Bonds

Chapter Izo

-Maya’s POV-

My head felt like a hollow shell, devoid of any thoughts or memories. The very concept of death, something I’d always pushed to the back of my mind, was now a terrifying reality I couldn’t escape.

Would it be like this?

My soul leaving my body, a helpless observer as my physical form grew cold and lifeless?

The inside of my skull was a vast emptiness, yet a searing pain pulsed through my body, so intense it threatened to consume me whole.

Was this it?

Was this what death felt like?

Had I finally received the answer to a question I hadn’t dared to ask myself before?

Then, a noxious stench, sharp and acrid, invaded my senses, snapping me back to a semblance of awareness. It filled the void in my mind, forcing reality back into focus. The hospital. The drive to the airport. The sickening crunch of metal as our car collided with another. The concrete wall looming impossibly close… and then, darkness.

My eyes flew open, a scream tearing from my throat. “Ivy! Nate!

Panic surged through me as I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn’t obey. I was strapped tightly to a rickety wooden chair, my arms and legs secured with rough rope that bit into my skin. Fear, cold and primal, clawed at my throat.

Where was I?

What was happening?

I renewed my struggles, desperate to break free. But with each strained movement, a wave of weakness washed over me. My breath hitched in my throat, and I screamed again, my voice hoarse and raw. “Ivy! Nate! Someone please! Who’s there? Where are my children? Let me go!”

thick with the stench of sewage and decay. Rough, damp stone formed the walls, and the floor was slick with a layer

drapes from the low ceiling, and fat, moisture–laden spiders scuttled across them, their movements jerky and unsettling. Exposed pipes snaked along the walls, dripping with

bearing the weight of heavy shackles. The

had taken me? Most importantly, where were the twins? The thought of them alone, lost and frightened, sent a fresh wave

the familiar presence was

screamed again, my voice echoing off the stone walls, a pathetic sound swallowed

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Chapter 128

no sound except for the dripping water and the frantic hammering of my

a voice sliced through the oppressive silence, making me jump. “Will you please shut up?

the sound, and in the flickering light and I saw Adrian standing in

Where are my children? I swear on the Moon Goddess, if you’ve laid a

threats with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Stop

Whatever twisted game this is to get

across his face. “Ah, there it is. The good old Alex finally gets a mention. How’s my dear old friend doing these days? Public enemy

long buried by fear and desperation, flickered to life in my mind. “It was you!

the world. You were too busy chasing after

my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fury. “Were you the one sending

Amaya. You’re not that important for me to blackmail. Alex is the one I want to

why this? Why kidnap me? Where are the twins?” My mind raced, desperately searching for

he was studying some fascinating specimen. “I can’t believe you still love him. After everything he did to you, to us. You’re nothing but a

If you have some sick revenge plot with Alex, take it

he took a step back. “I didn’t bring you here, Amaya. I’m just here to enjoy the show,” he added with a theatrical flourish, “Besides I always give credit where credit

snapped, my voice raw with a mixture of terror and fury. “Screw you and screw whatever this is all about! Let me go right now! I’m supposed to be at the airport with my children!

a smile filled with a chilling amusement, a promise of something dark and twisted. He