Chapter 314
Chapter 314:
Pattie stared blankly, her mind fumbling to catch up. “What did you just say?” she croaked. “Maia, you are joking. You caught your own husband… cheating p>
Maia shook her head, her tone deadly serious. She leaned forward, placing a finger to her lips. “Shh. Keep your voice down. What I am about to tell you does not leave this room p>
Pattie nodded dumbly, still trying to piece together what on earth was happening.
Taking a deep breath, Maia launched into the story she had kept bottled up for far too long. She spoke of the years when darkness had consumed her, of the benefactor who had pulled her from despair in prison. It was because of that person’s unwavering support that she had been able to walk out of prison without losing herself.
To repay the kindness, Maia had agreed — no, chosen — to marry Chris after her release, standing by his side to help him ascend to the head of the Cooper Group.
She kept one crucial detail to herself: the true identity of her benefactor — Chris’ formidable aunt.
“I never meant to keep it from you,” Maia said, her voice dropping with genuine regret. “But it was complicated. There never seemed to be a right time to explain p>
Across the table, Pattie sat frozen, her food forgotten. Shock and disbelief rippled across her face. She had heard whispers before — rumors of the Cooper family’s illegitimate son — but she had never connected them to Chris, and certainly not to Maia.
And now Maia was planning to help him seize the Cooper throne? It sounded like something out of a movie script. Pattie’s mind churned, trying to process the storm Maia had unleashed with so few words.
After a long beat of stunned silence, she finally blurted out, “Could it be that your benefactor was saved by Chris in the past? Otherwise, why would she go through so much just to help him? We are talking about the Cooper Group, after all! Both you and that benefactor know the difficulty p>
Maia lifted the teacup with steady hands, sipping slowly to tame the storm inside her.
Across the table, Pattie was losing her composure fast. “Maia,” Pattie burst out, her voice tight with disbelief, “I understand you are doing this to repay a debt, but have you truly thought about how impossible this task is? The Cooper Group is the most prestigious corporation in the entire country!” She leaned in, almost pleading. “The man at the helm is Kolton Cooper himself! Surely you’ve heard his name before, and you know how renowned and formidable he is. The stories say he crushed the side branches of his own family, forced every last one of them to kneel. He alone propelled the Cooper Group to the top of the world p>
Pattie’s face had grown pale, and a fine sheen of sweat gathered at her brow. She pressed a trembling hand to her forehead. “They say he is dangerously capable, ruthlessly cunning. Only a handful in the country would dare even breathe against him. And now you’re telling me you want to help Chris, that carefree playboy — challenge Kolton for the head seat of the Cooper Group p>
She exhaled sharply, wiping her forehead again as if the very thought made the room hotter. “Maia, have you lost your mind? You might as well dig Chris’ grave right now p>
Maia’s expression remained unshaken, almost serene as she watched Pattie unravel. Her voice cut through the tension like a blade, calm and resolute. “So, do you dare join me in overthrowing the Cooper Group? If you are afraid, I will not blame you p>
She meant every word.
Pattie was the person Maia trusted the most, which was why she had shared this secret. But trust did not mean forcing her into a battle she hadn’t chosen.
The Cooper Group, after all, was a mountain that few even dared to climb, let alone move. And the man Maia had pinned her hopes on — an illegitimate son without a proper foothold — seemed like a desperate gamble.