All Chapters of The Billionaire's Forgotten Queen : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Ares didn’t waste a second.He shoved the laptop aside, pulling out his phone as he barked orders into it. “Lock down every exit from the safe house. Get eyes on the highway cameras. I want that car tracked within the hour.”Valeria stood frozen in the middle of the room, her nails digging into her palms until they cut skin. The walls felt like they were closing in. Her little girl, her heart, her everything, was gone.“Ares...” Her voice cracked, breaking into sobs. “He has her. Damien has my daughter...”Ares gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. His eyes burned with something cold and fierce. “Listen to me. Panicking won’t bring her back. We have one job now, get her out of his hands. Do you understand?”Valeria shook her head wildly, tears blurring her vision. “You don’t understand, he’ll hurt her. He’ll..”“He won’t,” Ares cut in, his tone like iron. “Damien’s too calculated. He doesn’t want her dead. He wants to use her. That means she’s alive. And that means we sti

The night air cut sharp against Valeria’s skin as the convoy rolled out. Black SUVs moved like shadows through the empty streets, engines low and steady. Inside the lead car, Valeria sat stiff in the back seat, her hands gripping the edge of the leather until her knuckles burned white.Ares was beside her, calm on the surface, but she could feel the tension radiating off him. His jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Every muscle in his body seemed coiled, waiting.She couldn’t breathe. Every thought was of her daughter, the picture Damien had sent. The tape across her mouth. The tears on her cheeks.Valeria’s stomach twisted. She pressed her forehead to the cool glass and whispered, “Hold on, baby. We’re coming.”Ares heard. His hand brushed hers, firm, grounding. “We’ll get her out.”She didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Fear was a monster eating her from the inside.By the time they reached the outskirts, the city lights were far behind. The estate loomed in the distance, a black

Damien leaned back in the leather chair, one hand wrapped around a crystal glass of whiskey, the other tapping a lazy rhythm against the polished desk. The glow from the monitors bathed the room in pale light, news anchors shouting headlines on mute, security feeds looping grainy footage, Valeria’s face splashed across every channel.His lips curved into a slow smile. Chaos was such a beautiful thing.The door creaked open. Footsteps clicked against the marble floor, measured but tense. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was.“You’re late,” Damien said softly, still watching the screens.Elena stepped inside. Her posture was stiff, her expression sharper than usual. She shut the door with deliberate care, then crossed the room. But she didn’t sit.“I had to stand beside her at the press conference,” Elena said quietly. “If I hadn’t, she would’ve noticed something was wrong.”Damien finally looked at her. His gaze slid over her face, searching. “And did she?”Elena hesitated. “Sh

Elena’s POVThe door clicked shut behind me, and I leaned against it for a moment, my chest rising and falling like I had just run a marathon. My hands shook so badly I could barely breathe.Valeria’s voice still echoed in my head. Swear on my daughter’s life.I couldn’t. God help me, I couldn’t.Because if I did… the whole truth would come out. And that truth would destroy her more than Damien ever could.I pressed the heel of my hand against my forehead, trying to steady myself. Every instinct screamed to go back inside, to tell her everything, to fall on my knees and beg her to believe me. But the words stuck in my throat.I had promised. Years ago, I had promised and now that promise was tearing us apart.“Hey.”I jumped at the sound of a voice. A maid stood in the hallway, holding a basket of fresh linens. She gave me a curious look. “Everything all right, Ms. Elena?”I forced a smile. “Yes. Fine. Just tired.”She nodded politely and walked away. I waited until her footsteps fade

Valeria’s POVThe night air clung to my skin, damp and heavy, as if the city itself were holding its breath.“Looking for something, Valeria?”The voice slid through the dark like a blade.I turned slowly, my body stiff, my breath caught in my throat.And there he was. Damien.He leaned casually against the shadowed wall of the warehouse, his tailored coat sharp against the dim light, his smile a dangerous curve. His eyes glittered, hungry and cruel.My heart slammed against my ribs. “What are you doing here?” I hissed.He chuckled, low and smooth. “Funny. I should be asking you the same question. A woman like you, sneaking around alone in the middle of the night… tsk, tsk. Not very safe, Valeria.”I tightened my grip on my phone, keeping it hidden in my coat pocket. “Don’t play games with me. You sent me this address.”“Ah.” He tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. “So you came. You always were predictable when it came to trust and betrayal.”My pulse raced, anger flari