All Chapters of The Billionaire's Rebel Fiancée: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Zayn’s POVHer hand was small in mine, warm despite the cool night air that settled over the garden. I led her away from the fountain and the manicured paths where security cameras watched, toward the part of the estate that most guests never knew existed. The cottage waited behind a grove of olive trees, small and weathered, looking out of place among the perfection of the Castellano grounds. I had not been here in months, and my hand trembled slightly as I reached for the door.This was the truth she had asked for, the part of me buried under suits and billion-dollar deals. Adriana said nothing as I pushed open the door that stuck from disuse, but her fingers tightened around mine in silent understanding that this meant everything to me.The air inside smelled of dust and old canvas, memories that had never quite healed. Moonlight spilled through the window and revealed everything exactly as I had left it. My mother’s art supplies still cluttered the table, her paintbrushes in a chip

Zayn’s POVI knew something was wrong the moment she answered and said my name. Her voice carried that quiet strain people use when they are trying not to break.“Adriana?” I said it like a question even though I knew it was her.“I need you to tell me the truth about something.” Her tone was steady but not natural, the kind of steadiness people use when they refuse to let emotion spill out. “Did you sign a contract with your father that requires you to have a girlfriend to secure your inheritance?”My stomach dropped.The contract. The one thing I had prayed she would never see.“Yes,” I said after a long breath. “There is a contract.”She did not yell or explode. Her silence was worse than any accusation.“Who told you?” I asked, though I already knew.“It does not matter.” Her voice wavered. “I just need to know if it is true.”I walked to the window, pressing my palm to the cold glass as if the chill might steady me. My reflection looked like a man bracing for impact.“It is true,”

Zayn’s POVI stood in my apartment with my phone pressed to my ear, listening to it ring and telling myself I would not panic if she did not answer. It rang again and again until doubt settled in my stomach like a weight. Maybe she would let it go to voicemail. Maybe the space she needed had already grown into something I could not bridge.Then she answered."Zayn."Just my name, but I heard the exhaustion beneath it, the strain of someone who had held herself together all day. I sat down because standing suddenly felt like too much."Adriana," I said quietly. "I know you needed space and I have tried to respect that, but something happened tonight and I could not let you hear about it from anyone else.""What happened?"Her tone was guarded, not cold, but careful. I understood why. I had given her every reason to protect herself from me and from the chaos tied to my family."I told my father I was not signing the inheritance documents," I said. "I told him I was done letting him defin

Zayn's POVMy phone vibrated, pulling me from shallow sleep. Connor's name flashed across the screen. I answered before the second ring."Turn on the news," he said. No greeting.I reached for the tablet. The headline hit immediately.CASTELLANO GLOBAL ANNOUNCES MASSIVE MILAN EXPANSIONVictoria stood beside Enzo in the photo, her hand resting on his arm, both glowing like they had already won."Tell me this is a joke," I said."It's not. She moved last night and bought a controlling stake in an analytics firm in Milan."I already knew which one. The answer burned through me before he said it."Reeve's competitor.""Your girl's company's biggest enemy," he confirmed. "Contracts are done. Filed quietly two weeks ago under an offshore account."Two weeks ago. Just after Adriana started there."Someone gave Victoria her files," I said quietly. "She knew the timing.""Exactly. Someone inside sold her out."I walked to the window. The city below was half asleep. "Where did she get the money?

Zayn's POVRain hit hard enough to sting as it blurred the street, the buildings, and the faint glow of her apartment window above me. When I heard that slow careful knock through the phone line my chest locked because that sound was too close to her and I didn't know if she'd open the door."Adriana," I said into the phone, but the line had already gone silent. Only rain answered, and I couldn't move for a heartbeat before my body took over and I was running.The city tilted around me, water splashing under my shoes and headlights flashing blind. Her window glowed faintly while the curtain shifted and whoever was at her door was already too close. I reached the building and pressed the buzzer. No answer. My hands were wet so I forced myself to breathe and called Connor.He picked up on the first ring. "I need the access code." "Zayn…" "Now."He read it out while I typed, fingers slipping, and the door clicked open with a sound too soft for the panic in my throat. Inside, the stairwe