All Chapters of Claimed By My Ex’s Rival: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

ELYRA.I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying everything I had said to him the previous night Every sharp word. Every glare. The way I had poured my frustration on him as if he was the reason my entire day had gone wrong.Technically, I could have just walked out of that room.That was the simplest thing to do.But no. I had stayed. I had argued. I had let the stress from Star, the maids, the tension, everything — pile up until it burst. And he happened to be the unlucky target.Or maybe I was the unlucky one.I turned to my side and pressed my face into the pillow.“What were you thinking, Elyra?” I muttered to myself.The contract floated into my mind like a dark cloud. That contract was the only reason I was still here. The only thing keeping my father on his road to recovery. If he decided I breached it… if he cut it off…I sat up quickly. No. I couldn’t let that happen.I would apologize.After nearly thirty minutes of arguing with myself—pacing, sighing, rehearsing poss

ELYRA.It had been four days since that night.Four long, heavy days.I had kept my distance away since that night, staying away from him as much as I could. I spoke only when necessary. I cooked because that was part of our agreement. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. No extra words. No unnecessary eye contact. And he seemed fine with it.Maybe he even enjoyed it.But today, something inside me felt different. I was tired of pacing around the house like furniture. Tired of staring out the window. Tired of pretending that this was enough for me.I needed air. I needed purpose.I had been thinking about it for days now. Planning what I would say. Practicing it in my head while chopping vegetables or scrubbing plates.I wiped my hands on my apron and stood still for a moment outside the dining area.He was there. I knew he would be. He always ate slowly, like he had nowhere else to be. I had just served him breakfast not long ago, anyway.My heart thudded.“This is reasonable,” I whispered to

ELYRA.For the past few days, my heart had not rested. Even when I smiled at my parents, even when I tried to act strong, there was this quiet fear sitting at the back of my mind. It followed me everywhere like a shadow I couldn’t shake off.Radiel had given me the money for my father’s transfer without hesitation. The next morning, I moved him to the care home. It was clean, peaceful, and close enough that I could visit often. I made sure his room faced the garden because he loved watching trees sway in the wind. I bought him new slippers, softer blankets, even that old-fashioned radio he liked to listen to in the evenings.“Are you sure this place is not too expensive?” Dad had asked me, his voice weak but still carrying that fatherly concern.I forced a smile. “The most important thing is that you're fine, Dad. Let me do this, please.”His face creased into a smile just as I swallowed the lump in my throat.After settling him in, I found my mother a small but decent apartment. Noth

ELYRA.I hadn't realized just how uncomfortable the dress was till I had walked out of the house and towards the car with Radiel. I shifted in the passenger seat of the car for what felt like the hundredth time. The material was thin—too thin—and the cut dipped lower than I was comfortable with. The air conditioner blasted against my skin, mixing with the night chill that seemed to creep through the tinted windows. Goosebumps rose along my arms and across my back. The fabric barely covered half of my breasts, and every time I moved, I felt like it might betray me.“I’m cold,” I muttered again, wrapping my arms around myself.Radiel didn’t even look at me at first. He kept one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting lazily on his thigh. The city lights passed over his face, sharp and calm as always.“You look beautiful,” he said simply.“That doesn’t change the fact that I’m freezing.”He finally glanced at me, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Beauty requires sacrifice.”“Oh,

ELYRA.I felt my blood go cold, my body stiffening under the pressure of their eyes. Every single person in the hall was now looking at me.Every single one of them.I could feel the curiosity in their eyes. I heard the whispers, saw the phones shifting subtly..I swallowed.These were not ordinary people. These were high-society names. CEOs. Investors. Socialites. People who could dig up your entire life story before someone could say Jack.And if they did, they could discover who I was and find out my relationship to Nick.My heart thudded painfully against my ribs.I kept my chin high, even though inside I felt like I was shrinking. I could already imagine it—someone pulling up an old article, an old photo, a connection. It only took one curious mind.Before my thoughts could spiral any further, a warm hand slid around mine.Radiel.His fingers wrapped around my trembling ones and gently pried the wine glass away from the strong grip of my hands before I crushed it.“Come on,” he m