Bonds

Chapter 85

-Maya’s POV-

A gnawing unease clawed at my gut, twisting and churning with every passing day. It felt like the calm before a storm, a suffocating silence that pressed in on me from all sides. Officially, things had gone quiet. No more news of bombings, no more violence erupting across the city. But the quiet felt wrong, heavy with a sense of impending doom.

People whispered in hushed tones, their eyes flickering nervously whenever they thought I wasn’t looking. The news was a constant barrage of speculation and accusations, each report a fresh stab of anxiety. Ivan was working tirelessly behind the scenes, trying to mend the fractured relationships and control the narrative. My father, in his usual infuriating way, had retreated into a shell of stoic silence. Alex? He was a ghost, a name that hung heavy in the air but never materialized.

The silence was deafening, a stark contrast to the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. Fear, anger, confusion – they all tangled together in a knot that tightened with each passing hour. It was all too easy to pretend everything was fine, to plaster on a smile and go through the motions. But the facade felt brittle, a mask that could shatter with the slightest touch.

The worst part? I was trapped, playing a role in the den of the enemy – or at least, that’s how it felt. Here I was, in the heart of Alex’s company, tasked with finishing the interior design project I’d started before everything went south. It felt surreal, walking through these familiar halls, surrounded by the ghosts of normalcy.

Everywhere I turned, I felt his presence, a phantom pressing down on me. It wasn’t like I saw him, not physically. But his absence was a presence all its own, a void in the air that screamed of his watchful gaze. The employees tried their best to act normal. But even their smiles seemed forced, their small talk strained under the weight of the unspoken tension.

Every creak of the floorboard, every rustle of paper, sent a jolt through me.

Was it him?

Was he watching me?

The paranoia gnawed at me, turning every shadow into a potential threat.

The questions echoed in the vast emptiness of my mind, unanswered and terrifying. I longed for the comfort of the girls, for the familiar faces and the warmth of acceptance but it felt like everyone had suddenly become stuck in their own world. Here, I was an outsider, an alien adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

Each day was a battle, a constant struggle to maintain composure amidst the swirling chaos. A part of me craved answers, yearned to confront Alex directly without Ivan this time. But another, more cautious part, held me back. I still had Adrian to worry about and his plan to expose werewolves to the world, all of this was probably working in his favour then there was that message, sometimes I just simply stared. No new one had come but I felt like I had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, like I was waiting for Alex to materialize.

The thought sent a fresh wave of nausea washing over me. The Alex I knew, the thoughtful, kind man I’d fallen for, seemed to be a distant memory. In his place stood a stranger, a man consumed by a darkness I couldn’t fathom.

the eye of the storm, a temporary As the days bled into one another, the silence began to morph into something more sinister. It felt like th reprieve before the real blow hit. And as I sat alone in the empty office, surrounded by the remnants of a life that seemed to be slipping away.

I couldn’t help but wonder: when the storm finally broke, would any of us be left standing?

from my spiraling thoughts as a voice cut through the tense

22

Chapter 85

alright in

in charge

forcing myself to appear calm. “Yeah, everything’s fine.

:B8%斷

confident demeanor tinged with a hint of hesitation. “Actually, there was something I wanted

I

you about.”

I thought, bracing myself. Some last–minute change, some outlandish request that would push my already stretched patience to the breaking point. Anything but going back into

lingering scent of his cologne, the stark emptiness of the space that felt like a constant reminder of his absence – it was all too much to bear. But before I could voice my reservations,

opinion on the progress of his office renovation. Would you mind

was what made me even more uneasy. He spoke to them sending messages on what he like and didn’t that would eventually reach me but

about to leave for the day. Maybe we could schedule

specifically requested to see it today. He’s… well, he’s been a bit on edge lately, and seeing some progress might help ease his mind a

pleading look, and I sighed inwardly. Part of me just wanted to run, to escape the suffocating pressure and the constant feeling of being watched. But another part, the professional part, knew I couldn’t

conceded with a defeated sigh. “Let’s

broke into a relieved

rhythmic click of his shoes against the polished floor. With each step,

end of the hall and stopped before the imposing mahogany door that marked the entrance to Alex’s office.

hand on the doorknob, his flickering briefly towards me. “Ready?”

Eate

In

myself to appear composed. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” I muttered,

ra

revealing the familiar interior. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, illuminating the space in a soft glow. The room was mostly bare,

what do you think?” David asked, gesturing towards the