Chapter 579
Chapter 579:
From a distance, Chris paused. He’d witnessed this scene countless times, yet today, it filled him with a rare sense of contentment and warmth.
Maia had never needed anyone’s approval, nor had she clung to anyone for support.
She stood on her own, steady and resilient.
A part of Chris wanted nothing more than to stand beside her, offering silent support through whatever storms life brought.
He moved forward, closing the gap between them.
Maia noticed him and waved. “Did you finish up all your tests p>
Chris nodded in reply. “Yeah, but the results will take a while. Looks like we have to wait p>
Maia checked her watch. “No need for that. Head home first and have the herbal soup. You can come back later to pick up the report and X-rays p>
Her words were casual, but there was a seriousness in her eyes. Remembering the odd flavor of the soup, Chris winced inwardly. He had to drink that again?
“Alright, I’ll do as you say, Doctor,” he replied, giving in.
To avoid crossing paths with Elvira again, they kept a little distance between them as they walked toward the parking lot.
“Oh, and don’t wait up for me tonight,” Maia turned toward Chris, as though the thought had just crossed her mind. “I’m having dinner with Pattie. There’s food in the fridge if you get hungry p>
“Enjoy yourself,” Chris replied, offering a gentle smile.
Just hearing her mention her plans made him feel like she was slowly letting him into her life.
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“If you can, try to get some rest early,” Maia reminded him.
“Will do,” Chris answered quietly, heading for the car. As he reached for the door handle, the sound of Maia’s phone ringing broke the moment.
Her screen flashed with a single name — Richard.
Maia hesitated, coming to a stop, a faint crease appearing between her brows.
Across town, within the stately yet suffocating walls of the Morgan family villa, the air was so thick with tension that it felt as though even the breeze had abandoned the place, unwilling to linger where misfortune brewed. Richard sat rigidly on the couch, dressed in a crisply tailored gray suit — an armor of dignity that did little to mask the cracks spreading through his composure.
In the span of a single night, his hair had turned snow-white, as if sorrow had painted every strand. He looked like a man long past his prime, hollowed out by time in fast-forward.
If not for the faint rhythm of his breath, one might have mistaken him for a lifeless statue — just as still and broken as Sandra had been the night before.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later…” The mechanical voice echoed once again from his phone, emotionless and indifferent. Richard, looking like a puppet with its strings severed, let the device fall onto the table with a soft thud.
It was the third time he’d tried to reach Maia — still no response.
His arms hung limp over his knees, shoulders slumped like a man burdened by invisible weights. His lips were dry, cracked from both dehydration and despair, and his eyes stared into a void that only he could see.
The longer he sat with his thoughts, the more his anger simmered, bubbling to the surface like lava under a fragile crust. Suddenly, he snapped, shouting into the empty room, “Maia, you ungrateful brat! The family is in ruins, and you vanish like a thief in the night? Seventeen years — seventeen — you enjoyed everything we provided! Is this your loyalty? You’ll pay dearly for this betrayal p>
Just then, his phone began to buzz again.
Hope flickered briefly in his eyes. He lunged for the phone, only to be met with disappointment. It wasn’t Maia.