Bonds

Chapter 122

Alex’sPOV-

Two weeks earlier-

I watched her bolt, the door slamming shut with a finality that echoed the hollowness blooming in my chest. A million things buzzed in my head, a swarm of words begging to be released, explanations I desperately wanted her to hear. But they all died on my tongue, choked by the tangled mess of emotions churning in my gut.

Regret. Confusion. A yearning so deep it felt like a physical ache, a phantom limb I couldn’t quite grasp. The taste of the kiss lingered on my lips, a forbidden fruit that had left me both wanting and hollow. It was a glimpse into a world I once had but I had thrown away, a connection as thrilling as it was terrifying.

Frustration clawed at me as I ran a hand through my hair, the strands catching on the growing knots of tension at the base of my scalp. What the hell was I doing? This whole thing felt like a twisted game, a dance on the edge of a knife. One wrong move, and I could lose everything.

Pushing myself away from the door, I took a shaky breath. There was no point in dwelling on what could have been. I needed a plan, a way to deal with whatever chaos was going on in my head before it spiraled further out of control. But every thought, every strategy, kept circling back to her. With a heavy heart, I turned and headed out, the weight of the city pressing down on me. The familiar roar of the engine as I pulled out of the parking lot did little to soothe the storm raging inside. My mansion loomed ahead, a stark monument to a life that suddenly felt empty and meaningless.

Stepping inside, the silence was deafening. The plush sofas and gleaming surfaces mocked me with their sterile perfection. This wasn’t a home, it was a trophy case, a collection of achievements that now felt hollow.

I sank onto the couch, the leather cool against my skin. Suddenly, a voice sliced through the stillness, sharp and unexpected.

“Did someone have a bad day at work?”

as my eyes narrowed at the person sitting cross legged in my living room. I’d been so lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t

out a

his face.

Alex.”

doing here?” The question came out laced with irritation, a thin veil for the underlying shock

the room. The mansion was practically a maze, with a damn bar stashed in almost every corner and he knew every one of them. He stopped by one, a familiar glint

The realization of Adrian’s innocence had been a slow, painful process, one that chipped away at the walls I’d built around my heart. A sigh escaped my lips, heavy with regret. I owed him an apology. More than that, I owed him a reckoning. Years of selfishness had blinded me, leaving me unable to see the truth staring me

as he poured himself á drink, the clinking of ice cubes against

The words tasted like ash on my tongue. He turned, glass halfway to his lips,

myself to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry.” The apology felt hollow, a meager offering

of

his features before dissolving into a humorless laugh. “Sorry? Just like that? Do you

Chapter 122

me? I was your best friend, Alex, your damn right-hand man! And you couldn’t even trust me enough to believe I wouldn’t betray you.Your apology? It’s worthless to me, Alex. It will never

my gut, a hot coal that refused to be extinguished. There were no justifications, no excuses. My father’s cruelty had damaged me, warped my perception of trust and loyalty. But

of what I’d done.

what brings you here?” I

visited him in prison returned. His eyes, once filled with warmth, were now cold and calculating. He raised his glass

of a future where our bond lay shattered, a casualty of my own making. And as he settled back into his chair, the silence

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