Bonds

Chapter 72

-Maya’s POV-

Saturday

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Seventy–two hours.

Three excruciating days had crawled by since the earth had split open beneath my feet. Three days since the man I was supposed to call Dad. the one who should have been my protector, my safe harbor, had looked at me with such raw, naked hatred that the air itself seemed to crackle with hostility.

The vibrant chaos of the park swirled around me, a meaningless blur of sound and movement. Laughter, shouts of encouragement, the rhythmic thud of feet pounding the dirt–it all blended into a monotonous symphony of noise that did nothing to penetrate the thick fog clouding my mind.

Natalia sat beside me talking endlessly and outlining potential solutions to the text message problem.

“We could try a signal blocker. It wouldn’t be foolproof, but it might buy us some time to track down the source.”

My gaze remained fixed on a distant point on the horizon, a point that stretched into an endless void mirroring the hollowness within me. My chest felt heavy, and everything just felt so wrong.

“Or I’ve been doing some reading. We could use a counter–trace program. It’s a little risky, but if we’re careful…”

Her voice trailed off, and I finally tore my eyes away from the empty horizon. She was staring at me with a worried frown etched on her face.

“Amaya,” her voice was gentle. “Are you even listening to me?”

A flicker of pain crossed Natalia’s face for a fleeting moment before she recomposed herself. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Talk about it?

How could I possibly talk about it?

How could I put into words the searing pain of rejection that had branded itself onto my very soul? How could I explain the suffocating emptiness that had replaced the fragile hope I had clung to for so long? That someday we could get past whatever it was my father felt for me. He hated me. My own father simply hated me.

The very thought of talking felt like ripping open a fresh wound, exposing the raw, bleeding mess underneath. So, I remained silent, my gaze returning to the park ground, Across the field, a blur of black hair and bright blue eyes darted between swings, his laughter echoing through the air as he chased after Ivy. Her dark brown curls bounced with every step, her giggles filling the air.

smile to my face, a much–needed dose of joy in the often harsh world we lived in. But today, even their playful energy couldn’t break through the shroud of despair that enveloped me. Their laughter sounded

front of me, his chest puffed out with pride as

he exclaimed, his voice

Chapter 72

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a smile, the movement unfamiliar on my lips. “Good job, Nate,” I croaked, my

managed to shove him off her and leaned towards me, pulling me with her

really tired. But if you

exclaimed at the same

exchange, her eyes filled with a knowing sadness. She understood, of course she did. She had been my rock, my confidante, the one person

other children. Their laughter became clearer as they joined the pack of

feel better,” Natalia finally sighed, her voice

nudge, pulling me out of my self–imposed isolation. I turned to her, my

nothing to say.”

speaking a physical effort. “I have a father, and… and he hates me. There is just

“Look, I know this hurts, Amaya. It hurts like

by the people you care about. And trust

how do I just… turn it

But you don’t let it define you. You are Amaya Stone, Maya freaking Stone. You are strong, you are brave, and you are worthy of love, no matter what your father

edge of the park. Her eyes widened in alarm, and a flicker of cold fear washed over her face. She didn’t speak, but the sudden shift in her demeanor sent a jolt of nervous energy

“Natalia? What’s wrong?”

area, searching for whatever had caused her sudden alarm. But I saw nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual hustle and bustle

the twins and go.” The confusion that had

our things scattered around the bench. “We need to get the twins and go.

protest, but Natalia

a bright, cheerful voice that contrasted sharply with

around her.

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Chapter 72

game of tag with a couple of other children, didn’t hear her at

my voice laced with panic. “What’s going

me, her voice rising in volume as she called out for