All Chapters of Claimed By The Alpha Billionaire : Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

LenaThe alley smelled like rain that never quite fell and the grease from the diner vents two streets over. My shift had run long. The last customer left a three-dollar tip and a complaint about the coffee. I folded the bills into my pocket and started toward the bus stop. Twelve minutes if the schedule held. It rarely did.I heard the sound before I saw anything. A hard grunt. Then the crack of something solid hitting bone. I should have kept walking. Instead I stopped at the mouth of the alley and looked.Two men had a third one against the brick wall. The third man was taller, broader through the shoulders, but he was already sliding down. Blood darkened the collar of his coat. One of the attackers raised a metal pipe.I didn’t plan it. My hand closed on the nearest trash-can lid. The swing was clumsy but loud. Metal rang off the wall. The man with the pipe staggered sideways. His partner turned, surprised enough that I got a second hit in before sense caught up with me.“Move,” I

LenaI woke to the sound of the harbor and the low hum of the building’s air system. The bed was too soft. The sheets smelled like nothing. For a few seconds I stayed still and listened the way I used to in foster homes—counting exits, measuring how quiet the hallway was.My bag sat by the door. Someone had brought it in while I slept. Clothes, the second pair of shoes, the envelope with my sister’s medical papers. Nothing else. Efficient.I showered, changed into jeans and a plain sweater, and walked out into the main room. Kai was already there, standing at the long table with a tablet and a cup of black coffee. He wore a dark shirt, sleeves rolled once. The stitches above his temple looked clean in the morning light.“There’s food,” he said without looking up. “Eat what you want.”A covered plate sat on the counter. Eggs, toast, fruit that looked too perfect. I poured coffee instead and leaned against the far side of the island.“My sister’s coverage,” I said.“Active as of six thi

LenaMorning light came in flat and gray over the water. I was already dressed when I left the bedroom. The office Kai had pointed out sat at the end of the short hall—desk, clean computer, secure line, a window that faced the same harbor. I tested the chair, opened the laptop, and found the login waiting.A folder sat on the desk. Printed pages. Names, short notes, leanings on the vote. Kai’s handwriting was sharp and minimal. I read through them once, then again, marking the ones who had smiled too carefully at dinner.He appeared in the doorway with two cups of coffee. He set one on the desk without comment and kept the other.“Any questions?” he asked.“Three of them want the eastern fringe given more territory. Two are waiting to see who looks stronger. The rest will follow the numbers.” I tapped the page. “The woman from last night—Sarai—she’s the one who watches hands. She’s the real vote counter.”Kai gave a short nod. “She is. Stay clear of her if you can. She doesn’t waste w

Chapter 7LenaThe next two days passed without another direct attempt.That bothered me more than an attack would have.People who wanted something usually made mistakes when they rushed. The ones who waited were harder to read.I spent most of the first morning in the office with the pack files spread across the desk. Kai had given me access to everything I needed for the dinner, but I had started noticing something he hadn't said out loud.Every time a name from the eastern council appeared, there was a gap.Not a missing page. A missing connection.Someone had been careful about what got recorded.I looked at the list again.Sarai. Council member. Neutral publicly.Dorian Vale. Eastern territory representative. Pushing for expanded borders.Elias Mercer. Shipping interests. Usually followed whoever controlled the docks.Three names. Three different interests.The same three names appeared in older records beside the same territory dispute.I leaned back in the chair.The office do