-Maya’s POV-


    My gaze locked on Ivan, a strange mix of emotions swirling within me. He sat sprawled on the floor, a giggling Ivy perched precariously on hisp. Her ti


    face. He left immediately he received the text promising he would be back. He hadn’t even waited for a reply, his hurried departure leaving a knot of


    unease in my stomach.


    He kept his promise and came back. But here he was, back and seemingly rxed, his


    yful interaction with Ivy a stark contrast to his tense demeanor carlier. A part of me, the rational part, knew we still had serious issues to address. The


    Suddenly, a familiar tug pulled at my mind, a psychic nudge from Natalia. I sighed, the tension momentarily broken, and opened myself to our mental link


    “He’s really good with her,” Natalia’s voice echoed in my head,ced with a hint of surprise.


    My eyes flickered back to the yful scene before me. Ivy, now giggling uncontrobly, tugged on a strand of Ivan’s hair with surprising strength. He flinc


    lighter, more carefree than I’d seen him since everything went down.


    “He really is,” I admitted, my voice a soft murmur in our bond. “She called him Daddy.”


    There was a beat of silence, then a sharp intake of breath from Natalia. “That’s a big step for Ivy. Trusting him enough to want him to be her


    father.


    I nced back at them. Ivy, now nestledfortably in Ivan’sp, was babbling away incoherently, a content smile stered on her face. He, in turn, wa


    “Nathan seems to like him too,” Natalia added, her voice a low murmur. “And you know what they say someone’s energy is bad. That’s not what’s happe


    about kids. They


    can always tell when


    “You know I love you and I’ll always tell you the truth,” She continued, her voice firm. “I get that you’re upset about how he used you to get back at Alex.


    used you as a pawn.”


    A wave of anger washed over me, a bitter reminder of Ivan’s maniptive tactics. He’d used my feelings, our connection, as a weapon against


    Alex.


    “And as for hispany,” She pressed on, her voice softer now, “I get it. Men like to feel powerful. That’s probably why he didn’t tell you about Alex. He d


    less of him.”


    “I know I told you to be careful because he seemed too good to be true,” She continued, her voiceced with a hint of regret. “But with everything you’ve


    his ws? Maybe you should give him another chance. Let your heart have another shot at love.”


    Tears welled up in my eyes, a surprising reaction to her words. Pushing them


    back, I forced a watery smile. “You know I missed it,” I let out a whisper through the bond, my voice thick with emotion. “The Natalia Rant.”


    A surprised bark ofughter erupted from Natalia, the sound momentarily shattering the peaceful atmosphere in the room. Four heads snapped in our di


    Ivan’s eyes met mine for a fleeting moment before Ivy snagged a strand of his hair with her tiny fingers, pulling his attention back to her. He


    Sat,


    un


    offered a nervous smile, his gaze lingering on mine for a beat longer than necessary.


    The knot in my stomach tightened. Seeing him interact with Ivy, so rxed and happy, sent a wave of conflicting emotions through me. There was ange


    something else.


    Something I couldn’t quite define.


    “Maya,” Natalia’s voice broke through my thoughts, her tone gentle this time. “Look, I know Ivan messed up. But sometimes people do stupid things, esp


    insecure. Maybe he felt threatened by Alex. No he definitely does. I mean Alex is all powerful both in the corporate and supernatural world and he was m


    She had that right. Alex, with his alpha arrogance and undeniable charm, could be infuriating at times.


    “But Natalia,” 1 protested, frustration creeping into my tone, “how am I sure he won’t do it again. Say something worse this time.”


    “Okay, okay,” Natalia soothed, raising a cating hand. “He messed up, big time. But maybe, just maybe, there’s another way to look at this.”


    I narrowed my eyes, unsure of where she was going with this.


    “Maybe,” she continued, her voice dropping to a whisper, “he went to Alex because he knew it was the only way to save his


    company. Maybe his pride wouldn’t let him ask you for help, for fear of seeming weak.”


    “Even if that’s true,” I argued, “it doesn’t change the fact that he lied to me.”


    Natalia sighed, a frustrated sound. “Look, Maya, I know you’re hurting. You’re still dealing with everything that happened with Alex. But maybe, just mayb


    Her words struck a chord within me. Moving on. It was something I desperately wanted, but it seemed so out of reach. Alex was everywhere- in my thoug


    I flinched, the memory sending a jolt through me. Natalia’s sharp eyes narrowed.


    “What was that?” she demanded.


    “Nothing,” I looked away.


    “Maya,” she pressed, her voiceced with concern, “You’re hiding something.”


    I took a deep breath, the weight of the secret pressing down on me. “It’s Alex,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Just before the


    ident…He kissed me.”


    Her head snapped in my direction, her eyes wide with surprise. “He kissed you?” she gasped.


    “Yes,” I whispered, shame burning in my cheeks. “And the worst part is, I can’t stop thinking about it. The more I try to forget, the more it reys in my h


    “When was this?” Natalia demanded, her voice a mixture of shock and anger.


    “Right before the whole thing went down,” I mumbled, avoiding Natalia’s gaze. “He is one of our clients and Ms. Edwards took me to meet with him to tal


    he kissed me.”


    Chapter GG


    “And you didn’t tell me?“Her voice wasced with hurt.


    “My psych


    “…


    I didn’t know what to think,“My psych wobbled, feeling a pang of guilt. “It was so sudden, and then everything happened so fast after that. The ident,


    “But Maya,” She pressed, her voice softening slightly. “That kiss…did it mean anything to you?”


    I hesitated, the memory reying vividly in my mind. Alex’s touch, the urgency in his kiss, it was all a confusing jumble of emotions.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    “I don’t know,” I admitted honestly. “Part of me thinks it was just a spur–of–the–


    moment thing. But then the way he showed up at the hospital, acting all concerned…it messed with my head.”


    She let out a frustrated groan, burying her face in her hands. “Maya, honey, you’re so hung up on Alex. He’s bad news, you know that. He rejected you a


    Suddenly, a loud thump shattered the tense silence. Nate had decided tounch himself off the chair. Before he could


    hit the ground with a painful thud, Nathan shot out a hand, catching him mid–air with


    augh. He ruffled Nate’s hair yfully, the little boy giggling in delight.


    Ivy, however, was not amused. She red at Nate with a frown that mirrored Alex’s


    own signature scowl, a pout forming on her tiny lips. The resemnce was uncanny, sending a shiver down my spine. For a fleeting moment, I saw a mi


    in.


    Reaching out through our mental link, I sent a message to Natalia. “I’ve been thinking. Since I cannot let myself let him go. I will force myself


    out of it.”


    “How?”


    I nced back at Ivan smiling down at Ivy. A decision, a crazy one perhaps, began to solidify in my mind. It was a decision I’d considered before, but see


    “I’m going to ask Ivan to mark me,” I dered, my voice firm despite the fluttering in my stomach. “To im me as his mate.”