All Chapters of Bound by His Promise: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

RHEA’s POVThe sirens outside the glass building screamed like the echoes of everything I’ve tried to bury. Project Promise — the file that once gave me purpose — now felt like a curse etched into my skin. I was shaking, not from fear, but from the truth that was starting to piece itself together like a shattered mirror.“Rhea, we need to move—now!” Lucas grabbed my wrist, pulling me into the service elevator. His grip was tight, desperate. The chaos outside was blurring — police cars, black vans, and the faces of people who used to smile at me in the hallways now filled with panic.“Lucas, they’re not here for me.” My voice cracked. “They’re here for you.”He froze. The metallic doors shut behind us with a heavy clang, trapping us between silence and heartbeats.“What do you mean?”“The files… Jake warned me. Someone from the top has been using your signature to release the prototypes. You were framed.” My throat tightened, ever

Rhea’s POVTwo days after the explosion, the city still smelled of burned circuits and rain.The lab was gone, the servers erased—or so the authorities claimed.But the messages kept coming.At exactly 2 a.m., my phone lit up again: “Transmission #003 received.”“Lucas,” I whispered. “It’s starting again.”He was already awake, sitting by the window, eyes fixed on the skyline.“Same signal source?” he asked.“Yes.” I turned the screen toward him. “Same frequency as the one we traced from Jake’s badge.”He stood, pulling his jacket on. “Then it’s time to follow it.”Lucas’s POVWe drove through the sleeping city until the GPS died at the edge of the industrial zone.Beyond the fences stood the remains of an abandoned data farm, once owned by Valencia Industries.Perfect hiding place for ghosts.Inside, the hum of old machines still filled the air.Rhea moved beside me, f

Rhea’s POVTwo weeks after the Valencia Facility burned, the city had returned to its rhythm—traffic, smoke, screens, lies.Pero ako, hindi pa rin.Every time I looked in the mirror, I saw something… different. A flicker behind my eyes, like static. I’d brush it off, convince myself na stress lang, trauma lang. Pero gabi-gabi, I heard whispers in the dark.A familiar voice. “Don’t forget me, Rhea.”I jolted awake again last night. Fifth time this week. And now, habang nasa elevator ako papunta sa new base office, I could still feel the echo of that voice.Jake’s voice.Pero imposible. Diba? The drive was offline. Dead.“Morning,” Lucas greeted me the moment I stepped out. He looked exhausted but composed—typical Lucas. Naka-black suit, sleeves rolled, tie loose. “You didn’t sleep again, did you?”I forced a smile. “Define sleep.”“Rhea…” His tone softened, concern showing through the

Rhea’s POVMorning light spilled through the blinds of the new office, painting lines across the table scattered with files.Three days since the “Duality Override,” yet everything still felt unreal.The city outside went back to normal—cars, vendors, laughter—but inside me was quiet static.“System status: normal,” I murmured, watching the faint blue pulse on my wrist tracker.No more double signals.No more echoing voices.Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling someone was listening.The door slid open. Lucas walked in, coffee in one hand, tablet in the other.“Morning, warrior,” he teased lightly. “You look alive again.”“Barely,” I said, forcing a smile. “Report?”He dropped the tablet on my desk. “Cleanup team finished sweeping the old facility. No trace of Erika’s core. Everything burned—except one thing.”He swiped the screen. A single image appeared: a black cube the size of my palm, etched with faint

Rhea’s POV I don’t remember collapsing, but I remember waking up. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the command base’s servers. For a moment, akala ko nasa simulation pa rin ako — hanggang sa naramdaman ko ‘yung lamig ng metal table sa ilalim ng kamay ko. “Easy,” Lucas’s voice came through, soft but strained. He was sitting beside the bed, dark circles under his eyes, fingers still hovering above the control pad. “You’ve been out for ten hours.” “Ten?” I groaned, forcing myself up. “Parang isang siglo.” He handed me a cup of water. “You scared the hell out of me, Valencia.” “Yeah,” I rasped, half-laughing. “Guess that makes two of us.” He didn’t laugh. His eyes were still sharp, analyzing every movement — like he was afraid na bigla akong mawawala ulit. “Relax,” sabi ko. “I’m he