All Chapters of Bound to the Ruthless Don: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

Jane The grand ballroom doors swung open, and the hum of a hundred conversations washed over me. My steps almost faltered as I tightened my grip on the silver clutch in my hand, but Raymond noticed before I said a word. Without taking his eyes off the crowded ballroom, he leaned in slightly and said, “Relax your shoulders, and don’t hold your purse like you’re expecting a fight. People notice the little things, especially when they’re looking for a reason to judge you.” I forced my fingers to loosen around the clutch and let it rest naturally against my hip. “I remember the lessons.” “I know you do,” he replied calmly. “Just don’t overthink them. Speak when you’re spoken to, keep your answers short, and let everyone else do most of the talking. The less you reveal, the less they can use against you.” His hand settled lightly against the small of my back, warm even through the thin silk of my dress. Remembering every instruction he’d given me, I walked beside him into the ballroom

Jane's POVDriving back to the Hale estate didn’t feel like going home. It felt more like walking straight into a firing squad.Inside that glossy black Maybach, the air got so tight I couldn't catch a proper breath. Raymond sat beside me, his face set hard like stone, his eyes locked outside at the flashing city lights as we drove past. He looked steady as ever, unbreakable. I felt small, shrinking a little more into my seat with every mile.My hands twisted the silk of my dress until my knuckles went white. I couldn't stop rerunning scenes from the gala that included Valentina’s sneer, Mrs. Hale’s cold glare, the Commission’s silent, suffocating judgment. I had trained for weeks. I had trained on how to hold a champagne glass, how to stand, how to look like I belonged. And none of it mattered. Not when you’re up against Raymond’s mother and all the weight she drags into the room.We stopped in front of the mansion. Nobody moved. Three long, frozen seconds ticked by.Finally Raymond b

Jane's POV My heart didn’t just drop. It basically shattered, sharp and suddenly, banging around in my chest. The bottom of the river. That’s all I could think. It was the only thought that would stay in my head. I clung to the cold marble railing at the top of the landing; my fingers numb and white. Down in the vast foyer, the tall stranger watched every move I made. His dark eyes caught the light from the chandelier in quick, wicked flashes. Water dripped steadily from his coat, tapping on the floorboards steady, relentlessly, almost with the same tempo as my wild heartbeat. “You look pale, sweet girl,” he said, his voice rough and cutting, like gravel grating against metal. He stepped onto the first stair, boots landing heavy on the thick carpet. “Did I frighten you? Or maybe Raymond forgot to mention that the Hale family tree has a few rotte

Jane;s POV​The silence in the room stretched paper-thin, broken only by the steady, frantic thudding of my heart and the rain beating against the balcony glass.My arms trembled as I tried to keep Raymond’s heavy pistol leveled at her chest. The metal felt ice-cold against my palms, awkward and terrifyingly heavy.​Valentina didn’t look scared. She didn’t even look nervous. She strolled into the room with slow, deliberate steps, the silencer on her revolver reflecting the dim, amber glow of the room’s side lamps.​"Put it down, Jane," Valentina said softly, almost like she was talking to an unruly child. "You’re holding a tool you don't understand. If you pull that trigger, the recoil will break your wrist, and you’ll miss me completely. I won't.""How did you get in here?" I forced out, my voice tight, my feet planted on the plush carpet.​"I grew up playing in this estate," she replied, a bitter smile touching her lips. "I know every hidden hallway, every servant passage, every dra