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CHAPTER 199
Last Updated:
2025-03-10 21:36:26
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Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 200
Maya’s breath hitched in her throat and her chest constricted as Luca reclined in his seat, looking way too chill for a guy who had just dropped a bomb. Aaron was alive, and worse, he was with Helena. The air in the room was thick; suffocating, and she could feel Zane’s tension beside her, the sort of restrained rage that guaranteed blood. Victor and Elara went silent, each processing the gravity of Luca’s words, but Maya couldn’t afford the time to sit dumbfounded. She looked at him, her tone icier than she’d meant to be. “Tell me everything. Now.”Luca grinned, his dark eyes twinkling with amusement as he exhaled slowly. “Patience, my dear sister-in-law. You’re treating me like I’m the enemy here.”Once, twice, Zane’s fingers drummed against the table before he leaned forward, silver eyes blazing with unfiltered rage. “You have five seconds to start talking, Luca, or I put a round in your brain. His voice was even, flat, no-pitch, and Maya didn’t doubt it for a second that he meant
Last Updated : 2025-03-11Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 201
Maya rubbed her temple, settling on the edge of the bed as she tried to decipher what Luca had just said to them. It was a ton of bricks, and the weight of it felt crushing. Helena had her father. The man who had pulled strings, who had used her, then chucked her away when it was convenient, was now a piece of Helena’s game. And yet, something deep inside, despite it all, wouldn’t let her ignore the ache in her breast. He was still her father. As much as she hated him, she didn’t want him to die at Helena’s hands.Zane stood nearby, arms folded across his chest, not from cold, but exasperation; he was burning silver eyes, absorbing the same information. “This changes nothing,” he said, his voice dangerously steady. “Helena was always the intended target. She still is.”Maya sucked in a breath and spun to him. “It changes everything, Zane. “If she’s got my father, that means we can’t just go in guns blazing.”Zane snorted, raking a hand through his hair. “And why not? He made his bed,
Last Updated : 2025-03-11Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 202
Maya sat at the edge of the bed, fingers curled around the edge of her coat as the tick of the clock moved with agonizing slowness. Midnight was approaching. The old cathedral. The meeting with Helena.This was more than a simple face-off.This was the confrontation.The one that would bring it all to an end.And still — through all of this, through the weight of every decision she had made to bring her to this moment — Maya felt nothing. No fear. No hesitation. Just an eerie quiet, a calm settling inside her bones.Zane stood with his arms crossed behind her, watching. He hadn’t spoken in the past few minutes, but she could sense his frustration, his fury seething just below the surface.At last he said, in a voice low and pointed. “You don’t have to do this.”Maya faced him, his silver eyes unwavering in his gaze. “Yes, I do.”Zane clenched his jaw. “This is some heroic sacrifice you feel is noble? That being bait is the path to growth? Smarter? Because it doesn’t. It makes you reck
Last Updated : 2025-03-12Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 203
Gunfire went off, the sound deafening in the cathedral as Zane stepped from the shadows, gun raised, his silver eyes fiery and bright with fury. Victor and Elara stood by his sides, weapons drew as the madness erupted.Maya had little time to spare. Helena had staggered back, holding her shoulder where the bullet had nicked her, her shock—initially—turning into sheer rage. The guards moved to retaliate, but Victor and Elara were quicker, eliminating them with ruthless efficiency.Maya did not waste a moment more. She lunged toward her dad, falling to her knees next to him. His face was white, his breathing shallow, his hands grasping the wound that riddled his stomach. He pressed his palm firmly on the cut, blood oozing between his fingers to stain the cracked stone floor.“Dad,” she whispered, placing her hands over his to staunch the bleeding. His blue eyes popped open, hazy with pain.“Maya …” His voice sounded weak, more a whisper than a cry.“Don’t go,” she begged, panic gripping
Last Updated : 2025-03-12Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 204
Maya sat in the darkened study of the Moretti estate, her gaze fixed on the untouched glass of whiskey before her. She felt the silence in the room was as if someone was pressing against her body, a second layer of clothing she couldn’t get rid of. She should have felt relief. Helena, it had all been captured and the war should have ended, but the pressure in her chest said different. Charles was dead. After everything, all the betrayals, all the years of pain, he was gone and she didn’t know how she should feel.Zane stood by the fireplace, facing away from her, hands on the mantel. He hadn’t said much since their return. His usual intensity was still present, but somehow different, quieter, muted, as if he were waiting for the next fight to permit himself to exhale. Finally he turned, his silver eyes catching hers. “You haven’t fucking said anything since we got back,” he said, his voice low, measured.Maya exhaled slowly, running her fingers along the edge of the glass. “What’s the
Last Updated : 2025-03-13Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 205
The Moretti estate had been put in lockdown. Every entrance locked down, every hallway locked down, every person on edge. Helena’s flight changed the game, and now they were on a clock.With her hands on the table in front of her, Maya loomed in the center of the war room, leaning down to study the map laid out before her. Red markers identified Helena’s last-known whereabouts, but there was no discernible pattern, no obvious trail. She seemed to have just disappeared into thin air.Zane stood next to her, his argent eyes sharp, his countenance impenetrable. Victor and Elara known themselves via walls opposite, and Alex checked the security feeds on his tablet.It was a tense atmosphere in the room. There was a long moment of silence.Then slowly exhaled Victor. “We’re running out of time.”Zane exhaled sharply. “We don’t have the luxury of tracking her movements one by one. We need to think like her. What’s her next move?”Maya clenched her jaw. “She won’t go into hiding. That’s not
Last Updated : 2025-03-13Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 206
Maya’s heart raced so fast she could hardly hear anything but the rush of blood in her ears. Reese was on the other side of the room, her face puffy with bruises, her wrists tied, fear jumping in her wide eyes. The barrel of Helena’s gun was pushed against her temple, her smirk unbroken.Tense next to Maya, Zane's silver gaze would not leave Helena, a malevolent fire burning within that thickened the air. His fingers twitched, longing for his gun, but one false move and Reese was dead.Maya kept breathing, making herself breathe. She could not lose control right now. She had entered this knowing it was a trap, but she had believed she could withstand anything.She wasn’t prepared for this.Helena cocked her head, amusement stirring in her dark eyes. “You’re quiet, Maya. I was hoping for more of a response.”My jaw clenched so hard it hurt. “Let her go.”Helena laughed, as if the request were cute. “Now, why would I do that? This mini-reunion is only beginning.”Maya took a deliberate
Last Updated : 2025-03-14Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 207
Maya froze as Luca stepped farther inside, his smirk still fixed, his dark eyes unreadable. On the walls, gore clung to everything the smell of gunpowder and blood had become a ghost that refused to leave.Helena’s corpse was sprawled between them in silence, a pool of crimson widening under her frame. It was supposed to be satisfying to see her mangled, lifeless body fall apart after all she’d done, after all the suffering caused. But Maya felt nothing. No relief. No victory. Only an empty numbness curling in her chest.She gripped the knife, still slick with Helena’s blood, tighter, her green eyes narrowing as she took a deliberate step forward. “You killed her.”Luca cocked his head slightly. “You’re welcome.”Zane’s gun remained raised, a finger poised over the trigger, his silver eyes cold as steel. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t put a bullet in between your eyes right now.”Luca laughed under his breath, as though he did not care that one misplaced step could send him
Last Updated : 2025-03-14
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Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 236
Maya gazed out at the city through the window of her penthouse, watching the dawn break over the skyline. It was quiet now, but she knew it wouldn’t be for long. This war with Gabriel was nearing its final act, and by the sunset, one would be left victorious.She turned as she heard the door open. Zane walked inside, silver eyes sharp, movements measured, but she knew enough of him to feel the tautness behind his calm demeanor.“It’s time,” he said simply.Maya nodded. “Then let’s finish this.”Moretti Corp – War RoomThe normal tension in the war room had changed. No longer the vagueness of battle — but the gleam of victory. When Maya and Zane came in, Victor, Luca, and Adrian were already sitting. A huge digital map of the city was projected on the wall, red markers showing Gabriel’s known assets and weak points.Victor reclined in his chair. “We’ve tightened the noose. Gabriel’s financial network is collapsing, his allies are betraying him, and his only remaining political connecti
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 235
Gabriel Montclair clicked off the television, flinging the remote onto his desk with a muffled thud. He’d seen Maya’s interview from beginning to end, dissecting every word, every motion, every well-chosen pause. She hadn’t merely evaded his strike — she had turned it on him.He breathed out, letting the silence of his study settle over him. He had underestimated her. He could admit that now. Maya Moretti wasn’t merely a fearsome adversary — she was a survivor. Yet if he was going to win this war, he had to adapt.A knock on the door broke him from his musings.“Come in,” he called, his voice steady.The door opened and in stepped Ethan Blackwood. Ethan had been Gabriel’s second for as long as he could remember, a man who worked in the shadows, taking care of the parts of the business that Gabriel didn’t like to touch to keep his hands clean.“You saw the interview,” Ethan said, not even asking.Gabriel sat back in his chair. “I did.”Ethan closed the door behind him and walked ahead,
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 234
Maya paced her Moretti Corp. office as the weight of the impending war hung heavy on her shoulders. The early-morning sun poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the sleek interior in a golden light, but she hardly noticed. The papers on her desk began to fade together and her mind raced through the alternatives.Gabriel had made his move. He had gone after her history, her marriage, the life she had built so painstakingly. And yet she was unafraid — just seething with determination.Her phone buzzed again. Another message from Zane.Zane: We need to talk. Now.Maya let out a sharp breath, suppressing a rising irritation just under the skin. She took her phone and answered.Maya: Meet me in my office. Bring Victor.Nine minutes later, the door opened and Zane came walking in with Victor hot on his heels. Zane’s face was hard to read, but his shoulders were tense. He was angry — but not at her.Victor, always a cool mastermind, tossed a file onto her desk with an air of
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 233
The day arrived too soon, dragging Maya back into the ice-well of their war with Gabriel. She paced the window at her penthouse, coffee clutched in hand, watching the city below her stir. The weight of last night’s meeting with Philip Marquez was still heavy in her mind. They had won a skirmish, but the war was still in its early stages.Next, her phone vibrated on the marble counter. A message from Zane.Zane: Victor got the first buyouts. Gabriel will be feeling the squeeze soon. Meet me at the office.Maya drank the rest of her coffee and replied by text.Maya: On my way.Her husband, Adrian, had already left for the day. Their marriage was a matter of practicality rather than of love. It was a strategic maneuver — a winning of alliances and of power. Love had never been in the contract.But still, she couldn’t help but ache at the thought of the what-ifs.Brushing the thought aside, she got dressed, putting on the armor of the woman she had become.Moretti Corp – War RoomZane was
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 232
Maya sat across from Zane in his office, eyes fixed on the latest reports spread across his desk. The tension between them was palpable, though unspoken. She knew that tight-jawed look—something wasn't right. Breaking the thick silence, she said, "Well? Are you going to tell me what has you so troubled, or must we sit here all evening stewing in uncertainty?"Zane didn't look up from the pages. "We lost three major investors this morning. Gabriel is sabotaging us financially just as he tried through his connections in The Order."Maya sighed heavily. "Do you have proof it's him pulling the strings?"Zane tossed the folder aside and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't need proof when I know his methods. He wants to crush Moretti Corp and he won't stop until he succeeds."Her eyes narrowed with steely resolve. "Then two can play at his game. If he aims to strangle us through our funds, we'll retaliate in kind."A trace of a smirk crossed Zane's stern features. "Spoken like a true p
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 231
The tension hanging over the room was palpable, with the weight of their impending choice bearing down on everyone. No turning back now—every action going forward could fortify their authority or shatter it completely.Maya placed her glass down deliberately against the polished table, her keen green eyes locking onto Zane’s. “If we’re moving ahead, it has to be flawless. No errors. No vulnerabilities.”Leaning in, Zane returned her gaze with calculated intensity glowing in his silver eyes. “I agree. We strike where they least anticipate financially, strategically. We take control before they realize what’s transpiring.”Sprawled casually in one of the leather chairs, Victor let out a low chuckle. “You two truly have a way of making corporate warfare sound sexier than shootouts.”Maya arched a brow. “Because it is.”Luca smirked from across the room. “I have to admit, witnessing this side of you, Maya, is unexpected. You appear to be genuinely enjoying the challenge.”Maya exhaled, cr
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 230
Maya perched at the head of a long glass conference table in Moretti Corp’s executive suite, tightening her grip on the edge of the financial report before her. The numbers did not seem to be adding up. Billions were on the move — just not where they were meant to be.She let out a breath through gritted teeth, forcing the unsettled feeling in her gut to subside. If this was what she suspected it was, they had a much bigger problem then The Order’s politics.Zane wore the endless scruff of a day’s stubble, and as he stood facing the skyline through the floor-to-ceiling window, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. That was how he’d been all morning — still, methodical, his mind racing a hundred moves ahead. But Maya knew him too well.He was waiting. For confirmation. For proof. For the moment he was able to flip the game on its head.Maya broke the silence. “We have a leak.”Zane didn’t turn around. “How bad?”Maya swallowed. “Bad. Money is being siphoned off in dribs and
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 229
In the conference room, everything was polished elegance. In the center was a long, dark wooden table with high-backed leather chairs surrounding it. The quiet hum of brief conversations and the sound of footsteps down the hall indicated the weight that had become almost palpable in the air of the building itself. Helena tapped her fingers lightly on the table as she stared through the window. She was not thinking of the view, or of the empire to which she belonged; she was thinking about the invisible chessboard before her. Today, it wasn’t bloodshed or conquest; today, it was about manipulation, persuasion and control.Her thoughts are broken by the sound of heels snapping against the marble floor. She gazed upward, her frigid eyes meeting the silhouette that walked in.“You’re late,” she said, her tone smooth, though with a sharp edge.“I had some… business to take care of,” Elena said, the smile on her face a little tight, insufficient. She stepped toward the table, each step long
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 228
“Well I tried.” Maya said calmly, drumming her fingers on the sleek, polished surface of the table. Tall windows poured in the morning light, bathed the skyline in gold. It was nearly serene — if not for the storm brewing deep down.This was an alternate type of battlefield. No guns. No explosions. Only power, strategy and control. And in many respects, it was more perilous than any of the wars they had fought.Zane worked his cufflinks and his cool silver eyes drifted around the room as executives filed in, all advancing a few steps like cats on concrete, gripped by a primal instinct not to step on toes. They’d all heard Curator General’s whispers — about Gabriel, about the fall of The Order’s inner circle, about the man who had scratched and clawed his way to the top with his trademark ruthlessness.Now? They were wondering if he could hold it.Victor stretched lazily in his seat next to Maya, his smirk curling as he leaned in. “Tell me, princess, are you ready to watch your husband
