Lahat ng Kabanata ng HIS FORBIDDEN REJECTION : Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

Maya’s POV“I thought you left already.”Zane’s voice drifts from behind me the moment I step back into the hallway. I freeze. His shadow stretches long on the floor from the office light, the shape of a predator standing too still. My heart thumps against my ribs so loud I feel the vibration inside my throat.I swallow and turn slowly. “I… forgot something,” I say, keeping my tone flat, calm, the way people speak when they hide the fact that their hands are shaking.Zane tilts his head, studying me. His eyes catch the ceiling light—sharp, silver, almost reflective like a blade. He steps closer, and the faint scent of cedarwood reaches me. It should be a comforting smell. But on him, it smells like danger.“What did you forget?” he asks.I try to breathe normally. “My bag. I left it by the reception desk earlier.”His gaze shifts to my side. My bag is on my shoulder.His eyebrow lifts.My stomach drops.I look down at the bag like it suddenly appeared there on its own. “Oh… I didn’t r

Maya POV“Where is it, Maya?!”The door slammed so hard behind him, the whole penthouse seemed to shiver. My stomach dropped, and I clutched at the counter like it could keep me steady. The laptop—Zane’s laptop—was gone. And before I could even think, his eyes locked on mine. Rage simmered beneath his skin, a storm about to break.“I—I don’t know!” I stammered, panic twisting my words.“Don’t lie to me!” His boots pounded the marble floor, each step echoing like thunder in my ears. The air felt heavy, thick, almost suffocating, scented with leather, smoke, and something darker—danger.“I swear, Zane, I didn’t touch it! Ray must have taken it!” I blurted, hoping my voice sounded firmer than I felt.His hand hit the counter beside mine, cracking the marble. Pain shot through my fingertips, but worse was the heat in his eyes, the storm inside them. “Ray?” His voice was sharp, dangerous. “You’re covering for him?”“No!” I shouted, taking a shaky step back. “I didn’t take it, I swear!”He

Maya POV“You have no idea what you’ve stepped into,” Ray said, his fingers flying over the laptop keys like he was commanding the storm itself.I flinched, pulling back from the glowing screen. The room smelled of stale coffee and electricity. The faint hum of the machines made my teeth vibrate. “Ray… what are you doing?” I asked, voice trembling.He didn’t look at me. His eyes were glued to the screen as lines of code and numbers scrolled faster than I could follow. “Decrypting everything. Zane’s accounts, hidden transfers, shell companies… all of it. Everything he’s been hiding.”I swallowed, my stomach twisting. “Why? Why are you doing this?”“Because it’s the only way to hit him where it hurts.” His jaw clenched. “He can’t touch you if I dismantle him piece by piece.”I wanted to trust him, but the fear still clawed inside me. Zane’s calm, his manipulation, his presence… it had broken something inside me. I didn’t know if I could survive another strike. “And you think this will w

Maya’s POV“I shouldn’t be here.”The words slipped out before I could stop them. They floated into the quiet room like a breath I wished I could pull back.The study felt colder than the rest of the penthouse. The lights were dim, only the desk lamp glowing in a soft circle on Zane’s dark wooden table. My fingers trembled as I pushed the door shut with my foot. It clicked softly, a tiny sound that carried a huge weight.I could still taste the fake wine on my tongue—the wine I let slide back into the glass when he wasn’t watching. My head wasn’t spinning, not even a little. But my heart was racing like I’d swallowed fire.I stepped forward, my bare feet brushing the warm carpet. My hands were damp. My dress clung to my back with sweat. I could still hear his voice in my head from minutes ago.“Drink with me, dove. I want tonight to feel special.”Special.He said it while smiling at me like I was something he owned.And the worst part? He meant every word.I pulled in a shaky breath

Ray POVI was sitting in my car outside the abandoned warehouse district, staring at my phone like it had suddenly become the most important object in the world. The sun had barely risen, and the cold air was sharp enough to sting through my jacket. My hands fidgeted on the steering wheel, restless. I hadn’t slept. I couldn't sleep. Every nerve in my body was taut, buzzing with a mixture of worry and frustration.Then it rang.The screen flashed a number I didn’t recognize.“Hello?” I answered cautiously.“Ray…” The voice was barely a whisper, quivering like a candle in a storm. My stomach twisted instantly.“Lana?” My voice came out rougher than I intended. My heart pounded in my chest. “Is that you? Where are you?”“I… I’m here… but I can’t—” Her voice broke. I could hear muffled sounds, like metal scraping against concrete, footsteps shuffling. Panic clawed at my chest.“Slow down. Talk to me. I’ll get you out, I swear.” I gritted my teeth, gripping the wheel so tightly I could fee