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Seventy Two
publish date:
2026-07-14 04:18:47
Latest chapter
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Seventy Six
JEREMIAHIce clinked against the crystal tumbler in my hand. I was trying my best not to crash out, but it was so damn hard. Tearing my father’s pristine reputation apart would permanently shatter my mother’s fragile recovery. She needed peace. I needed leverage.Just then, the front doors swung open.Gusts of damp, freezing wind swept into the grand foyer, carrying the scent of wet asphalt and expensive wool. Hector rushed forward, grabbing the dripping black umbrella.Arthur Ashford stepped over the threshold.He looked incredibly energized. The exhausting cross-country flight hadn't touched his aristocratic posture. He unbuttoned his tailored charcoal overcoat, a satisfied, arrogant smile lifting the corners of his mouth."Eleanor, darling." Arthur strode directly into the adjoining parlor.My mother sat near the fireplace, a woven blanket draped over her paralyzed legs. The flames cast dancing, warm shadows across her pale face. She looked up, offering a small, practiced smile."A
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Seventy Five
JEREMIAH Tailing my father’s black town car down the 110 freeway felt like a sick, twisted joke.For the past two hours, I sat in a booth at a ridiculously overpriced Beverly Hills steakhouse, hiding behind a menu. I fully expected to catch him slipping hotel keys or whispering garbage into his date's ear. To my massive disappointment, they genuinely just held a business meeting. They ate scallops, reviewed zoning permits, and talked about commercial real estate acquisitions. There wasn't a single lingering touch.But following them back to the downtown luxury hotel completely shifted the narrative.Parking two blocks away, I jogged through the humid Los Angeles night air. Slipping through the revolving glass doors, I kept my head down, a dark baseball cap pulled low over my eyes. I watched them walk straight past the reception desk and head directly for the VIP elevators.Spotting an abandoned housekeeping cart near the lobby restrooms, I swiped a master keycard sitting on top of a
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Seventy Four
AUTHOR'S POVEleanor stared at her untouched plate. A single, heavy tear slipped over her pale lashes, catching the bright California sunlight before dropping onto her lap."I know." She dragged a napkin across her cheek. "I know what he is. But he holds the purse strings to your entire future. Your draft status. Your trust fund.""I don't care about the money.""He will use it to break her." Eleanor looked up, her gaze suddenly fierce and clear. "If this girl—Athena—if she makes you smile, you have to be smarter than him. You cannot fight him with sheer force. You need leverage."The waiter returned, completely oblivious to the heavy, toxic atmosphere. He cleared the plates, setting down two small cups of espresso.The bitter, rich scent of roasted coffee beans drifted up from the ceramic cups.Taking a slow sip, Eleanor’s words crystallized in my mind.*Leverage.*Arthur spent his entire life building an impenetrable fortress of wealth and respectability. He served on charitable boa
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Seventy Three
AUTHOR'S POVThe tires crunched heavily over the manicured white gravel of the circular driveway as I pulled in.Cutting the engine of the rental SUV, the sudden silence felt oppressive. The air outside tasted like dry exhaust and scorched eucalyptus leaves. Sweat trickled down my spine, soaking the cotton of my dark t-shirt.Pushing the heavy oak front door open, the blast of central air conditioning hit my skin like a wall of ice."Jeremiah."Maria stood in the grand foyer, holding a silver polishing cloth. The head housekeeper wore a crisp black uniform, smelling faintly of lavender and sharp chemical polish. Her dark eyes softened immediately."Where is she, Maria?""The conservatory, sir." Maria lowered the silver tray. "Your father left for the airfield at dawn. A business acquisition in Seattle. He will not return until Thursday."The tight, coiled knot in the center of my chest loosened by a fraction of an inch. "Good. Tell Hector to bring the adapted Porsche around to the fro
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Seventy Two
AUTHOR'S POVThe hot Santa Ana winds seared her throat, tasting like dry dust and distant wildfires.Violent gusts lashed the towering palm trees lining the Delta Gamma sorority house, whipping the dry fronds frantically against the stucco roof.Sienna Hart stood on the secluded third-floor balcony, leaning her hips against the wrought-iron railing. The Los Angeles skyline glowed in the distance, a sprawling grid of toxic orange smog and endless headlights.She did not just need to expel Athena now. Luca had been pretty useless lately, and he was becoming a big risk to keep around. For her plan to be accomplished, he needed to be gone. Raising a slim silver lighter, the flint sparked sharply. She touched the flame to the end of her cigarette. The cherry glowed a brilliant, angry red in the darkness. She inhaled deeply, letting the bitter, acrid smoke fill her lungs before blowing it out into the violent wind.The glass balcony door slid open.Harper stepped out into the sweltering he
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Seventy One
AUTHOR'S POVFLASHBACK.The chill numbed her fingers, then crawled further into every fiber of her body, freezing the blood in her veins. The harsh fluorescent lights overhead buzzed with a relentless, mechanical hum, a sound louder than a dentist’s drill.Talia’s had to keep her brother tethered to reality before the public defender forced him into a catastrophic plea deal.Five years ago. The memory bled over the mahogany walls of Marcus Thorne’s office, dragging her violently back into the sterile, bleach-soaked visitation room.The heavy steel door clanked open.A guard shoved a young, rail-thin boy into the room. Sam wore a neon-orange jumpsuit the color of a traffic cone, the rough cotton swallowing his emaciated frame. His wrists were chained to a heavy leather belt at his waist. He shuffled toward the scratched metal table, dragging his feet across the stained linoleum."Sam." Talia stood up, the legs of her plastic chair scraping violently against the floor.He didn't look at
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Four
(Athena's POV)If embarrassment could kill, I would've died twice this week. The first time was at the rink and the second was standing in front of a black gate with “ASHFORD HOCKEY” painted across it in peeling silver letters while Tessa stared at me like she was waiting for me to come to my sens
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Three
(Athena's POV)Shame!That was all I felt before I could even open my eyes. It was heavy and ugly, like my body remembered before my mind could register. And when I finally blinked awake, the white ceiling above me swam into focus. I was at the College hospital. Great.I let out the smallest bre
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival Two
(Athena's POV).For a second, I thought I heard him wrong because there was no way Luca Ryder had just looked straight past me and called who?“Sienna?” My rival?The crowd screamed, while I just stood there, frozen at the edge of the rink with my hand still over my mouth like a complete idiot, t
Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival One
(Athena's POV)“Ew. Girl! Stop staring at him like that before I throw up.”I laughed under my breath, gripping my hockey stick tighter as I turned to look at Tessa, my best friend.We were near the player's bench, the rink screaming loud around us as both schools packed the arena like tonight mean
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