All Chapters of Ruthless Claim: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Rain streaked the tall windows, soft and steady, the kind that filled the air with a chill that sank straight to the bones. Aria sat curled on the edge of the sofa, her hands clasped over the curve of her belly. Every minute felt like a question without an answer.Luca hadn’t called.Not since that broken, static-laced message, the one that ended with “Don’t trust” before the line went dead.She had replayed it so many times that the words had become echoes in her mind. Each time she told herself he was alive. That somewhere, somehow, he was fighting his way back to her.Eva hovered in the doorway, her usual sharp tone softened by worry. “You need to eat something. It’s been hours.”Aria didn’t look up. “If I eat, it feels like I’ve accepted he’s not coming back today.”Eva sighed, moving closer. “We don’t even know what happened, Aria. Marco can’t reach anyone. Headquarters says he’s ‘off-grid for medical reasons,’ whatever that means.”Aria flinched. “Medical reasons?”“That’s all t

The morning light cut through the curtains like a blade, splitting Aria’s uneasy sleep into fragments of memory and fear.She could still hear Luca’s voice in the back of her mind, rough, quiet, real.“Stay safe for me.”But the last text from Marco played louder.Don’t leave the villa. It’s not safe tonight.Eva hadn’t said a word since they got back. She’d just driven, knuckles white on the steering wheel, and locked every door when they returned.Now, hours later, the silence between them was its own storm.“Say something,” Aria whispered, sitting at the kitchen island.Eva glanced up from her phone. “You’re sure it was him?”“I held his hand, Eva.” Aria’s voice cracked, her chest tightening. “I know Luca. That was him.”“Then how did Marco know we were there?”“I don’t know.” Aria pressed her palm to her forehead. “Maybe Lucia told him.”Eva shook her head. “I called Marco after you fell asleep. He said he hadn’t spoken to Lucia all night. He’s been in meetings with the board.”Ar

Aria stood at the head of the table, pulse hammering as thirty pairs of eyes drilled into her. The rain outside was relentless, slamming the glass like an omen.“The projections remain strong,” she said, voice cool and precise. “Our logistics division is stabilizing faster than predicted, and the third-quarter numbers prove”“Numbers don’t change headlines, Mrs. Rossi,” interrupted Benedetti, his smug smirk barely concealed. “Investors are losing confidence. Your husband’s absence has created… uncertainty.”Aria’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table. “Then we show them certainty. We deliver results.”“Results?” Benedetti leaned back in his chair. “Or appearances? Because from where I stand, this looks like a company being run on pity and borrowed time.”The room went still.Marco shifted beside her, ready to intervene, but Aria raised a hand. Her voice was soft, almost deadly calm.“Careful, Benedetti. You mistake my restraint for weakness.”He smiled thinly. “Oh, I wouldn’

Morning crept in with a hush, the kind that follows triumph before the next blow.Aria woke to the soft hum of the city and the faint rhythm of Luca’s breathing beside her. For a moment she allowed herself to believe they were safe. Then the baby kicked hard, urgent and a thin ache cinched across her lower belly.She pressed a hand to her bump, whispering, “Easy, piccolo, not yet.”From the kitchen, the scent of espresso drifted in. Luca appeared in the doorway, barefoot, shirt unbuttoned at the collar.“Was that another one?” he asked, overseeing her.She nodded. “Second this morning. Braxton Hicks, probably.”He frowned. “Or a sign you’re doing too much.”“You mean sitting still while the world loses its mind?” She tried to smile. “I’m fine, Luca.”But the truth was, she wasn’t fine. The kicks had grown sharper over the past few days, contractions fluttering closer, her nerves stretched thin by stress and sleepless nights.Luca crossed to her, kneeling so his hand could rest over th

When I woke, the world was a blur of light and distant sound.A low beeping filled the air, soft but steady like a heartbeat trying to remind me I was still here.My body felt heavy, anchored by exhaustion. My lips were dry, my chest tight. For a moment, I couldn’t remember where I was… until I heard a soft cry.That sound was thin, beautiful, real, yet cut through everything.My baby.I tried to move, but pain shot up my side, sharp and raw. My eyes fluttered open. White walls. The smell of antiseptic. A steady hum from the air conditioning. I was in a hospital.And then I saw him.Luca sat slumped in the chair beside me, elbows on his knees, head bowed. His suit jacket hung over the backrest, his shirt wrinkled, sleeves rolled up. His eyes were closed, but the tension in his body was unmistakable. Even asleep, he looked like a man fighting invisible wars.“Luca…” My voice cracked.His head snapped up instantly. For a second, his expression was unreadable. Disbelief, fear, relief, an