Bonds

-Maya's POV-

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. The phone felt heavy in my hand, suddenly a foreign object. "What?" I whispered, the single word escaping my lips in a ragged breath.

The line went dead before I could say anything else. I stared at the phone screen, numb, the gravity of Ivan's words sinking in.

"Amaya? What's wrong?" Natalia's voice cut through the fog of confusion clouding my mind. Her hand shot out to grip mine, "What happened?"

I looked at her, my mouth working soundlessly for a moment. "My father. He has been arrested. Ivan just called. The FBI... they're investigating him for something."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Does he know what it's about?"

1 shook my head slowly, the room feeling like it was closing in on me. "No. He just said they're investigating him. He's coming to pick me up."

A flicker of worry crossed her face. "Do you w want me to come with you?" she asked. "Maybe it would be better if you weren't alone."

"No. I need to handle this myself. Thank you, though, Natalia. For everything and you too Nathan."

I know he had gone quiet just like he always did when Natalia and I were having our moment. He nodded giving me a tight smile, "Anytime, Maya."

Natalia pulled me into a tight hug, her embrace a silent reassurance in the face of the unknown. "Call me when you know more. And whatever happens, you know I'm here for you."

I clung to her for a moment longer, drawing strength from her unwavering support. Then, I pulled back, wiping at the tears that had welled up in my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus. My father needed me, no matter how much I considered him a monster sometimes and whatever ho'd gotten himself into, I had to be there for him.

"I gotta go," I told them, my voice thick with emotion. "Ivan's on his way."

Nathan nodded, her gaze filled with understanding. "We will come see you later."

I offered her a watery smile, then turned and headed for the door. As I stepped out into the cool night air, a shiver ran down my spine.

The drive with Ivan was tense and silent. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white, his jaw clenched with suppressed anger. I stole a glance at him once, but he kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead, a storm brewing behind his normally calm eyes. He hadn't said a single word to me since he picked me up and the tension in the car was killing.

"What do you know?" I finally broke the silence, About what's happening I mean."

He let out a frustrated sigh, finally turning his head towards me for a brief moment. "Not much. I got a call from a friend in the force. Apparently, there's been an investigation into your father's business dealings for a while now. Something about money laundering, maybe more."

My stomach lurched. Money laundering? The accusation sounded surreal, something ripped from a bad crime movie. "Money laundering? But... that doesn't make any sense. I know my father might be an a** h o e but he is a good businessman, a successful one. Why would-

"I don't know, Amaya," He interrupted, his voice laced with frustration. "That's what we're going to find out, I guess."

The rest of the ride passed in a blur. My mind raced with questions, anxieties, and a growing sense of betrayal. How could my father be involved in something like this? And how much of it was true?

When we finally pulled up in front of my father's house, a swarm of police cars and yellow crime scene tape greeted us. The sight of it sent a fresh wave of panic crashing over me. This was serious. This wasn't some misunderstanding.

Ivan parked the car a few houses down, a silent agreement to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. He took my hand in his, his grip firm yet comforting. "We'll go in together. "But be prepared. Things might be... chaotic."

I nodded, my throat constricting with a mixture of fear and a strange sense of detachment. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I steeled myself for whatever. awaited us inside. As an and Lapproached the hous a police officer materialized at the door, his gaze flickering between us with suspicion.

"Can help you?" he asked curtly.

"I'm Amaya Stone," I said, forcing my voice to remain calm. "This is my husband, Ivan McCall. It's my father's house and I need to get inside."

The officer's eyes narrowed slightly. He studied us for a beat, then stopped aside, allowing us to enter the house. The first thing that hit me was the chaos. Furniture was overturned, drawers hung open, papers were sca e red everywhere. It looked like a tornado had ripped through the place.

In the living room, a group of officers were questioning my mother. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, her normally composed face etched with worry and fear. When she saw me, a flicker of relief crossed her features.

"Amaya!" she cried, rushing towards me. She threw her arms around me, holding me tight as if afraid I might disappear. "Thank goodness you're here."

I froze at first. I knew we both needed each other at this moment and she must be going out of her mind but still, it felt foreign. Seeing her like this. Uneasily, I hugged her back, the familiar scent of her perfume doing little to dispel the sense of unease that had settled deep within me. "What's going on?" I whispered. "Where's father?"

She pulled back slightly, wiping at her tears with a trembling hand. "They took him," she said, her voice h o arse. "The FBI. They said he was... involved in some kind of illegal activities. Money laundering, they mentioned."

"But... how?"

"I don't know," She interrupted, her voice cracking with despair. "I haven't known what to think. They wouldn't tell me anything. Just took him away."

Ivan stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder as if sensing my growing unease. "We should let your mom get some rest," he said gently. "We can try to find out more about your father in the morning"

My mother clung to my hand, her eyes pleading. "Don't leave me alone, Amaya."

The weight of her fear settled on me like a heavy cloak. With a heavy heart, I squeezed her hand back. "We'll stay," I promised, the words tasting foreign on my tongue.

As Ivan went to help himself to a glass of water, I found myself drawn to a framed photograph on the mantle. The three of us stood together even though it looked forced but still, we stood together. A lump formed in my throat. Suddenly, the weight of the night's events pressed down on me with renewed force. Alex, my marriage, and now this- my father's arrest hanging like a dark cloud over everything. Exhaustion washed over me, a heavy wave that threatened to pull me under.

I'm so tired, Mom," I mumbled, my voice thick with emotion.

She reached out and pulled me into a tight embrace. "I know. I am too. But we'll get through this together.

I nodded then for the first time I could remember since I was born, wrapped my hands around her until she fell asleep.

The night stretched on endlessly.

Most of the officers had gone but I knew they would be back. With O

how hot it was, they wouldn't let us see him van busied himself with phone calls and before she fell herself, my mother had told me that his lawyers were working on getting ahead of whatever it was and we would be able to see him soon.

Ivan moved closer, "There's not much I can find out tonight," he admitted, his voice laced with disappointment. "Everything's pretty locked down. But I'll Jun Chapter 27

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keep trying in the morning."

A heavy silence descended upon us, thick and suffocating. Wo stared at eat other for a moment, lost in our own thoughts. Finally, I opened my mouth to speak, "Ivan-"

He cut me off with a gentle shake of his head. "We can talk about it later, Amaya.

Really, now is not the time or the place."

I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. Closing my eyes brielly, I squeezed them shut tight, wishing for a moment of peace amidst the chaos swirling around me. When Copened them again, my gaze fell back to him.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

He was staring intently at me, and for the first time that night, I truly saw him. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, his face etched with fatigue. A pang of guilt stabbed at me. Here he was, trying to be strong for me, for my family, and I knew I was the reason for the exhaustion etched on his features.

This man had been nothing like what I'd expected when we got married. He didn't deserve this, all this stress and worry because of my messy life.

Before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out of my mouth, a confession I knew I couldn't hold o.m back any longer. "Alex," I blurted out,

"Alex Thorne... he's the father of my children."