Bonds

Chapter 122 Alex'sPOV- Two weeks earlier- I watched her bolt, the door slamming shut with a finality that echoed the hollowness blooming in my chest. A million things buzzed in my head, a swarm of words begging to be released, explanations I desperately wanted her to hear. But they all died on my tongue, choked by the tangled mess of emotions churning in my gut.

Regret. Confusion. A yearning so deep it felt like a physical ache, a phantom limb I couldn't quite grasp. The taste of the kiss lingered on my lips, a forbidden fruit that had leftboth wanting and hollow. It was a glimpse into a world I once had but I had thrown away, a connection as thrilling as it was terrifying.

Frustration clawed atas I ran a hand through my hair, the strands catching on the growing knots of tension at the base of my scalp. What the hell was I doing? This whole thing felt like a twisted game, a dance on the edge of a knife. One wrong move, and I could lose everything.

Pushing myself away from the door, I took a shaky breath. There was no point in dwelling on what could have been. I needed a plan, a way to deal with whatever chaos was going on in my head before it spiraled further out of control. But every thought, every strategy, kept circling back to her. With a heavy heart, I turned and headed out, the weight of the city pressing down on me. The familiar roar of the engine as I pulled out of the parking lot did little to soothe the storm raging inside. My mansion loomed ahead, a stark monument to a life that suddenly felt empty and meaningless.

Stepping inside, the silence was deafening. The plush sofas and gleaming surfaces mockedwith their sterile perfection. This wasn't a home, it was a trophy case, a collection of achievements that now felt hollow.

I sank onto the couch, the leather cool against my skin. Suddenly, a voice sliced through the stillness, sharp and unexpected.

"Did someone have a bad day at work?" My head snapped up immediately, my wolf standing in alert, ready to pounce as my eyes narrowed at the person sitting cross legged in my living room. I'd been so lost in my thoughts, I hadn't even noticed him.

"Adrian." My voice cout a low growl, suspicion lacing every syllable.

A slow smile spread across his face. "Seems like you forgot about me, Alex." "What are you doing here?" The question cout laced with irritation, a thin veil for the underlying shock and confusion I felt.

He simply grinned, pushing himself effortlessly to his feet and strolling towards a corner of the room. The mansion was practically a maze, with a damn bar stashed in almost every corner and he knew every one of them. He stopped by one, a familiar glint in his eyes. Adrian used to be my best friend, a bond forged and solidified by years of shared experiences.

Now, a bitter truth sat heavy in my stomach. The realization of Adrian's innocence had been a slow, painful process, one that chipped away at the walls I'd built around my heart. A sigh escaped my lips, heavy with regret. I owed him an apology. More than that, I owed him a reckoning. Years of selfishness had blinded me, leavingunable to see the truth staringin the face.

Adrian's back was toas he poured himself á drink, the clinking of ice cubes against glass echoing in the silence.

"Adrian, we need to talk." The words tasted like ash on my tongue. He turned, glass halfway to his lips, his head tilted in a question. "Do we?" "Look, Adrian," I began, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry." The apology felt hollow, a meager offering compared to the years injustice I'd inflicted on him.

of A flicker of amusement danced across his features before dissolving into a humorless laugh. "Sorry? Just like that? Do you think four years in Chapter 122 jail can be erased with a single word? Am I supposed to forget how you took everything from me? I was your best friend, Alex, your damn right-hand man! And you couldn't even trustenough to believe I wouldn't betray you. Your apology? It's worthless to me, Alex. It will never be enough." Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. Shburned in my gut, a hot coal that refused to be extinguished. There were no justifications, no excuses. My father's cruelty had damaged me, warped my perception of trust and loyalty. But that didn't change the reality of what I'd done.

"So, what brings you here?" I asked finally.

The unsettling calmness that had settled on Adrian when I visited him in prison returned. His eyes, once filled with warmth, were now cold and calculating. He raised his glass in a sardonic toast. "Well, Alex," he said, a cruel smile twisting his lips, "I guess you could say I'm here to share one last drink with an old friend." He took a long swig from his glass, his gaze never leaving mine. There was a chilling finality in his words, a unspoken promise of a future where our bond lay shattered, a casualty of my own making. And as he settled back into his chair, the silence returned, heavier and profound than ever before.

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I just sat there, locked in a silent stare with him. The air crackled with dm tension, thick enough to chok@ dn. Throwing him out out flicker of a thought that died as quickly as it arose. I'd wronged him enough already, piled enough misery on his plate. was option, a

A chilling realization settled in my gut. How fragile friendship could be, how easily it could shatter into am million pieces/ One minute you're practically brothers, sharing secrets and laughter. The next, you're strangers, divided by a chasm of distrust and pain. Adrian wasn't my enemy. That was a trap I'd fallen into too many times, inherited from my father like a bad habit. Now, looking at Adrian, I saw a reflection of my own mistakes, the destruction I'd left in my wake.

He stared back, his gaze unwavering, a mixture of anger and a strange satisfaction that sent a jolt through me. He had every right to look atthat way. Every. Single. Right.

"Are you leaving anytsoon?" I finally broke the silence, my voice raspy. "Honestly, I have no clue what's going on here." He shota look of pure irritation, as if the question itself was an insult. "I'll leave when I damn well please," he snapped.

I sighed, a heavy sound that seemed to echo in the vast emptiness of the "} mansion. Pushing myself to my feet, I muttered, "Fine. Do as you wish Truthfully, what was the worst that could happen? He'd steal a TV or sfancy gadget? Money was no object, I could replace it in a heartbeat. Exhaustion gnawed at me, a desperate plea for sleep. I turned to head towards my room, ready to leave him to his brooding, when his next words stoppeddead in my tracks. "How's Amaya?"