Bonds

Chapter 89

-Maya POV-

I thought I’d gotten used to surprises with everything that had happened. The unexpected call came while I was drowning myself in job applications. I had made a mistake and damn Alex for putting me in this position. My phone screen flashed with the famift yet unwelcome name – Mom I could count on one hand the number of times she’d called me in my entire life. The only genuine connection we ever shared was that brief moment after my father’s arrest. After that, things snapped back into place – her, a silent shadow by his side and having no

voice of her own. So yeah, when the call came, surprise was an understatement. But what truly shocked me was her request. She wanted to

meet, and not just me – the twins.

Here I was, perched on a dusty bench in the manicured garden of my childhood home, watching Nate and Ivy chase butterflies, their laughter echoing through the otherwise quiet afternoon. My mother sat beside me, a characteristic stillness covering her. Neither of us had spoken since I arrived. I kept waiting for her to break the ice, to explain this bizarre reunion, but the silence stretched on, thick and suffocating,

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I cleared my throat. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, she did, “They look happy,” Her gaze fixed on

the twins

I turned my head slightly, watching her watch them. A fleeting sadness flickered across her face, the emotion she mostly wore. I shifted my gaze back to the twins – Nate, covered in dirt after a triumphant roll in a patch of mud, and Ivy, chasing a butterfly with the single–minded determination of a seasoned hunter. A genuine smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “They are happy,” I confirmed, the words soft yet filled

with a fierce protectiveness.

Silence descended once more, heavy and laden. Then, after a moment that felt like an eternity, she spoke again. “They look just like him,” she murmured, the words tinged with a strange mix of hurt.

My shoulders tensed involuntarily. I took a deep breath, trying to push down the anger that threatened to bubble up. Saying nothing, I let the air hang heavy between us. Finally, after another agonizing beat of silence, I turned to face her, my voice laced with skepticism. “Why did you call me here? Why did you want me to bring the twins?”

Her gaze flickered away, avoiding mine. A flicker of something akin to fear crossed her features before she forced a smile, weak and unconvincing “I just wanted to spend time with you. Get to know my grandchildren.”

and volatile. “Why? You’ve never cared about me, never cared about them. You went along with father when he called them bastards,

gaze. A flicker of regret flashed in her eyes, quickly masked by a

choked my voice. I squeezed my eyes shut, the sound

to know why,” I continued, my voice quieter now but no less determined. “Why the sudden change of heart? Why after all these years,

Nate had abandoned his mud–wrestling match and was now chasing a bright blue butterfly with single–minded determination, while Ivy, triumphant, held a

love playing in the dirt too,” she whispered suddenly, “He’d get so filthy, his clothes would be ruined, but he wouldn’t

Lala Chalam

Chapter 89

just laugh and

makeup couldn’t hide the weariness etched around her eyes, the lines that spoke of unspoken grief and a lifetime of unfulfilled dreams. The woman I’d always seen

just sat there, watching her,

should always stand tall, never roll around in the mud like a commoner. But Jeremiah never listened. And you know what? Your father always ended up right there with him, laughing and

know,” she continued, “A smile on my face, but a pang of longing in my

wasn’t an uncomfortable vold, but a space filled with unspoken emotions. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees,

to be happy. Your father, yes, he craved power, always had. But he wasn’t a monster, not then. Jeremiah was his legacy, his pride and joy. He loved him more than anything in the world, sometimes

eyes filled with a profound sadness. “When he was here, there was

a chord

legacy that day. And I lost my son. Our

My heart ached for her, for the woman she was,

vengeance. Blood for blood, that’s all he craved. He nearly started a war with Damon Thorne, a war

heart turned to ice, Amaya. He couldn’t feel anything anymore, only hatred for the man he blamed for

found out I was pregnant. Daniel, he was hurting, yes, but there was a flicker of happiness in his eyes too. Finally, someone to carry on

taking a deep, shuddering breath. “But

be a girl,” I finished the sentence