Chapter 1273:


    Sure, the truth came out eventually. But nobody could give her back those four years. They were just gone.


    Rnd had actually brought up the idea once—they could sue and get money from the state. Maia turned him down t.


    Money was never what mattered to her. She just wanted people to know what really happened. She wanted some peace. Plus, prison wasn’t all bad. That was where she crossed paths with Zoey.


    Greed wasn’t part of who Maia was. Yeah, she lost four years behind bars. But something changed in her during that time. Her spirit got stronger. Zoey put her through hell with the training. She came out the other side a different person.


    The international guests sitting out there had no clue about any of this. They kept looking at each other. Whispers spread through the crowd.


    People were frowning everywhere. Others kept shaking their heads.


    “Wait, she did time in prison? Someone framed her? That’s actually what happened?”


    “Why the hell is someone like that up on stage?”


    “Who on earth is this woman, really?”


    Those few sentences totally flipped how tons of people saw Maia. Sheid out her side of the story, but doubt still hung in the air like smoke.


    Kiley had treated Maia like royalty. She had all these impressive credentials. And now everyone found out she’d been locked up for stealing. She was literally a convicted criminal. The overseas crowd couldn’t wrap their heads around it.


    Kiley’s grin grew wider. Something dark shed behind her eyes. She’d gotten exactly the reaction she was going for.


    Kiley turned around slowly. Her heels clicked softly against the stage floor. She looked straight at Maia.


    The spotlight came down on both of them, splitting them into two separate pictures. Kiley was the Cooper Group president. The light made her glow like a star. Maia stood there on the other side. The crowd stared at her, but she didn’t even flinch.


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    Kiley kept her smile going. She kept poking at the wound, her voice gentle. “That’s right. Lucky that Radiant Jewels got their masterpiece back eventually. That’s what cleared your name.” Her tone sounded sweet, but something sharp hid underneath.


    Kiley kept talking. It came across like she was being nice. “I want to say sorry on behalf of Radiant Jewels. Sorry that you were locked up for four years.”


    She stopped for a second. Her smile stretched wider. Then she switched gears again. “But at least you’re doing great now. Even after being locked up, you still managed to shine bright.”


    People in the audience started muttering when she said that. What Kiley said sounded like praise on the surface. Anyone paying attention could hear the doubt and contempt dripping from it.


    Four years in prison—most regr people would struggle just to keep their sanity, forget about getting society to ept them again. But Maia walked out of prison and became a designer. Then a painter. Then aposer. She was apparently good at everything. Way too perfect. It didn’t seem real.


    And that was exactly what Kiley wanted everyone to think. She wanted to rip apart that “perfect” image.


    She twisted the microphone in her hand a little. A smile yed on her mouth.


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