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Chapter 45 – Masks and Motives
Last Updated:
2025-04-18 20:59:07
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Owned by Billionaire Chapter 46: A Taste of War
The moment the second Elena entered Graves Enterprises, she felt the air change. Whispering ceased. Glaring persisted. Every single employee in the lobby glared at her as if they already knew whatever had transpired behind those penthouse doors last night. The knowledge set a burst of color racing up her neck, otherwise, she was chilled and composed.Killian had called her so many things. Emotionally. Physically. Professionally. And now—everyone could tell.She moved through the building as if it were hers. But the truth was, ownership came at a cost. And last night, she'd paid in a manner she never meant to—losing part of her heart that she'd promised to keep closed off.“Ms. Black,” James, Killian’s assistant, greeted her with an awkward smile. “Mr. Graves has a meeting scheduled in ten minutes. He asked if you’d attend.”"Did he?" Elena raised an eyebrow, taking the tablet from him. "Is Sophia Monroe invited?"James hesitated. "Yes… among others."Of course. Sophia. The woman who s
Last Updated : 2025-04-21Owned by Billionaire Chapter 47: Echoes of the Past
Elena's white-knuckled grip on the doorknob, her eyes fixed on Victor DeLuca—the man everyone thought was dead all these years.His smile never wavered. Crooked. Cold. Chilling."You were to be dead," she said with a gasp and stepped back, the pounding of her heart thudding in her chest like a war drum.Victor exploded into unbidden. "You should know better than anyone—ghosts don't die."Elena slammed the door on his back, rage shaking in her voice. "What do you want?"He looked around his penthouse, whistling low. "Impressive. Graves certainly spoils his favorite pets well. Nice.""Answer the question."Victor finally looked at her, eyes flashing with something unreadable. "I'm here to bring the truth. The truth about your family. About Killian. About all of this."Her blood chilled."I watched them kill," she provoked. "I don't want a fairy tale from the murderer."Victor's expression turned cold. "You think that I murdered them? That is what you have always thought?"She stood with
Last Updated : 2025-04-22Owned by Billionaire Chapter 48: Shattered Vows and Shaking Ground
The penthouse was filled with air—almost tangible with the weight of a thousand unreleased thoughts. Elena sat curled up on the couch, knees drawn up to her chest, staring into the fire raging in the center of the flames. The warmth did not touch her, though. Not when her entire world was falling apart around her all over again.Killian's feet were a few away, fists full in the back pockets of his jeans, jaw set to a hard line. He gave her everything. Everything. All. Of. The. Rest. In the interest of simplicity, he gave nothing but lumps of questions more than he ever gave."You knew… you knew Victor was alive," she said to him, voice frayed and exhausted by deceit. "And you made me think otherwise."He edged forward. "I never gave you any reason to believe otherwise. You didn't ask me. And I didn't tell you because I didn't know whether it was real or not. Not in the past few years, at least."Her eyes flashed with anger. "You lied to me. Like always. You play games, Killian. You ke
Last Updated : 2025-04-23Owned by Billionaire Chapter 1: The Return of Elena Romano
The city never slept, but tonight, Elena Romano was awake for a different reason.From the penthouse balcony of the Grand Royale Hotel, she stood with a glass of champagne, staring at the glittering skyline of New York—the city that had witnessed her family’s downfall.The city that had once been her home… and her grave.Six years ago, she had been buried under the weight of betrayal.She had lost everything. Her family. Her name. Her love.And now, she was back.Not as Elena Romano. That girl was dead.Now, she was Raven Black—a billionaire, a queen in her own right, and a woman with only one purpose.Revenge.And the man she had come for was standing just across the room.Him.Killian Graves.Her first love. Her greatest mistake. The man who had once held her heart and then shattered it into a million pieces.Dressed in a perfectly tailored black Armani suit, he was the center of attention, towering over everyone in the ballroom. His presence demanded respect, his sharp jawline, pie
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Elena Romano had spent years preparing for this moment—to return, to reclaim her power, to destroy the man who had once destroyed her.Yet, one encounter with Killian Graves, and already, her past was trying to claw its way back into her bones.She refused to let it.Pacing her penthouse, she clenched her fists, forcing herself to focus.Killian wasn’t just a man.He was a calculated predator, a king in a world of wolves, a man who had turned his enemies into dust beneath his polished Italian leather shoes.And now, he was coming for her.Her phone vibrated again.This time, a message.Killian: Don’t run. You won’t get far.A rush of rage mixed with something far more dangerous coursed through her veins.How dare he?Elena’s grip tightened around her phone before she forced herself to calm down.Killian wanted her to react. He wanted to see her shaken.She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.Instead, she walked over to the marble bar and poured herself a glass of whiskey. Neat. No ice
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Elena Romano knew how to play the game.Seduction. Manipulation. Revenge.For years, she had studied the art of destruction, learned how to strike where it hurt the most. She had built her empire in the shadows, away from the ghosts of her past.But now, she was walking straight into the lion’s den.Killian’s world.And tonight?She was ready to burn it down.The night air was thick with the scent of power, money, and sin.The Graves Estate stood like a fortress, a mansion of glass and steel, looming over the city like a kingdom of shadows. Inside, the annual masquerade ball was in full swing—New York’s most powerful figures dressed in black and gold, their faces hidden behind delicate masks.Elena stepped into the grand hall, her gown a deep shade of crimson, a color that spoke of war and temptation.She wasn’t here to blend in.She was here to be seen.The room was alive with whispers. Who was she?Who was the woman who walked in like she owned the place?And then, she felt it.The
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Elena sat on the edge of her penthouse balcony, a glass of whiskey in her hand, staring out at the Manhattan skyline. The city lights flickered like embers in the dark, but her mind wasn’t on their beauty.It was on him.Killian Graves.Every interaction with him felt like dancing on the edge of a blade—dangerous, sharp, intoxicating.But she wasn’t here to get lost in the past.She was here to end him.Her phone buzzed beside her.A message.Victor DeLuca: "We need to talk. Tonight. The club."Elena smirked. Right on time.Victor was powerful—one of Killian’s biggest enemies in the underworld. If she was going to bring Killian down, she needed someone just as ruthless to back her.She downed the rest of her drink and stood.It was time to set the next phase of her plan into motion.Across the city, Killian leaned against the massive glass windows of his office, his whiskey untouched on the desk behind him.His mind was still reeling from his encounter with Elena at the masquerade bal
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Elena sat in the dim glow of her penthouse, perched on the edge of her leather couch, staring out at the sprawling skyline.The whiskey in her glass remained untouched, the ice cubes slowly melting.Her body was still wound tight from the events of the night before.Killian had played her like a master. He had humiliated her, destroyed her leverage, and made her look like a fool.But worst of all?He had done it on purpose—not just to win, but to toy with her.Her fingers curled into a fist.She should have anticipated it.Killian Graves never fights fair.The memory of his voice from earlier echoed in her mind.“You underestimated me. That was your first mistake.”Her jaw clenched.If he thought this was over, he was wrong.Her phone vibrated beside her. She picked it up, expecting Victor—expecting threats or a demand for an explanation.But instead, the screen flashed with an unknown number.She hesitated before answering.“Elena Romano.”The voice on the other end was smooth, calcu
Last Updated : 2025-03-17
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Owned by Billionaire Chapter 48: Shattered Vows and Shaking Ground
The penthouse was filled with air—almost tangible with the weight of a thousand unreleased thoughts. Elena sat curled up on the couch, knees drawn up to her chest, staring into the fire raging in the center of the flames. The warmth did not touch her, though. Not when her entire world was falling apart around her all over again.Killian's feet were a few away, fists full in the back pockets of his jeans, jaw set to a hard line. He gave her everything. Everything. All. Of. The. Rest. In the interest of simplicity, he gave nothing but lumps of questions more than he ever gave."You knew… you knew Victor was alive," she said to him, voice frayed and exhausted by deceit. "And you made me think otherwise."He edged forward. "I never gave you any reason to believe otherwise. You didn't ask me. And I didn't tell you because I didn't know whether it was real or not. Not in the past few years, at least."Her eyes flashed with anger. "You lied to me. Like always. You play games, Killian. You ke
Owned by Billionaire Chapter 47: Echoes of the Past
Elena's white-knuckled grip on the doorknob, her eyes fixed on Victor DeLuca—the man everyone thought was dead all these years.His smile never wavered. Crooked. Cold. Chilling."You were to be dead," she said with a gasp and stepped back, the pounding of her heart thudding in her chest like a war drum.Victor exploded into unbidden. "You should know better than anyone—ghosts don't die."Elena slammed the door on his back, rage shaking in her voice. "What do you want?"He looked around his penthouse, whistling low. "Impressive. Graves certainly spoils his favorite pets well. Nice.""Answer the question."Victor finally looked at her, eyes flashing with something unreadable. "I'm here to bring the truth. The truth about your family. About Killian. About all of this."Her blood chilled."I watched them kill," she provoked. "I don't want a fairy tale from the murderer."Victor's expression turned cold. "You think that I murdered them? That is what you have always thought?"She stood with
Owned by Billionaire Chapter 46: A Taste of War
The moment the second Elena entered Graves Enterprises, she felt the air change. Whispering ceased. Glaring persisted. Every single employee in the lobby glared at her as if they already knew whatever had transpired behind those penthouse doors last night. The knowledge set a burst of color racing up her neck, otherwise, she was chilled and composed.Killian had called her so many things. Emotionally. Physically. Professionally. And now—everyone could tell.She moved through the building as if it were hers. But the truth was, ownership came at a cost. And last night, she'd paid in a manner she never meant to—losing part of her heart that she'd promised to keep closed off.“Ms. Black,” James, Killian’s assistant, greeted her with an awkward smile. “Mr. Graves has a meeting scheduled in ten minutes. He asked if you’d attend.”"Did he?" Elena raised an eyebrow, taking the tablet from him. "Is Sophia Monroe invited?"James hesitated. "Yes… among others."Of course. Sophia. The woman who s
Owned by Billionaire Chapter 45 – Masks and Motives
The silence between Killian and Elena was strangling. Thick. Thicker. It was not the kind that longed to be shattered—it was the kind that shrieked at everything that had not been said.Elena was curled all the way along Killian's penthouse chaise, knees tucked up to her chest, eyes distant in the distance as she gazed out floor-to-ceiling windows into twinkling city lights. The city outside was alive—horns, wailing sirens some distance off—but within the apartment, tension hung like a mist with words unspoken and crumbling deceptions.She still could sense the shape of his lips on hers from the past. Still sense tension that had simmered between them like gasoline with a spark-plug. All that was in the past, and all she had remaining was only facts that did not allow for romance.Killian moved behind her, ice and glass clinking against each other in his bourbon as he moved with calculated movement, step controlled, presence hypnotic without words."Tell me something," Elena finally w
Owned by Billionaire Chapter 44 – The Devil's Soft Side
Outside Graves Enterprises, evening air was heavy and low. Ink-black sky and blinking city lights burning far away, unaware of their storms in the streets, sightless to their chaos. Elena sat stiff in the back seat of Killian's black sports car, stiffened knuckles where she had been gripping. She could feel the tension undercurrent thrumming in the air between them, killing silence more deadly than any fight they had ever experienced.Killian sat beside her, his own face an unreadable mask of composure, but his tapping fingers on his leg in staccato—a telling indication of the hurricane seething beneath his smoothed facade. The executive who had overawed a room full of senior managers mere seconds before through icy mastery now looked as volatile as a volcano on the point of eruption."Are you going to say something?" Elena had finally spoken, her voice softer than she meant, but firm enough to shatter the silence.He didn't look at her. "Why did you lie to me?"His voice wasn't cruel
Owned by Billionaire Chapter 43: Behind the Mask, the Man
The room washeat stiflingly quiet, the only noise the measured tick of the old clock that sat atop the wall. Elena faced Killian in his opulent study over his penthouse, her ribcage pounding beneath breasts as she held the USB drive Dante'd given her a couple of hours previously.She had watched the recording twice. And both times, the pain within it increased."You deceived me," Elena whispered, the voice firm and trembling.Killian leaned against the back of his chair, the face emotionless. A pool of warm gold from the desk lamp splashed across the jagged peak of his jawline and chilling eyes. "I never deceived," he informed her, immovable as granite. "I kept things hidden. There is a difference."Elena clapped her fists to her hips, her face flushing. "You knew Victor was collaborating with Sophia all along. And you never told me.""I had to." He stood, his voice rising to hers. "If I'd spoken up, everything would have been altered. You would have gone straight to him. You would ha
Owned by Billionaire Chapter 42 – The Price of Possession
The room was painfully quiet except for the distant hum of the city just beyond the towering glass windows. Elena stood with her back against the cold glass, breathing shallowly. Her pulse roaring in her ears. Killian's voice echoed, low and commanding:“You’re mine. There’s no walking away from me.”She didn’t move. Not because she was frozen in fear—but because something far more dangerous wrapped itself around her heart: confusion. Longing. A dark tether of obsession that she couldn’t seem to cut, no matter how hard she tried.“I’m not a possession,” Elena whispered. “You don’t own me.”Killian moved closer, black eyes smoldering into hers. "No, I don't own you," he said, moving another step. "But I'm the only one who gets to see all of you. Even the parts you try to hide.".She gritted her jaw and swallowed hard, trying to edge away, but he was quicker—one arm pinched between glass on either side of her head, holding her in place. He filled the space so intimately. Too close. Too
Owned by Billionaire Chapter 41: The Fire Beneath the Ice
Elena standing alone in front of the huge marble bathtub, her hands sinking and emerging from the boiling water as silence wrapped itself around her like a shawl. The lamps were dimmed, their golden light shining upon her bare body, but even the warmth of the room was not enough to thaw the ice that was spreading inside her. No matter how many times she'd shut her eyes, she'd always be looking at Killian's face—that confused look when she had accused him of lying.She had pushed him again. Rode him too hard, maybe. But wasn't that what she had started?Her heart no longer listened to her plans.Her door groaned wider. She did not need to turn and recognized it would be him. That receding in the air. That bulk that proceeded him into any room. He was not even going to try to talk then—all he did was simply stand there and stare at her."quiet," she said to him, finally turning over her shoulder. "aren't going to threaten tonight. lock the other door behind you?Killian moved nearer to
Owned by Billionaire Chapter 40 – The Silence Between Us
The tempest raging outside had not dissipated. Neither had the one within her. Elena sat on the bed in her hotel room, fists balled, dripping wet from the rain. Her hair was stuck to her face. Her clothes dampened her cold skin. But all that was nothing in comparison to the pressure building in her chest. Killian's silence. His confession. She had pleaded with him to say no. Prayed it was a mistake. But his eyes told the truth—tormented, dark, full of guilt. He had signed. He had been a partner, if unwitting, to the ruination of her family. Her stomach clenched. There was a time she would have bring down empires for him. Now she couldn't even look at her face in the mirror. A knock on the door had her jumping. Rose up slowly, legs still shaking from it all. Looked through the peephole, and her breath froze. Killian. She did not want to see him. She wanted to scream, to cry, to smash something. But still, she opened the door. He was standing there—wet like her, dark suit
