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.

cell, Maya. How exactly are you handling

disarmed my anger. Shame washed over me. He was right. He was still here for me even though I had not made

easy.

thing is a mess. My father, Alex showing up… I

11:35 Fri, 21 Jun

Chapter 35

out, placing a hand on my shoulder. The touch was warm, a reminder of his presence, his support, “We just need

spoke. Getting out of here was all I needed to focus on at that moment. “We?” Techoed,

unreadable crossing his features. “I’ve contacted a lawyer. Someone who can navigate this mess and

started

dropping to the floor for a moment before

a flicker

There was a hint

my father, stern and

best place. The investigation into his company… it’s not going well for him. They’ve frozen most of his assets, and there’s a lot of evidence

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

could shut it down completely. And even if they don’t, the financial strain… it will

me like a physical blow. The symbol of my father’s power and prestige, potentially crumbling to dust. The implications were

blurted

the pack is in chaos. Everyone’s vying for power, and those whose

let out a groan, “That is not good at all. This

and the pack. But

me. He was right. Panicking

what’s the plan then?” I asked, forcing myself to sound calm. “How do we get

be here any minute now. As for your father…” he hesitated, his brow furrowing in

laced with a sliver of desperation. “There has to be something we can do. What about the person we were supposed to see before

a waste of time. He is the reason I am just coming