All Chapters of Doted by the Ruthless Billionaire: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The sirens had faded into the night, their wail unraveling into the black horizon like the tail end of a funeral hymn. The last traces of flashing light blinked out, leaving behind the kind of silence that didn’t feel empty, but raw as though the air itself was still ringing from everything it had just witnessed.Smoke thinned reluctantly in the cold air, smearing in ghostly trails over the jagged fence line. Its taste clung to the back of the throat acrid rubber, scorched metal, and the faint metallic tang of blood. It was the kind of air that forced you to breathe shallow, each inhaling a reminder that the fight had been close. Too close.The shadows…. not shadows in the poetic sense, but the kind born of flesh, training, and precision moved with a quiet finality. They were Elias’s people, Rane’s too, a small army of operatives who could dismantle an entire warzone without leaving a footprint. They broke their gear without a word, snapping buckles, coiling ropes, flicking off comms.

4:46 A.M.The hospital was asleep.That kind of stillness where every sound felt louder than it should be the click of distant heels, the low hum of lights, the faint sigh of air-conditioning.It was the hour when the world seemed too quiet to be safe.Elias Vale walked the corridor toward Lyra’s room, hands buried in the pockets of his coat, his face giving nothing away.Halfway down the hall, he saw him.Dr. Paul Bier.Leaning against the wall like he’d been waiting all night. White coat crisp, coffee cooling in one hand, patient chart in the other.Without looking up, Paul spoke.“You don’t walk like someone who smokes.”Elias slowed, exhaling through his nose.“You don’t walk like someone who’s just a doctor.”Paul’s mouth curved in a faint smirk.“Touché.”They stood there in the middle of the hallway. No raised voices. No posturing. Just silence thick enough to carry weight.Paul’s eyes flicked toward the door to Room 9B.“She doesn’t let people in easily. You’ve figured that ou

There was silence for a moment, then her grandfather's voice cut in, gruff but trembling. "You better not scare us like that again, Lyra. You hear me? I don't care how smart or stubborn you think you are. You're our granddaughter, and you're not allowed to have heart attacks before our bedtime."Lyra let out a weak laugh, one that caught in her chest. "I'll try not to."Elias reached over then, his hand closing warmly over hers, steadying her again. She glanced at him, and he gave the faintest nod."Grandma..." She hesitated, twisting the edge of the blanket between her fingers. "There's something else I need to tell you."Her grandmother sniffled. "What is it, darling?"Lyra took a breath, her eyes locked on Elias's. "I'm... moving out of the house."Her grandfather barked a short laugh. "About time. That place was choking life out of you. But where are you going? With whom?"Lyra's lips curved into the smallest smile, though nerves tugged at her chest. "With Elias."For a heartbeat,

The dockyard reeked of rust and brine, a graveyard of forgotten ships and forgotten men. Chains swung in the sea breeze, clinking like metronomes keeping time for something inevitable.Valdeck crept between stacks of decaying shipping containers, shadows clinging to him like a second skin. His breath came shallow, every inhale sharp, every exhale strained. He had played this game for years dodging debtors, rivals, crooked cops. Betrayals were nothing new. But tonight was different. Tonight weren't bounty hunters or thugs on a payroll. Tonight, it was her.He lit a cigarette with unsteady hands, the acrid smoke scratching down his throat. The taste of ash did little to smother the unease coiling in his gut. He was about to move again when it hit him that shift in the air, sharp and unnatural.Someone was watching.He turned slowly. At the edge of the lamp's pale halo stood a shadow, tall and still. Too still."Back off!" Valdeck barked, his voice louder than he intended. "I'm armed!"T

Elias pushed the heavy back door open with his shoulder, careful not to spill the paper bag in his hands. The corridor was quiet here….no reporters, no flashing cameras, only the low hum of the hospital lights. He exhaled slowly, with relief loosening his chest. Outside, the media circus still crowded the main entrance, hungry for any glimpse of Lyra.He tightened his grip on the coffee cup and pastry bag, the warmth seeping into his palms. He knew she liked her coffee with just a touch of milk, no sugar, and her favorite pastry almond croissant dusted with powdered sugar. He wanted to see her face when she realized he remembered.When he stepped into her room, the first thing he saw was Lyra, sitting upright against the pillows, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders. Her blue-moon eyes lifted at the sound of the door, and they softened instantly.“Elias,” she whispered, the corners of her lips curving faintly.He crossed the room in a few strides, setting the coffee and pastr