Claimed By The Billionaire Ex のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 71 - チャプター 80

Chapter 71: Things I Wasn’t Ready to HearAurora’s POVI heard the car before I saw it.The low hum of the engine outside the gate made something in my chest tighten, even though I had been expecting it. I glanced at the clock on the wall instinctively, then at my phone.Jace had texted some time ago and I appreciated that he even reached out to me. They were late though, this wasn't the agreement we had but I wasn't annoyed though. As long as Alex had a good time.I stepped out into just as the doorbell rang, already knowing who it was. When I opened the door, Jace stood there with Alex asleep in his arms, Renald tucked under Alex’s chin like it belonged there.Alex’s head was lolling against Jace’s shoulder, mouth slightly open, lashes resting against his cheeks. He looked boneless in sleep, soft in a way that only children could be after a day filled with too much excitement.“I’m sorry,” Jace said quietly. “I think we were just having so much fun that I forgot the agreed time.”Hi

Chapter 73: Panicking: This Wasn't Supposed to HappenJace’s POVThe drive back to my house felt longer than it had any right to be.The streets were quiet, washed in that late-evening calm that usually settled my nerves. Tonight, it didn’t. I parked in the driveway, turned off the engine, and sat there for a moment longer than necessary, my hands resting on the steering wheel as the reality of the day finally caught up to me.Alex was home now. Aurora wasn't mad at me and that was okay. I was glad.I planned to send pictures I took if Alex to my grandma and Devon so they could stop pestering me but that was going to happen later.I exhaled slowly and stepped out of the car, the sound of the door closing echoing louder than usual in the stillness. When I unlocked the front door and walked in, the house greeted me with a familiar emptiness—clean, orderly, silent.Too silent.The television was still on.I froze for half a second before remembering. The cartoon. I must have left it runn

Chapter 75: The Quiet AfterJace’s POVI stared at my phone long after the call ended, the screen dark, my reflection faintly staring back at me like it was waiting for confirmation that what had just happened was real.Aurora and I had spoken.Really spoken.No venom. No sharp edges. No cold distance masquerading as control. She hadn’t raised her voice. She hadn’t accused me. She hadn’t looked for a place to wound me and twist the knife to hurt me neither had I done it either.She had been… kind. The conversation was without arguments or someone crying at the end.That alone felt disorienting.I shifted on the couch, elbows resting on my knees, phone still cradled in my hands. My thumb hovered uselessly over the screen, as if I expected it to light up again on its own, replay the call, remind me I hadn’t imagined it.We’ll talk later.Aurora never said things like that these days. Aurora ended conversations with finality, with punctuation marks that felt like slammed doors. Later imp

Chapter 77: Bloodlines Aurora’s POVBy the time Alex finally fell asleep, my bones ached with the kind of exhaustion that went deeper than my body.He had fought bedtime harder than usual. I thought at first that I had done something to spook him and I apologized but he shook his head instead. Placing his two hands on the sides of my face as he told me that I don't have gone sad.I brushed my lips over his curls, inhaling the familiar scent of soap and warmth and something that was uniquely him. “I'm not sad, baby,” I whispered, even though he was already asleep."You sure?" He asked me.I nodded."Now get some sleep okay?" I asked him.He gave me a sceptical look that reminded me of Jace but then settled in the bed.I stayed longer than necessary, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching his chest rise and fall. The room was dim, the small night lamp casting soft shadows against the walls. Outside, the house was quiet in a way that felt almost deceptive—like the world was holding i

Chapter 79: What the Heart NoticesAurora’s POVI frowned the moment I saw him walking toward me.Jace moved slower than usual, like each step required conscious effort. His shoulders were stiff, his jaw set too tight, and when he dragged a hand through his hair, I noticed the way his fingers trembled—just slightly—before he wiped his palms against the fabric of his shorts.His hands were sweaty And the way he moved showed me he was nervous sending all my hairs and senses on alert.He closed the distance between us quickly, as if afraid I might retreat if he didn’t. I crossed my arms instinctively, grounding myself before he could say anything reckless.“What’s wrong?” I asked flatly.He stopped a step too close, then seemed to think better of it and shifted back half a pace. He cleared his throat once. Then again.“There’s nothing wrong, at least not with Alex,” he said softly. “And nothing wrong with me.”I didn't care if there was anything wrong with him though but I knew that was