Bonds

-Maya’s POV- 

I stormed out of the study, the echoes of my words bouncing off the walls like angry bullets. Halfway down the hallway, Ivan met me and without a word, he shrugged off his jacket. I took it from him with a mumbled word of thanks, the oversized garment swallowing my small frame. It reached mid–thigh, the sleeves hanging far past my fingertips. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft and gentle. 

I managed a shaky nod. “I just need to get the twins. We’re leaving.” 

He scanned the hallway, his brow furrowed in skepticism. “Do you want me to come with you? Or maybe I should just wait here?” 

My heart ached at his question. He was too good, too understanding. I didn’t deserve his unwavering loyalty after everything I’d put him through. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips, barely reaching my eyes. “I’m sure they’ve missed you and would want to see you.” 

With a shared glance, we set off towards the garden. The walk seemed longer than it should have been and as we rounded a corner, the sounds of children’s laughter reached our ears. Relief washed over me, warm and sweet. There, in the heart of the chaos, my little ones played, oblivious to the turmoil that surrounded them. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

For a moment, I just stood there, watching them. Ivy, with her mess of blonde curls and boundless energy, bounced around like a dandelion seed in the wind while Nate chased after her. A pang of envy stabbed at me. To be them, innocent and carefree, untouched by the harsh realities of the world. It seemed a lifetime ago that I had known such carefree joy. 

Suddenly, Ivy’s gaze landed on us. With a shriek of delight, she abandoned her being pursued and launched herself towards Ivan. Her laughter echoed through the garden, a melody that chased away the shadows in my heart for a fleeting moment. 

She collided with him in a whirlwind of hugs and excited chatter, burying her face in his chest. Ivan caught her effortlessly, his large frame dwarfing her tiny body. A smile, genuine and heartfelt, spread across his face. 

Nate followed suit, though with a touch less enthusiasm. He mumbled a greeting, his head downcast, and shyly wrapped his arms around my legs. I scooped him up into my arms, his warmth a comforting weight against my chest. 

“I’ll send for their things later,” I said to my mother with a smile as we passed her. She nodded in understanding watching until we entered the car. 

The car ride was filled with the cacophony of childhood. Ivy bombarded him with a barrage of questions about where he’d been. I could see a strained smile playing on his lips as he tried to entertain her endless curiosity. Finally, we pulled into the familiar driveway. 

“I need to take a quick shower,” I announced as we stepped into the house. 

Ivan nodded in understanding. “No problem. I will keep them entertained.” 

With a grateful smile, I walked away. Stepping into the bathroom, I turned on the shower, the hiss of the water a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. I stripped off the oversized jacket, the fabric suddenly suffocating against my skin. 

As the hot water cascaded down my body, I closed my eyes and tried to breathe. But the images, the sounds, the echoes of the confrontation in the study, all played on repeat in my head. 

It felt like an eternity before the water lost its heat and the steam in the bathroom began to clear. Stepping out, wrapped in a towel, I felt a sliver of the tension drain away. 

Walking back to the living room, I was surprised by the sight that greeted me. The day had already begun to fade, casting long shadows across the room. Ivan sat on the floor, the twins sprawled across him like contented kittens, fast asleep. 

1/3 

111 

O 

< 

He looked up as I entered, a tired smile gracing his features. With a gentle touch, he adjusted the twins‘ positions, ensuring their comfort. 

“Hey,” he said, his voice raspy. 

“Hey,” I replied, my gaze softening at the peaceful scene before me. “They must be worn out.” 

He chuckled softly. “They’ve been keeping me busy,” he admitted. 

Then, a shift in his expression, a change from playful amusement to something deeper. He stood up, his eyes searching mine. He reached out and took my hand in his. 

“I’m really sorry I left. It wasn’t the way I wanted things to go.” 

A pang of guilt twisted in my gut. Here he was, apologizing for something that, in the grand scheme of things, paled in comparison to the pain I would cause him. 

I forced a smile onto my face. “It’s okay,” I mumbled, the words tasting like ashes in my mouth. 

There was a high probability, a near certainty, that I would lose him soon. I wouldn’t waste these precious moments by dwelling on things I couldn’t control. 

His gaze flickered back to the twins, his expression pensive. “When I left,” he began, then hesitated. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “It gave me time to think. And with the growing chaos in the city… what if we left?” 

I blinked, momentarily stunned by his suggestion. “Left? As in, leave here?” 

“Just hear me out,” he pleaded, his voice urgent. “We could start fresh somewhere new, somewhere quiet. The company is doing well, and I could move the headquarters. You could work for me. We could finally have peace, away from all the drama. All of it.” 

He took both my hands in his, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through me. My mind raced, trying to process the whirlwind of possibilities his words presented. The promise of a new beginning, a fresh start, sounded so incredibly good. 

Too good to be true, almost. 

Away from everything. Away from the suffocating expectations of my family, the constant threat of violence, the memories that haunted every corner of this house. The thought was intoxicating. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could get a single word out, he cut in. “Just think about it. You can have some time but not a lot, because of everything going on.” 

I stopped him with a hand on his arm, the sincerity in his eyes disarming the protest that had formed on my tongue. “The answer is yes. I want to move away from all this, with you and the twins.” 

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by a radiant smile that lit up his entire being. He pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms a comforting haven. As he held me close, he whispered into my ear, his voice husky with emotion. 

“What do you think about me… officially adopting the twins?” 

This was a complete surprise, a curveball I hadn’t seen coming. Adoption wasn’t something I had ever considered, not seriously at least. My mind spun, trying to grapple with the implications of his suggestion. 

I pulled back slightly, peering up at him with wide eyes. “You… you want to adopt them?” 

He looked down at the sleeping forms of Ivy and Nate, a tenderness softening his features. “It was just a thought,” he admitted. “But I already see them as mine. And it’s okay if you don’t like the idea. I just thought, if we were to move, start fresh as a family, it would be nice. But you know what, forget I even brought it up.” 

2/3 

||| 

The way he brushed it off stung a little. Did he think I wouldn’t want him to be a real father to my children? The truth was, the thought of someone else loving them as fiercely as I did filled me with a strange sense of relief. It meant I wouldn’t be alone in the responsibility, wouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of their protection by myself. 

“No. No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised. The idea… it’s a lot to take in.” 

I glanced back at the twins, a wave of protectiveness washing over me. Thinking about them being legally his, having his name, was a strange concept. But as I watched Ivy snuggle closer to him in her sleep, a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. Maybe, just maybe, it was exactly what they needed. 

“If you were to adopt them,” I began, my voice cautious. “How would it work?” 

His warm hand tightened around mine, his gaze holding a steady sincerity. “I can use my connections to speed things up,” he explained. “Normally, we’d need to go through the courts to get your approval, but with everything happening so fast, there’s no time for that. My people can draw up the legal documents. You can read them over carefully, and then sign them with a notary present.” 

I stared at him, a wave of warmth washing over me. Here he was, thinking several steps ahead, taking the initiative to secure their future. It was clear he wasn’t just offering to adopt; he genuinely wanted them as his own. 

The image of a real new beginning, a fresh start, flickered in my mind. A place where the blackmailer couldn’t reach us probably, where we could finally build a life on our own terms. A strangled sound escaped my throat, a mix of relief and hope. 

“Do it,” I whispered, the weight of the decision settling on my shoulders. “If all I have to do is sign some papers, then let’s do it. We can finally be a real family.” 

He smiled, but it wasn’t quite the response I’d expected. It lacked the unrestrained joy I felt. There was a flicker of something else in his eyes, a spark that didn’t quite reach the surface. Perhaps it was just the seriousness of the situation, the weight of the consequences we were about to face. 

“That’s all you have to do,” he echoed, a hint of something sharp in his voice. “Sign the papers, and they’ll be mine. We’ll finally be a family.” 

3/3