Bonds of the Alpha Billionaire (Maya and Alex)

Chapter 65

-Alex's POV-

Adrian sauntered into the private ro with an air of misplaced confidence. He pulled out a chair with a flourish, completely ignoring the tension crackling in the air, and poured himself a generous amount of amber liquid from the bottle on the table.

As he took a swig, I watched him. He wasn't the Adrian I knew. The prison visitation has made it clear but seeing him out here only confirmed it. The easygoing goofball who'd been my best friend since college had vanished, replaced by this... stranger. His eyes, once full of warmth and mischief, now held a cold, calculating glint

"Well, well," he drawled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Let's not let my little arrival disrupt the party. We'll go on. The three of us used to be friends after all." He emphasized the last word with a sneer that sent a fresh wave of anger coursing through me.

Christian, ever the picture of stoicism, simply leaned back in his chair, the familiar bored expression back in place. "Adrian," he began, his voice dry and devoid of warmth, "we know you're worked up about being in jail, but stalking us all the way to Italy? That's a bit much, even

for you."

Adrian scoffed, a harsh, grating sound. "Worked up? You locked me up for four damn years, Alex, and you helped him do it!" Afrian's eyes flashed with anger as he narrowed Christian with a glare, "Worked up? He threw me in jail and you helped him." "And the reason you followed us all the way to Italy is because?" I countered, my voice as dry and emotionless as Christian's.

His eyes, those cold, calculating eyes, narrowed in on me. "I've been quite busy since I got out, Alex," he drawled, taking another leisurely sip of his drink. "You know, catching up with old friends. And wouldn't you know it, I ran into someone quite familiar. Amaya."

The name hit me like a physical blow. My wolf surged within me, a primal growl threatening to erupt from my throat. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to attack, to rip into him for daring to speak her name. But with a huge amount of effort, I forced myself to remain still.

He continued, his voice laced with a sickening sweetness. "She's looking even more beautiful, radiant even." He stared at me, a smirk playing on his lips, as he took another sip of his drink. It was obvious he was baiting me, trying to get a reaction, to crack the facade I'd so carefully constructed.

But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He wanted a fight, a confrontation, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. No matter how much his words twisted the knife in my gut, I would remain silent.

the raging storm within. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, Christian watched the exchange with a hawk-like intensity, his hand hovering near his phone, no doubt ready

hand.

He swirled the remaining liquid in his glass, his

name rolling off his tongue like a taunt. He drew out the syllables, making it sound like a cruel joke. My wolf growled, straining against its restraints as I fought to keep my

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Chapter 65

table, and a smirk spread across his face. "I see you're still hung up in her. Stalking the person

I struggled to maintain control. My wolf was

on the edge, knew that one wrong move could send me over

still stuck in the past, pining for a woman who has moved

"Amaya, Amaya, Amaya. You can't even hear her name without losing your cool. I wonder

that exploded within me. It was the final push, the spark

heartbeat, the fragile control I held shattered. My wolf surged forward, a primal force seizing the reins. My vision dimmed at the edges, the world narrowing to a single point of focus - Adrian's smug face. My body moved on autopilot, fueled by instinct and rage. One moment I was sitting across from Adrian, the next I was a blur of motion. I was across the table in a heartbeat, slamming into him with the force of a battering ram. The air whooshed out of

with a grunt, his carefully constructed facade crumbling. His eyes widened in surprise, momentarily unguarded before a flicker of something dark ignited within them. A twisted

over. I lunged for his throat. My claws sank into his flesh, and

his lips. "Finally decided to show your true colors?" he rasped, his voice choked but laced with a

sight of his blood, it only fueled my rage further. I tightened my grip, the muscles in my arms screaming in protest. A part of me, a rational sliver fighting through the

Everything - the hurt, the frustration,

sliced through the fog of rage.