All Chapters of Mine To Claim: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Cassian's pov“Again,” I repeat, my hand on my chin. He takes a deep breath before starting.“Maya said she was going to have milkshakes with her friend Jenny for thirty minutes in the cafe near the hospital. She told me to wait for her and when she was done she would come find me. So I waited for them and when thirty minutes were over I went in search of her only to find out she had left.”He stands akimbo, his gaze on the wall. “And how long did it take you to find her?”“Three minutes.”I scoff, the sound coming out bitter and sharp. “That was enough time for him to slit her carotid artery and for her to bleed out!” I scream, my fingers digging into the table.He doesn't flinch but bows his head. “I'm sorry sir.”“I don't need you to be sorry, I need you to do better.”He nods, “again,” I repeat, looking at my father's portrait. The whiff of his cologne invades my nostrils unburying every memory I have tried to keep hidden.**Flashback**“Eyes ahead,” he says, my feet tremble as I

Cassian's pov I dial Leo's number again clutching the phone tighter each time he fails to answer. “I'm going to kill him,” I mutter under my breath.I told him to give me hourly updates and it's been two since I got one from him.“You okay?” Roxanne asks, her eyes sliding on my phone.“Yeah just checking up on things.”She nods the heat inside the car making me unbutton my shirt. “What did you marry Maya for?” She asks her eyes curious.“Cause it's not love — men like you don't love,” she adds the words feeling like they slipped from my father's mouth.“She was a compatible companion,” I answered.She hums her eyes traveling outside the window. “And are you planning on ever settling down?”“Not anytime soon, I am not planning on being a man's object,” she says, venom sipping from her voice.“Sir we've arrived,” the driver says. I alight the car ready to open Roxanne's door but she refuses.“I'm a big woman, I don't need a man to open my door.”I nod, stepping away from her. The hous

Cassian's povMaya must be the most stubborn person on earth because hell — I push the thought down massaging my temples. Ever since she came here it has been chaos, no moment to breathe and now I'm wondering if it was even worth it.I take out the contract going through it, next to it is the treatment plan she created — the hail Mary to save my eyesight. I flip through the pages, the impending danger looming ahead clawing at my skin.Six months. That's all it will take. My stomach churns at the realization, and one month is down. Five to go.I rub my face, a strange feeling slumping my mood even more. Like tradition, I go to the garden and into the expanse of forests. My axe sits at my hand; it's worn and smooth from years of use. The logs of wood I had carved sit there and I take one placing it on top of a chopped tree.I move the axe over my head, the muscles in my arm tightening as I move it down. The sound of wood splintering shatters the quiet, the vibrations running up my arm a

Cassian's povI hear shuffling around before she finally speaks. “I'm done, you can go soldier somewhere else.”I turn around and she wears tiny bum shorts and an oversized blue shirt that hangs loosely on one shoulder. She looks like she stepped off a Sunday lazy morning but her legs — long and toned make up for it. My pulse quickens as I open the door. Even like this she still manages to take my breath away. “After you.”She walks ahead, her ass swaying in the process. I don't know if she does it intentionally but she is damn giving me a boner.We enter the kitchen and she puts a plate of cereal in a bowl and takes a seat on one of the barstools. “Don't tell me you're going to watch me eat?” She asks taking the spoon to her mouth.“Yes.”She rolls her eyes digging through the cereal. I watch her silently as some of the milk smudges over her lips. My thumb aches to wipe it off but I hesitate. “What?”She asks, glaring at me.I move towards her, wiping the smudge in time as her to

Maya's povThe elevator doors glide open and my breath catches. “How much money do you have?” I ask, looking around.The penthouse is vast, stretching out before me in a seamless flow of marble, glass, and soft, golden light. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the city skyline, the twinkling lights of New York spread out like a glittering ocean.The living room is a masterpiece of modern elegance—plush, cream-colored sofas arranged around a sleek, black marble fireplace, a glass coffee table holding nothing but a single crystal vase with fresh white orchids. A sculptural chandelier dangles from the impossibly high ceiling, casting a soft glow over the room. The air smells faintly of expensive leather and something floral, subtle but intoxicating.“Alot,” he finally answers, loosening his tie, and if this extravagance isn't enough he speaks. “Go freshen up, we have been invited to a gala.”I freeze mid-step.“What?”“Is this going to be like last time?”“No,” he says smoothly. “This time