Bonds of the Alpha Billionaire (Maya and Alex)

Chapter Izo

-Maya's POV-

My head felt like a hollow shell, devoid of any thoughts or memories. The very concept of death, something I'd always pushed to the back of my mind, was now a terrifying reality I couldn't escape.

Would it be like this?

My soul leaving my body, a helpless observer as my physical form grew cold and lifeless?

The inside of my skull was a vast emptiness, yet a searing pain pulsed through my body, so intense it threatened to consume me whole.

Was this it?

Was this what death felt like?

Had I finally received the answer to a question I hadn't dared to ask myself before?

Then, a noxious stench, sharp and acrid, invaded my senses, snapping me back to a semblance of awareness. It filled the void in my mind, forcing reality back into focus. The hospital. The drive to the airport. The sickening crunch of metal as our car collided with another. The concrete wall looming impossibly close... and then, darkness.

My eyes flew open, a scream tearing from my throat. "Ivy! Nate!

Panic surged through me as I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't obey. I was strapped tightly to a rickety wooden chair, my arms and legs secured with rough rope that bit into my skin. Fear, cold and primal, clawed at my throat.

Where was I?

What was happening?

I renewed my struggles, desperate to break free. But with each strained movement, a wave of weakness washed over me. My breath hitched in my throat, and I screamed again, my voice hoarse and raw. "Ivy! Nate! Someone please! Who's there? Where are my children? Let me go!"

My surroundings slowly came into focus, the source of the putrid smell becoming horrifyingly clear. I was in a cramped, dimly lit room, the air thick with the stench of sewage and decay. Rough, damp stone formed the walls, and the floor was slick with a layer of grime. A single, flickering bulb cast an eerie orange glow, illuminating the scene like a forgotten nightmare.

moisture-laden spiders scuttled across them, their movements jerky and unsettling. Exposed pipes snaked along the walls, dripping

chains hung from iron hooks embedded in the walls, some dangling ominously empty, others bearing the weight of

my airways. My mind raced, desperate for answers. Where was I? Who had taken me? Most importantly, where were the twins? The thought of them alone, lost and frightened, sent a fresh wave of

out with my mind. But the familiar presence was numb. She was there, trapped within

walls,

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Chapter 128

sound except for the dripping water and the frantic hammering of my

the oppressive silence, making me jump. "Will you please shut up? You're giving me

+5

saw Adrian standing in the shadows, his face contorted in

surged through me, momentarily eclipsing the fear that had me paralyzed. "You fucking bastard! Let me go right now! Where are my children? I swear on the Moon Goddess, if you've laid a finger on them,

dismissed my threats with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Stop the shouting. You're getting on

Adrian! Whatever twisted game this is to get back at Alex, leave me and my children out of

his face. "Ah, there it is. The good old Alex finally gets a mention. How's my

by fear and desperation, flickered to life in my mind. "It was you! You

'stupid' side than the 'smart' one." Ignoring his

for me to blackmail. Alex is the one I want

are the twins?" My mind raced, desperately

he did to you,

here to enjoy the show," he added with a theatrical flourish, "Besides I always give credit where credit is due." "What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped, my voice raw with a mixture of terror and fury. "Screw you and screw whatever this is all about! Let me go right now! I'm supposed to be at the airport with my children!

a smile that sent shivers down my spine. It wasn't a friendly smile, it was a smile filled with a chilling amusement, a promise of something dark and twisted. He held my gaze for a moment, a long, unsettling moment that stretched on and on until

in prison," he began, his voice low and almost conversational, "those damn guards forced us to read. Hated it at first, of course. But then, I came across this story, this fascinating creature called a mind flayer. What a concept, right? A single powerful being, using its psionic

light. I stared back at him, a cold dread creeping into my gut. What was he talking about? Had he finally gone

again, my voice