All Chapters of The Ceo’s Unwanted Claim: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The silence in the waiting room of Valenti Capital was not empty; it was heavy, a pressurized weight that pressed against the eardrums and settled deep in the lungs. It smelled of ozone, chilled air, and money, vast, untouchable, quiet money. Evelina Thorne sat on the edge of a black leather sofa that looked more like a piece of brutalist sculpture than furniture. The leather was cold enough to bite through the thin, worn fabric of her skirt, sending a shiver racing up her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature. She sat with her spine rigid, her knees pressed together, her hands white-knuckled around the strap of her handbag. She had been waiting for forty-five minutes. Every minute was a calculated insult. Every tick of the silent, minimalist clock on the marble wall was a reminder that her time meant nothing, while his time cost thousands of dollars a second. Evelina closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to steady the nausea rolling in her empty stomach. She hadn’

Waking up was not a slow, peaceful drift into consciousness. It was a sudden, jarring return to a reality Evelina prayed had been a nightmare. She gasped, sitting bolt upright in the massive bed, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. For a second, she didn’t know where she was. The air was too cold. The sheets were too smooth. The silence was too heavy. Then, the smell hit her, sandalwood, expensive cleaning agents, and the distinct lack of dust. Dante. She fell back against the pillows, the crushing weight of the previous day settling onto her chest like a concrete slab. She was in the tower. She was the property of the man upstairs. Evelina threw off the heavy duvet, the charcoal silk pooling around her waist. She looked at the digital clock on the bedside table. 06:00. She had slept in the clothes she arrived in, her worn cotton shirt and skirt. They were wrinkled now, smelling of yesterday’s sweat and fear, but they were the only things in this room that felt

The elevator ride down to the private events wing took less than thirty seconds, but to Evelina, it felt like a descent into the underworld. The mirrored walls of the elevator box reflected her infinite shame. She saw herself multiplied a dozen times, a woman in a green silk dress that clung to her skin like a second layer of guilt, standing beside a man who looked like he owned the very air she was struggling to breathe. Dante didn’t look at her. He stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the floor numbers tick down. 5… 4… 3… “Do not fidget,” he commanded, his voice low, addressing her reflection in the steel doors. “You are nervous. It makes you look weak. And by extension, it makes me look weak. Stop it.” Evelina froze her hands, which had been picking at the side of her clutch. “I’m not nervous,” she whispered, though her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. “I’m nauseous. There is a difference.” “Swallow it,” Dante said. The doors slid open. The n

"Look at yourself," he whispered against her ear.Evelina stared at her reflection, wild eyes, flushed skin, trapped in the embrace of the monster."The zipper is stuck," she sobbed. "Just cut it.""We do not destroy assets because we are frustrated," Dante murmured.He reached behind her. His hands were warm, steady, and infuriatingly calm. He brushed her hair aside, exposing the nape of her neck.He found the zipper. He didn't yank. He used his fingers to gently, methodically work the silk lining free from the teeth. He was close enough that she could feel the movement of his chest against her back.Zip.The sound was loud in the steamy room. The tension released. The dress pooled loose around her waist.Evelina slumped forward, the relief so intense it made her dizzy. "Thank you," she whispered, hating herself for saying it.Dante didn't step back. He kept his hands on her bare shoulders. He looked at her reflection in the mirror, his eyes traveling down the curve of her spine expos

The hunger was a sharp, physical pain, but the shame was worse. Evelina sat on the floor of the glass-walled living room where Dante had left her, her knees pulled to her chest. The sun had moved across the sky, casting long, jagged shadows across the penthouse, turning the luxury suite into a cage of iron bars and gray light.She had tried to hack him. She had tried to find the truth about The Thorne Contingency. And she had failed within minutes.The elevator chime broke the silence.Evelina flinched. She expected Dante to return with a whip or a lawyer.But it wasn't Dante. It was Luca Rossi.The Head of Security stepped off the elevator. He wasn't looking at Evelina. He was looking at a tablet, his face grim. He walked straight to the wall panel that controlled the suite’s environment."Get up," Luca said. He didn't shout. His voice was flat, bored.Evelina scrambled to her feet, using the wall for support. "Where is he?""Mr. Valenti is busy cleaning up the mess you made," Luca sa