All Chapters of Claimed by the billionaire : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Elizabeth POV "Baby?" Christian's voice dripped with disgust. My feet stumbled backward. "Christian—" "Who's the bastard you're calling with a burner phone?" His tone was ice, his eyes blazing. "I-" He was moving toward me before I could form an excuse, closing the distance in three sharp steps. His hand gripped my jaw, tilting my face up. “Don’t play with me Elizabeth.” "It's... some guy I met on Tinder," | lied, forcing the words past my dry throat. "He promised to fuck me good. I don't mind. I couldn't wait to see him." My voice dripped with venom. "Since you clearly won’t.” God! I didn’t know I was such a good liar. Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. The next thing I knew, I was spun around and bent over the edge of my bed, my cheek pressed to the mattress. His grip on my hip was bruising, his breath hot against my ear. I felt his zipper. The sound alone almost made me come. "You wanted me to fuck you?" His mouth was at my ear, his words searing

Elizabeth POV "So you're telling me you've been sleeping with your fake husband-and now you're scared it's not just sex?" Tessa blinked at me in disbelief. "Yes," | exhaled, tugging at the edge of my sleeve. "And I don't know what to do about it. He's making me feel things. Why does he always wash my hair at night? Kiss me goodnight like it means something? And yesterday-he bought me peanut butter, Tessa. How the hell did he know I love peanut butter?" Tessa narrowed her eyes, arms folded as she leaned back against the kitchen counter of her cramped apartment. "Calm down, Eli. Your husband-or should I say fake husband-made it clear this is just business. He can't love you, Elizabeth. Don't catch feelings you'll regret. Set boundaries." I nodded slowly, more to convince myself than her. "I'll try today. But he's not going to make it easy." I had come to Tessa's place on the Lower East Side for air. For someone to tell me I was imagining all of it. That it was just sex. That I

Elizabeth POV Christian had called me to drop off some files at his office-files he forgot in his bedroom after we spent the entire morning having sex. The kind of sex that made him lose track of time and me forget how to walk straight. I hadn't been to his office before. His secretary greeted me with a warm smile as l stepped in. She was beautiful, poised, and polite the kind of woman you instantly notice in a room full of suits. "Please hold on a moment, ma'am," she said, picking up the phone. "Let me just let Mr. Reed know you're here." She turned back to me moments later and offered a sleek key card. "Here, ma'am. On your right. You can use this to access his private elevator." "Thank you..." I trailed off, realizing I didn't know her name. "It's Jane, ma'am," she said, still smiling. "Thank you, Jane." | returned the smile. As I walked through the office, I could feel the shift in energy. Different eyes followed me-some curious, some nodding respectfully,

Christian POV “Elizabeth is Red?!” Alex said for what had to be the fifth damn time tonight. I shot him a look over the rim of my glass. “Seems like the liquor’s getting to your head already. How many times do I have to fucking repeat myself?” We were in our usual booth at Euphoria, tucked into the back corner where no one could overhear us. Bass thrummed through the floor, lights strobing in blues and golds, but I barely noticed. My glass of whiskey was almost empty, the ice clinking as I swirled it. I’d been drinking harder than usual maybe hoping the alcohol would dull the storm in my head. Because the truth still didn’t feel real. “So…” Alex leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You planning to tell her?” I scoffed. “Yeah, I’ll just walk up to her and say, ‘Elizabeth, I’m the man who took your virginity four years ago.’ Sounds like a fantastic idea. She’d definitely take that well.” The sarcasm was sharp, but my mind was already replaying th

CHRISTIAN POV Sir, you have a call,” Daniel said as we walked through the building, his tone cautious,like he already knew I wasn’t in the mood. “And who is it?” I asked, not bothering to hide my irritation. My patience was already hanging by a thread. “It’s Sam.” My steps faltered for the briefest second. Of all people. 
“Give me the phone.” Daniel handed it over without a word. I pressed it to my ear. 
“I assume you have what I asked for,” I said, keeping my voice flat. No pleasantries. No wasted seconds. The last thing I wanted was to feel even an ounce of uncertainty right now. “Yes, I do,” he replied. “But… on one condition.” Of course. That smug bastard. He thinks he can outplay me. I let out a low, humorless laugh. “You must be more naive than I thought if you believe I’m about to negotiate with you.” “I’m just saying—” “You’re not in a position to say anything,” I cut him off. “Here’s what’s going to happen—when you’re ready to hand it over without pla