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chapter 26

Author: MAY SLIVER
last update publish date: 2026-07-21 03:22:46

Vivienne

My mother looked terrified.

That was the first thing I noticed.

Not the ropes around her wrists.Not the chair.

Not even the fact that Edward Ashworth was standing beside Clarissa like a ghost who had stepped out of the grave.

Margaret Ashworth looked afraid.

For as long as I could remember, my mother had never been afraid of anything.

She had controlled every room she entered. She had manipulated people with a smile and destroyed lives without raising her voice.

But the woman on the sc
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  • Contracted by the billionaire    chapter 31

    RomanThe rain soaked through my suit as we stood outside the collapsed tunnel.Dust mixed with the storm, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. My security team spread out immediately, searching the woods for any sign of Victor."He went that way!" Vivienne shouted, pointing toward the trees.I followed her gaze, but the shadow had already disappeared into the darkness."Search the area," I ordered.My men ran without hesitation.For several minutes, nobody spoke. We simply listened to the rain and the distant voices of the security team calling to one another.One of them finally returned."Mr. Steele.""What?""We lost him."I expected that answer, but it still irritated me.Victor had escaped again.He always seemed to stay one step ahead.I looked at the people standing around me.Nathaniel was helping Edward stay on his feet. Delia had wrapped her jacket around Margaret's shoulders. Carter was checking the backpack that contained the Project Phoenix files.Julian sto

  • Contracted by the billionaire    chapter 30

    VivienneI stared at Victor as his words settled over the room.Welcome to the real experiment.For a long moment, nobody spoke.The underground chamber suddenly felt much smaller than it had a second ago. The damp stone walls, the filing cabinets covered in dust, and the dim lights overhead all made it feel like we had walked into a place that should never have existed.Roman stepped slightly in front of me without taking his eyes off Victor.His voice was calm."It's over, Crane."Victor smiled as if Roman had just told a joke."No, Mr. Steele. It's finally beginning."The two armed men beside him raised their rifles another inch.Roman's security team immediately aimed their weapons back.The room was one wrong move away from becoming a battlefield.I slowly lowered the Project Phoenix file onto the table."So this was never about the inheritance."Victor looked at me with approval."Exactly."His answer made my stomach twist."The estate was simply the easiest way to keep everyone

  • Contracted by the billionaire    chapter 29

    RomanThe gunshot echoed through the estate, followed by a woman's scream that seemed to shake the entire house.Without thinking, I pulled Vivienne behind me and reached for my gun. My security team reacted instantly, spreading through the room while Carter switched on the flashlight on his phone.The power was completely out.Only flashes of lightning outside gave us brief glimpses of the study."Everyone stay where you are!" I shouted.Nobody listened. Panic took over.I heard furniture being knocked over, hurried footsteps, and someone cursing from the far side of the room.Another flash of lightning lit the study for a split second.Victor Crane was gone."So was Edward," Carter called out from somewhere near the doorway.Damn it.They had planned this.The blackout wasn't an accident.It was an escape."Vivienne.""I'm here," she answered immediately, her fingers gripping my jacket.I tightened my hold on her hand."I'm not letting go.""I know."The emergency lights finally fli

  • Contracted by the billionaire    chapter 28

    VivienneThe sound of Victor Crane's voice made my skin crawl.For a moment, nobody moved.The study felt frozen in time.Rain battered the windows while thunder rolled somewhere in the distance. The old estate suddenly felt smaller, as if the walls themselves were closing in around us.Victor stood in the doorway looking perfectly relaxed.Like he wasn't supposed to be in prison.Like he hadn't spent years helping destroy countless lives.Like he wasn't standing in the middle of the biggest disaster my family had ever created.Roman immediately stepped in front of me.His body blocked part of my view.Protective. Possessive.Ready for a fight.Victor smiled."Still doing that, Steele?"Roman's voice was ice cold."You should be dead to the world by now."Victor chuckled."And yet here I am."Julian slowly lowered his gun.Not completely.Just enough to show his attention had shifted."What are you talking about?"Victor looked at him.For the first time since entering the room, his s

  • Contracted by the billionaire    chapter 27

    RomanThe second the screen went black, the room erupted into chaos."What happened?" Delia demanded.Carter was already typing furiously."I'm trying to reconnect."My eyes never left the laptop.Julian was alive.He had walked straight into whatever trap Clarissa and Edward had created.And judging by the look on his face, he wasn't there to negotiate.He was there for war."Can you track the signal?" I asked.Carter nodded."Maybe."Maybe wasn't good enough. Not anymore.Every minute mattered.Vivienne stood beside me, her hands clenched into fists.I could see the fear she was trying to hide.Not fear for herself. Fear for answers.Every person connected to the truth was now in the same place.If we lost them now, we might never get another chance."I found something."Everyone turned toward Carter.A map appeared on the screen.One blinking location.An abandoned estate outside the city.Nathaniel immediately froze."No."I looked at him."You know it?"His face had gone pale."T

  • Contracted by the billionaire    chapter 26

    VivienneMy mother looked terrified.That was the first thing I noticed.Not the ropes around her wrists.Not the chair.Not even the fact that Edward Ashworth was standing beside Clarissa like a ghost who had stepped out of the grave.Margaret Ashworth looked afraid.For as long as I could remember, my mother had never been afraid of anything.She had controlled every room she entered. She had manipulated people with a smile and destroyed lives without raising her voice.But the woman on the screen looked broken.The live feed crackled.Clarissa stepped closer to the camera.Her blonde hair was pulled back neatly, and she wore a dark coat. She looked calm while the rest of us were barely holding ourselves together."Now you finally have everyone's attention."My heart pounded."Clarissa."She smiled when she heard my voice.For a brief second, I saw the sister I grew up with.Then it disappeared."You should have listened to me years ago."I gripped the edge of the table."You tried t

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