Bonds

Chapter 74 -Maya's POV- The house smelled like Ivan, a mix of leather polish, wood polish, and something clean and citrusy. It was a familiar scent, safe and comforting. In the playroom, the twins were already lost in their own world, glggling as they chased a runaway ball of yarn across the soft carpet. Relief washed overlike a warm wave. Here, with Ivan, things felt normal again.

I took a deep breath and padded down the hallway towards his study. It was a converted room, lined with bookshelves and a massive oak desk, Ivan was hunched over his laptop, his brow furrowed in concentration. The muscles in his shoulders, usually so broad and reassuring. were tight, and his jaw was clenched. My heart ached for him. Ever since I'd cback with the twins, he'd been working around the clock, practically carrying the weight of the entire company on his own.

A small smile tugged at my lips. Maybe a little caffeine boost would help. I peeked into the kitchen, grabbed a steaming cup of coffee I'd made earlier, and headed back towards the study. "Hey," I said softly, pushing the door open a crack.

Ivan's head snapped up, startled. Then, a slow smile spread across his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes in a way that always sent warmth. blooming in my chest. "Hey yourself," he said, his voice gruff but laced with genuine gratitude.

He took the coffee carefully, balancing it precariously on his lap as he navigated his way out of his chair. Settling onto the plush armchair next to the desk, I couldn't help but steal another glance at him. He looked tired, dark circles smudging the skin under his eyes.

"So," I began hesitantly, "how are things going with the company?" He took a sip of the coffee, letting out a satisfied sigh. “It's... fine,” he said finally. It wasn't the most forthcoming answer, but I knew him well enough to understand there was more to it.

Letting out a sigh of my own, I slumped down on the mat opposite him. "I'm tired of this," I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could. stop them. "Ever since I cback with the twins, things have just been so.....” | trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Awkward?" he supplied, his voice gentle.

I looked up at him, surprised. "Yeah, awkward. And I'm sorry, Ivan. I just..." My voice trailed off again, the guilt bubbling up inside me.

brow furrowed in He reached out, his hand hovering over mine for a moment before gently squeezing it. "It was my fault, Amaya," he said softly. "I shouldn't have used you to make a jab at Alex, or ever made you feel like I thought you were spossession I could just claim,” regret. "I'm truly sorry for that." The warmth in his eyes, the sincerity in his voice, melted away the last vestiges of my anger. He was right. I had let my hurt cloud my judgment, and in the process, I'd pushed him away.

A smile crept onto my face. "Apology accepted," I said, my voice soft. "Now, can we please get past this awkward phase? I miss your charm and everything in between," He grinned, a genuine, full-blown smile that lit up his whole face. It was a sight I hadn't seen in a white, and it sent a jolt straight to my heart. "I didn't think you foundcharming," he teased, his eyes sparkling. "Good to know." The tension that had been hanging heavy between us finally seemed to dissipate. I burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the parkour room. "Oh, you are charming," I countered, my eyes twinkling He watchedlaugh for a moment, his gaze warm and appreciative, before reaching down and shutting his laptop with a decisive click.

10:26 Sat, 22 Jun Chapter 74 "What are you doing?" "Trying to fix the awkwardness," he announced with a playful wink.

Then, to my surprise, he pulled out a chessboard from a nearby drawer. My laughter redoubled. "Chess? You're going to fix the awkwardness with chess?" I asked, disbelief laced with amusement.

"Why not?" he challenged, setting the board up on the floor between us. “Besides, I think it'll be fun watching you squirm as I totally kick your ass" A snort of laughter escaped me. "Kick my ass? The last tI played chess, I won three games in a row." He raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. "Maybe you just got lucky that time. Besides you haven't played with me. I'm more than prepared." "Oh yeah? Prepared with what, ssecret chess strategies you learned online?" I teased, taking a seat opposite him on the floor.

"Maybe," he said with a smirk, arranging the pieces on the board with practiced ease. "Now, are we playing white or black?" "Black, obviously," I declared, reaching out to claim the black pawns. The cool touch of the ebony pieces felt strangely comforting in my hands.

The gbegan in a tense silence, each move carefully considered. Ivan, true to his word, seemed to be employing strategic approaches. He captured one of my pawns early on, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"There goes your lucky streak," he said, a hint of triumph in his voice..

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Don't get cocky yet, Ivan. The game's far from over." With renewed focus, I launched a counteroffensive, maneuvering my queen into a threatening position, Ivan furrowed his brow in concentration, his earlier smugness replaced by a thoughtful frown.

"Nice move," he conceded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "But I think I can counter that.” The gcontinued in this vein for a good hour, a delightful back-and-forth battle of strategy and cunning. We traded pieces, launched surprise attacks, and defended our positions with a mix of determination and amusement. The initial awkwardness had completely dissolved, replaced by a comfortable companionship that felt as familiar as the worn leather armchair beside us.

"Checkmate,” I announced triumphantly, a wide grin spreading across my face as I delivered the final blow with my knight.

Ivan groaned, feigning exasperation. "Seriously? You won?" "Looks like it. Maybe your secret online strategies aren't so secret after all." He chuckled, shaking his head in mock defeat. "Alright, alright, you win. But next time, I'm definitely going to crush you." "We'll I see about that." As we began packing up the chessboard, a comfortable silence settled between us. It wasn't the heavy, awkward silence of before, but a peaceful quietude that spoke volumes.

"You know," I began hesitantly, “this is nice Just... hanging out, playing chess." 90% Chapter 74 We sat there for a moment longer, lost in our thoughts. The sound of the twins' laughter drifted in from the playroom, a gentle reminder of the life we were building together.

"Hey," Ivan said softly, breaking the silence. "How about we make this a regular thing? Chess night, just the two of us A warmth spread throughat the suggestion. "I'd like that. Maybe next time, I'll teach you a few winning strategies of my own." He laughed, a rich sound that filled the room. “We'll see about that, Amaya. We'll see about that."

With that, we both rose to our feet, the playful banter and the shared victory on the chessboard leaving a lightness in my heart that had been missing for far too long. The weight of the past few days seemed to lift a little, replaced by a renewed sense of hope and optimism. For a moment, we just stood there, a comfortable silence settling between us. It wasn't the heavy, awkward silence of before, but a peaceful quietude that spoke volumes.

folt a blushin Then, something shifted. The air seemed to crackle with a sudden, unexpected tension.,l creep up my cheeks, a warmth spreading from my chest to my face. "I should, I should probably go check on the twins," I stammered, suddenly feeling flustered. "Yeah, of course." There was a beat of silence, then I took a step back towards the hallway. "Alright, well, see you later," I mumbled, feeling strangely reluctant to leave.

"Hey," Ivan called out, his voice stoppingin my tracks. I turned back to face him, my heart pounding a little faster than usual.

He hesitated for a moment, then took a tentative e step towards me. The air crackled with unspoken emotions, and I could feel a blush rising higher on my cheeks Was he going to say something?

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, to maybe ask him what he was going Me. He to say, Ivan surprised me. He closed the distance between us in two long strides, leavingbreathless. His eyes held a mixture of nervousness and determination, and for a moment, I could only stare at him, speechless. X Then, before I could even think to react, he did something completely unexpected. He cupped my face in his hands and crashed his lips on mine.