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CHAPTER 12

Author: Joy Cherish
last update publish date: 2026-05-07 11:14:44

Liam’s POV

I woke before my alarm, the city still dark outside my windows, the weight of too many thoughts already alive in my chest.

I was buttoning my shirt when I heard soft footsteps padding across the hallway.

“Daddy?”

I turned. Diana stood there in her pajamas, eyes still puffy from sleep, clutching her stuffed bunny by one ear. She always looked so small in the mornings, so untouched by the world’s madness.

“Come here,” I said, kneeling a little.

She walked over and wrapped her arms arou
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  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 39

    Liam's POVI should have been listening.A man from a venture capital firm had been speaking for nearly five minutes but had no idea what he'd said because, Sebastian Cross was still talking to Ava across the ballroom.My jaw tightened. After a brief conversation with him, he left."Careful."I glanced sideways. Clara stood beside me holding a glass of champagne."What."She laughed. "That murder face.""I don't have a murder face.""You absolutely have a murder face."I looked away and Clara followed my gaze straight to Ava and Sebastian then back to me."Oh, It is much worse than I thought. A lady."I exhaled slowly.Clara smiled. "You are jealous.""I'm not Clara.”"Liam."" I said I'm not."She laughed."You've looked at Sebastian Cross more in the last twenty minutes than you've looked at anyone in this room.""That's because he's standing in my line of sight.""What a coincidence."I ignored her. Unfortunately she kept talking."Do you want me to go over there?""No.""Ask them

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 38

    Ava's POVTwo weeks.Two entire weeks had passed since the message, two weeks since Liam had looked at my phone, two weeks since I had watched something dark settle behind his eyes.And he still hadn't asked a single question. Not one and somehow that was worse, because Liam Reynolds was not the type of man who ignored things. He noticed everything. Every detail. Every inconsistency.Yet he had never brought up that message again. Not through texts or through calls, not even through the few brief interactions we'd had at work. Nothing.The silence was driving me insane and tonight wasn't helping.The Cross Industries Annual Summit was one of the biggest corporate events of the year. Every major company in New York seemed represented, including Reynolds Holdings.Which meant Liam was here somewhere.And despite promising myself I wouldn't look for him… I already had.Five times or maybe six."You did it again."I groaned.Elena smirked beside me."I did not.""You literally just scanne

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 37

    Liam's POVI did not sleep much this night again which was becoming a pattern. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ava. Not the gala or the hallway scene. Not even the way she looked at me when she thought I wasn't paying attention.It was her face yesterday.The moment I asked about Damien's father, there was panic and fear in her eyes. The way she shut down instantly. Something was there and is really important.And for the first time since Adrian offered to dig into her life, I wasn't sure I wanted answers handed to me.I wanted the truth not a report or a file. Not someone's version of events but the truth.My phone buzzed on the nightstand and I reached for it.Ivan.I answered immediately."Morning, sir."I sat up slowly. "What is it?"A brief pause."I spoke with Adrian sir."Of course he did. "And?""He mentioned you requested information on Ava Morales."I rubbed my jaw. "I did.""I can have everything on your desk by this afternoon."I walked toward the windowz the city stret

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    Chapter 36

    Ava's POVThe ride home was quiet.Damien sat in the backseat staring out the window while Isa drove. Normally he would be talking nonstop about dinosaurs, cartoons, Diana. Anything that crossed his mind.Tonight he barely said a word. And somehow that scared me more than anything.I looked at him through the mirror."Everything okay, baby?"He looked up and smiled. "Yeah."The smile didn't reach his eyes. My chest tightened. Isa noticed too. I could tell from the way her fingers tightened around the steering wheel.Neither of us said anything because we both knew exactly what was wrong. The questions had started and there was no putting them back.The rest of the drive passed quietly.When we finally reached the apartment, Damien ran ahead to open the door. For a second he looked like his usual self again.For a second. Then I remembered the drawing.My Dad?The image flashed through my mind again.I swallowed hard and followed him inside.Dinner was already prepared. Nothing fancy j

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 35

    Liam's POVI should have been working. Instead, I was driving around Brooklyn on a Saturday afternoon with Diana in the back seat and Ava Morales occupying every spare corner of my mind.It was becoming irritating. Very irritating."Daddy."I kept my eyes on the road. "Hm.""Daddy." She called again."What.""You didn't hear me.""I heard you.""No, you didn't."I sighed.Diana folded her arms dramatically. "I said I wanted ice cream.""You had ice cream yesterday.”"And?""You don't need more."She gasped theatrically like I had personally offended her."Daddyyy." She whined."No.""Daddy pleaseeee.”"Diana." I called."Daddy."I rubbed my forehead. Five years old, already impossible.She grinned from the back seat. "I love when you do that.""Do what.""The angry forehead thing."I exhaled and she laughed.For a few minutes, silence settled between us. At least until she spotted something through the window."Dad.”I already knew that tone.She pointed excitedly. "There."I followed

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 34

    Ava's POVThe next morning, I arrived at Isa's restaurant earlier than usual. The delivery truck had already come and left.Boxes were stacked everywhere. The place looked more like a warehouse than a restaurant.Isa stood behind the counter with a clipboard in one hand and a pen tucked behind her ear.The moment she saw me, she narrowed her eyes. "Oh, look who finally arrived."I rolled my eyes."It is eight in the morning.""And you still look exhausted.""I'm fine.""Mhm."I grabbed a box. Isa watched me. I ignored her. She continued watching and I ignored her harder.Finally she sighed dramatically."Ava.""No.""I haven't even said anything.""You are about to."She grinned. "True."I groaned.Behind us, Damien sat at one of the tables with crayons scattered everywhere.He was drawing dinosaurs. Again.Every single dinosaur somehow had bigger teeth than the previous one."Damien," I called."Yes, Mommy?""Don't draw on the table.""I'm not."Isa glanced over."He already did."D

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 19

    Liam’s POVThe morning light spilled across the dining table in long, soft lines, catching the edge of Diana’s cereal bowl as she swung her legs under her chair. The house was calm in that familiar way it always was before the day gained speed. I took my seat, greeted by the quiet clink of plates a

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 19

    Liam’s POVThe morning light spilled across the dining table in long, soft lines, catching the edge of Diana’s cereal bowl as she swung her legs under her chair. The house was calm in that familiar way it always was before the day gained speed. I took my seat, greeted by the quiet clink of plates a

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 18

    Ava’s POVI woke up already tired.Not the kind of tired that sleep fixes, but the kind that lingers in your bones after a night your mind refuses to forget. The gala still sat in my head like a loud room I couldn’t walk out of.I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before forcing myself up.“G

  • CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE    CHAPTER 17

    Liam’s POVThe house was quiet when I walked in, the kind of quiet that pressed on the walls and made every step sound louder than it should have. I loosened my tie as I made my way through the foyer, the echo of the gala still clinging to me even though I had left hours ago.I should have felt rel

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