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CHAPTER 19
Last Updated:
2024-12-01 01:57:55
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Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 20
The estate was eerily silent as Maya wandered through the dimly lit corridors, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear. The recent revelations had shattered the fragile sense of security she had begun to build. Helena's cold demeanor, Luca's subtle manipulations, and Isabella's sudden reappearance—all had conspired to make her feel like an outsider in a world she barely understood.Her hand instinctively rested on her growing belly, the life within her a constant reminder of the stakes at play. She had come to care deeply for Zane, but the web of deceit surrounding them threatened to unravel everything.As she turned a corner, she nearly collided with Alex, Zane's most trusted man. His expression softened upon seeing her."Miss Maya," he greeted, his voice laced with concern. "Is everything alright?"Maya forced a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Just... thinking."Alex studied her for a moment, his gaze sharp. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."She nodded
Last Updated : 2024-12-02Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 21
The confrontation with Helena had left Maya emotionally drained, but her resolve was stronger than ever. She couldn’t allow herself to be intimidated by Zane’s mother. Still, as she sat in the quiet of Zane’s suite later that evening, the weight of Helena’s threats hung heavy on her chest.Her father’s past was a shadow she had spent years trying to outrun. Financial fraud, whispered scandals—things she had buried to protect her family’s reputation. And now Helena had unearthed it, her weapon aimed directly at Maya’s heart.Maya’s hands trembled as she stared at her phone, her instincts warring with her growing desperation.Should I warn my father? Should I tell him what Helena knows?The thought was interrupted by Zane’s arrival. He stepped into the room, his presence commanding as always, but his expression carried a heaviness that matched her own.“She won’t stop, Maya,” he said, sitting beside her. “Helena thrives on control. The more we push back, the more ruthless she’ll become.
Last Updated : 2024-12-02Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 22
The weight of Helena’s threat lingered in Maya’s mind long after their conversation. Each step she took through the grand Moretti estate felt heavier, her resolve to stay strong warring with the gnawing fear that her father’s secrets could come to light at any moment.Maya paced Zane’s suite that evening, her thoughts racing. The opulent surroundings, with their marble floors and crystal chandeliers, seemed more like a gilded cage than a sanctuary. Every corner of this life felt like a stage where Helena, Luca, and Isabella played their roles to perfection—scheming, manipulating, and undermining her at every turn.She couldn’t afford to be a passive spectator anymore.The following morning, Maya awoke to find Zane already gone, leaving only a brief note on the nightstand:“Gone to the city for a meeting. Alex is nearby if you need anything. Stay vigilant.”The absence of his commanding presence made her feel exposed, as though the walls of the estate had grown teeth. Determined not to
Last Updated : 2024-12-03Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 23
The morning air was crisp, but Maya barely noticed as she made her way through the estate grounds, Alex’s firm strides keeping pace beside her. The note’s ominous message—“Leave or die”—was burned into her mind, pushing her past fear and into a realm of cold determination.She wasn’t running.For too long, she had let others control the narrative, treat her like a pawn in a game she didn’t understand. That ended today.Alex led her to a secluded corner of the estate, away from prying eyes and ears. The small utility building housed security feeds and communication equipment that even Zane didn’t fully utilize.“We’ll start here,” Alex said, his voice low and focused. “Whoever’s behind this note, the cameras might’ve caught something. But this won’t be easy—they’ve been careful.”Maya nodded, her resolve hardening. “Then we’ll be thorough.”The surveillance footage rolled in silence, the timestamps flashing as Alex fast-forwarded through hours of uneventful clips. Maya leaned over his
Last Updated : 2024-12-03Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 24
The Moretti estate was alive with quiet activity the next morning, as Zane’s security team began their meticulous sweep of the household staff. Maya sat at the breakfast table, her appetite nonexistent as she watched Alex speak to a cluster of staff members with a clipboard in hand. Each person was questioned, their credentials scrutinized under the watchful eyes of two armed guards. It should have brought her a sense of relief, but it didn’t. The walls of the estate felt as though they were closing in, the weight of suspicion pressing on everyone. Even the household staff, people she had come to recognize and trust, now felt like strangers. Zane entered the room, his presence a mixture of calm authority and seething determination. He poured himself a coffee, his movements deliberate as his silver eyes swept over her. “They’ll find something,” he said, as if reading her mind. “And if they don’t?” Maya asked softly, her fingers toying with the edge of her napkin. Zane set the cof
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 25
The Moretti estate seemed darker that night, its sprawling corridors shrouded in an oppressive silence. Maya sat in Zane’s suite, her knees drawn to her chest as she stared at the flickering flames in the fireplace. The note she’d found earlier burned in her mind, its chilling message looping in her thoughts: *“She’s the key. Break her, and he falls.”* The weight of it pressed down on her. She couldn’t deny it anymore—she was a pawn in a game far more dangerous than she’d imagined. Zane entered the room quietly, his presence a comfort despite the tension lingering between them. He poured a glass of whiskey, his movements deliberate as he joined her by the fire. “You’re too quiet,” he said softly, his silver eyes studying her. Maya didn’t respond immediately, her fingers tightening around the blanket draped over her shoulders. “I keep wondering what they mean by ‘break her,’” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. Zane’s jaw tightened, his gaze flicking to the fire.
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 26
The Moretti estate seemed to hum with unspoken tension the following morning, the air thick with a sense of unease. Maya awoke to find Zane already gone, his side of the bed cold and empty. A note on the nightstand simply read:“I’m handling it. Stay in the suite. Alex will update you.”But staying put was the last thing Maya wanted to do. The message left on her pillow the night before—“You’re running out of time”—had stolen what little sleep she’d managed to find.She couldn’t ignore the warning. Whoever had placed the note was becoming bolder, their presence almost taunting.But the question remained: Was it a direct threat, or a calculated distraction?Despite Zane’s insistence that she stay confined to the suite, Maya found herself wandering the estate once again. There was too much happening for her to sit idly by.She returned to the western wing, retracing her steps to the surveillance room she’d discovered earlier. To her surprise, the room had been emptied. The corkboard, ph
Last Updated : 2024-12-05Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 27
Maya’s hands trembled as she held the photograph, her breath catching in her throat. The image was grainy but unmistakable—a shot of her walking in the estate gardens, taken from a distance. Her heart pounded as she realized the implication.They were closer than she thought.Scrawled across the bottom of the photograph in thick, jagged handwriting were the words:“You don’t belong here. Leave, or the baby dies.”Her knees buckled, and she sank onto the edge of the bed, clutching the photograph like a lifeline. Fear coiled in her stomach, twisting and tightening until she felt like she might be sick.The threats had always felt distant—ominous, but abstract. This one was visceral. Direct.The baby.Her hand instinctively went to her stomach, a protective gesture as she struggled to process the cruel words.She didn’t have to wait long before Zane returned. When he walked into the suite and saw her pale, trembling figure clutching the photograph, his expression darkened.“What happened
Last Updated : 2024-12-05
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Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 197
A War with No WinnersThe ballroom was silent.Too silent.The sort of silence before a storm.Maya was in the center, frozen, her green eyes fixed on her brother.Aaron’s mouth curved into a sneering grin.Donovan stood next to him, too cocky for a dead dude.Zane was close to her, as always, impassive.Victor and Elara stood to either side, weapons concealed but at the ready.This wasn’t a negotiation.This was a powder keg poised to detonate.And Maya?She was done waiting.Blood Doesn't Make a FamilyMaya stepped slowly forward and spoke in a cold voice. “Why are you here, Aaron?”Her brother tilted his head. “You invited me.”Maya exhaled. “I invited you to end this.”Aaron’s smirk faded. “And what does that mean to you?”Zane’s voice was sharp. “It looks like you and your pet rat exiting this city. Alive, if you’re lucky.”Donovan chuckled. “Ah, Moretti. Still as dramatic as ever.”Zane didn’t blink. “And you’re still alive. Unfortunately,”Maya’s stomach twisted. “How?”Donovan
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 196
The Aftermath of a War That Should Never Have HappenedMaya stood frozen with her heart still pounding in her chest, her head whirling.Aaron knelt, blood streaming from the gunshot wound in his shoulder, gasping for breath.Zane was next to her, tense, silent, his silver eyes fixed so securely on her brother that it was as if he were waiting for a reason to complete the job.The war was supposed to be over.And yet—It didn’t feel like victory.Maya gripped her gun tighter.She had been given a choice.And she had chosen mercy.Had she made the right call?Or had she merely postponed the inevitable?A Brother and an EnemyAaron laughed, gasping for breath, bitter.His hand pressed against the wound in his shoulder, blood pooling between his fingers.His voice was rough. “So that’s it? You’re just going to let me live?Maya swallowed. “Yes.”Aaron’s eyes darkened. “Then you’re a fool.”Zane exhaled sharply. “She’s not the stupid here, Aaron.”Aaron’s eyes flashed to him, doused with h
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 195
Betrayal in the BloodLaying eyes on Victor, Maya’s heart raced in her chest.Aaron.Her brother.Her blood.The one who'd always stood with her.And now?Now he was in charge of the very organization she had struggled to escape.They walked to her side, Zane’s body tense as he stared down Victor, silver eyes narrowed. “How long?”Victor’s expression was grim. “A week. Maybe less.”Maya swallowed hard. “Does he know where we are?”Victor exhaled sharply. “Not yet. But it won’t take him long.”Silence.Heavy. Suffocating.Maya’s mind raced.Aaron had always been ambitious, but ruthless?No.Not him.Not the brother who had guarded her countless nights.Not the boy who had once carried her home after she scraped her knee.Zane’s voice was low. “Maya.”She blinked, glancing up at him.His jaw was tight, his face inscrutable. “Say the words.”Maya frowned. “What words?”Zane’s silver eyes darkened. “Tell me to kill him.”Her heart stopped.“Zane—”His voice sharpened. “Maya, he won’t stop
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 194
A Heart That Refuses to StopIt was relief like Zane had never known.The doctor’s words — “She’s alive” — ricocheted in his skull, over and over, melding into the crevices of his sanity.His knees almost buckled.But he didn’t move.Couldn’t.Because the fear still remained.To be alive wasn’t the same as to be safe.Being alive didn’t mean they were out of danger.Alive wasn’t enough.He needed her awake. He needed her talking. He had needed her at every stage to fight him as always she did.Zane’s voice was hoarse, raw. “Can I see her?”The doctor hesitated. “She’s still unconscious. We were able to stop the bleeding, but she bled a lot.”Zane clenched his fists. “How bad?”The doctor exhaled. “She’s stable. But she’s not out of the woods yet.”Not out of the woods.Not safe.Zane turned, shoving a hand through his hair. “What are her chances?”The doctor hesitated. “We will know more in the next 24 hours.”Zane’s pulse hammered.He had 24 hours to wait.24 hours to worry whether M
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 193
The Cost of VictoryHelena Moretti’s lifeless body sprawled on the ground, her blood pooling on the floors of cold marble.The woman who had wrought so much ruin, who had lied, connived and murdered without a second thought — was gone.Elara blew phantom smoke from the end of her gun. "Well, that was satisfying."No one responded.Because even though Helena Moretti was dead, the war wasn’t finished.Maya could feel it.A storm still hung in the air, a one which no blood could wash away.She glanced at Zane, whose face was a mask, his silver eyes fixed on his mother’s lifeless body.As for what he was thinking, she did not know.Did he feel relief?Pain?Or was he numbed to the weight of what had just happened?Maya reached for his hand; he flinched.Her chest tightened."Zane?"He finally looked at her.It wasn’t the man she loved looking back at her.It was someone else.Someone... lost.A Broken ManZane sucked in his breath, a hand dragging over his face as blood smeared across his
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 192
The Aftermath of BetrayalMaya and Zane strolled the wrecked corridors of the estate, hand in hand, their bodies bruised but still standing.Gunpowder, blood, and smoke filled the air.Maya could still hear her father’s voice in her ears — the threat, the warning.He’d released her, but she understood not to believe it was finished.Her father never forgot anything.Zane limped next to her, his hold on her hand steady, despite his face being pale from blood loss.Maya squeezed his fingers. “You need medical attention.”Zane let out a rough breath. “I want you to stop worrying about me for five minutes.Maya glared. “Not happening.”Behind them, Elara snorted. “God, you two are exhausting. “Just tell each other that you love each other, and move on.”Maya shot her a look. “We literally just did.”Elara grinned. “Yeah, yeah. But I’m gonna need the full dramatic ‘I can’t live without you’ scene. “Preferably with more kissing.”Zane groaned, rubbing at his temple. “Why do we keep her arou
Bound by the Billionaire's Claim CHAPTER 191
The Throne or FreedomMaya was sitting in the wreckage of a world she had destroyed.Her father was no more, not dead — but broken and bleeding, aware that he had lost.Zane had survived — but just, his flesh one step from death, his heart blazing like flame.Elara stood by the door, arms folded, watching like someone at the end of a war.And Maya?Maya had made her choice.She had defied her father.She had saved Zane.And now — she had to figure out what’s next.Because this war was never actually over.Not yet.Not until she made a choice about where she belonged.Her father’s voice resounded in her mind:“You aren’t a pawn in anyone’s game. You are the queen.”Then, right after came Zane’s words:“You don’t belong to them. You don’t belong to me. You belong to yourself.”Two men who attempted to take possession of her in their own ways.But only one remained by her side.And tonight, she had almost lost him.Her hands balled into fists.She would not let that happen again.No matt
Bound 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
Bound 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
