Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

The dining room plunged into a silence so profound it was painful. The only sound in the vaulted space was the sharp, metallic click of my wine glass stem snapping. It fractured between my thumb and forefinger, spilling the expensive red vintage like fresh blood onto the pristine white linen tablecloth. I didn't even register the cut on my palm.Even I was in shock and didn’t know how to react. I looked at Amaya. I had fully expected her to use the chaos of the dinner to plead with her father, to scream for help, or to at least cower in fear from Victor’s aggressive questions. I had expected everything except for what she had done.Her father was here to subtly intimidate her into returning home with him just as he had always done.Instead, she had eaten her meal, stood by my side, laid a calm, possessive hand onto my shoulder, and delivered the ultimate final blow to the men who claimed to possess her legacy. I was completely thrown off guard. But in the center of that shock

The villa was entirely quiet now.The wail of the security sirens nothing but a ringing memory in the ears of the sentries patrolling the outer walls. Victor and his men had been thoroughly dragged off the premises, their weapons seized, their trucks escorted directly to the southern border.All done under a threat of absolute execution if they ever crossed our markers again. And that was simply because I couldn’t bring myself to harm Amaya’s father. My empire was secure. Everything was back to how they should be and yet my chest felt completely hollow. I looked down at my shoulder. The phantom weight of Amaya’s hand resting on it earlier still lingered.She had chosen me. She had looked at the exit, looked at her own father, and she had planted her feet firmly by my side. But I couldn't forget the broken, bleeding look in her eyes when she had retreated to her suite. I had told her I wouldn't force her to smile at my table, but the absolute need to see her, to ensure the wall

The morning sun poured through the wide windows of my bedroom and scattering the darkness that had sheltered Amaya and I. I woke up before the alarms, my body completely still as I looked down at the woman sleeping deeply against my side. Amaya’s head was resting securely on my chest, her dark brown hair sprawled across my skin, her breaths steady and deep. Looking at her now, a profound shift occurred within my chest. The relief of the previous night had solidified into something far more: an absolute, blinding overprotectiveness. She was mine now. She had chosen this life, chosen me and because she had, I would burn the entire world to ash before I let a single threat cross her path again. I slipped out of the bed with practiced, silent movements, ensuring the duvet remained tucked securely around her shoulders. I threw on a dark robe and walked out to the corridor, where Nathaniel was already waiting with the morning operational briefings. When Nathaniel looke

The heavy double doors of the conference room had barely clicked shut behind Susan’s frantic exit before I let out a low chuckle that rumbled from the very depths of my chest. Amaya was standing by the large mahogany liquor cabinet, pouring herself a fresh glass of brandy. She still looked entirely composed. Still, the tension in her shoulders told me the territorial fire she had unleashed on Susan hadn't completely burned out yet. "You terrified her, you know," I said, stepping up behind her. “Is that so?” I reached out, my hands settling firmly on her waist, pulling her back against my chest. "Susan has stood before international tribunals and stared down federal prosecutors without breaking a sweat. Yet you had her trembling over a fountain pen within three minutes." Amaya tilted her head back against my shoulder, her eyes meeting mine in the reflection of the glass window. "She was crossing the line, Bane. She was looking at you like she would eat you up. I

I stood in the center of my private dressing room, staring blankly at the dark burgundy blazer draped over the back of the velvet armchair. There was no reason to stare but it was the only thing I could focus on. Just two days ago, I had worn that jacket like armor, standing beside Bane in his office and strongly claiming him as my man. I had felt untouchable then. I had felt like a woman who had finally seized control of her own destiny in this world. But now, the hollow ache radiating from within me made that victory feel incredibly brittle. I thought of Nathaniel. He had been the only friend that I had here. He was a kind man to me and a true confidant. But now, every time our eyes met, his eyes would be completely devoid of the warmth that had once been my only anchor in this house. He actively avoided me and treated me like a stranger. And when I had chosen to be Bane’s woman, I knew that I had completely shattered Nathaniel’s heart. Regina had assur