Bonds

Chapter 28

Maya’s POV-

The silence that followed my confession stretched on for an eternity. It was a deafening quiet, broken only by the soft rasp of my mother’s breath and the frantic hammering of my own heart. Ivan’s face was a canvas of emotions-confusion, hurt, disbelief- flitting across his features se quickly I couldn’t keep track. Then, a realization dawned on me, chilling and stark. He truly hadn’t known.

The dam within me had burst, and the words tumbled out and I couldn’t control. “My father didn’t want you to know,” I rushed out, my voice raw with a mixture of guilt and desperation. “He erased every trace of it. Alex and I… We were married for three years. We were mates. Then, he rejected me. I was pregnant with ivy and Nate, but he didn’t know. He still doesn’t. And it’s going to stay that way. Ivan, I just… I just don’t want to keep lying to you anymore.”

He remained silent, his gaze locked on mine, his expression unreadable. It was torture, that silence, each passing second stretching into an agonizing eternity. “Please,” I pleaded, my voice dropping to a whisper. “Say something. Anything”

Finally, he shook his head slowly, as if trying to clear his thoughts. “The woman I married… was married before? Not just to anyone, but to Alex Thorne? Who happens to be my little sister’s fiancé?” His voice was a low rumble, laced with disbelief.

The mention of Miranda jolted me back to the present. A flicker of apprehension crossed my face.

He studied me for a long moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. “What else do I need to know?” He asked, “Because I can tell there’s more from that look.”

“There is. I, uhm, kind of attacked her at a bar. And you may have… beaten her up.”

Instead of the anger I expected, he surprised me when a wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Someone finally did it,” he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “I have a list of people who’ve been dying to see her get what’s coming to her.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re not… mad?”

He let out a long sigh. “I don’t know what to feel. Regarding Miranda, well I know she had it coming. She takes pleasure in annoying people. Someone finally cracked. I’m surprised she hasn’t called me yet to cuss you out,” then he let out a sigh, “And then Alex. I don’t know but the thought that you and him… Amaya, this is a lot to take in.”

“It’s over,” I said with conviction. “Whatever happened in the past is staying buried. And I promise you, that’s where it will stay, I don’t want to live with you anymore, Ivan. Like Natalia said, I need a fresh start, and I want you to be a part of that fresh start. No one else.”

A wave of relief washed over his face, followed by that familiar boyish grin that always made me tingle, “You really mean that?”

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head on. “And I know my father already had my things moved to your apartment. Even though I’m pretty ticked off that you didn’t ask me first, I’ll happily

“Well, that was about to be my next question. Considering the situation here…” he trailed off, gesturing towards the

smile playing on my

couch, careful not to disturb my mother’s slumber. The silence of the house felt heavy again, punctuated only by her soft

wasn’t sure what exactly I should do but he cut out my thinking process when he wrapped his hands around me, pulling me close. He buried his head in my hair, taking so whiff, “Everything about you is just so perfect and I really want this to work and I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first about moving your things. I guess I was kind of mad at you but I really

Slope 28

lips as he let me go looking into my eyes. “Well, as you can see,” I gestured towards the overall state of the house, “I

look crossing his face. “But are you sure that’s what you

of things. I don’t want to live a lie anymore, Ivan. Not with you, not with anyone. And

my cheek. “Me too, Amaya,” he said, his voice sincere. “More than anything. But it won’t be easy. There’s a lot to unpack, a lot to figure

his hand. “My past is… complicated, to say the least. And your sister… well, let’s just say things

let out a humorless laugh.

winced. “Right. Maybe we can avoid

face. “We can definitely talk about that. But seriously, I’m willing

returning his smile. “We take

he checked the screen. “It’s a friend,” he said, his voice apologetic. “He might know something

I mumbled, the weight of the situation settling back on

him over the low murmur of his conversation. My gaze drifted to my mother, still fast asleep on the couch. A sliver of guilt p r i c k d at me. I knew she had never really tried to be a mother. Just a trophy wife to my father but maybe I could have tried to

slightly, his tone tense distracting me. He paused for a moment, listening intently. “A lead? Are you sure this guy’s

this be the break they needed to clear my father’s name? I inched closer,

ended the call with a curt “Thanks, I appreciate it,” and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Turning

work with your father. He’s willing to meet with

apprehension creeping into my voice.

a hand through his hair. “He thinks there might be more to your father’s case than the

do we