?Chapter 414:


    As a prominent heir within the Wront social circle, udius was habitually the center of attention, constantly courted by women whovished him with praise.


    However, when he finally expressed interest in a woman, she chose to leave with another man right in front of him.


    And that man was none other than his cousin Chris, the one udius despised most!


    How could Chris, a notorious yboy, speak so righteously? Chris’s true intentions for Maia were clear for all to see — surely udius didn’t believe he was oblivious to them?


    udius promptly instructed his subordinates, saying, “Keep an eye on Chris and Maia. I want to be informed of their every move!”


    As Maia and Chris stepped out of the grand hall where the banquet had been held, the evening air wrapped around them like a quiet luby — the soft hum of insects and the melodic calls of birds stitched the silence with life. It was the kind of stillness that seemed to breathe peace.


    Maia gently brushed off Chris’s arm, which had been casually draped over her shoulders. Her voice dropped to a near whisper. “Mr. Cooper, there’s no one watching. You don’t need to keep up the performance.”


    Chris pressed his thin lips into a straight line before replying in a low tone, “Did you drive yourself here?”


    Maia gave a small nod. “Yes.”


    Chris extended his hand without hesitation. “Give me your keys. You’ve been drinking. I’ll take the wheel.”


    “But so have you,” Maia countered, her brow furrowing.


    Chris let out a quiet sigh. “I only had juice.”


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    From the moment he’d spotted Maia at the banquet, he’d avoided alcohol altogether. He needed a clear head — and he wanted to make sure she got home safely. That was the only way he’d find peace tonight.


    Maia paused, uncertain. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned in slightly, tilting her head to sniff near the slightly parted cor of his shirt. True enough — there wasn’t the faintest whiff of alcohol.


    Chris’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. His gaze dropped to the face just inches from his chest, and his voice dipped lower, gravelly.


    “If youe any closer, I can’t promise I’ll behave myself.”


    Maia recoiled at once, putting a safe distance between them.


    But as she looked up, she caught a sh of something fierce and smoldering in Chris’s eyes — a restrained fire, wild and maic, that burned beneath hisposed surface.


    Quickly averting her gaze, Maia rummaged through her bag, pulled out her keys, and handed them over without a word.


    Chris epted them wordlessly, and the two walked together toward the parking lot, their footsteps soft against the quiet night.


    Unbeknownst to them, Rosanna — who had fled the banquet earlier in tears — had been crouching in a shadowed corner, willing herself to calm down. Just as she began to regainposure and lifted her gaze, her breath caught. There they were: Maia and Chris, climbing into a car together.


    Rosanna’s eyes widened in disbelief. Maia… was seeing the Cooper family’s illegitimate son?


    If udius ever found out just how flighty Maia truly was, he’d surely abandon all interest in her.


    With that thought nging in her mind, Rosanna jumped into her own car and began tailing them, her headlights dimmed to avoid suspicion.


    Meanwhile, Maia and Chris pulled away from the Cooper estate, swallowed by the velvet hush of night.


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