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!”

with the stench of sewage and decay. Rough, damp stone formed the walls,

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

bearing the weight of heavy shackles. The room was an absolute nightmare, a place reeking of

taken me? Most importantly,

here, I reached out with my mind. But the familiar presence was numb. She was there, trapped within my own head, unable to respond, just like she had been for the past

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

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Chapter 128

dripping water and the frantic hammering of my own

voice sliced through the oppressive silence, making me jump. “Will

the flickering light and I saw Adrian standing in the shadows, his

Where are my children? I swear on the Moon Goddess, if

my threats with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Stop the shouting. You’re

twisted game this is to get back at Alex, leave me and

is. The good old Alex finally gets a mention.

desperation, flickered to life in my mind. “It was you! You sent the footage! You told them about us! You targeted

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

trembling with a mixture of fear

You’re not that important for me to blackmail. Alex is the one I want to see suffer and you should’ve joined me

twins?” My mind raced, desperately searching

remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on me as if 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

up and let me go! If you have some

Adrian’s lips as he took a step back. “I didn’t bring you here, Amaya. I’m just

the hell are you talking about?” I 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! Take me to

was a smile filled with a chilling amusement, a promise of something dark and twisted. He held my gaze for a