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 along the walls, dripping with condensation that pattered onto the floor in a rhythmic counterpoint to the pounding of my

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

at my throat, constricting 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

get out of here, I reached out with my mind. But the familiar presence was numb. She was there, trapped within my own head, unable to respond, just like she had

the stone walls, a pathetic sound swallowed by the oppressive silence that

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Chapter 128

dripping water and the frantic hammering of my

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

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head snapped towards the sound, and in the flickering light and I saw Adrian standing in the

had me paralyzed. "You fucking bastard! Let me go right now! Where are my children? I swear on the Moon Goddess, if you've

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

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

finally

"It was you! You

'stupid' side

to blackmail. Alex

My mind raced, desperately searching for an escape plan, anything to get out of

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

sly smile played on Adrian's lips as he took a 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

promise of something dark and twisted.

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 abilities to control everything around it. It was pretty gruesome at the end, though. All that

his eyes gleaming with a manic light. I stared back at him, a cold

screamed again, my