Bonds

Chapter 72

-Maya’s POV-

Saturday

90%

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.

of them playing together would bring a 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 distant, muffled by the storm raging

of my reverie. Naty, panting and grinning from ear to ear, stood in front of me, his chest puffed out with pride as he wrapped his hand around his sister, Ivy, her cheeks flushed from exertion tried to get out of his hold but she didn’t stop

he exclaimed, his voice filled with

Chapter 72

90%

lips. “Good job, Nate,” I croaked, my voice hoarse from

else, Ivy managed to shove

tired. But if

exclaimed at the

sadness. She understood, of course she did. She

park and darted back towards the other children. Their laughter became clearer as they joined the pack of kids in

feel better,” Natalia finally sighed, her voice laced with

gentle nudge, pulling me out of my self–imposed isolation. I

nothing to say.”

a physical effort. “I have a father, and… and

hurts, Amaya. It hurts like hell. But you

squeezed my hand, “I know what it’s like to be hurt by the people you care

I just… turn it

You feel it. You acknowledge it. But you don’t let it define you. You are Amaya

the park. Her eyes widened in alarm, and a flicker of cold fear washed over her

“Natalia? What’s wrong?”

the area, searching for whatever had caused her sudden alarm. But

need to get the twins and go.” The confusion that had

our things scattered around the bench. “We

protest, but

Nate! Come here, honeybuns!” she called out in a bright, cheerful voice that

around her.

90%會

Chapter 72

happily engrossed in their game of tag with a couple of other children, didn’t hear her at

with panic. “What’s going on?

in volume as she called out for the twins again.