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Ties that bind

Author: Rain Tummy
last update publish date: 2026-06-19 13:47:21

POV: Zina

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, but the sound might as well have been a gunshot for how violently my heart jolted. I stepped out onto the marble floor, the sharp click of my heels echoing down the hall like a countdown to my execution.

Jared's words replayed in my head. You don't owe him anything. Don't let him corner you.

I gripped the strap of my bag tighter, knuckles white. The conference room loomed at the end of the corridor, its glass walls revealing shadowy silh
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  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Zina’s fears

    Zina POVThe house felt unnervingly silent. I sat on the couch, eyes unfocused as I stared at the walls, my mind a chaotic mess. Thoughts of Xaden crowded my brain. His voice, full of threats, filled my head, his words echoing like a constant drumbeat. He promised he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted, and I couldn't escape the feeling that he was out there, just waiting for the right moment to strike.My chest felt tight, as if a weight was pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I reached for my phone, my hands shaking. The screen lit up with a message.Where are you? I'm outside.It was from Jared.I hadn't answered his calls or texts all day. I couldn't let him see how scared I was, how out of control I felt. But the truth was, I needed him. I couldn't keep going like this. I had to face it, no matter how terrified I was. Jared had always been my rock.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my hands before typing out a response.I'm home. Come in.I pressed send and

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Ties that bind

    POV: ZinaThe elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, but the sound might as well have been a gunshot for how violently my heart jolted. I stepped out onto the marble floor, the sharp click of my heels echoing down the hall like a countdown to my execution.Jared's words replayed in my head. You don't owe him anything. Don't let him corner you.I gripped the strap of my bag tighter, knuckles white. The conference room loomed at the end of the corridor, its glass walls revealing shadowy silhouettes inside. My reflection stared back at me as I passed, pale and drawn—a ghost of the woman I used to be.I wasn't ready for this.But I didn't have a choice.Pushing down the tremor threatening to claw its way up my throat, I adjusted the blazer that suddenly felt too tight and forced my legs to keep moving.The door opened before I could touch the handle."Mrs. Lennox."I froze.Xaden's lawyer stood there, a shark in a tailored suit with slicked-back hair and a predatory smile. He stepped

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Shadows in the dark

    POV: JaredThe crimson glow of Xaden's taillights vanished beyond the bend, swallowed whole by the darkness. But his presence lingered thick and suffocating, like the acrid smell of smoke after a fire. My fists curled so tightly my knuckles cracked, but the tremor in my hands betrayed me. I couldn't let Zina see it. Not now.Not after this.She knelt on the damp earth, clutching Asher so fiercely it seemed as if letting go would splinter him into irreparable pieces. The boy's muffled sobs pierced the suffocating silence, each one a blade twisting deeper into my chest. I dropped to one knee beside them, the gravel biting into my skin as I reached out and brushed Zina's shoulder.She flinched hard."Zina." My voice came out hoarse, the strain roughening the edges. "We need to move. Now."She lifted her head, her face pale and streaked with tears. Her bloodshot eyes locked on mine, wild and desperate. "He'll find us, Jared." Her voice cracked, the words barely a whisper. "He always finds

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Scary situation

    Zina's POVThe cabin door shut behind Jared, leaving me alone with Asher and the deafening silence that seemed to stretch forever. I clutched Asher tighter, my arms wrapped protectively around him as if that could shield him from everything outside. My eyes darted toward the windows, the curtains drawn tightly, but it didn't stop the fear crawling beneath my skin.Jared had promised we were safe here that no one could find us. But the footprints he'd spotted outside told a different story.I kissed Asher's forehead, brushing back the mess of curls stuck to his skin. He stirred slightly, murmuring something in his sleep, but didn't wake. At least one of us could rest.I envied him envied his innocence and belief that Jared and I could protect him. I wanted to believe it, too. But after everything we'd been through, trust didn't come so easily anymore.The fire in the stone hearth crackled softly, but instead of calming me, it only made the shadows dance more wildly across the walls. I

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Running

    Zina's POVMy gaze drifted toward the window, the curtains half-drawn but still letting in the faint glow of the streetlights. The glass reflected the room around us—the soft glow of the lamps, the shadows dancing along the walls. But for the briefest moment, I thought I saw something else—a flicker of movement outside.The hair on the back of my neck prickled.I froze, my heart stuttering in my chest as I strained to see past the reflection. Nothing. Just the night. Just shadows."What's wrong?" Jared's voice pulled me back, and I turned quickly, forcing a smile."Nothing." I shook my head. "Just my imagination."His eyes lingered on mine, searching. Jared could always tell when something was off. It was one of the things I both loved and hated about him. He saw too much."Zina," he said softly, "don't do that thing where you pretend everything's fine when it's not."I laughed nervously. "I'm not pretending. I swear.""Then why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"I hesitated, uns

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Through the lens

    POV: Unknown PersonThe night was cold, the kind of cold that seeped into your bones and lingered, but I barely noticed. The wind howled around me, sending leaves skittering across the rooftop, but I stayed still, cloaked in darkness. The only thing that mattered was the scene unfolding through the softly glowing window across the street.I pressed the binoculars closer to my face, my gaze narrowing as I brought them into sharper focus. Inside, Jared and Zina sat together, their faces lit by the golden glow of the room. The way they laughed, their heads tilted toward one another, made my stomach twist. They looked so happy, so at peace.Jared leaned closer to her, whispering something. Whatever he said made her laugh—a full, carefree laugh that filled the space around her. She tilted her head back, exposing the curve of her neck, and I felt a bitter taste rise in my throat. He touched her arm lightly, as if reassuring her of something, and her hand came to rest over his, her fingers l

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Sweet

    Zina POV I stare down my body as Jared wraps a fist around his cock and angles it down to drag the blunt head over my clit. It feels dirty and a little bit wrong, and I never want it to stop. Gods, how is this hotter than some of the sex I've had? Is it purely because it's him? I don't have an ans

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Desires

    Jared POV "Daddy, please."I trailer my tongue down her ear and neck, I could feel her heart pulsing against my lips."Is that all you got? You have to beg me for it." I whispered against her chest.I have no words to describe what I'm feeling now, not with her naked in my home, her tanned skin fl

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   The kidnap Drama

    Zina's POVAfter the disaster at the hospital, I needed something to distract me. Picking up Xaden from school seemed like the perfect remedy. My son always had a way of making me laugh, even on the worst of days. Plus, a little mother-son bonding time would hopefully chase away the lingering frust

  • Echoes Of A Shattered Heart   Fight part 2

    Zina POVI was heading into the staff break room, hoping for a moment of peace before I dove back into my duties. But as soon as I turned the corner, I heard her voice—a venomous, sharp tone that sent a wave of anger crawling up my spine."You know, Zina," Clara sneered from the hallway, her voice

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