, “I have no idea how she slipped in. And her invitation doesn’t even look like the ones everyone else has.”


    Mariana frowned, her suspicion deepening. “That’s the Cooper family’s VIP invitation. Only a handful of the most distinguished guests are given those. They’re rarer than hen’s teeth.”


    Her eyes sharpened as she turned back toward Maia. “Given Maia’s background, there’s no way she should have one.”


    Seizing her chance, Rosanna let out a soft, derisive snort. “Maybe she stole it. Wouldn’t be the first time. After all, Maia… served four years in prison for theft and only got out recently.”


    Rosanna’s voice dropped to a soft murmur, but it was loud enough for the nearby crowd to catch every word, as though she were feigning restraint, all the while ensuring that her whispers slithered into the ears of everyone around.


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    The effect was instantaneous. Disgust rippled through the crowd like a stone dropped into still water.


    The cluster of socialites, who had been quietly observing, now burst into low, eager whispers.


    “Fresh out of prison after four years, and she’s already stirring up trouble again?”


    “Sounds like a repeat offender to me. Makes sense now. I bet she stole someone important’s invitation to sneak in!”


    “How could MCN’s top designer be a criminal? I can’t wrap my head around it!”


    “She’s probably just pretending to be Eileen, trying to snatch up whatever she can. Pathetic!”


    “Maybe that’s just a part of her purposes. More like trying to snag a rich guy. I’ve seen plenty like her before!”


    The murmurs snowballed into a deafening buzz, the air crackling with judgment. Guests began to cluster, drawn like moths to the me, pointing at Maia and whispering behind cupped hands.


    Rosanna, watching Maia caught in the crossfire, couldn’t hide the wicked curve of a smile tugging at her lips — a cat savoring the cornered mouse.


    Chris, standing silently nearby, remained unmoved at first. But a sharp glint of cold displeasure shed in his eyes as he turned to Rosanna and, without warning, opened his mouth to speak.


    “Are you using that youngdy of stealing the invitation? Do you have any proof?” Chris asked, his voice cutting through the air with a cold edge.


    Rosanna flinched, her gaze locking with his. That chilling stare made something coil tight in her gut, an inexplicable sense of guilt gnawing at her.


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