Bonds

Chapter 105

-Maya’s POV-

The silence in the room was a heavy thing, pressing down on me like a thick blanket. Sleep, the solace I craved, remained stubbornly out of reach. Every time I drifted off, my eyelids fluttering closed, the image of the open window would flash behind them, sharp and clear. Ivy’s words, a tiny voice trembling with fear, echoed in the empty space of my mind: “Someone went out the window.”

They were safe now, nestled together in my bed, their small bodies radiating a comforting warmth. I couldn’t bear the thought of them sleeping in that room, not tonight. So, I’d bundled them both up, a sleepy and protesting Nate clinging to my arm, and carried them into my own room. Promises of monsters being just bad dreams and extra cuddles had eventually lulled them back to sleep, leaving me wide awake, staring at the ceiling.

Ivan hadn’t come to bed. The empty space beside me felt vast and cold, a physical manifestation of the distance that had grown between us. Part of me wanted to call out to him, to ask where he was, but another part held back. We were both facing a storm, but right now, we seemed to be weathering it alone. Thinking about him only added another layer of worry to the churning mess in my stomach.

The events of the night replayed themselves on a loop in my mind. The frozen image on the computer screen, a constant reminder that someone had been watching us, had been watching the twins. The chilling truth sank in deeper with each passing minute: they had been violated, their privacy invaded in the supposed safety of their own home. It felt like a direct threat, a message scrawled in fear on the walls.

As dawn painted the sky a pale grey, exhaustion finally started to win its battle with my anxieties. Just as I drifted off into a restless sleep, the sound of movement downstairs jolted me awake. The security team, Ivan had mentioned calling in some people, professionals who could handle this kind of situation. Relief washed over me, a temporary respite in the storm.

The morning arrived, the bright sunshine an unwelcome contrast to the dark thoughts that clouded my mind. Taking the twins to Natalia’s had been a difficult decision, but the thought of them being in the house with the investigation ongoing was unbearable. Natalia hadn’t even blinked an eye. Sure, there had been a pointed comment about me running off right in the chaos, but her initial anger had quickly melted away into concern. There would be a reckoning later, a conversation I wasn’t looking forward to, but right now, I had bigger problems.

Natalia’s house, usually a haven of laughter and spilled toys, felt strangely still this morning. The twins, bewildered by the change in routine, clung to me more than usual Natalia kept them occupied with coloring books and cartoons while I tried to focus on the task at hand.

Back at the house, the security team was already hard at work. Men and women in crisp uniforms moved through the rooms with a practiced efficiency, their expressions unreadable. Ivan was there too, but he kept his distance from me, a furrow etched between his brows. The unspoken tension crackled between us, adding to the already suffocating atmosphere.

no–nonsense haircut and

our home. His gaze flicked between me and Ivan, a silent question hanging in

Mr. Evans, stopped in front of us, his gaze flitting between Ivan and me. His

signs of forced entry or hidden cameras.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “All the security footage from last night

the security team. “But that’s impossible,”

MON,

Chapter 105

in the storm of emotions raging inside me. “Amaya, let him finish,” he said calmly. his voice

Evans nodded in appreciation. “Thank you, Mr. McCall. As Mrs. McCall mentioned, there was an image displayed on a computer screen of the twins in your room. However, upon checking the system logs, we found no evidence of unauthorized access. The image could have been anything, a malfunction perhaps, or even a prank.” He hesitated for a moment, his eyes locking with mine. “As for the open window, a latch malfunction or a strong gust of

right? Was I overreacting? Doubt gnawed at me, fueled by the lack of concrete evidence. But a part of me,

out in the first place. Someone put another in their room.“I looked back to the man, “Check again for the camera. Someone was in

gently. “Amaya, calm down. Let’s hear them out, okay?” He turned to Mr. Evans, his voice firm but respectful. “Have you considered the possibility that the security system itself might have been compromised? Perhaps the intruder bypassed it

Evans raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “That’s a possibility, of course. Our team is running advanced diagnostics on the system as we

I pressed, my voice gaining strength. “There has to

cut with a knife. Mr. Evans exchanged a look with his colleagues,

children is paramount. We will continue our investigation, of course. And if anything new comes to light, we

my voice laced with desperation, “We can’t just sit here and

to do something!”