Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By The Billionaire: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

Damon"Mr. Stone. There's someone looking for you. They say it's urgent."The server's voice cuts through the growing headache at the base of my skull. Perfect. Just in time to save me from myself. "Stay here. I won't be long," I say to Ava, lowering my voice so only she hears.Her face gives nothing away, but something in the way she folds her arms across her chest says she’s fine with me disappearing.I follow the server, my steps quick but controlled. "What's the problem?" I ask, keeping my tone sharp enough that he gets that I’m not in the mood for games."They said a VIP guest was missing, Sir.""Missing? What the hell does that even mean?""I don't know, Sir. That’s all they told me."Just as my patience starts wearing thin, a man in a black suit—one of the gala's coordinators—approaches. "He's been found, Sir. Sorry to have disturbed your evening."Figures.I wave them off and make a sharp turn back toward the balcony. Waste of my damn time.But as I get closer, something clen

DamonShe walks away without a word, and I just stand there, the silence she leaves behind slamming harder than anything she said tonight.For a moment, the house feels like it tilts under the weight of it. The tension. The things we won't say.I rake a hand through my hair, breathing out slowly.Good. Let her walk away. Let her be pissed. Let her stay mad enough to forget whatever stupid weakness still tugs between us like a frayed wire.Before I can even turn toward the stairs, my phone vibrates against my palm. I glance down. The security company.Great. Exactly what I need right now.“Stone,” I answer, voice flat.“Good evening, sir. Sorry for the late call. We’ve flagged some new risks on your perimeter. We’ve done a system update—new access codes, cameras, exit protocols,” the man says in that clipped professional tone.“And?”“Well, seeing the unique... circumstances of your household," —he clears his throat— "both registered residents need to complete the walkthrough and sign

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

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

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