All Chapters of Claimed By The Billionaire At The Altar : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

KIMANI The house had finally succumbed to a deep, resonant silence. It wasn’t the hollow, aching quiet of an empty building, but the soft, settled hum of a home after the storm of laughter has passed. The air still held the faint scent of expensive wine, woodsmoke from the hearth, and the lingering echoes of voices that had since retreated. I slipped into the master suite, the click of the latch sounding like a period at the end of a long, exhausting sentence. Alaric was already there, a silhouette framed against the sprawling grid of the city. The skyline of the metropolis was a jagged crown of amber and violet lights, bleeding through the floor-to-ceiling glass. He had discarded his jacket onto a chair; his sleeves were rolled up his forearms, revealing the corded tension in his muscles, and his tie hung undone around his neck like a broken leash. He didn’t turn immediately, but I saw his shoulders drop an inch—a silent acknowledgment of my presence. The armor he wore so effort

Chapter 74 KIMANI The office buzzed with a different kind of energy that morning. It wasn’t the usual quiet hum of keyboards and muted phone calls. It was louder. Brighter. People lingered in clusters longer than necessary, voices dropping and rising with excitement. Decorations had already started creeping in—silver streamers near the elevators, a half-inflated balloon tied to someone’s chair, fairy lights waiting to be strung properly. End-of-the-year party season had officially begun. I smiled as I settled into my chair, logging into my system. Even with everything that had happened recently—the article, the whispers, the strange notes—I couldn’t deny the shift in atmosphere. It felt lighter. Anticipatory. Like everyone was collectively counting down. “Can you believe it’s already happening next week?” Rachel said, sliding into the chair beside my desk. “Time moves differently in this building,” I replied, amused. “I still feel like I just started.” She snorted. “Th

KIMANI Alaric and I returned to the bedroom after a hearty dinner. "I'm going to shower, I smell like chicken and herbs." I told him. He just nodded and watched me go into the bathroom. Inside, I took off my clothes and got into the shower. I was halfway through when I felt arms wrap around my waist. "Alaric, what are you up to?" I asked him. He spun me around and kissed me, the shower raining down on us. I noticed that he has taken off his clothes too. Water streamed down his shoulders, darkening his hair, tracing lines over skin I knew by heart now. The bathroom filled with steam, the air thick and warm, the world reduced to tiled walls, rushing water, and the way his hands fit around me like they always had. “Alaric,” I said again, breathless this time, half-warning, half-curiosity. He leaned down, resting his forehead against mine. “You walked away smelling like chicken and herbs,” he murmured. “I couldn’t let that stand.” I laughed softly, the sound dissolving into th

KIMANI Alaric returned from his call with a breakfast tray. "Finally, I was starving." I said, sitting up. He just smiled and gently placed the tray on the bed beside me. After making sure that it was balanced, he took off his slippers and got in bed with me. The tray was very wide and filled with different plates of breakfast choices. "Are you trying to fatten me up?" I gave him a side eye. Alaric looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "You just said you were starving. I brought enough so you will have enough to eat but now you are accusing me of trying to fatten you up." "One can never tell." I replied, cutting into the pancakes. "If you are scared of getting fattened up, you can join me to workout, everything will balance up." he said. I shook my head. "Nah, intense activity is not for me." "All the more reason why you should join me." he sipped from his cup of coffee. "Are you calling me lazy?" I asked, looking at him. "No, not at all. Think of it as us spending time

ALARIC Work blurred together faster than I expected. Emails. Numbers. A call I half-listened to while mentioning approvals over phone calls. My mind was present enough to function, but not enough to care. That had become a pattern lately—everything important was handled efficiently, everything else felt like background noise. I ended the call, set my phone aside, and leaned back in the chair for a brief moment. Silence settled. Too quiet. Without really deciding to, I stood and walked toward the balcony doors, pushing them open and stepping outside. The afternoon sun was warm, the kind that sat comfortably on your skin instead of burning it. From up here, the estate spread out in calm symmetry—green, expansive, controlled. Then I saw them. Kimani was in the pool, water shimmering around her as she laughed at something Ava had said. My sister stood at the edge, arms flailing dramatically as she spoke, already halfway soaked from splashing water at Kimani like a child. I r