Bonds

Chapter 73 -Alex's POV- We stood there, a tableau of shock and simmering tension. Her eyes, wide and glassy, seemed to stare right through me, threatening to shatter into a million pieces.

I wasn't supposed to be here. I hated everything about a park. It remindedof what I never had as a child. Yet, here I was because even though I had tried to fight it, my wolf would always be at attuned to her.

Everything had been going smoothly at the office. Ivan's books checked out clean, the contract was signed, solidifying my ownership of a perfect 45% stake. No meetings lined up, just a day to unwind. Well, unwind wouldn't exactly describe the tense atmosphere with Miranda at home. Not in the mood for another argument, I'd opted for a drive with my driver. Then, passing the park, a low growl rumbled through my wolf. Unease prickled my skin.

So I went for a drive. It wasn't like I was following anyone, but my wolf seemed agitated when we passed the park. I instructed my driver to turn around, and that's when I saw it – a flash of bright red hair through the trees. My feet moved before my mind could catch up, and before! knew it, I was almost by her side. A car sped off, leaving her alone in the middle of the field.

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating and we continued to stand there, rapped in an unspoken language of stares. Finally, I broke the eye contact, the raw urge from my wolf threatening to spill over. I had to before I did something stupid like kiss her again and with that thought, my gaze fell to her lips.

She just continued staring atthen after a while, turned around to leave without a single word.

"Amaya," I blurted out before she could disappear. Her shoulders tensed at the sound of her name, but she didn't stop walking. Frustration bubbled up. "Amaya, stop walking," I repeated, my voice firmer this time.

It was pointless to fight it. I unleashed a sliver of my alpha aura, a subtle pressure that demanded her attention. She whirled around, her eyes blazing with a fire I remembered all too well. "What do you want from me, Alex? Are you following me?!" "Following you?" I scoffed, mirroring her irritated tone.

you should be here." "You hate parks so I don't see any other reason yo "I still hate parks." "It's been four years," she countered, her voice laced with disbelief. "Maybe your tastes have changed." "Oh yeah, huge changes,” I said dripping with sarcasm.

Her eyes narrowed, her voice tight. "This is pointless. I'm leaving." "Leaving like you left with the files from my drawer?" My question hung heavy in the air, a bomb dropped strategically.

The effect was immediate. Her face drained of color, eyes widening with a flicker of fear. I could get you arrested," I continued, watching her struggle to regain her composure.

She took a deep breath, trying to project strength. "Then get on with it," she snapped.

Silence descended once again, thicker and heavier than before. Neither of us spoke, just stared at each other, locked in a battle of wills.

10:26 Sat, 22 Chapter 73 90% Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"You have nothing to say about the pictures?" I asked, breaking the tense quiet.

The fire in her eyes burned brighter, the anger barely contained. "The pictures? What do you wantto say, Alex? That you're a coward? If she was angry, I was furious. "Coward? You slept my best friend, and after everything we-" "Oh just shut up, Alex. Just f*cking shut up. How dare you? You know I always wondered why? Just why? You chand threw divorce papers in my face then kickedout. I was.. I was.." She trailed off then stepped backwards, Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill. For a moment, her anger faltered, replaced by a vulnerability that caughtoff guard.

Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the vulnerability vanished. She stepped back, wiping a stray tear, her voice cold. "You know what? Screw you." With that final declaration, she turned and started walking away again. This time, I couldn't let her go. In a heartbeat, I was beside her, grabbing her arm.

She reacted instantly. Her eyes flashed, fangs snapping out, claws scraping against my skin as she slashed out with a feral snarl. "Don't you ever touchagain!" The fire in her eyes mirrored the burning ache in my chest as she continued, her voice tight with barely suppressed emotion. "You didn't even ask, Alex. Not once. You didn't even try to understand. All those years, all the trust we built gone. Just like that." Her hand chopped through the air, mimicking a falling object. "You threw the divorce papers at me, kickedout of our home... you didn't even askif I did it. You just believed sf*cking papers. Over me. The person you claimed to love." "They. Were. Real." I bit out.

I had Christian check. The moment the photos landed on my desk with a note, I didn't want to believe it. I had spent days, nights even, poring over those pictures. Every detail, every grain of the image. They had looked authentic. Too authentic. She wouldn't do that to me. He wouldn't do that tobut I had checked and without a doubt, they were unfabricated and all I saw was red.

A humorless laugh escaped her lips, a harsh, brittle sound. "Real? You think I would do that, Alex? After everything? You know how hard it was forto trust people, to finally let you in? And you? You threw it all away on a single stack of photos?" My jaw clenched but I didn't give a reply.

"You didn't even care to ask. You just believed that I was a cheating liar? That I betrayed you for Adrian of all people?" She took a deep breath, wiping away the angry tears. You'are af*cking coward, Alex. That's what you are and I never cheated on you. I loved you with every fiber of my being. I chose you over everything, over everyone and you couldn't even accordwith just a little faith, just a little to know that I would never do this to you. Someone setup. Framed me. And you, you didn't even blink before throwingaway." I scoffed, the sound harsh and grating even to my own ears. Denial, a familiar friend, reared its ugly head. "Framed? Con, Amaya. Don't insult my intelligence." "Insult your intelligence?" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "This is your intelligence, Alex? Jumping to conclusions without even a shred of proof beyond sphotos someone could have easily manipulated?"

Silence descended, thick and heavy.

The accusation hung in the air, a suffocating weight on ht on my chest. My mind raced desperately searching for a counter-argument, a shred of doubt to cling to. She was lying. She had to be lying. The pictures, so vivid, — so intimate they screamed 10:26 Sat, 22 Jun Chapter 73 betrayal.

90% She shook her head. "A cruel joke, a calculated lie to tear us apart. And you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker but it doesn't even matter. anymore." She looked at me, a flicker of sadness crossing her face, "You made your choice when you threwout on those accusations alone."

I could only stare. There were so many words I wanted to say but everything was stuck in my throat.

elt like Q She stared at the a moment longer but it felt like she was staring into my soul"I wish you had fought for us. Even just a little.” She turned around, walking away, then as if on an afterthought, she turned back, her gaze sharp. "And if you're looking for someone to blame, look in the mirror.

Because as far as I'm concerned, you're the one who betrayed our trust." With those final words, she walked away, her head held high. I watched her go, a cold dread settling in my stomach. The nagging feeling of a colossal mistake grew with every step she took.

Had I thrown away the best thing in my life based on a lie?