All Chapters of Ruthless Claim: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The first flashbulb burst like lightning across Aria’s vision.For a heartbeat she froze, blinded by the strobe of cameras and the roar of the crowd. Luca’s hand tightened around hers, an anchor against the sudden crush of noise. Just him, she told herself. Eyes on him.But the din only swelled. Reporters shouted questions, microphones thrust forward like spears.“Aria, did you plan the pregnancy to trap him?”“Luca, is the child really yours?”“Are you engaged? Married? Buying her silence?”Each accusation hit like a slap. Aria’s pulse raced, her baby kicked…a sharp flutter under her ribs as if sensing her panic.Luca stepped closer, his body a wall of black wool and quiet menace. “Keep walking,” he murmured, voice pitched only for her. “Don’t give them what they want.”Her legs obeyed even while her mind reeled. Beyond the barricades, security guards held the crowd at bay, but the sheer press of bodies felt endless. Drones whirred overhead, their tiny rotors slicing the air. The vil

The rain hadn’t stopped since dawn.It slicked the stone terraces of Il Rifugio in a silver sheen and turned the olive trees into dark silhouettes against the misty hills. From her bedroom window, Aria watched droplets chase each other down the glass while the baby shifted with lazy kicks beneath her ribs.The night before, still clung to her a blur of warm touches and whispered promises after the doctor left, when Luca held her as though she were the only thing anchoring him to the earth. He hadn’t crossed any lines; his restraint had been almost unbearable. But the memory of his body heat against hers hummed through her now, even as the morning cooled the world outside.A soft knock broke her reverie.“Come in,” she called.Maria, the housekeeper, entered carrying a tray of fruit and warm bread. “Buongiorno, Signorina Aria.” Her smile was gentle but assessing, the way it had been since the contractions the previous night.“Good morning, Maria,” Aria said, easing onto the chaise. “Yo

The Mediterranean sun was already a molten coin over the horizon when Aria woke, tangled in the warm sheets of Luca’s villa. She stretched, skin humming from the memory of his hands the night before. Their lovemaking hadn’t been frantic. It had been a slow burn, every touch deliberate, as if he was relearning her body after the chaos of the tabloids.But the low buzz of her phone on the nightstand snapped her back. Messages scrolled in rapid fire: press clippings, social posts, a terse reminder: Board vote today. Wear armor.She slid from bed and padded to the balcony. Below, the Ligurian sea glittered, deceptively calm. Luca’s world, however, was anything but.By the time they reached De Rossi headquarters in Genoa, security was a wall of black suits and mirrored sunglasses. Cameras popped like fireworks. Luca kept a hand at the small of her back, a quiet brand of possession.Inside, the boardroom buzzed with low, hostile energy. Walnut paneling gleamed beneath recessed lights, but t

The morning after the threatening text, the villa felt too quiet. Aria woke to the sound of distant waves and an emptiness beside her. Luca’s side of the bed was cold, sheets already neat.For a moment, she lay still, hoping the night’s intimacy hadn’t been a dream. The scent of him lingered on the pillow, clean linen and cedar, but it only sharpened the ache in her chest.Downstairs, Maria moved briskly through the kitchen. “Signor De Rossi left before sunrise,” she said when Aria appeared. “He asked that you rest.”Rest. As if her heart wasn’t pounding with every headline waiting on her phone. She scrolled anyway, the screen awash with fresh rumors: insider probes, speculation about Luca’s “pregnant companion,” whispers that the De Rossi empire was cracking.A baby kicked against her ribs, a tiny jolt of life. Seven months. Too much stress.She dialed Luca. Straight to voicemail. Again.By noon, he still hadn’t called.Eva arrived just after lunch, sunglasses masking a sleepless nig

Rain whipped sideways across the vineyard as Aria stood frozen in the doorway, breath locked in her chest.The man who stepped inside wasn’t Luca.It was Marco Vitali again, his coat damp, his face drawn tight with urgency.“Where’s Luca?” she asked, voice thin.“He’s still at headquarters,” Marco said, lowering his umbrella and shaking off water. “I drove straight from the vote. We need to talk.”Eva appeared behind Aria, arms crossed. “This better be good. We’re all running on fumes.”Marco’s gaze flicked to Aria’s rounded stomach. “The board’s decision is… complicated. Luca retained his position, but only by a single vote. Benedetti is furious. He’s threatening a civil action to challenge the result.”The words hit like stones. Aria gripped the doorframe. “A single vote?”“Yes. And Benedetti isn’t just angry, he’s dangerous.” Marco’s jaw worked. “There are whispers he’s feeding the press again, this time with stories that could hurt both of you.”Aria’s throat closed. “Stories… abo