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.

everything had 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

found Ivan outside, standing on the porch, his back to

called out, my voice

over my dishevelled appearance, taking in the way my hair hung loose around my shoulders and my clothes were

took a few quick steps

wave of nausea washed over me. My vision blurred, and I stumbled back a step, my hand flying out to grip the railing for support. Suddenly, the adrenaline that had been keeping me going started to ebb away, leaving behind

a spark of warmth through the growing coldness that had begun to creep into my limbs. “What happened?

myself to focus. This wasn’t the time to be collapsing. “No, it’s not a nightmare,” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.

deep breath, I launched into a frantic explanation, the words tumbling out

Chapter 104

the realization that

that I had put the twins at risk. Ivan listened patiently, his expression unreadable. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t judge. He simply

I finished, I was breathless, my entire body trembling. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over. I felt

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

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 and had been watching them. Who knows

beast devouring any sense 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

moment. Then, he reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Okay, okay,” he soothed, his voice calm and steady in stark contrast to

cried, my voice laced with desperation. “They could be anywhere! We need

can’t go searching the

moment, his eyes scanning my face. “Here’s what we’re going 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

paces. I watched as he dialed a number, his brow furrowed in concentration. He spoke in hushed tones, his voice low and serious as he explained

called some people I know,” he explained.” They’ll

back the tide of fear.