Bound by the Billionaire's Claim

Maya stood in the middle of her big bedroom, taking in the warm familiarity of it. The walls were painted soft cream, the tall windows letting in the late afternoon sunlight, dancing across her old bookshelves and childhood trinkets. A nostalgic smile tugged on her lips. It felt good to be back after years of studying overseas in Asia. She was unpacking her belongings in silence, the quiet hum of the estate seeming to settle her nerves. She wore a great, loose, oversized shirt that fell to mid-thigh and a pair of simple cotton underwear—her favorite outfit for comfort.She had politely declined, though, when the maids offered to assist her, because this was going to be her space, and she wanted to settle into it on her own terms. Her father, Charles, was downstairs somewhere, precisely in his study, buried as always in his work.The ringtone of her phone cut through the silence, and she looked at the screen to see Reese's name flashing and a grin spread across her face. Reese had been

Maya leaned back into the plush headboard of her bed, with a soft blanket laid over her legs as the soothing voice of her audiobook narrator filled the room. She closed her eyes and let the richness of the storytelling take her away. The afternoon sun was warm as it came through the big bay windows, casting golden lighting across the spacious room. It felt good to be home, surrounded by familiar walls that held so many memories.It was suddenly broken by the sound of her door bursting open and sending her into a fright."Maya! Emergency!" Reese chattered, almost tripping over her feet as she barreled into the room.Maya opened her eyes and pulled out her earbuds, watching in confusion and amusement as Reese dumped her oversized bag onto a chair and immediately veered off toward her walk-in closet."You have to stop calling everything an emergency," Maya said, sitting up and stretching. "What is it this time? Did a tabloid make up some story about you again?""Worse!" Reese declared th

He was taller than she had remembered, his perfectly tailored tuxedo hugging his broad shoulders. The sharp angles of his face accentuated by the soft light of the chandelier, and that dammed sexy scar gleaming. His silver eyes swept over her in a slow, deliberate once-over, lingering on her lips, chest and hips as though committing it to memory.The pulse quickened as she realized she wasn't the only one taking stock. His gaze met hers again, and there seemed to be some kind of charged electricity crackling in the air between them. For a moment, the noise of the gala faded to nothing, the room shrinking until it was just the two of them."I didn't expect to see you here," Zane said, his baritone voice sending shivers down her spine.Before Maya could utter a word, one man stepped forward, his presence sudden and invasive. He barely glanced in her direction before turning to Zane. "Mr. Moretti," he began to say, voice slicker than oil and haughty. "I've been trying to catch you all ev

Maya sat in her car in the Davis Enterprises parking garage, her hands gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. The events from the conference room kept replaying in her mind like a bad movie she couldn't shut off. Her phone lay silent on the passenger seat – she'd turned off all notifications after that last cryptic message.A tap on her window made her jump. Reese stood there, concern etched on her face. Maya had texted her an hour ago, barely coherent through her tears."Get out," Reese said through the glass. "You're in no state to drive."The moment Maya stepped out, Reese pulled her into a tight hug. That simple gesture of comfort broke something in Maya, and she found herself crying again."I screwed up," she whispered. "I screwed up so badly.""Come on," Reese said, taking her car keys. "We need wine and ice cream for this conversation."Twenty minutes later, they sat on Reese's couch, Maya clutching a glass of red wine while Reese dug into a pint of chocol

"I can walk," Maya protested as Zane lifted her from the wheelchair."Hospital policy to the door," he reminded her, though his arms didn't loosen even after they passed the threshold. "And I'm not taking chances with your recovery."A week had passed since the shooting. The media had been in a frenzy – headlines screaming about the Moretti twin revelation, Donovan's arrest, and the mysterious woman who'd taken a bullet in the chaos."Where are we going?" Maya asked as Alex opened the car door. She'd expected to return to her apartment, but this wasn't her usual driver."My place," Zane said firmly. "It's secure, and you need looking after.""I don't need—""Please." His voice softened. "Let me take care of you."Something in his tone made her relent. The past week had shown her a different side of Zane – vulnerable, sometimes even scared. He'd barely left her hospital room, handling business calls from a chair by her bed, his free hand always finding ways to touch her, as if reassuri