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.”

battle of wills. The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity

he started, “are you going to take

hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. It took me a moment to process his words, to truly understand what he was asking. “I don’t know,” I admitted honestly, the answer a tangled mess of emotions swirling within me. “Honestly, I don’t know yet. After everything that’s happened, maybe…

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, “then so

emotions hit me as Alex turned away. Before he could disappear down the hallway, I blurted out the question that had been gnawing at me.

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

the tense air, his tone clipped and urgent. “The car is ready,” he announced, the unspoken message clear: it was time to

one last glance at Alex, his

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

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

lips as I sprinted towards them, my legs propelled by a desperate need to hold them close,

torrent of relief. “Mommy’s here,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “Mommy’s here, and

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

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Chapter 138

moment for my racing heart to slow down enough to register Nate’s words. “Mommy,”

with a deep ache of guilt for the fear and

started to formulate a plan, a voice sliced through the air, cold and calculating. I looked

would be that easy, did you?” he drawled, his voice laced

my children closer, glaring daggers at him. “Where’s Ivan?” I demanded, my voice surprisingly

with more important matters,” he replied nonchalantly. His

to you, Amaya,” he continued, his tone almost grudgingly complimentary. “You raised them well. They’ve been very well behaved. Go on then, he gestured towards the door, a mocking smile plastered

mind raced, desperately searching for a way out. They wouldn’t let me leave that easily. “What kind of game are you playing?” I spat, my voice tight