CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

Chapter 2 Ava’s POV The pain tore through me again, sharp and merciless. I clutched the sheets, sweat dripping down my forehead. Isa’s hand gripped mine tight, her lips pressed together as though she could take my pain if she held on hard enough. “Push, Ava,” Dr. Miranda ordered, her voice clipped and professional. “You’re almost there.” I cried out, pushing with everything I had left. The room blurred, white walls and harsh lights pressing in on me. A sudden cry pierced the air. Thin and fragile, but alive. “It’s a girl,” Dr. Miranda said. She lifted the tiny infant, her gloved hands steady. I sobbed, not from relief, but from something deeper. Something I couldn’t explain. My chest swelled with a strange mix of wonder and grief. She was so small. So perfect. My baby. And yet, not mine. The nurse wrapped the newborn in a blanket, her faint cries filling the room. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Isa smiled through her tears. “She’s beautiful.” I nodded, unable to speak.

Ava's POV Five years had passed, but being back in New York still felt strange. The cab moved down Flatbush Avenue while I looked out the window. Damien sat beside me, holding my hand with one hand and eating the muffin Mom bought him with the other. “Mom,” he said, his mouth full. “Are there parks here?” “Of course.” I smiled. “Bigger than the one we had in Montana.” His eyes lit up. “With swings?” “Yes. With swings.” Mom chuckled beside me, “Don't get him too excited. You need to focus. It's only an interview, Ava.” “I know.” I looked at the building ahead. “But it's the start we need.” The cab stopped in front of a tall glass building. I looked up at it. This was it. Mom touched my arm. “We'll wait at the café across the street. Take your time.” I kissed Damien's forehead. “Be good for Grandma.” “I will.” I got out of the cab and walked toward the building. I kept my head high. Whatever happened today, I was going to handle it. I reached the reception desk and smi

Ava's POV Saturday mornings were for Damien. After everything that had changed since we returned to New York, the park had become one of the few places where I could forget about work and everything else for a while. Damien held my hand as we walked onto the grass. The moment we reached the playground, he let go and ran toward the swings. “Stay where I can see you,” I called. “Okay, Mom!” I sat on a bench and watched him. He went from the swings to the slide, then to the sandbox. I smiled. For a while, everything felt normal. Then Damien stopped. He was staring at something across the sandbox. I followed his gaze. A little girl was sitting there, carefully building a sandcastle. She had dark hair tied back with a ribbon. Damien looked at her for a moment before walking over. “Hi.” The girl looked up, “Hi.” “I like your castle.” “Thanks. You can help if you want.” Damien sat beside her. Within minutes, they were laughing and arguing about the castle. I smiled as I

The door opened before I could say another word. “Daddy!” Diana ran into the office like she owned the place. Her backpack bounced against her side with every step. Clara followed behind her, trying to catch her breath. “I told her to wait,” Clara said. “She didn’t listen.” I kept my face blank even as Diana wrapped her arms around my leg. “You left today without saying bye,” she said. “I had work.” I lifted her gently. “And you didn’t knock.” She grinned. “Clara said you wouldn’t be mad.” “Clara should stop saying things she cannot confirm.” Clara raised both hands. “I take full responsibility.” My eyes moved to Ava. She was still standing near the chair. Her hands were tight around her bag. The moment Diana came in, she had stepped back quickly. “Ms. Morales,” I said. “You may go. I have what I need.” She nodded. “Yes. Thank you. Have a good day, sir.” She walked to the door without looking at me. She slipped past Clara and left. The moment the door shut, Clara looked

My study had become the one place where I could think. A knock came at the door. “Come in.” Ivan walked in with a black folder in his hand. “Sir. The information you requested.” I held out my hand and he gave me the folder. “Anything else?” “Only what is in the file.” “And?” “Nothing that raises concern.” Interesting choice of words. “You may leave.” Ivan nodded and walked out. I opened the folder. Name: Ava Morales. Age: Twenty-eight. Position: Research Analyst, Brooklyn branch. Status: Single mother. Child: Damien Morales, five years old. Father of child: Unknown. Mother: Isabella Morales. Owns a small restaurant in Brooklyn. I turned the page. No criminal record. Good employment history. Clean academic record. Nothing unusual. I flipped through the pages again. There was nothing there that explained why Ava bothered me so much. Everything about her looked normal but something didn't feel normal. I closed the folder. The next morning, I was at Manhattan he