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.

the low ceiling, and fat, moisture-laden spiders scuttled across them, their movements jerky and unsettling. Exposed pipes snaked

bearing the weight of heavy shackles. The room was an absolute nightmare, a place reeking of dampness, despair, and something

me? Most importantly, where were the twins? The thought of them alone, lost and frightened, sent a fresh wave of

out of here, I reached out with my mind. But the familiar presence was

walls, a pathetic sound swallowed

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Chapter 128

dripping water and the frantic hammering of my own

a voice sliced through the oppressive silence, making me jump. "Will you please shut up?

+5

I saw Adrian standing in

bastard! Let me go right now! Where are my children? I swear on the Moon Goddess, if you've laid a finger on them, I'll rip you apart

dismissed my threats with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Stop the

Adrian! Whatever twisted game this is to get back at Alex, leave me

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

memory, long buried by fear and desperation, flickered to life in my mind. "It was you! You sent the footage! You

else. Seems you lean more towards the 'stupid' side than the 'smart' one." Ignoring his jab, I pressed on, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fury. "Were you the one sending the messages? All

chuckle. "Don't flatter yourself, Amaya. You're not that important for me to blackmail. Alex is the one I want to see suffer and you should've joined

why this? Why kidnap me? Where are the twins?" My mind raced, desperately

did to you, to us. You're nothing but a fool." "Shut up and let me go! If

step back. "I didn't bring you here, Amaya. I'm just 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! Take me to

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

then, I came across this story, this fascinating creature called a mind flayer. What a concept, right? A single powerful being, using its psionic

back at him, a cold

me go, Adrian!" I screamed again, my voice hoarse. "I won't