Bonds

Chapter 104

-Maya’s POV-

Adrenaline surged through my veins, my gaze darted back to the computer screen, the image frozen on a shot of me watching the sleeping

the

twins. Panic clawed at my throat,

Who was watching me?

And how long had they been doing it?

Throwing the covers back in a single, frantic motion, I scrambled out of bed. My bare feet slapped against the cold floor as I raced towards the door, the chilling image on the screen burning into my memory. I had to get to the twins, see if they were alright.

Were they safe?

Had whoever was watching me done anything to them?

Reaching their room, I flung the door open with a force that sent it slamming against the wall. Relief washed over me in a tidal wave as I took In the scene before me. Nate and Ivy lay nestled together still, fast asleep, their breathing soft and even. The sight of them, safe and sound, calmed the frantic storm raging inside me for a moment.

But the image on the computer screen kept flashing through my mind, a constant reminder of the threat that lurked in the shadows. Someone had been watching me, watching the twins. What did they want? And how long had this been going on? The thought sent a fresh wave of panic crashing over me.

been fine. It was a one time thing like Natalia said, someone thought pulling a prank would be fun. But it wasn’t, someone was watching me still. They had been in the house. They had been in the twins room. They had been in the room I shared with Ivan. Ivan. I needed to find him. I sprinted out of the room

porch, his back to me. He was staring out at

my

the sound of my voice, his face etched with surprise. His gaze flickered over my dishevelled appearance, taking in

asked, his voice laced with urgency. He took

to grip the railing for support. Suddenly, the adrenaline that had been keeping me going started to ebb away, leaving behind a wave of

was gentle, sending a spark of warmth through the growing coldness that had begun to creep into my limbs. “What happened? Did you

wasn’t the time to be collapsing. “No, it’s not a nightmare,” I stammered,

frantic explanation, the words tumbling out in a jumbled mess. I told him about the

Chapter 104

on the screen, the realization that someone had been

could feel the color draining from my face. Shame burned in my gut, a hot inferno fueled by the knowledge that I had put the twins at risk. Ivan listened patiently, his expression unreadable. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t judge. He simply waited, allowing me to purge the fear and panic from my system even though I knew he was still mad

spill over. I felt so stupid, so careless. How could I have let this happen? Why did

his voice laced with a hint of doubt that sent a fresh wave of panic through me. “Maybe it’s the adrenaline from what happened earlier messing with your head?” His jaw

shook my head vehemently, my throat tightening with a fresh wave of fear. “Yes, I swear,” I stammered. “It was a live feed of me watching the twins. Frozen on the screen. You said you took out the camera in their room. That means someone had installed another one, had access to it

of reason. Images of hidden cameras flashed through my mind, each one a potential threat to the twins‘ safety. The thought of them being watched, their every move monitored by unseen eyes, filled me with

shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Okay, okay,” he soothed, his voice

how?” I cried, my voice laced with desperation. “They could be anywhere! We need to check

shook his head gently. “Look at you. You’re shaking like a leaf. We can’t go searching the house in this state. We’d wake the twins and

to do,” he continued, his voice taking on a more authoritative tone. “You go back inside and get some rest. It’s cold out here and you need to

paces. I watched as he dialed a number, his brow furrowed in concentration. He spoke in hushed tones, his

just called some people I know,” he explained.” They’ll be here first thing in the morning. They’ll sweep the entire mansion,

of relief washed over me, momentarily pushing back the tide