Ruthless Claim
When 22-year-old Aria, an art student struggling to keep her life afloat, signs a surrogacy contract for the powerful and notoriously private billionaire Luca De Rossi, she expects a simple transaction not a story that will change everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.
But what begins as an arrangement soon blurs into something deeper.
Luca isn’t the cold man the headlines describe; behind his control and empire lies a heart scarred by loss and trust built on careful walls. And Aria…gentle, stubborn, disarmingly honest starts breaking those walls without meaning to.
When a single photograph exposes their secret to the world, the contract becomes a scandal, and Aria becomes the headline: The Mistress, the Billionaire, and the Baby.
With the media frenzy threatening everything Luca built and Aria’s pregnancy advancing under relentless pressure, both must decide whether to hide behind duty or fight for a love neither expected.
As betrayals surface in the boardroom and Luca’s empire trembles under corporate fire, Aria finds herself caught between the life she left behind and the dangerous world she’s come to belong to.
Every choice she makes echoes louder for her child, for her heart, and for the man who swore to protect both.
Set against the breathtaking Italian Riviera, this is a story of forbidden love, fierce loyalty, and the courage to stand tall when the world wants you to fall.
A romance that begins with a contract… and ends with a fight for forever.
Baca
Chapter: RUMORS & RUINThe morning started with laughter.Aria sat at the long marble kitchen island, Eva by her side, both of them in oversized T-shirts and messy buns, half-eaten croissants between them. For once, she felt normal. Not like someone’s possession. Not like the girl hidden in a gilded cage. Just… Aria.“You snore,” Eva teased, sipping her coffee.Aria snorted. “I’m growing a human. I’m allowed.”Across the room, Luca stood with a cup of espresso in hand. He gave the smallest smile at the sound of her laugh, but didn’t join in. He’d been quiet since Eva arrived, polite, distant, always watching and always calculating.“You okay?” Eva asked quietly, her eyes flicking toward him.Aria shrugged. “It’s… complicated.”“He’s hot,” Eva whispered. “But also kind of terrifying.”Aria smiled weakly. “Welcome to my life.”Before Eva could respond, Maria stepped into the kitchen, phone in hand, worry shadowing her face.“Aria,” she said, voice low. “You should see this.”She handed over her phone. On the
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-11-13
Chapter: THE WAY HE WATCHED HER Eva’s laughter rang through the penthouse like a breeze Aria hadn’t felt in months, light, familiar, utterly normal.They sat cross-legged on the plush living room rug, a plate of pastries between them, city lights blazing beyond the glass.“I can’t believe he flew me here,” Eva whispered. “Jet and everything. Does he always move like that?”Aria smirked. “Luca doesn’t do halfway. Even when you don’t ask for it.”“Especially when you don’t ask for it,” Maria chimed in, flopping beside them with a glass of juice.Aria’s hand drifted to her belly more habitually now than thought. “He says it’s not control. That’s care.”Eva’s eyes softened. “And is it?”Aria didn’t answer. The question wasn’t simple anymore.Luca had been quiet all day, working from the shadows of the penthouse but always near. Not hovering, just present. When she stood too long, he noticed. When she skipped a meal, a tray appeared like magic.She’d once hated the way he loomed. Now she wasn’t sure how to breathe when h
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-11-13
Chapter: LINES WE CROSS The atmosphere in the penthouse changed the moment the man stepped out of the elevator.Aria froze. Instinct made her step back, one hand flying to the curve of her stomach…protective, sharp.Luca didn’t move, but the quiet in his body was dangerous. Too still. Too controlled.The man’s gaze flicked to Aria, then locked on Luca.“Didn’t expect her to be here,” he said, voice calm, almost amused.“No one expects a trespasser,” Luca bit out, stepping forward. “You’re not welcome here, Damon.”The name dropped like a stone in the room.Damon.Aria felt the heat of it coil behind her ribs. Who was he? Family? Enemy?She didn’t ask. Not yet. She was watching Luca too closely.He wasn’t yelling. He wasn’t storming. But his jaw was set, and his arm came around her waist in one quiet motion, guiding her back without a word.It wasn’t just protective. It was instinctual. Possessive. Gentle.“You should go,” Luca said, his voice low. “This isn’t the time.”Damon smirked. “You think I came all t
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-11-13
Chapter: TIPPING POINTThe morning started like any other, silver light pouring through the penthouse windows, too quiet, too still.Aria sat at the dining table in one of Luca’s oversized sweaters, a bowl of oatmeal untouched in front of her. Her stomach twisted. Not from nerves. Not entirely. She pressed a hand to her belly. It was subtle still, a slight curve only she seemed to notice. But it was there, Real and Growing.Maria appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray of tea and honey.“You need to eat,” she said gently, setting the tray beside the untouched food. “And rest. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard.”Aria glanced at her. “I just went for a walk yesterday.”Maria’s brow lifted. “You disappeared for six hours. Luca nearly lost his mind.”Good, she wanted to say. Let him lose something for once. Instead, Aria sighed and pushed the bowl away. “I’m fine.”Maria’s gaze softened. She stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from Aria’s cheek like a mother might.“You’re not just you anymore, Aria
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-11-12
Chapter: TASTE OF FREEDOMAria didn’t wait for permission this time. Days in Luca’s glass penthouse had turned every wall into a mirror of her own cage. But there was still a world outside one he couldn’t control every second of every day.He’d left early, a curt note beside her untouched breakfast: Meeting. Don’t leave. She stared at the neat handwriting until the words blurred, then stuffed it in her pocket like a challenge.Maria was gone. The guards at her door only nodded as she passed, polite but expressionless. Maybe they thought she was too meek to try. Or too smart.She pulled her hood low, walked into the elevator, and braced herself. The doors closed without interruption. No hand is dragging her back. No voice in her ear: Not so fast, sweetheart.When the lobby doors opened, the city air slammed into her like a slap. She almost laughed, diesel, food trucks, wet pavement, life.She walked for blocks with no plan. No bag, no money, just a crumpled bill in her pocket. It didn’t matter. Each step away f
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-11-12
Chapter: FRACTURE The next morning, Aria didn’t wait for Luca to come to her.She stormed into his study, bare feet sinking into the thick carpet, heart pounding like a war drum.He sat behind his massive desk, sleeves rolled up, tie discarded, a pen twirling lazily between his fingers as he scanned a contract.When he looked up, one brow arched.“Aria.”She ignored the warning in his tone.“I want to talk about school.”His gaze dragged over her, slow and maddening, stripping her bare even in leggings and a sweatshirt.“School?”“Yes.” Her chin lifted. “I want to finish my degree. Part-time, online, even one class a semester. I won’t sit here and rot.”“You’re not rotting.”“Really?” She folded her arms tight across her chest. “This isn’t living. I’m a prisoner with better sheets and a locked door. Half the time, I don’t even know what day it is.”“You have everything you need,” he said evenly. “Doctors. Food. Security.”She let out a harsh laugh. “Security? You mean guards to keep me from running?”H
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-11-12
Masuk
