Lahat ng Kabanata ng CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Ava’s POVThe office felt different the moment I walked in as if someone had turned the volume up on everyone’s excitement and anxiety at the same time.Not a normal Wednesday. It wasn’t even 9 AM and people were already whispering in hallways, tapping rapidly on keyboards, and pretending not to panic.Elena didn’t even let me take off my coat before she materialized beside me.“Ava.”She grabbed my arm dramatically.“Ava, listen.”I blinked at her. “I literally just got here.”“I know. That’s why you need to listen now before the day eats us alive.”Behind her, Stacy spun her chair around, hair bouncing. “Tell her, Elena. She’s going to implode.”Elena inhaled. “The guest list has been released.”I frowned. “For what?”They stared at me like I’d asked what oxygen was.“The gala!” they said in unison.Oh, right about that.Elena leaned closer. “Ava. Sweet, innocent Ava. You will not believe the names.”“I don’t think I actually care—”“Sebastien Cross,” she whispered like she was cas

Ava’s POVMorning came too fast.I woke up before my alarm, the weak light from the window barely touching the room. Damien lay beside me, curled into my side, his tiny hand gripping my shirt even in sleep. He had climbed into my bed sometime during the night again.I didn’t move at first. I watched his lashes flutter. His small chest rise and fall. The faint crease between his brows.Then he stirred with a soft sound and opened his eyes slowly. “Mommy.”“What is it, baby?”He pressed closer. “I had the dream again.”My heart tightened. “The same one?”He nodded against me. “We were leaving. And the house was empty. And you were crying.” He swallowed. “And I asked why. And you said it is because the secret is following us.”My stomach clenched. Pain spread through my chest so sharply I had to close my eyes.“Damien. It is just a dream.”He looked up, wide and worried. “Are we going to move again?”“No.” I stroked his hair gently. “We are fine. And we stay where we are.”He studied my

Sebastian’s POVManhattan glittered like it owned the night, like every light, every laugh, every secret belonged to it.I stepped out of the Bentley, adjusting my cufflinks as the cameras erupted around me.Flashes. Voices. My name everywhere.I didn’t slow down. I rarely did.Events like the Reynolds Gala weren’t new. Powerful men gathered. Money circulated. Everyone played polite while trying to slice each other underneath the table.It was a beautifully dishonest world.Inside, everything gleamed with gold, marble, crystal. People floated in gowns and tailored suits, champagne flowing as if it were currency.I greeted a few board members, shook hands, smirked at subtle jabs. Same old game.But then the room shifted.Because she stepped into my line of sight.A woman by the registration area.Black dress—not loud, not sequined, not screaming for attention.Yet she was the most arresting thing in the hall.Her hair cascaded in soft waves. She stood with a checklist, adjusting place

Liam’s POVThe house was quiet when I walked in, the kind of quiet that pressed on the walls and made every step sound louder than it should have. I loosened my tie as I made my way through the foyer, the echo of the gala still clinging to me even though I had left hours ago.I should have felt relief. The event was successful, the speeches were smooth, the investors were pleased. Everything had gone according to plan.Except one thing.I shrugged off my jacket and draped it across the back of the nearest chair. I paused, letting my fingers rest on the fabric longer than necessary while the memory of the balcony replayed itself without my permission.Ava standing there with her hands trembling.Ava refusing to look at me.Ava saying she was fine even though her voice said the opposite.I walked into the living room and reached for the glass decanter on the table. I poured myself a drink, watched the liquid settle, then set the glass down without taking a sip.Restlessness. That was wh

Liam’s POVThe morning light spilled across the dining table in long, soft lines, catching the edge of Diana’s cereal bowl as she swung her legs under her chair. The house was calm in that familiar way it always was before the day gained speed. I took my seat, greeted by the quiet clink of plates and the low murmur of my grandmother’s voice.“Good morning,” she said without looking up from her tea.“Morning,” I replied.Clara sat across from me, scrolling through something on her tablet. She lifted her eyes briefly, her expression sharp but not unkind. “You’re dressed early. Another meeting?”“A few,” I said.Diana was humming to herself, drawing small circles with her spoon. I watched her for a moment, letting the normality of it settle over me.“Daddy,” she said suddenly, looking up at me with wide brown eyes. “Can Damien come over again?”Her timing was always interesting.I forced a calm smile. “We’ll see.”She pouted for exactly two seconds before getting distracted by her fruit