บททั้งหมดของ MINE TO CLAIM : บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

TWO WEEKS LATER The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the parking lot of Northshore’s upscale grocery district as Ava and Rebecca climbed out of the black SUV. Two of Dario’s men, Alan and Greg, flanked them at a respectful distance, their eyes constantly scanning the area. Ava had grown accustomed to their presence over the past few weeks, though she still felt a pang of longing for the days when a simple grocery run didn’t require armed escorts.“Not only did Alan come with you, Dario added another security to come buy milk and bread,” Rebecca said, adjusting her purse strap as they walked toward the entrance of Sunspire Supermarts.“It’s just a precaution,” Ava replied, though she could hear the uncertainty in her voice. “Dario worries too much.”“Or maybe he knows something you don’t.” Before Ava could respond, a commotion erupted near the store’s entrance. An elderly woman, probably in her seventies, came hurrying toward them with desperate urgency. Her gray hair wa

The underground chamber reeked of death and betrayal. Dario stepped through the steel door, his expensive leather shoes making soft sounds against the concrete floor still slick with blood. The harsh fluorescent light buzzed overhead, casting stark shadows that seemed to mock him with their presence.Two of his men lay crumpled near the entrance, their necks twisted at impossible angles. No bullet wounds, no knife marks. Just the clean efficiency of someone who knew exactly how to kill quickly and quietly.“Sir.” Brayer emerged from the shadows, his face pale and his hands shaking slightly. Behind him, Nick and two other guards stood in formation, but their usual confidence was nowhere to be found.“Tell me what happened,” Dario said, his voice deadly calm despite the rage building in his chest. “Every detail.” Brayer swallowed hard. “We were doing the evening check, just like always. Leo was bringing her food, and Scorpion was monitoring the corridor. Everything was normal until—”“

Ava had tossed and turned all night, her mind refusing to settle despite the comfort of her childhood bedroom. Something about yesterday’s encounter with the elderly woman kept nagging at her, a persistent itch she couldn’t scratch. By almost 3am, she felt more exhausted than when she had gone to bed.The drive to Springfield Memorial with Alan was quiet, both of them lost in their own thoughts. She had been looking forward to checking on Raphel Grey, the eight-year-old boy whose grandmother had been so desperate to pay for his heart surgery. The memory of the woman’s tears, her genuine fear for her grandson’s life, had stayed with Ava through the restless night. Her morning rounds went smoothly enough. Mrs. Henedrick’s bypass recovery was progressing well, the young car accident victim in room 312 was finally stable, and the elderly man with congestive heart failure was responding better to his new medication regimen. But all through her patient visits, her mind kept drifting to t

The courthouse in Velmora was an imposing structure of gray stone and tall windows, the kind of building that made lawyers either feel inspired or terrified depending on how prepared they were. Camilia fell somewhere in between as she climbed the steps beside Rohan, her briefcase heavy with evidence and her mind running through her opening arguments for the hundredth time.“One hour,” she muttered, checking her watch. “Perfect timing.”“Feeling ready?” Rohan asked, noting the way she kept adjusting her jacket and smoothing her hair.“Born ready.”But as they pushed through the heavy oak doors into the courthouse lobby, Camilia’s confidence took an unexpected hit. Standing near the information desk, reviewing documents with his legal team, was a man she recognized immediately from countless legal publications and law school textbooks.Jonathan Pierce. The Jonathan Pierce.“Oh my God,” she whispered, stopping dead in her tracks.Rohan followed her gaze. “You know him?”“Know him? Tha

Camilia stood outside Rohan’s hotel room at eight in the morning, her travel bag slung over her shoulder and her professional mask firmly in place. After last night’s embarrassing incident, she had spent hours practicing what she would say to him, how she would act like nothing had changed between them.She knocked twice, then waited. No response.“Rohan?” She tried the door handle and found it unlocked. “Fair enough,” she muttered under her breath. “After yesterday, I think we’re even on the privacy invasion front.”She pushed the door open and stepped into his room, which was identical to hers but somehow felt completely different. His clothes were neatly folded, his laptop closed and positioned precisely on the desk, his shoes lined up by the door. Even his temporary space reflected the same meticulous control she had noticed about everything else in his life.“Rohan? I’m ready to head back when you are.”Silence. He must be downstairs getting breakfast or checking out.Her e