Bonds

Chapter 14

-Maya POV-

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. A million conflicting emotions warred within me: anger, resentment, guilt, fear, and an unexpected pang of grief.

She was more like a trophy wife to Daniel Stone but the fact still remained-she was my mother.

Natalia placed a comforting hand on my arm, her presence grounding me in the midst of the emotional maelstrom. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision, but I blinked them back, refusing to crumble.

“Where is she?” I demanded, my voice surprisingly steady.

He gave me the name of the hospital, and before I could even process the information, I was already pushing the call to end. Natalia helped me gather my things, moving with urgency yet understanding

“I’ll watch the kids,” she promised, her voice firm and reassuring. “Go, be with your mother.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. With a quick hug of gratitude, I rushed out, my mind racing, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

Would I get to say goodbye?

slammed through the automatic hospital doors, the sterile scent assaulting my senses as I skidded to a stop at the reception desk. My breaths were coming in ragged gasps, adrenaline

myself to calm down. “My mother was in an accident. She was

that held no warmth, scanned my frantic state. “Room 101,” she uttered, her tone clipped

dismissive.

her attitude. With a mumbled “thank you,” I tore through the

ward, the scene that greeted me stopped me in my tracks. There, on a sofa, sat my mother, a magazine casually draped across

my throat, raw and laced with disbelief. “You told me she

genuine concern “Amaya,” he drawled, his voice

voice rising in pitch.

fleeting moment, and in that silent exchange, I saw a flash of apology, a flicker of the

further, my father’s

thrusting a document in

stunned by the abruptness

repeat myself, Amaya?” His voice grew sharper, laced with irritation. “Take the

you seriously kidding me right now? You seriously lied! To get me to come here?” I spat, finally piecing

Chapter 14

on my skin. Anger simmared, threatening to boll over, but

barely a whisper, echoed in the

me for years, but something held me back.

stretched,