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CHAPTER 182
Last Updated:
2025-03-02 00:18:22
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Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 183
The Weight of the ThroneThe estate was silent. Too silent.Maya walked through the great doors, heels clicking against marble floors. The air was rich with aged wood and strength—the kind of strength that countries had built.She didn’t belong here.Not yet.But she would.She had to.Elara paused outside a door, then strode across the hall, through the shadows of a series of low-lit corridors, moving as if she had walked the space a thousand times.Maya hesitated.Not out of fear.Out of the gut certainty that this was the start of something inescapable.Her father strode beside her, thick and oppressive.“I kept wondering how long it would take you to come home,” he said.Maya didn’t answer.She wasn’t home.She was in enemy territory.Even if it was her own flesh and blood enemy.Her father took them into a vast study, decorated with bookshelves and floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the darkened city below.He gestured for her to sit.She remained standing.Her father
Last Updated : 2025-03-02Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 184
The Night Before the WarMaya stood on the balcony, as the cold night air brushed her skin.She could feel it.The weight.The moment right before everything fell apart.She gripped the railing with her fingers.She had made her choice.Or so she kept telling herself.But deep in that part of her that was still Zane Moretti’s, she knew—This wasn’t over.Not even close.The door behind her creaked open.She didn’t turn.She didn’t need to.She knew who it was.Her father.His voice was calm, measured. “You’re restless.”Maya exhaled slowly. “No. I’m thinking.”She heard him step closer.“Thinking about what?”Maya’s eyes stayed fixed on the city below.“I don’t trust you,” she said in a muted voice.Instead, she felt his smile in her body. “Good. That means you’re learning.”My fingers dug into the railing.She turned to face him. “Why am I really here?”Her father didn’t blink. Didn’t hesitate.“For you are the future of the Order.”Maya’s pulse spiked.She had expected him to lie.T
Last Updated : 2025-03-03Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 185
The Eve of ChangeMaya held her phone tightly between hands as she sat on the edge of her bed, mouth agape, staring at the single word on the screen.“No.”Zane’s response was short. Final. Unshakable.She might say anything, but it did not matter. What she did.He was coming.Maya exhaled sharply.She had known this would come to pass.Zane was something of the never-letting-go type of man.But this?This wasn’t just a rescue.This was a war.And she was in the thick of it.A knock at the door brought her back to reality.She hesitated. “Come in.”The door creaked open, and Elara stepped, arms crossed, inside.For once, she didn’t look amused. Didn’t smirk.She just stared. Long. Hard. Calculating.“He’s coming, isn’t he?”Maya didn’t answer.She didn’t need to.Elara sighed, stepping deeper into the room. “You really are in deep, aren’t you?Maya looked away.She had spent so much time convincing herself she could deal with this.That she could outthink them. Outmaneuver them.But e
Last Updated : 2025-03-03Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 186
The Storm Has ArrivedMaya gripped the railing tightly, looking into the darkness.Zane was here.He had come for her.Just like he said he would.Her heart beat out a riot inside her chest as his shape slipped through the gloom, quiet, controlled, deadly.A part of her had known this moment would arrive.The moment when she would finally have to choose.But now that it had arrived—now that he stood on the very fringes of the estate, a predator poised to pounce—She wasn’t ready.She took a deep breath of the cold night air.What did she do?Did she call the guards? Alert her father?Did she let this play out?Did she—Maya shut her eyes.The truth was, she didn’t know what she wanted anymore.All she knew was Zane Moretti wasn’t going anywhere without her.And that meant tonight was going to end with blood.Zane’s GambleZane crouched behind the stone wall that marked the estate’s edge, his mind as sharp as a blade.The guards were where he had good reason to expect them to be.The M
Last Updated : 2025-03-04Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 187
The Final StandThe tension in the room hung like a living thing.She could sense it—pressing, suffocating, scraping at the edges of her sanity.Zane stood before her, body taut, poised.Her father faced him, weapon aloft, eyes keen, steady.And that’s when it hit Maya—It was more than a struggle for control.This was a battle for her.The two most dangerous men in her life.The man who had given her life.And the man who had taught her to fight for it.Zane’s voice was low, steady. “Put the gun down.”Her father smirked. “Or what?”Zane tightened his hand on his own gun. “Or I’ll bury you in the ground.”Maya’s breath caught.Her father tilted his head. “You’d kill me?”Zane didn’t blink. “Without hesitation.”Before either could move, Maya stepped between them.“Stop.”Zane’s gaze snapped to hers. “Maya, get out of the way.”She shook her head. “No.”Her father’s voice was slick, restrained. “You see, Zane? And this is why you’ve already lost. She’s one of us now.”Zane’s eyes burn
Last Updated : 2025-03-04Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 188
The Final ChoiceMaya’s heartbeat was a war drum, a pounding, relentless, deafening cadence.The earth was on fire around her.Smoke. Gunfire. Explosions.And at the heart of it all — her.Her father waited at the end of the hall, hand extended, eyes steady, calculating.Beside her stood Zane, holding her wrist, his silver eyes dark with something she couldn’t name.And Elara?Elara was standing at the side smirking like she was just here for the show.“Make a choice, Maya,” the father said.Zane’s grip tightened. “You already made it, baby. You just have to say it the way it is.”Maya’s chest ached.This was it.The moment she’d dreaded and run from her whole life.Not just since she met Zane.Not since she learned who she really was.Everything had come down to this decision for her life.And for the first time—She was unsure if she had the strength to do that.The Weight of the Past“Maya.”Her father’s voice was quiet, confident. You’ve always belonged with us.”Maya’s nails pres
Last Updated : 2025-03-05Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 189
The Fall of Zane MorettiOnce Maya stopped holding Zane’s hand, the world changed.It wasn’t just a decision.It was a death sentence.Not for her.For him.Zane Moretti — the man who set fire to empires for her, who never lost a fight, who survived the worst in men — was standing alone.And she had made it happen.The weight of it crushed her.Her father clutched her fingers even tighter.“You’ve made the correct choice.”But had she?Had she really?Because as she turned, as she made herself look at Zane, she saw it—When his heart turned to stone.The moment when the love he felt for her died.Or maybe not died.Perhaps it turned into something else.Something colder.Darker.Something she may never fix.The Silence Before the StormNo one spoke.The guards encircled Zane, their weapons drawn, eyes keen, awaiting an order.He didn’t move.Didn’t blink.Didn’t fight.And that scared Maya worse than anything.Surrendering was not something Zane would do.He was not the sort of man to
Last Updated : 2025-03-05Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 190
The Decision That Can Alter EverythingMaya touched her father’s holster, the gun inside, her mind whirling.In this moment, she could feel everything.The weight of the decision.The oppressive stillness of the room.Zane’s heavy breathing behind her.Elara’s piercing, entertained scrutiny, monitoring her as if this were some kind of game.Her father’s serene, steady smile.Like he already knew what she would say.As if this were always the plan.Tick tock, daughter.Her breath hitched.She could end this.Right here. Right now.She could take the gun. Pull the trigger.Kill the man who had lured her, created her, destroyed her world, hole by hole, and jagged edge.Zane was dying on the floor.She had to do something.She had to act.Maya gripped the gun.Her father’s smile widened.And then—She turned.And aimed it at Zane.The World StoppedThe room froze.Zane’s silver gaze met hers, hot with agony, disbelief — betrayal.Her father’s expression did not change. “Smart girl.”Elara
Last Updated : 2025-03-06
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Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 227
It was dark in her study, Maya realized, as she sat at the mahogany desk with her fingers hooked over the side, going in circles. The weight of their decision sat heavy in her ribs, smothering, but also electric. They were heading into a war they had no guarantee of winning. And yet, there they were, opting to attack first.His face unreadable, Zane stood at the window, his silver eyes riveted to the line of the city skyline. He was like a soldier prepped for the fight, his body still, his mind a flurry of adjustments.Maya exhaled. “You really think this is going to work?Zane didn’t turn around. “It has to.”Maya leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. “That’s not an answer.”Zane finally looked, and his eyes were keen. “Doubting it before we even get started isn’t either.Maya clenched her jaw. “I’m not doubting it. I’m being realistic. Gabriel isn’t Julian. He’s smarter. More connected. If we falter if we allow even a split in this plan he’ll rip us apart before we can eve
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 226
Maya’s pulse raced as Luca’s words hung above the group like a heavy smoke. Gabriel Laurent.It wasn’t one of those surprises that should have caught her off guard. The Order was not about cleanliness. There was nothing trustworthy about its leaders. But to hear Luca say it so casually—as if it were the most natural thing in the world—knotted her stomach.Zane reclined in his seat, his silver eyes shrewd, calculating. He wasn’t responding, which meant he was getting creative.Luca smirked. “You look like a man trying to ascertain if I’m lying.”Zane exhaled. “That’s because I am.”Luca let out a low chuckle. “And?”Zane’s fingers rapped the table slowly and deliberately. “And you’re great at misdirection.”Luca clutched a hand to his chest, mock-offended. “That hurts, brother. Truly.”Maya clenched her fists. She hated this. The games, the deceits, the endless mind games where everyone was deceiving, and the only way to live was by out-lying everyone else.She exhaled sharply. “If Gab
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 225
Maya couldn’t sleep.She lay in bed, watching the ceiling, hearing the tick-tock of the clock up on the wall. And it was late — too late — but all that had transpired kept her awake.Her father was gone, at least from the world. For now, the Order had been fooled. But Gabriel’s warning was still ringing in her ears.“If I discover that you are lying, I will put a bullet between your eyes myself.”Maya sucked breath between her teeth, rolling onto her side. They were playing with fire. One wrong move and not just her life would be at stake — Zane’s, Victor’s, Elara’s.How the hell had these gotten here?A knock at the door roused her from her thoughts.She sat up, heart beating a little fast. “Come in.”The door creaked open; Zane stepped through a moment later, his silver eyes bright even in the pallid gloom. He was still wearing his dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, tie looser. Also, he looked like he hadn’t slept.Maya sighed. “You too?”Zane smirked slightly, shutting the door behind
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 224
Zane twisted through the empty roads, the lights of the city twinkling in the distance, their brilliance brought into contrast by the blackness of the sky. Sitting next to him, Maya’s thoughts were full of what they had just gone through. Her father was dead — dead to the world but still somewhere breathing in the mountains.It should have been a relief. It wasn’t.Zane’s silver eyes glanced at her momentarily. “You’re thinking too much.”Maya rolled her eyes, studying the view through the window. “And you’re under thinking simultaneously.”Zane smirked. “On the contrary. I am thinking the right amount.”Maya breathed out, pushing her fingers against her forehead. “This was the easy part, right?”Zane waved his hand, eyes on the road ahead. “Now comes the part where we sell The Order on the idea things went according to plan.”Maya sighed. That was the piece that made her terrified.Neither spoke for a moment, silence echoed in the space between them. At last, Zane spoke up. “How long
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 223
The deal with Charles should have brought relief, but didn’t. Maya felt weighed down with what they were going to do heavy as a vice, tightening every second. There was no going back at this point.She took a slow breath, her eyes fixed on her father’s. “We have less than a twelve hours to make this work.”Charles turned his head, and something unreadable filled his sharp blue eyes. “And if it doesn’t work?”Zane leaned on the desk, silver eyes placid but stern. “Then you’re dead. Either way.”Charles laughed, but it was dry, humorless. “Comforting.” He turned to Maya. “And you? What do you think?”Maya took a deep breath and crossed her arms. “I think if we don’t do this right, The Order isn’t just going to kill you — they’re going to come for me, too.”Charles watched her closely, his face unreadable. “And Moretti? Do you trust him?”Zane smirked, responding before she had a chance. “She don’t gotta trust me. She just has to know I’m better at this than you are.”There was a subdued
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 222
The name on the paper stared back at her, clipped and brutal. Charles Davis.Maya sensed time slow around her, the meeting buzzing with a dull range that faded into the background. Her father.She wasn’t that close to him — not really. Charles Davis was a cold man, a man who saw business as a series of transactions, one after another, with no loss and no emotion, and he had used that machine to build his empire. He was never the warm, doting type. But he was still her blood.And The Order was out to kill him.She fought her body to be still, to keep her face blank while Zane peeled back the paper, reading it with the same dead cold calculation he applied to every kill order that came before this. But Maya knew him too well.He wasn’t unaffected.His jaw was slightly too tight. He flexed his fingers to see their utility and set the paper back down. And when his silver eyes darted to her? It was a knowledge there.Gabriel smirked, taking both of them in with interest. “I expect this won
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 221
The weight of the death of Julian Devereaux still hung in the air, heavy and oppressive. His body crumpled on the cold marble, a propensity for bloods to trickle in slow, measured tendrils around him. The man who thought himself above the law was down, not in a blaze of glory, but with a single shot and a round thud.Maya looked at the body a second too long, not of regret but calculation. What they had done at that moment altered everything.Zane was now sitting upon the throne that Julian had abandoned, and that made him next目标.Gabriel Laurent straightened his cufflinks, strolling over Julian’s corpse like stepping over a fallen tree branch. “Well,” he drawled, his voice smooth and untroubled, “that was cleaner than I expected.”Victor let out a low whistle. “Yeah? What were you expecting? Some Shakespearean monologue before he dropped dead?”Gabriel smirked. “I was expecting begging.” A narrow-eyed look was cast to Zane. “And now, Moretti, it’s the time for the real work.”“Zane h
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 220
For his entire life, Julian Devereaux had thought he was untouchable. A king in a world of pawns. He had gone through life pulling power plays, making people jiggle like puppets on some invisible string. Until now.She could see this in his eyes: the flicker of doubt, the unspeakable fear. This was not how things were supposed to turn out for him. He was the one in control, the one moving the pieces, but now? He was the piece now, and Zane Moretti was about to remove him from the board.Zane smoothed the cuffs of his suit, silver eyes alight with what seemed to be boredom. “You seem uncomfortable, Julian.”Julian’s jaw set, his shoulders went tight. “You think this will all end with me?Zane smirked. “No, but it starts with you.”Camille, still tied to the chair, released a shaky breath, but her eyes blazed. “For once in your life, Julian, just stop pretending you’re invincible.”Julian gave her a hard look, but this time Maya saw something else in his eyes. Not anger. Not calculation
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 219
The SUV barreled down the darkened street, the city's blinking lights fading behind it as they drove toward the outskirts. The estate where, Julian claimed, he was holding Camille was remote, fortified and precisely the sort of place where a man like Julian would stow someone whose fate he was unsure of.The backseat occupant, Maya, adjusted her gun, in and out in crescent movements. Her hands were steady, her mind a razor. There wasn’t any hesitation, any second-guessing. Camille was leverage, but she was also a test — Julian’s way of demonstrating that he still had the upper hand, that they were the ones who responded to him.That was about to change.Zane was next to her, silent, his silver eyes on the road ahead. He had said little since they pulled away from the safe house, but what Maya knew better than to interpret as anything other than controlled restraint. He was already formulating his plan for disassembling Julian.Victor was at the wheel, one hand guiding the car, the oth
