Bonds

Chapter 35

-Maya’s POV-

“What’s going on here?” Ivan repeated, his voice tight with a mix of concern and irritation. His gaze flickered between me and Alex, the tension in the air practically crackling. Alex remained silent, his eyes locked on mine for a beat before finally looking away. They landed on Ivan, a silent exchange passing between them. It felt loaded, like a conversation unspoken. Then, his gaze snapped

back to me.

“You will be out of here soon,” he said, his voice flat and devoid of any emotion. It felt like a statement of fact, not a promise. He didn’t wait for a response, turning on his heel and heading for the door. The heavy metal clanged shut behind him, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake.

Ivan’s jaw clenched tight. He looked at me, his face a mask of anger. I opened my mouth to explain, to bridge the widening gap between us, but he cut me off sharply.

“Maya,” he started, his voice losing its usual softness whenever he spoke to me, “You told me Alex was… a thing of the past. You said you were done with him.” His words held a hint of betrayal, a reminder of the conversation we’d had just had before my arrest. Now, here I was, just moments ago in a heated exchange with the very man I supposedly didn’t care about anymore.

“Lasked him to leave,” I blurted out, feeling defensive. “It’s not like I had a choice! He just showed up here, and…” I trailed off, frustration bubbling inside me. It wasn’t fair. I shouldn’t have to apologize for being in a jail cell with a man who refused to leave.

“And how does that explain why he practically had his hands wrapped around you when I walked in here?”

“It happened fast,” I explained, my voice calm despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. “He just grabbed me and I wanted to push him away but-”

“But you didn’t” he cut in, his eyes narrowing. “What was he even here in the fisrt place.”

“He said he was here to help,” I admitted hesitantly. My words felt hollow even to myself. Help? He’d caused most of this chaos!

“Help?” He scoffed, his disbelief evident. “He’s the last person you need help from, Amaya. Don’t you see that?”

“See what?” I shot back, my temper finally flaring, “I appreciate you worrying, Ivan, but I can handle myself.”

A beat of silence followed my outburst. He stared at me, his expression unreadable. The air crackled with unspoken words and simmering tension. But there was a flicker of hurt in his eyes. I wanted to feel bad for snapping at him. I knew it wasn’t his fault but I was just angry. My emotions seemed to bleed into his and the hurt disappeared replaced by anger but then instead of exploding like I expected to, he let out a sign.

sitting in a jail cell, Maya. How exactly

Shame washed over me. He was right. He was still here

easy.

is a mess. My father, Alex showing up… I just want it all

11:35 Fri, 21 Jun

Chapter 35

the sound heavy with weariness. He reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. The touch was warm,

all I needed to focus on at that moment. “We?” Techoed, “Do

moment, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features. “I’ve contacted a lawyer. Someone who can navigate this mess and hopefully get you released quickly. But…” he trailed off, his

bloomed in my chest started to wilt. Was there another complication?

He admitted, his gaze dropping to the floor for a moment

sympathy in his eyes, a flicker

There was a hint

The image of my father, stern and powerful, facing an unknown interrogation, sent a fresh wave of worry crashing

The investigation into his company… it’s not going well for him. They’ve

a cold dread pool in my stomach. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.

a chance they could shut it down completely. And even if they don’t, the financial

symbol of my

I blurted out, a new worry

Daniel… with everything going on here, the pack is in chaos. Everyone’s vying for power, and those whose who think

“That is not good at all. This

figure it out. We’ll deal with your father, the company, and the pack. But first things first, we get

inside me. He was right. Panicking wouldn’t solve anything. I needed

get

released is the easy part. The lawyer should be here any minute now. As for your father…”

sliver of desperation. “There has to be something we can do.

time. He is the reason I am just coming to see you. He amounted to nothing. Just