Semua Bab HIS FORBIDDEN REJECTION : Bab 51 - Bab 60

Maya’s POV“Ray!”My scream broke through the silence, but no one answered.The forest swallowed my voice whole, leaving behind only the echo of wind and the crackling of dead leaves. The door of the cabin hung open, swinging lazily. The space where he’d stood — where Zane’s golden eyes had glowed in the darkness — was empty.He was gone. Both of them were.My knees hit the floor before I even realized I’d fallen. The scent of pine and smoke filled my lungs, thick and suffocating. I pressed my palms into the wooden planks, still warm from where Ray had been standing just moments ago.“Please, no…” I whispered. “Not again.”I had lost him once before — when Zane destroyed his reputation, suspended him from the company, made him an outcast. I couldn’t lose him to Zane’s madness a second time.My chest tightened. A faint metallic taste coated my tongue — fear, or blood from where I’d bitten my lip. I forced myself to stand, the world spinning slightly. I had to think. I had to move.Zane

Ray’s POV“I don’t like this place, Ray.”Maya’s voice trembled as she stepped inside the small apartment. The air smelled of old wood and disinfectant. A single bulb flickered above, casting our shadows against the peeling walls.“It’s temporary,” I said, locking the door behind us. My voice came out rougher than I meant. “No one will find you here.”Her hands clutched the strap of her bag like it was a lifeline. “Whose place is this?”“An old friend,” I replied, glancing around. “Evan. He owes me a few favors. He won’t ask questions.”Her eyes darted toward the dusty window. The curtains were drawn, but she still looked uneasy, as if the world outside could still reach her. “I don’t like owing people favors,” she whispered.I turned to her, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. “Then think of it as borrowing time. Just enough for me to fix things.”Her eyes met mine briefly before she looked away. “You can’t fix what’s already broken.”The words stung more than I expected. Maybe because sh

Maya POV“You’re shaking, Maya. Are you sure about this?”Ray’s voice trembled under its own restraint. His hand brushed against mine — firm, protective, trembling. I could feel the warmth of his skin even through the cold air of the studio hallway. Every breath I took seemed to echo, hollow and heavy, against the metal walls.“I have to do this,” I whispered, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “They’re painting you like a monster, Ray. I can’t let them destroy you.”He sighed, the sound filled with warning. “That’s exactly what Zane wants. He wants you out there—defending me, under the spotlight, where he can pull the strings.”I swallowed hard. Zane. Even the mention of his name felt like a knife dragging through my chest.The hallway outside the recording room buzzed with movement — camera men adjusting lenses, producers shouting instructions, bright screens flickering with headlines that made my heart twist:“Billionaire Alpha’s Secret: Human Lover or Captive?”“Inside th

Maya POV“You shouldn’t have followed me here,” Ray growled, his voice echoing against the old cabin walls like thunder.The storm outside hadn’t stopped since last night. Rain slashed against the windows, each drop a heartbeat in the dark. I could hear the wind pushing against the door, desperate to come inside — or maybe warning us that someone else already had.“I didn’t follow you,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself. “We came here together. You asked me to trust you, and I did.”Ray’s eyes softened for a moment, but it vanished as quickly as it came. He paced the small living room, his boots leaving wet marks on the wooden floor. The faint light from the lantern painted gold streaks on his face — strong jaw, eyes like molten steel, but lined with something that looked a lot like fear.A wolf afraid of his own shadow.He kept glancing toward the window, muscles tense, jaw tight. “Something’s wrong,” he muttered. “I can feel it. He’s close.”“Zane?” I asked, my stomach tig

Ray’s POV“I didn’t touch him,” I said again, my voice hollow as the metal door clanged shut behind me. The station smelled like old coffee and fear — the kind of fear that seeps into your skin until you can’t tell if it’s yours or someone else’s.The officer didn’t look at me. “You’re free to go, Mr. Blackwood. But the restraining order stands. You go near Maya, and you’ll be back here in cuffs. Clear?”His words hit harder than any blow Zane ever landed. Clear. It was clear. Clear that the world believed Zane — that every bruise on his skin was painted as mine.Outside, the night pressed down on me. The air was cold and thick with the scent of wet asphalt. The flashing lights from the patrol cars faded into the distance, but their echoes stayed in my head.I slid into my car, hands gripping the wheel until my knuckles turned white. Maya’s face flashed in my mind — terrified, confused… manipulated. I knew Zane had twisted everything. He always did.But for now, the law was on his sid