LOGINShare
Chapter 16
Last Updated:
2025-01-30 15:02:48
Related chapters
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 17
Chapter 17RAYANA POVHours bled into days and the news of the archduchy being involved with the Cosa Nostra still made me sick to my stomach. At one point James found me in my new office and decided to give me a rundown of how unfair I was and how he could never forgive me for what I had done, and all I had done at that moment was stare at my poor brother who definitely had no idea of the dark side of running the archduchy. Would he be so pumped if he were to find out that the very archduchy he worshipped with his very life was deeply involved with the underworld's most dangerous gang?I guess we would never know. A heavy sigh bubbled out of me as I yanked myself back to reality. It has been close to a week since Alejandro flew back to Italy. And during this entire time, there has been no word from him at all. A pang of bitterness lasered through my insides at the idea of him suddenly going MIA* on me after dropping such bombshells on me and leaving me to ponder them myself. Bu
Last Updated : 2025-01-31Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 18
Chapter 18ALEJANDRO POVMy phone vibrated right when I flipped her over, wrenching a whiny moan from her. Kimberly wiggled her ass in my face as she attempted to have me concentrate on her. But I was a man living on borrowed time, and no amount of pleasure or sex could cloud my senses to a point where I could ignore calls. I mean people could be dying when I was busy, balls deep into some random woman; or my enemies could be flooding my territory all ganged up to kill me. “Don’t be greedy, sweetheart. You have claimed all of me already.” I slapped her ass as I walked away from where she was bent, ass in the sky and face on the couch. She let out another annoyed sigh, and I stifled a chuckle. Picking up my pants from the floor, I searched my phone from the pocket and when I found it, stared at the screen with utmost shock as the name ARCHDUCHESS remained displayed on my screen as the device continued vibrating in my hand like it was cursed. I contemplated letting it ring, because
Last Updated : 2025-01-31Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 19
Chapter 19ALEJANDRO POV“What have you got?” I asked as I settled into the seat of the Cadillac, Viper slithered into the seat beside me, excitement bubbling from him like he was a kid about to show me his favorite drawing. I waited patiently.“You are not gonna believe it.” He smiled as he pulled out his iPad again and scrolled a few pages before thrusting the device my way. I grasped it and saw a picture of foreign men. Utterly foreign. I tried to search my mind as to where I had seen their ugly faces before, but I came out blank. They were all too new to me. “This is?” “That is the new Turantello Familia.” He pointed to the device, and confusion poked holes into my brain. “I am listening.” I probed, as calm as winter snow. That’s what sex did to me. It calmed the raging blood lust and made me reason with a clear head. “Since the former Turantello was absorbed by us, and its Dons gave you all the rights to their lands and everything, what you see there, are former members of
Last Updated : 2025-01-31Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 20
Chapter 20ALEJANDRO POV“What gave her out? I swear I wouldn’t have thought she was a spy.” Viper said as the craft soared through the clouds, taking us to Naples where we were going to settle this mess once and for all. Somehow Francesco needed to know who the real boss was. I guess letting him just be made him think that he could go around branding shit in my territory. He was still in disbelief that we had encountered that, and that the girl almost outsmarted him just like that while he was blinded by the blue British eyes. “A few things. One, how she seemed to know exactly who we were as soon as she walked it. Two, the wine bottle was already opened. If the gun plan failed, then the poisoned wine would definitely get us. And three, the fake Alissia name? Anyone could tell that she is a bloody descendant of Athelstan.” I pointed out causing him to shake his head in disbelief. He wiped a hand down his face before slouching into his seat, causing Kaito to chuckle where he was ca
Last Updated : 2025-01-31Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 21
Chapter 21RAYANA POVMy back hit the mattress as I plopped onto my bed, exhaustion seeped out of the pores of my skin, evaporating into space. I stared blankly at the white ceiling above my head, my thoughts scattered around the place. I became a spectator to a game called my life, trying to figure out where everything suddenly changed. It was not that fateful night I spent in jail. It had to be earlier than that. I went from being a normal, royal girl to somebody recognized by everyone globally, and that idea alone scared the shit out of me. Somewhere along the line, I drifted to a peaceful sleep because when someone knocked on my door, I almost jumped out of my skin. The door creaked open just as I pulled myself into a sitting position, my eyes taking in the subtle darkness that had already filled the room.Yahp! I must have dozed off there. “James…” I breathed out in surprise as my older brother came waltzing into my room on slow, defeated strides. He came to stop before my
Last Updated : 2025-02-01Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 22
Chapter 22ALEJANDRO POVThe sun had just set when we arrived in the heart of Naples. Something inside my wretched soul had told me that it would be just right to pop when the light of the world had just disappeared, right when the night started to blanket the world with its darkness. After all, I did not like dealing with my problems in broad daylight; too many eyes, and loud noises. The night, however; it was a perfect cradle for all evil things in this world. And I was just that someone whose middle name was evil!It was about 7 in the evening when we pulled up in an abandoned alley just behind Francesco’s pub. Unlike the rest of the environment which was bustling with people, this one was cold, deserted, and perfect for me to execute all that I had planned. I was thankful to my second in command for taking the time to learn and print the outlay of the pub to his memory, which made invading much easier.We left the car parked in the alley, hidden away by the dark of the night,
Last Updated : 2025-02-04Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 23
Chapter 23RAYANA POVI felt him before I could even see him. I threw my eyes toward the entrance and then watched from across the airport lounge as he walked through. Maybe it was just my mind, but his perfect strides were filled with so much confidence it looked as though he was moving in a slowed motion. My heart thumped against my rib cage, taking all of him in his might and how he seemed to have sucked all the air out of the giant first-class lounge with simply his being.Our gazes collided with what felt like an electrocuting crash that zapped through my brain, wrenching a tiny moan from my throat. Even from a yard away, this man’s stare held me captive. That was not normal. No way in hell or heaven that was normal.I hadn’t noticed he was walking with another man who was about the same height as him, except about an inch shorter, with a smaller frame. And unlike his perfect, Italian self, the man was Japanese. They stopped in front of me and reality suddenly walked back int
Last Updated : 2025-02-05Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 24
Chapter 24ALEJANDRO POVThe scars on my wrist pumped a dull ache into my arm as the car pulled in front of the big black iron gates of Windsor Castle- a telltale to the upcoming bad weather. I massaged it through my coat, careful not to disturb my little kitten as she was parading through emotions and questions in her mind while leaning against me.The ride from the airport was a silent one, and I was thankful because I got to bask in the silence and declutter the scenes that had cramped in my mind. It had been a busy week, one filled with blood and conspiracies, and being with Rayana gave me the sense of calmness I never knew I needed. The car came to a smooth halt as Kaito pulled it into the parking spot just before the castle. Rayana got up from the crook of my arm, leaving with her the heat of her body and the warmth that seemed to suck the coldness in my heart right through the arm she was touching. “You were not sleeping.” I pointed out as she fixed her hair, and then her ey
Last Updated : 2025-02-06
Latest chapter
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 26
Chapter 26ALEJANDRO POV“Okay, first of all, rude. Secondly, he is scary as hell. Thirdly, why the hell does he pretend like he doesn’t know you?” Rayana exploded facing James who had his hands pushed into the pockets of his coat. He glanced back into the direction we came from and shook his head slightly.“I came with company.” He responded nonchalantly. His response sparked something inside of me. I don’t know if my paranoia was getting the best of me, but something told me James William Mountbatten wasn’t being completely honest with us. I have been in this line of work all my life; I knew a deceitful facade when I saw one. “But that is no excuse to treat us the way he did. That man was downright arrogant. Like he had some formula to life or something.” A hint of a smile landed on my face at her sudden outburst. Looking at her expression; she was mortified. I couldn’t help but find that cute. The little baby had no idea just how ugly my world could be; just how horrible things w
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 25
Chapter 25RAYANA POVThe morning arrived and I woke up with a start. My energy was fixated on solving this mess that James had dumped us right into as soon as I possibly could, and Alejandro’s presence gave me the assurance I never knew I needed. Somehow I felt safe and secure when he was here. And now that the said problem was none but an underworld group of people, I was more certain that we were going to deal with this accordingly and get done with it. With my mind running rampant about what could go wrong throughout our day, I left my room dressed in a black fluffy coat and jeans., my feet clad in leather boots. The weather forecast had foretold angry rain, and I knew better than to argue with Mother Nature. I stepped into the foyer to find Alejandro and Kaito already waiting. Their mere presence seemed to fill the entire space with so much testosterone I could hardly think. But it wasn’t just their presence. It was in the way one particular man carried himself. Even standi
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 24
Chapter 24ALEJANDRO POVThe scars on my wrist pumped a dull ache into my arm as the car pulled in front of the big black iron gates of Windsor Castle- a telltale to the upcoming bad weather. I massaged it through my coat, careful not to disturb my little kitten as she was parading through emotions and questions in her mind while leaning against me.The ride from the airport was a silent one, and I was thankful because I got to bask in the silence and declutter the scenes that had cramped in my mind. It had been a busy week, one filled with blood and conspiracies, and being with Rayana gave me the sense of calmness I never knew I needed. The car came to a smooth halt as Kaito pulled it into the parking spot just before the castle. Rayana got up from the crook of my arm, leaving with her the heat of her body and the warmth that seemed to suck the coldness in my heart right through the arm she was touching. “You were not sleeping.” I pointed out as she fixed her hair, and then her ey
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 23
Chapter 23RAYANA POVI felt him before I could even see him. I threw my eyes toward the entrance and then watched from across the airport lounge as he walked through. Maybe it was just my mind, but his perfect strides were filled with so much confidence it looked as though he was moving in a slowed motion. My heart thumped against my rib cage, taking all of him in his might and how he seemed to have sucked all the air out of the giant first-class lounge with simply his being.Our gazes collided with what felt like an electrocuting crash that zapped through my brain, wrenching a tiny moan from my throat. Even from a yard away, this man’s stare held me captive. That was not normal. No way in hell or heaven that was normal.I hadn’t noticed he was walking with another man who was about the same height as him, except about an inch shorter, with a smaller frame. And unlike his perfect, Italian self, the man was Japanese. They stopped in front of me and reality suddenly walked back int
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 22
Chapter 22ALEJANDRO POVThe sun had just set when we arrived in the heart of Naples. Something inside my wretched soul had told me that it would be just right to pop when the light of the world had just disappeared, right when the night started to blanket the world with its darkness. After all, I did not like dealing with my problems in broad daylight; too many eyes, and loud noises. The night, however; it was a perfect cradle for all evil things in this world. And I was just that someone whose middle name was evil!It was about 7 in the evening when we pulled up in an abandoned alley just behind Francesco’s pub. Unlike the rest of the environment which was bustling with people, this one was cold, deserted, and perfect for me to execute all that I had planned. I was thankful to my second in command for taking the time to learn and print the outlay of the pub to his memory, which made invading much easier.We left the car parked in the alley, hidden away by the dark of the night,
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 21
Chapter 21RAYANA POVMy back hit the mattress as I plopped onto my bed, exhaustion seeped out of the pores of my skin, evaporating into space. I stared blankly at the white ceiling above my head, my thoughts scattered around the place. I became a spectator to a game called my life, trying to figure out where everything suddenly changed. It was not that fateful night I spent in jail. It had to be earlier than that. I went from being a normal, royal girl to somebody recognized by everyone globally, and that idea alone scared the shit out of me. Somewhere along the line, I drifted to a peaceful sleep because when someone knocked on my door, I almost jumped out of my skin. The door creaked open just as I pulled myself into a sitting position, my eyes taking in the subtle darkness that had already filled the room.Yahp! I must have dozed off there. “James…” I breathed out in surprise as my older brother came waltzing into my room on slow, defeated strides. He came to stop before my
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 20
Chapter 20ALEJANDRO POV“What gave her out? I swear I wouldn’t have thought she was a spy.” Viper said as the craft soared through the clouds, taking us to Naples where we were going to settle this mess once and for all. Somehow Francesco needed to know who the real boss was. I guess letting him just be made him think that he could go around branding shit in my territory. He was still in disbelief that we had encountered that, and that the girl almost outsmarted him just like that while he was blinded by the blue British eyes. “A few things. One, how she seemed to know exactly who we were as soon as she walked it. Two, the wine bottle was already opened. If the gun plan failed, then the poisoned wine would definitely get us. And three, the fake Alissia name? Anyone could tell that she is a bloody descendant of Athelstan.” I pointed out causing him to shake his head in disbelief. He wiped a hand down his face before slouching into his seat, causing Kaito to chuckle where he was ca
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 19
Chapter 19ALEJANDRO POV“What have you got?” I asked as I settled into the seat of the Cadillac, Viper slithered into the seat beside me, excitement bubbling from him like he was a kid about to show me his favorite drawing. I waited patiently.“You are not gonna believe it.” He smiled as he pulled out his iPad again and scrolled a few pages before thrusting the device my way. I grasped it and saw a picture of foreign men. Utterly foreign. I tried to search my mind as to where I had seen their ugly faces before, but I came out blank. They were all too new to me. “This is?” “That is the new Turantello Familia.” He pointed to the device, and confusion poked holes into my brain. “I am listening.” I probed, as calm as winter snow. That’s what sex did to me. It calmed the raging blood lust and made me reason with a clear head. “Since the former Turantello was absorbed by us, and its Dons gave you all the rights to their lands and everything, what you see there, are former members of
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 18
Chapter 18ALEJANDRO POVMy phone vibrated right when I flipped her over, wrenching a whiny moan from her. Kimberly wiggled her ass in my face as she attempted to have me concentrate on her. But I was a man living on borrowed time, and no amount of pleasure or sex could cloud my senses to a point where I could ignore calls. I mean people could be dying when I was busy, balls deep into some random woman; or my enemies could be flooding my territory all ganged up to kill me. “Don’t be greedy, sweetheart. You have claimed all of me already.” I slapped her ass as I walked away from where she was bent, ass in the sky and face on the couch. She let out another annoyed sigh, and I stifled a chuckle. Picking up my pants from the floor, I searched my phone from the pocket and when I found it, stared at the screen with utmost shock as the name ARCHDUCHESS remained displayed on my screen as the device continued vibrating in my hand like it was cursed. I contemplated letting it ring, because
