Bonds of the Alpha Billionaire (Maya and Alex)

Chapter 72

-Maya's POV-

Saturday

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Seventy-two hours.

Three excruciating days had crawled by since the earth had split open beneath my feet. Three days since the man I was supposed to call Dad. the one who should have been my protector, my safe harbor, had looked at me with such raw, naked hatred that the air itself seemed to crackle with hostility.

The vibrant chaos of the park swirled around me, a meaningless blur of sound and movement. Laughter, shouts of encouragement, the rhythmic thud of feet pounding the dirt-it all blended into a monotonous symphony of noise that did nothing to penetrate the thick fog clouding my mind.

Natalia sat beside me talking endlessly and outlining potential solutions to the text message problem.

"We could try a signal blocker. It wouldn't be foolproof, but it might buy us some time to track down the source."

My gaze remained fixed on a distant point on the horizon, a point that stretched into an endless void mirroring the hollowness within me. My chest felt heavy, and everything just felt so wrong.

"Or I've been doing some reading. We could use a counter-trace program. It's a little risky, but if we're careful..."

Her voice trailed off, and I finally tore my eyes away from the empty horizon. She was staring at me with a worried frown etched on her face.

"Amaya," her voice was gentle. "Are you even listening to me?"

A flicker of pain crossed Natalia's face for a fleeting moment before she recomposed herself. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Talk about it?

How could I possibly talk about it?

How could I put into words the searing pain of rejection that had branded itself onto my very soul? How could I explain the suffocating emptiness that had replaced the fragile hope I had clung to for so long? That someday we could get past whatever it was my father felt for me. He hated me. My own father simply hated me.

the field, a blur of black hair and bright blue eyes darted between swings, his

harsh world we lived in. But today,

grinning from ear to ear, stood in front of me, his chest puffed out with pride

his voice filled

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the movement unfamiliar on my lips. "Good

leaned towards me, pulling me with her tiny hands, "Come on, Mommy. Let's play." I smiled down at her, "Mommy

exclaimed

truly knew the depths of my pain. Ivy and Nate, easily distracted, turned their attention back to the park

know what to say to make you feel better," Natalia finally sighed,

words were a gentle nudge, pulling me out of my self-imposed isolation. I turned

nothing to say."

a physical effort. "I have a father, and... and he hates me. There is

Amaya. It hurts like hell. But you can't let

to be hurt by the people you care about. And trust me, letting them win, letting their words define you,

her eyes searching mine. "You don't turn it off. You feel it. You acknowledge it. But you don't let it define you. You are Amaya Stone, Maya freaking Stone. You are strong, you are brave, and you are worthy of love, no matter what

snapping towards the edge of the park. Her eyes widened in alarm, and a flicker of cold fear washed over her face. She didn't speak, but the sudden shift in her demeanor sent a jolt of

"Natalia? What's wrong?"

But I saw nothing out of the ordinary,

answering my question, she scrambled to her feet, her movements quick and purposeful. "We need to get the twins and go."

things scattered around the bench. "We need to get the

-"I began to protest, but

bright, cheerful voice that contrasted sharply with the

around her.

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Chapter 72

in their game of tag with a couple of other children,

voice laced with panic.

called out

spotted Natalia and reluctantly started making their way towards us. Nate tried to bargain for