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CHAPTER 51

Author: Lizbeth Rose
last update Last Updated: 2025-11-04 01:41:52

KIMANI

Alaric had been acting weird lately, which, honestly, was shocking. The man was never weird. He was all about precision, timing, structure, and control. If he said dinner was at seven, it was exactly at seven. If he said he’d call at eight, your phone would ring at 8:00 p.m. sharp. There were no surprises with Alaric Walker.

Until this week.

He’d been quiet but… not in his usual stoic way. His texts had been shorter, his glances softer. Every time I caught him looking at me, he had this faint, secretive smile — the kind that made my stomach twist and my brain scream what are you hiding?

I tried to ignore it. Maybe he was just busy. Maybe I was overthinking it.

Until Friday afternoon.

When I walked into my room after work, the first thing that caught my eye was color — soft pastel pinks and creamy yellows blooming from the middle of my bed.

A bouquet.

A whole bouquet of tulips.

My heart actually skipped. No, it tripped. I froze for a few seconds before setting down my b
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  • Claimed By The Billionaire At The Altar    CHAPTER 58

    KIMANI The moment Alaric pulled away from the kiss, my knees felt like they were made of warm jelly. His hands were still resting on my waist, steadying me as if he knew I might actually crumble if he let go too quickly. His forehead rested lightly against mine. “Go freshen up,” he said softly, his thumb brushing my waist before he finally released me. “Then come to the dining room.” I nodded, still breathless. “O-okay.” He gave me that look—soft, warm, almost tender—before he turned toward the hallway leading to the kitchen. For a man who was usually all power and calculation, he was surprisingly gentle with me. So much gentler than I ever expected the first day I met him. I watched him disappear around the corner, then exhaled a shaky laugh and hurried upstairs. My reflection in the bathroom mirror told the full story— Cheeks flushed. Eyes soft. Lips slightly swollen. “Ohhh my God,” I muttered to myself, splashing cool water on my face. “Get it together.” I

  • Claimed By The Billionaire At The Altar    CHAPTER 57

    ALARIC After the last important meeting of the day, I finally allowed myself to stop pretending. I wasn’t focused on the files in front of me—my mind had long since wandered elsewhere—but that didn’t matter anymore. I stood, straightened my blazer, and addressed my assistants, who were still quietly working at their desks. “You all are free to go. If you don’t have any deadlines to meet.” My voice was calm, measured, but there was an underlying lightness I couldn’t hide. They blinked at me, obviously shocked. Three hours early, and here I was, abandoning the office without a single hint of work left undone. I gave them a faint smile and turned toward the elevator. Their expressions didn’t change as I walked away; they simply stared, clearly trying to process what had just happened. I didn’t wait for approval or acknowledgment—by the time the elevator doors closed, the office and all its usual tension were behind me. The descent felt slower than usual, my thoughts lingering

  • Claimed By The Billionaire At The Altar    CHAPTER 56

    Kimani’s POVBy the time our department meeting ended, I felt like my brain had melted into mush. My supervisor had spent thirty minutes explaining something that could’ve easily been summarized in two PowerPoint slides, and half the room had either zoned out or silently prayed for escape. I was one of them.The moment the meeting concluded, I sank into my chair with a sigh of relief, rolling my shoulders. My phone buzzed on the desk, screen lighting up with three notifications.Three names appeared — Malik, Adrian, and Alaric.I blinked. “What in the world…”It wasn’t every day that all three men decided to message me at once.First came Malik.I hadn’t talked to him properly in a while—not intentionally, just… life. Work. Everything else. He’d always been the easygoing friend who checked in randomly with voice notes full of laughter and ridiculous stories. I felt a pang of guilt as I unlocked my phone and read his message.Malik: Did you suddenly go to space? Because I swear, you’v

  • Claimed By The Billionaire At The Altar    CHAPTER 55

    Alaric’s POV I arrived at the office that morning feeling unusually light. It wasn’t the kind of I just closed a big deal satisfaction I was used to. No, it was something softer, quieter—a warmth that sat deep in my chest and refused to fade. Kimani had that effect on me. The memory of kissing her before we left the house lingered like a sweet aftertaste. She’d smiled up at me shyly, eyes half-lidded, fingers clutching the sleeve of my shirt as if reluctant to let go. I’d teased her for blushing, and she’d muttered something under her breath that made me laugh the whole way to my car. Even now, hours later, sitting behind my polished mahogany desk, I could still feel the ghost of that moment. Her perfume. Her lips. The softness of her voice when she whispered goodbye. I’d never been this kind of man before—the kind who smiled for no reason, who found himself checking his phone every five minutes just to see if she texted. But here I was, caught in the very thing I once swore

  • Claimed By The Billionaire At The Altar    CHAPTER 54

    Kimani Monday mornings have never been my favorite, but today was on a whole new level of I don’t want to do this. The thought of stepping into the office, pretending to care about reports and endless chatter after the weekend I’d had—it felt almost cruel. My mind kept replaying the image of Alaric’s smile under the soft glow of the gazebo lights, the sound of his voice when he whispered my name like it was something precious. Now, sitting across from him at the breakfast table, I could barely muster the energy to fake enthusiasm. The smell of pancakes and coffee filled the air, yet I just poked at my food with a fork, dragging syrup around the plate without really eating. Alaric looked up from his coffee cup, watching me like a hawk. I could feel his eyes on me, warm but heavy with concern. “You look like you’re about to run away,” he said finally, his tone calm but teasing. “I’m not,” I replied, stabbing a piece of pancake half-heartedly. “Just… not feeling the whole ‘corporate

  • Claimed By The Billionaire At The Altar    CHAPTER 53

    ALARIC'S POVI walked Kimani up to her room, my hand still brushing lightly against hers. I didn’t want to let go. Every step we took along the quiet hallway felt like an echo of what had just happened — that perfect evening by the lake, her soft laughter, the way her eyes lit up when she saw the ring.Now, as we stopped in front of her door, I found myself hesitating. The air between us felt charged, warm, like the remnants of a spark that refused to die down. She turned to face me, her lips parting slightly as if to say something, but no words came.I didn’t think — I just acted.Before I could talk myself out of it, I reached for her, pulling her close, and kissed her. Hard.It wasn’t gentle like the one by the lake. This one was fire and relief and need — the kind of kiss that said I’ve been wanting this for too long. She gasped softly against my mouth before melting into it, her hands clutching my shirt for balance. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.When we finally pulled apart,

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