Semua Bab Bound by the Billionaire's Claim: Bab 201 - Bab 210

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

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

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

It was on the industrial side of the city, a safe house deep on the outskirts, a warehouse that no one would have noticed among rows of old factories. It was the kind of place that nobody would glance twice at, but the moment they set foot inside, it was obvious that it was not merely a spouse out of a neglected building.The interior was sleek, high-tech and fortified, with reinforced walls, several security cameras and a fully stocked armory hidden behind a sliding panel in the wall. Victor had prepared well.Maya slumped on the worn leather couch, her body so heavy with fatigue her bones felt like lead, but her mind still tearing at high speed. So much had occurred in too brief a period. Her father was dead. Helena was gone. But now they faced an even greater threat.Zane strode near the window, his jaw stiff, his silver eyes smudged with intensity. Victor poured himself a drink as Elara double-checked the security feeds, his expression unreadable.And then there was Luca.Lounging

The minute Maya and Zane walked into The Dante Club’s polished marble floors, the energy shifted. It wasn’t only the wealth and power filling the room — it was something more sinister.Around her, men in tailored suits and women dripping in diamonds reclined in leather chairs, red wine and whiskey and champagne in hand, as if they didn’t belong to one of the most dangerous organizations in the world.It was structured anarchy, a performance of decorum shielding the vengeful beasts underneath.Zane’s hands on her waist held firm but effortless, and his footing was sure as he led her through the throng. “You bastards are in it together.”Inside, Maya’s pulse roared.Because it wasn’t just a game of deception.This was life or death.Zane leaned forward, his breath warm on her ear. “Smile.”Maya bit her tongue, forcing her lips to tilt, fighting the instinct to blink rapidly as they approached a small gaggle of men near the bar.As soon as they came into the conversation ceased.A man in