All Chapters of MINE TO CLAIM : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Camilia’s apartment reflected her personality in ways she had never consciously planned - organized but comfortable, professional yet warm. The living room featured a cream-colored sectional sofa positioned perfectly for reading, with throw pillows in deep burgundy that matched the curtains framing her view of downtown Northshore. Law books lined built-in shelves along one wall, interspersed with framed photos of family and a few pieces of art she’d collected over the years.The kitchen was small but efficient, with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances that rarely got used for anything more complicated than coffee and scrambled eggs. Her bedroom was her sanctuary - soft gray walls, white linens on a queen bed that dominated the space, and a reading chair by the window where she often spent Sunday mornings with case files and coffee.It was exactly the kind of space a successful young attorney should have, but today it felt oddly empty as she dropped her overnight b

Dario’s home office had become his prison over the past five days. The mahogany desk was covered with surveillance reports, financial statements, and intelligence briefings that demanded his attention, but his mind kept drifting to the woman sleeping three floors above him. The woman who was carrying his child. The woman he’d been too proud and too angry to face properly since their fight.Rohan sat across from the desk, his usual composed demeanor showing subtle signs of the strain they were all under. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his normally pristine suit showed wrinkles that suggested he had been working around the clock.“The Astoria operations are secure,” Rohan reported, consulting his tablet. “Brayer eliminated the last of Veynar’s contacts there yesterday. No survivors to report back to their remaining cells.”“Good. What about the Selvarra shipments?”“On schedule. The dock workers’ union decided to cooperate after our conversation with their leadership.” Rohan’s

Consciousness returned slowly, like swimming up from the bottom of a deep, dark pool. Owen Moreles felt the throbbing in his skull before he felt anything else - a sharp, persistent pain that made thinking difficult. His mouth tasted like copper and fear.The first thing he noticed when his eyes finally focused was the darkness. Not the comfortable darkness of their bedroom at night, but the heavy, oppressive blackness of a place where light was unwelcome. The air smelled of damp concrete and something else - something that reminded him of places he had tried very hard to forget.“Cara,” he whispered, his voice barely audible through dry lips.“I’m here.” Her response came from somewhere to his left, weak but alive. “Owen, where are we?”He tried to move and immediately discovered what his foggy mind had been slow to process - his arms were bound behind him, secured to what felt like a metal chair with rope that bit into his wrists when he struggled. His legs were similarly tied, an

Ava’s hands trembled as she straightened Dario’s tie, her fingers working with practiced ease despite the guilt eating away at her stomach. He stood still while she fussed over his appearance, the way he did every morning when she insisted on seeing him off to work.“You don’t have to do this, I can do it,” he said softly, his voice still carrying traces of the tenderness from their reconciliation the night before.“I want to.” She smoothed down his lapels, using the motion to steady herself for what came next. “It’s one of the few normal things we get to do together.” The medallion hung heavy around his neck, the gold chain visible just above his shirt collar. She had studied it for months without really seeing it, never understanding its significance until now. Her parents’ lives depended on this piece of metal, and Dario wore it like it was part of his skin.“There,” she said, stepping back to admire her work. But instead of moving away, she reached up and kissed him, letting he

Something was wrong. Dario had felt it from the moment he had woken up, a gnawing sensation in his chest that he couldn’t shake. Throughout the morning meetings, during his review of the Astoria reports, even while listening to Rohan’s briefing on the latest security protocols, the feeling had persisted like a splinter under his skin.It wasn’t physical pain exactly, more like an absence. As if some essential part of himself had gone missing and his body was only now realizing the loss.By eleven o’clock, he couldn’t ignore it anymore.“Sir?” Rohan paused in his presentation about dock security. “Are you alright?”“Fine,” Dario said, though they both knew it was a lie. “Continue.”But he wasn’t fine. His hands felt restless, his concentration scattered, and the familiar weight of authority that usually settled on his shoulders like a comfortable cloak felt somehow diminished.He reached for his phone, needing to hear Ava’s voice. She would be home now, probably reading in their bedr