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Chapter 31
Last Updated:
2025-02-12 23:36:43
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Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 32
Chapter 32RAYANA POVMy heart did a tiny flip-flop as I watched him step off the raised deck of the throne chair on sure strides. He beckoned Kaito with his finger before whispering something to him, then walked away. I expected him to be swallowed by the masses and the crowd, but he was a man of enigma and everyone glared at him like a mystery waiting to be solved. The crowds parted as he drew nigh, heads turned when he walked by, and I couldn’t help but wonder just how he did it. To command so much power without even saying a single word. He exited the ballroom, and I shook my head slightly before turning to face my aunt. She was watching me, closely so. With a knowing glint sparkling in her eye. I took a sip of my wine before murmuring a nervous “What?” The Queen let out a smooth chuckle before shaking her head, then looked ahead. Not at the people before us, but at a distant memory that caused a sad look to form on her face. “You know, Rayana, you should dread carefully wit
Last Updated : 2025-02-13Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 33
Chapter 33RAYANA POVBetrayal was thick and cloying as Alejandro swerved expertly between lanes on the highway, taking me further and far away from the Queen’s castle. He did say anything the entire time, just let me ride the emotions and be alone with my thoughts that were tormented by the images of my fucking best friend and my fiancee together. I was hurt. Anybody would fucking feel sad. I trusted those two with my life and the first thing they thought of doing was grasp a giant machete and stab me right in my back. Aubrey showed up to my inauguration dressed to the nines, looking as beautiful as ever. She hugged me and congratulated me, told me how proud she was of me and how she couldn’t wait for all of the adventure that came with having all the money in the world. Those were her exact words. And to think all of that time he was converting Lucas??“I feel like an idiot,” I called out after heaving out a loud, heavy sigh. I peeled my eyes open to find out we were parked on a
Last Updated : 2025-02-14Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 34
Chapter 34ALEJANDRO POVThe sun was starting to set behind the tall buildings as I sat in a Chinese Restaurant. It was on a Friday, and the whole building was bustling with people. I remained glued at the farthest end of the restaurant, facing the wall and away from the people. I checked my clock for the umpteenth time, my patience slowly wearing thin. It was too day after Rayana’s official inauguration, and the news of her being the new Archduchess was still a fresh topic in people’s mouths. Everywhere I went, posters of her were plastered everywhere, and my chest swelled with pride every single time. I was more than proud because she had proven on more accounts than one she was more than worthy to be the archduchess, and that she bit his own brother to a pulp when it came to general governing. “Mr. Rodriguez.” A feminine voice called out before it slid into the seat opposite me. My thoughts were shifted from one person who was slowly spinning my whole world around, filling it wi
Last Updated : 2025-02-15Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 35
Chapter 36RAYANA POVMy heart tripped over itself as I marched down the stone stairs and from the third floor of the Windsor Castle- my castle. I was dressed in a small fleece onesie, with my feet clad in pink dinosaur slippers. My mind was racing with all sorts of colorful words I was going to rain on whoever destroyed my peace and quiet. I came to a rocking halt in the lobby to find Lucas trying to claw his way past Henry and some guards who were fighting tooth and nail to deny him entry. “Please. I need to see her. I need to talk to her.” Lucas pleaded with desperateness dripping out his tone, and anger bubbled inside of me. I climbed down the remaining stairs before marching to the door. “I got this Henry.” I roared bee-lining passed the men and stopping at the front door of our house. “Rayana…” He was haggard. The boastful, proud man who used to walk like half of the world’s population owed him was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a homeless, ragdoll with blood and bones. Th
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 36
Chapter 36RAYANA POVI struggled to balance the latte, my phone, my iPad bag, and the door of my office. After a few tries and yapping on the phone with one of the charity organizers, I finally pushed the door open and waltzed in. The office was warm, and the thermostat lit to prevent the biting chill of the winter. I couldn’t wait for summer. I dropped everything in my hand on the desk and then plopped into my chair. “Please send me the last year’s budget as well,” I responded, already wanting to be done with this conversation. We finished up with the pleasantries and promises of keeping in touch before the line went dead.It has been a few days after Lucas’s shitshow, and Aubrey somehow disappeared into thin air in just a night. After the whole ordeal, I decided to pay her a visit at her downtown penthouse, only to be met by a balding family man who was more than thrilled to have landed such a good place at a low price. What was even funny is that she deleted all of her social
Last Updated : 2025-02-17Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 37
Chapter 37RAYANA POVThe soft piano music pouring out of the car speakers of Alejandro’s G-wagon might as well have been an apocalyptic cry. We had just arrived home after a long day of battling emotions and bawling my eyes out after the revelation that my own brother murdered his own father. I was exhausted, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Alejandro made sure I rode the roller-coaster of emotions until I was ‘safe’ to be around James. Since he believed that the first thing I would do when I saw him would be to kill him right where he stood. In all reality, he was absolutely right. As I sat in the passenger seat, I could feel my entire body vibrating with suppressed anger, but Alejandro warned me against doing anything rushed. He reminded me that I had just entered the office and that all eyes were on me. Anything I did was up there on the front pages of newspaper articles. Right now, I wish I was just a nobody. That way I would smother my brother nice and well without get
Last Updated : 2025-02-18Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 38
Chapter 38ALEJANDRO POVDays bled into weeks with James having disappeared into thin air, or so he thought. I knew all he had been up to since he lost everything he had to his name, even though he thought he was invincible and untraceable. I was more than proud of the way Rayana handled his case, and although she may have opened a fucking box of worms, she stood up like the queen I knew she was and handled that excuse of a man the right way. I slid the black glasses on my face before exiting the car into the pouring rain.. I added some force to my feet as I walk-ran to the office entrance of Buckingham Palace Gate, then nodded to the few guards who were standing there. They nodded back and let me through without much of a question.The last time I was here the other one almost had a heart attack when he looked me in the eye hence the glasses. I rode the elevator to the third floor where Rayana’s office was, then tapped the door softly before opening it. Her eyes landed on me, and
Last Updated : 2025-02-19Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 39
Chapter 39JAMES POVIt has been a few days since Rayana kicked me out and wiped my name off the royal family tree. A few days since I lost everything; all the money, my entire family… A few days since I became this new creature.I couldn’t even recognize myself when I looked in the mirror. That powerful man who used to have everything under the soles of his feet was gone; replaced by a haggard, beaten-down drunk who spent twenty-four hours a day with a beer in hand. The streets, my new home, were cold, the bite of the winter unforgiving,My breath steamed against the chill weather, and my whole body ached from the cold.I spotted a bench not far from where I was, then walk-ran towards it before perching myself down and watched the street before me. Everyone went about their ways. It was approximately nine in the evening, and a few days ago I would be in my own home, warm, with my stomach full of all sorts of food. And now, the memory was such a luxury. I recalled back to the tim
Last Updated : 2025-02-20
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Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 76
Chapter 76RAYANA POVI woke up curled into Alejandro’s side, his whole being wrapped around me like a warm comforter. I let my eyes take him in fully, let them wander on every single nook and crook of his face. I printed each detail to memory, and for the umpteenth time, I was awed by the beauty of this man. Long lashes, thick eyebrows that only models could get from terrible laser operations, lips so full and lush that the V dipped so down low. He had these beads of sweat on his forehead that I just wanted to lick with my tongue because that’s how much I loved him. When sleeping, he looked so beautiful. No angry grunts, no heavy sighs, no tiredness that weighed so heavily on him that it was all evident in his simple glance… Just peace. His scent was the soothing elixir I never knew I needed. I was never really a big fan of scents and personal odors, but Alejandro made me find out things about myself I never really knew I had in me. If it were a few months ago I would cringed at t
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 75
Chapter 75RAYANA POVAlejandro balanced me on one arm as he attempted to open the door, but I beat him to it and twisted the door hand. He pushed it open to reveal a pathway of roses and candles all around. My mouth fell open in a small gasp of surprise as my eyes took in every little detail. Somehow in a span of few hours, they had managed to turn my bedroom into a whole honeymoon suite. The entire room was filled with red and white, from roses to the white small throw on the red bed… And everything else reminded me of the time he first took me. The time he claimed me and destroyed for any other man, living or dead. My breath hitched at the memory and heat spread all over my body like wildfire.“Wow…” I breathed out softly. Alejandro simply le
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 74
Chapter 74ALEJANDRO POVEvery time THAT thought crossed my mind, my whole body shook. Shivers rattled my bones and an unknown force slammed right into my chest, causing goosebumps to erupt all over me and sheathe my body like a second layer of skin.At some point, I almost freaked out thinking I was scared, that I was regretting all of this… But then I figured it was because everything was all too surreal. All unbelieveable. A man like me didn’t deserve this much happiness. A man like me with a closet so full of skeletons that they couldn’t be hidden anymore, deserved nothing but isolation for the rest of his life. Cause as they all love to say, people in our world were all beyond redemption. Right now, I was starting to wonder if that was even true.
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 73
Chapter 73RAYANA POVGrowing up, I always imagined that my wedding was going to be the grandest of all times. I imagined it being the most iconic, even more grand than Princess Diana’s herself. I pictured the entire country going on a national lockdown to celebrate the holy matrimony of the Archducke’s older daughter.I imagined chariots, horse carriages straight out of Disney movies, cherry blossoms littering the ground I walked on. I imagined a literal fairy tale, straight out of the books and brought to life. I pictured myself wearing a beautiful princess gown, all white, my teeth brighter than the golden rays of the sun.It probably would have been like that if my dad was still alive, or maybe if Luke was still alive and it was him I was tying the knot to. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever pictured myself being pushed down the aisle in a wheelchair by my younger brother, while my family stood at the head of the chapel watching with eyes filled with tears. At that point, I j
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 72
Chapter 72RAYANA POVAwareness came in bits and pieces. I could feel it by the slow intake of breath and the blood thrumming inside of me that I was alive. But I was not in the world where the sun rose from the east and set in the west. That one was very much evident. Where I was, everywhere I looked, everywhere my eyes landed on was nothing but pure and raw darkness. It was cold, bone-chilling and there was this eerie sensation that kept on washing over me, like cold fingers caressing my skin and making it crawl. And the funny thing was, I felt like I was floating. There was no ground beneath my feet, and my whole body was lighter than a feather. But in this darkness, nothing else existed. It was just me and the deep nothingness that had swallowed me. There was no pain, no joy, and the entire place was void of any sort of feeling.That’s when I heard it. A low murmur of voices, like I was somehow inside a closed drum and they were coming from the outside. That would fucking explai
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 71
Chapter 71ALEJANDRO POVNausea and fury rolled inside of me like hot green acid. I had hoped that the solo drive after the damn ambulance would calm me the fuck down, but the annoying wee! Wee! Wee! Oof the bloody siren made me want to gut the steering wheel right out of its cradle. Every single sound of it meant Rayana was inching closer and closer to death, and that could only mean one thing. My days of pure and unsullied happiness were over!And no. That couldn’t fucking be. I couldn’t allow it. Rayana was not going to leave me because if she left, then she’d leave with the little remaining piece of my soul.And that would be the worst punishment any man cou
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 70
Chapter 70ALEJANDRO POVPain sliced through me. The kind of agony that made me weak in the knees.I’d fucking seen that bloody red dot as it danced around her. But I was fucking slow. Too slow to react and was not faster than a damn bullet. Horror landed inside of me in all its form as I raced up the raised deck, watching with eyes snapped wide as Rayana went lax in her seat. Her head rolled to the side, and her eyes found mine just before she closed them and collapsed. I caught her body before it could collide with the floor, then placed my hand on the reddened spot where her blood was coming out in gallons. The tether of her pain echoed all around me, and I could all bu
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 69
Chapter 69RAYANA POVA rattling shudder rolled down the length of my spine as we rolled down the long, narrow, and carpeted hallway inside Buckingham Palace. It felt like forever since I had stepped foot in here and I hated the fact that I wasn’t so thrilled about being back to my office. If it were any other day, I would have been on the fucking cloud nine. “You alright?” Alejandro’s hand dropped to my lower back, and the heat from his palm seemed to permeate right through my skin and disperse the concentrated tension down there. I let out a huge puff of breath before staring at him in my peripheral, then gave him an unsure nod. I had wanted to carry out the press conference in my own time and on my own terms: when I felt ready to take over the world again. But that visit from my aunt had me sleepless for days, gnawing and churning me from the inside. The disapproval inside her voice had been deadly; but despite all of that, there was no way I would undo what I did. Yes, I und
Claiming The Archduchess Chapter 68
Chapter 68ALEJANDRO POVMolten lava leaked into my stream with a haunting stance. I rolled my head on my neck trying to rid it of the sudden stiffness that held me captive. Having the attention of the Bratva was bad enough on its own, but having the Queen’s meant shit had really hit the fan. “Come. Playtime’s over.” I took Rayana’s hand before jumping off the ring, then held my hands up and caught her before settling her on her feet. She had a puzzled look on her face but didn’t probe until we were inside the lift and it was soaring skyward. “What is it? You are scaring me.” She said in a small voice. I turned to look at her, feeling a muscle working in my jaw. “You
