?Chapter 933:


    Meanwhile, Mariana, knocked down by Chris’s strike, shook uncontrobly. Her voice cracked as she whispered, “Chris…” Tears poured down her face instantly. She stared at him, almost falling apart, her eyes vacant, as if unable to ept the scene before her. Chris nted himself between Maia and her like an unbreakable wall.


    Mariana remained seated on the floor, dazed, as if sshed with freezing water. “Why did even you raise your hand against me?” she asked, her voice quivering. At that moment, the throbbing pain in her forehead and wrist snapped her back to reality.


    But her brief rity didn’tst long. She awkwardly rose and shuffled toward Chris, her bottled-up feelings and bitterness overwhelming her logic again, her voice growing louder. “Chris, why are you taking Maia’s side? I treated you so well.” In fact, what she truly wanted to say was “I love you so much,” but the words stuck in her throat.


    Chris replied with icy calm, “I’m Maia’s bodyguard now. I’m just doing my job. If you touch her again, I won’t hold back.” His tone was as cold and unforgiving as a biting winter wind.


    Mariana felt her energy drain away in an instant. She stood frozen, tears streaming down her face without control.


    At that moment, Maia cautiously peeked from behind Chris and asked softly, “Why are you here?”


    Chris caught Maia’s voice, and his expression immediately softened. He shifted a bit and spoke in a calm voice. “I was just passing by MCN and figured I’d grab a coffee and wait for you to finish work. But right when I reached the entrance, I spotted this risky situation.” He moved aside, letting Maia step into his protective space naturally.


    Chris cleverly skipped over why he had actuallye, offering instead a humble apology. “If you think I crossed a line by taking things into my own hands, I’ll ept whatever consequencese my way.”


    To the people nearby, it sounded like Chris, Maia’s bodyguard, had been following other instructions but chose to trail her on a whim. The story raised no eyebrows and only reinforced his role as her protector. Maia’s eyes flickered with a swirl of feelings; punishing Chris was out of the question. In truth, she felt more thankful than words could say.


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    She shook her head softly, her voice turning tender. “I’m really d you showed up.”


    Maia had never imagined that Mariana would go as far as trying to kill her. Nor did she expect Chris’s abilities to be so sharp.


    Meanwhile, Kiley took a slow step forward. Her movement was calm, but she radiated an intimidating aura. She didn’t scold Mariana again. Instead, she fixed Chris with a frosty stare, her voice chilling enough to send shivers. “Chris, you’re a member of the Cooper family, yet here you are, stooping to serve a stranger?”


    Pointing a finger at Chris’s face, she expressed her disappointment. “You’ve brought shame on the Cooper name.”


    Nobody saw thising—Kiley’s harsh words clearly dripped with contempt and disgust for Chris. A heavy silence dropped over the crowd, thick and suffocating.


    Chris stood firm before Maia, unmoving, his eyes icy and sharp. He slowly swiveled his head, fixing Kiley with a lookced with sneering mockery. “Your words are pretty harsh, Ms. Cooper.” His tone dripped with contempt, sharp and biting. “Besides, the Cooper family never treated me like a human being. I’d rather serve Maia than serve any of the Coopers. Because they don’t deserve me.”


    His wordsnded like a thunderp, shocking everyone around.


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