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Chapter 22 - Off Script
Last Updated:
2025-04-14 09:58:26
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Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 23 - She Was Here
Damon“She’s gone.”What??!“What the hell do you mean by that, Leo? What happened? You were supposed to watch her, dammit,” I curse through the phone, barely keeping it together.“She was right here. I briefly stepped away from the door to check with the other assignment you gave me. The other guys were on their brea—”I cut him off before he can finish. “For fuck’s sake, Leo! This is more important than any other task I send your way. You better find her. NOW!”My voice booms through the line. “The freaking instruction was ‘Man her door at all times!’ I say one thing! One! And you all decide to do the opposite!” I end the call before I say something worse.Ava. Ava. Ava.I should’ve known. Should’ve predicted it. She’s always been like this—impulsive, unpredictable. But I didn’t think she’d actually do it. Not this time.Where do I even start? What kind of story can I manufacture to Father? Those vultures at home already think she’s a fake– just a pretty face I pulled in for appeara
Last Updated : 2025-04-14Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 24 - Controlled Chaos
AriaHow he manages to get under my skin is something that’ll probably take me a while to understand. He’s lucky I haven’t figured out a way to reach Ava. Contract or no contract, I’d have been long gone.Accusing me of seducing his brother? How low could he possibly go? I feel both satisfaction and regret from the way I acted—slapping him.Nobody should have the power to rile me up. Not like that. Not in public.I’ve always been the one to respond with indifference and calmness, rather than lashing out. But ever since I woke from the coma, I’ve been reactive. I never knew I had it in me—until the ill-fated day I met Grumpy.Time and time again, I surprised even myself.For the first time, Damon was at a loss for words. And why?A kiss.In that moment, as I waltzed over to him with a fake smile plastered across my face, I had no idea what I was doing.But the closer I got, the clearer it became.Shut him up with a kiss. And I did. Just lightly—but I did.I caught the look of surprise
Last Updated : 2025-04-14Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 25 - Suture Suitor
Aria Light penetrates my eyes before I even open them.It's crisp and clinical, and everything smells like antiseptic and plastic. There’s a quiet hum beneath everything—machines, perhaps. The continuous beep of a monitor next to me confirms something I don't want to admit.Hospital. Again.I try to move, but my arms fail me. There's an IV in the back of my hand.I open my eyes.Fluorescent ceiling tiles hang above me. A hanging drape is drawn halfway around the bed, and a hard sheet covers me up to my chest. My body feels as if it has been dropped down a precipice and then regretfully sewn back together.My lips are dry, and my tongue tastes like metal. When I try to speak, all I manage to let out is a cracked, hollow rasp.The memories come in fragments.Running. The park. Barking dogs.Damon—shouting, furious.His tight grip on my arms. Me yelling.Then the ground. A jolt. Everything turning black.The monitor beside me spikes with my heartbeat.The door swings open, and Dr Jenna
Last Updated : 2025-04-15Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 26 - Feeding The Lie
AriaThe next few days pass faster than I expect. That might be because of the steady stream of pain meds, or maybe it’s the simple rhythm of hospital life—nurses in and out, vitals checked, food trays delivered like clockwork. Still, nothing distracts me quite like the fact that Damon keeps showing up.Every. Single. Day.He never says he’s coming, but he always does. Always around the same time, too—like he’s scheduled it between corporate meetings and brooding in penthouses. And he's always armed with something—food, water, a sarcastic comment.“You’re looking less like a corpse today,” he says one morning, dropping a bag of takeout onto my tray table.I narrow my eyes. “Charming.”“Not trying to charm you. I'm trying to make sure Mother doesn’t notice you’ve lost an ounce.” He unpacks the container like it were a normal part of his life. Like, feeding me was just one more business obligation. Well, it was.I watch him closely. There’s a twitch in his brow when he thinks I’m not pa
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DamonLetter?Who the hell still writes a letter?It’s not the kind of thing that shows up in this house. Not with my systems, my protocols. Everything’s monitored, filtered, and controlled. That’s the point. So when the maid shoved the envelope into my hand earlier, it barely registered. Some PR stunt, probably. A thank-you from a client’s assistant. But now, standing in the dim hallway, my eyes catch the opening line, and every muscle in my body locks up.Hey Aria,It’s been a minute.How is he treating you?A low buzz floods my ears.I’m asking because it’s important. To me.I can always come to your rescue. I know you're trapped.The words turn razor-sharp.Now, don’t rack your head with thoughts, my darling.You don’t know who I am. Or do you? But, rest assured, I know you. I see you, and I know your struggles. Be good. I’ll keep in touch. Don’t ask how. I’ll see you before you see me.Till next time—whenever that is.The paper rustles in my hand as I lower it.What the act
Last Updated : 2025-04-15Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 28 - Questions & Questions
AriaEverything feels heavy. Limbs, eyelids, even thoughts. There’s a hum somewhere—soft, constant. A vent? Maybe. My eyes open slowly to a ceiling I don’t recognise. Smooth, white, untouched.This isn't my apartment.The bed is too soft. The sheets are too crisp. Light spills in through pale curtains, warm and golden. The room’s beautiful, like something out of a lifestyle magazine. Pale blue walls. A fancy headboard. Everything is perfectly arranged. Too perfect.A slow breath in. My throat is dry. My body aches like it’s been asleep for far too long. Maybe it has.What... happened?Pieces start to click into place, but they come slowly. Disconnected.Damon. His voice. The letter.God, the letter.Hey Aria, it’s been a minute.The words replay, dripping with familiarity and malice –the strange, almost intimate tone. I remember Damon reading it, and his expression hardening. My stomach turning. The blood draining from my face. Then—Darkness.I blink and sit up, head pounding. The we
Last Updated : 2025-04-16Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 29 - The Old Hand
AriaShe stands at the top of the stairs, arms gently crossed, with a look on her face like she’s stepped into a memory. Her smile stretches wide, full of warmth and some quiet amusement, like seeing me is the final piece of a puzzle she’s waited years to complete.I pause, one foot still on the step. Her presence feels out of place—like I walked into someone else’s story.“Who are you?” The words come out sharper than I mean them to.“Oh, my darling,” she says, voice light and familiar, “you wouldn’t know me.” She starts down the stairs, moving like the place still remembers her. “I’m Eunice. Just got back this morning.”I squint slightly. Nothing about her rings a bell.“I’m not following. Got back from where?”“I’ve served the Stone family for over twenty years,” she says with a kind of nostalgic pride. “Took a break to tend to my health. But now I’m back.”Something in her voice carries history. It pulls me in despite myself.“Nice to meet you,” I offer. “I’m Aria.”She touches my
Last Updated : 2025-04-16Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 30 – To Have and to Hold... My Breath
AriaThe knock comes early. Soft, respectful. There's no room to pretend I'm still asleep.The maid enters, jumping straight to business, "Good morning, Miss. It’s time."In no time, the room is already buzzing. The dress hangs like a ghost near the window, perfectly pressed and waiting. Makeup brushes glide across palettes. A steamer hisses from the corner. The scent of roses and perfume lingers in the air.If only this were real. If only Ava didn't. If she didn't leave me here. The Ifs keep pouring.I sit still while hands flutter around me. Moisturizer. Foundation. Concealer. A little blush. Hair curled, pinned, twisted into shape. As my dress is zipped up slowly, none of it feels real. The girl in the mirror isn’t me. She looks flawless, but her eyes are someone else's. Someone trained to smile. Someone trapped. Someone without a choice. I noticed Eunice hovering nearby, watching with that unreadable expression of hers. When the stylists finish, she steps in and starts adjustin
Last Updated : 2025-04-16
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Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 72 - Half-Naked Heroics
DamonThe car pulls in minutes later. Leo jumps out, opens the backseat. I ease her inside, wrapping her in a spare blanket from the trunk.She doesn’t fight it. Just shivers, eyes closed, the shell of her body telling a story she won’t say out loud.I climb in beside her.“Drive,” I tell Leo.The ride is silent.The engine hums. The wipers slice the rain. Her breathing is steady, shallow, like the whole night’s events have finally caught up to her.I glance at her.No mascara.No lipstick.No sharp retort sitting on her tongue.Just a girl who ran too far, chasing someone who may not want to be found.And all I want in this moment is to reach across the seat and hold her hand.But I don’t.Because I’m still the monster.Have been. Still am.I’m cut out of my reverie by the sound of Leo’s voice.“Where to? Home or?” He asks, his voice tight with hesitation, eyes flicking back to the rearview mirror.He already knows the answer. Or at least the dilemma. We can’t go home.Eunice will sn
Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 71 - Rain and Reckoning
DamonWhere the hell are you, A?Why couldn’t you just sit your ass down?Why?One week. That’s all I asked for. One week to get my head straight. To clear this goddamn fog that’s been clouding every thought since Paris.But no. Of course not.It’s already late. The sky’s dark, the streets are quieter than usual, and every fucking second that ticks by adds weight to my chest. I grip my phone like it might suddenly offer an answer, but instead it rings, the sharp sound slicing through the silence.Kingsley.“Any news?” he asks the second I pick up.“No, man. She’s not here. I found her phone in an alleyway, but she’s not here.” My voice comes out flat. Resigned.He exhales sharply. “Keep searching. She couldn’t have gotten far. Hopefully, she managed to get away."“Right. Thanks. This stays between us. You know what’s at stake.”“Of course,” he says, his tone grave. “My prayers are that no one’s recognised her in all this mess.”“Right. That too. It would be a fucking disaster.” I mutt
Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 70 - Limp Logic
AriaI run.Hard.Faster than my legs have ever carried me.No time to think. No time to look back. Just the pounding of my feet against uneven pavement and the sound of my heartbeat screaming in my ears.Only when the sharp ache in my ribs forces me to stop do I realise how long I’ve been running. The lights have changed. Everything has.It’s dusk now—that eerie moment between light and night. The buildings cast long shadows across the cracked sidewalk, and the street is emptied out, save for a few too-quiet figures lingering on corners I don’t want to walk past. My gut twists at the sight of them.There’s no one.Not even a cab.This is a bad place.It’s not safe out here. Not by this time.No phone. Just the cash I stuffed in the bottom of my bag. Worse, no way to call for help, even if I wanted to. Even if I gave in and decided to crawl back.But I'm not going back. Not yet. Not until I figure out what the hell this is.A flicker of neon catches my eye up ahead—an old inn tucked b
Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 69 - Cold Trail
DamonI sit there, locked into the chair like my body's forgotten how to move. Minutes bleed into hours. Nothing changes.Not the heaviness in my chest.Not the thick mess in my head.Sleep doesn't come.Of course it doesn’t.It’s not quiet either. Not in my mind. Not even close.The worst kind of noise is the one you can't turn off—the kind that keeps circling, tighter and tighter, until it feels like you’ll suffocate under the weight of your own damn thoughts.I must drift off at some point, because the blare of my phone rips me out of the fog- Leo.My hand fumbles over the nightstand, knocking over a glass before I finally grab it.Whatever it is can wait.It’s barely been two days since I left. Two days for God's sake.I let the phone ring out.But the second it stops, It rings again.Persistent.Something's wrong.A knot forms in my stomach before my brain even catches up.I yank the phone to my ear, the edge in my voice cutting sharper than intended.“What?”"I’m sorry, boss," L
Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 68 – Escape Clause
AriaI run as fast as my legs can carry me, the slap of my shoes against the pavement echoing through the alley.No looking back.No thinking.Just moving.Only when my chest burns and my vision blurs from the rush do I dare slow down. A cab crawls by at the end of the street, and I wave frantically, my heart hammering against my ribs like it’s trying to break free.The driver pulls up, and I jump in, slamming the door behind me.“Where to?” the driver asks, his tone already edged with irritation.“Sorry—I'm sorry, just give me a sec,” I rasp, fumbling for my phone in my bag. Hands shaking, I finally manage, “Take me to 47 Ashbury Lane, please.”The man grunts and starts the engine.I let my head fall back against the headrest, exhaling shakily.“You alright, ma’am?” he asks, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.“Yes. Yes, please. Just... step on it. Please.” The words fly out, desperate.He nods without another word, focusing on the road.The world outside blurs: buildings, st
Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 67 - Into The Unknown
AriaIt’s today.Today, I get to make either the best decision I’ve made in months…Or the worst one of my life.But honestly?What could be worse?What could possibly be worse than living like this?Caged. Paraded like a trophy. Watched. Controlled.Living every second like a marionette, dancing to someone else's strings.Two years of this?No.Hell no.The worst part isn’t even being forced into this stupid arrangement.It’s the hatred.The slow, creeping hatred building in my chest — not just for Damon Stone, but for myself.Mostly for myself.For every glance I can’t stop.For every damn moment my body betrays me.For every stupid, reckless heartbeat that pounds harder when his eyes darken in that particular way.For losing pieces of myself every day.For noticing things I shouldn't — the way his shirts hang on his frame, the rare roughness in his voice when he's tired, the way his eyes darken when he’s furious or… worse, protective.It’s sick.I’m sick.Of myself.Of the way my s
Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 66 - Beneath The Mask
Damon The door clicks shut behind me as I walk out of her room.For a moment, I just stand across the door, staring at the closed door like it might change my mind from leaving.But it doesn’t.Of course, it doesn’t.Silence wraps around me, heavy and suffocating, only broken by the low buzz of my phone still vibrating in my hand.The final message from Kingsley flashes on the screen:~It's done. She’s Aria, not Ava. You were wrong, D.~I sink onto the edge of my bed, dropping the phone onto the sheets like it burned me.She’s not Ava.She never was.All this time…All the fights, the forced performances, the walls I shoved between us to feel safe —And she wasn’t even Ava.I bury my face in my hands, dragging in a shaky breath.A part of me always knew.From the first day in that hospital room, the way her eyes darted around, frantic and disoriented, like a woman waking up from the worst kind of nightmare.It wasn’t guilt.It wasn’t deceit.It was fear.Real, raw fear.And still, I
Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 65 - Left Behind
AriaThe second my eyes peel open, confusion sinks its claws into me.I blink hard. Once. Twice.I'm not in my room.Soft morning light streams across unfamiliar sheets.Oh.Of course.His room. His bed.'It's you again, A, doing the very thing you said you wouldn't — drifting closer to Damon Stone like a fool,' The voice in my head lashes at me.My legs swing off the bed before I can think better of it. The coldness of the floor beneath my feet jolts me more awake.Through the slightly open balcony doors, I catch sight of him — Damon — leaning against the railing, one hand wrapped around a mug, the other tucked into the pocket of his sweatpants.Staring off into nothing, like he’s carrying the weight of the whole damn world on his back."You up?" His voice cuts through the air. He doesn't even turn around.How the hell does he do that?Does he have eyes at the back of his head now?"Yeah," I say, my voice low. "Thanks for letting me crash here."He doesn’t respond. Just keeps staring
Claimed By The Billionaire Chapter 64 - Shifting Grounds
Damon“What? Put me through to them. Right now,” I bark out, my voice cutting sharp through the early morning haze.“Alright, boss,” the guard says, backing out quickly. I shut the door behind him with a little more force than necessary, already feeling my blood pressure climbing.The phone rings, not even three seconds later, and I snatch it up.“The logs? What am I hearing? What about them?”“They've been tampered with. This time, it's bad. Worse than before. We’re going to have to recommend an evacuation. At least you and your wife. For some days, maybe a week tops,” the security head says, tone grim.For a second, the words don’t land.Then they do.“What the hell are you on about?” I snap. “I didn’t pay that much money to be thrown out of my house in under a day. It was just last night that we confirmed the updated protocols. With that man. Whatever his name was.”There’s a beat of hesitation on the other end.Then—"What man, sir?”I freeze.“What the hell do you mean, what man?
