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!”

into focus, the source of the putrid smell becoming horrifyingly clear. I was in a cramped,dimly lit room, the air thick with the stench of sewage and decay. Rough, damp stone formed the walls, and the floor was slick with a layer of grime. A single, flickering bulb cast an eerie orange glow, illuminating the scene like a

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

walls, some dangling ominously empty, others bearing the weight of heavy shackles. The room was an absolute nightmare, a place reeking of

desperate for answers. Where was I? Who had taken me? Most importantly, where were the twins?

wolf to get out of here, I reached out with my mind. But the familiar presence was numb. She was there, trapped within my own head, unable to respond,

my voice echoing off the stone walls, a pathetic sound swallowed by the oppressive silence that

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Chapter 128

answer, no sound except for the dripping water and

the oppressive silence, making me jump.

I saw Adrian standing in the shadows, his face

me, momentarily eclipsing the fear that had me paralyzed. “You fucking bastard! Let me go right now! Where are my children?

a dismissive wave of his hand. “Stop the shouting.

get back at Alex, leave me

finally gets a mention.

in my mind. “It was you! You sent the footage! You told them

expose Alex to the world. You were too busy chasing after him to see anything else. Seems you lean more towards the

pressed on, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fury. “Were you

blackmail. Alex is the

this? Why kidnap me? Where are the twins?” My mind raced,

fixed on me as if he was studying some fascinating specimen. “I can’t believe you still

and let me go! If you have some sick revenge plot

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

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

my spine. It wasn’t a friendly smile, it was a smile filled with a chilling amusement, a promise of something dark and twisted.