Bonds

Chapter 138

-Maya’s POV-

Everything was set in motion, every piece carefully placed on the chessboard. Just like Alex predicted, Christian hadn’t been able to track the source of the message. There were no other options – it was for me to meet with Ivan.

Alex had meticulously planned every detail, leaving no room for error. He’d be my constant shadow, ensuring Ivan believed I was truly alone. Now I stood in front of the mirror, dressed up. It was almost time.

“The hair suits you,” Alex’s voice sounded from behind me, his words barely audible over the nervous fluttering in my stomach. I didn’t tear my gaze away from the reflection in the mirror, but I could feel him enter the small bathroom.

Silence stretched, thick and heavy, before I finally muttered a quiet, “Thank you.”

Taking a deep breath, I turned away from the mirror, ready to face whatever awaited me. But he reached out a hand, gently stopping me in my tracks.

“Amaya,” he whispered.

A jolt of deja vu slammed into me. This, this very moment, mirrored our first encounter. I looked up, meeting his blue eyes – eyes that had always held a power over me, a power that always managed to disarm me. The intensity of his gaze was too much, and I quickly looked away.

I tried to step past him again, but his hand shot out, gripping my arm lightly. “Amaya, please.”

Frustration bubbled up inside me, threatening to spill over. “What do you want me to say, Alex? You’re making me sound like a broken record repeating the same lines over and over. I don’t know how you think things can just magically be okay between us. Believe me, I want it to be okay. I’ve wanted it to be the moment I stepped back into your life a decision fueled by the need to stop lying to myself. But it’s not easy, Alex. Not by a

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long shot. And right now, this…. this isn’t the time for this conversation.”

stood there, locked in an unspoken battle of wills. The silence stretched for what felt like an

“are you going to take them

words, to truly understand what he was asking. “I don’t know,” I admitted honestly, the answer a tangled mess

briefly crossing his features before he quickly masked it with a curt nod. “If that’s what you want,” he said, his voice flat and emotionless,

out the

contrast to the turmoil in his eyes. “I’m done hurting you. All I want is for us to be okay, for things to be… normal. I want to get to know my children, but you raised them on your own, you picked up the pieces after all the mistakes I made. This is

clipped and urgent. “The car is ready,” he

mix of emotions. Stealing one last glance at Alex, his face etched with a mixture of sadness and determination, I followed Christian

drive to the location Ivan had sent was a blur. Every twist and turn sent my heart hammering against my ribs. Unlike the dank, claustrophobic tunnels where I’d been held captive before, this place felt different. The air was clean, devoid of the stale, musty smell that had clung to me for days. Yet, a different kind of dread settled in my stomach – a sterile, clinical feeling that sent shivers down

stepped into the expansive room, my breath caught in my throat. My heart went into overdrive. There, in a designated play area filled with brightly

walls crumbled. A strangled cry escaped my lips as I sprinted towards them, my legs propelled by a desperate need to hold them

into a crushing hug, tears streaming down my face in a torrent of relief. “Mommy’s here,” I whispered, my

for any sign of harm. Little Ivy, ever the chatterbox, was already pointing

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Chapter 138

my racing heart to slow down enough to register Nate’s words. “Mommy,” he mumbled, his voice thick with a mix of sleepiness and relief, “I missed

a deep ache of guilt for the fear and uncertainty they must have endured. “We need to get out of here,” I whispered, my voice firm despite the

a plan, a voice sliced through the air, cold and calculating. I looked up, my blood

you?” he drawled, his voice laced

him. “Where’s Ivan?” I

important matters,” he replied nonchalantly. His

give it to you, Amaya,” he continued, his tone almost grudgingly complimentary. “You raised them well. They’ve been very

way out. They wouldn’t let me leave that easily. “What kind of game are you playing?” I spat, my