Page 123 of The Bittersweet Bond

A wide, reckless grin stretched across his face as he carried her straight out of the club. He could feel the stares, hear the murmurs, but none of it mattered.

A wild rush coursed through him.

Because for the first time in a long time, none of the noise—the doubts, the fears, the past—mattered.

Only this.

Only her.

And maybe, just maybe, this was the moment they’d finally stop running.

As they passed the bouncers, one of them shot Bas a knowing grin. A very untypical Bas move, his look seemed to say. And maybe he was right.

But it felt right.

This time, it wasn’t about pride. It wasn’t about ego.

This time, it was panic.

A deep, clawing panic that if he let her go, if he hesitated for even a second too long, she’d slip through his fingers—that they’d end up on entirely different paths, too far apart to ever find their way back.

The cold night air hit his skin, sharp and bracing, but his grip on her remained firm, unyielding, even as she kept cursing him out. He could hear it in her voice—the slight tremble beneath her irritation, that one flustered laugh he knew too damn well.

And when he finally set her down beside his car, he held her gaze.

Long. Steady.

His pulse was still hammering, adrenaline roaring through his veins, but his eyes? His eyes were calm. Focused.

"What the hell was that?" she whispered, and he caught the hesitation in her expression—the flicker of something close to fear, as if she was bracing herself for his answer.

"We needed to get out of there." His voice came out hard, exactly the way he intended. But underneath, woven into every syllable, was something unmistakable.

A vulnerability that was hers alone.

They had to talk.

There were too many words left unspoken, too many things hanging between them like a blade waiting to drop. And Bas knew—if they didn’t clear this once and for all, whatever this was between them would never have a real place in their lives.

"Evin—get in the car!"

Chapter 35

I Didn't Know

Evin

Evin stood there as if the world around her had come to a sudden stop. The wind brushed against her bare arms, but she barely felt the cold. All that mattered was this moment, this man, and the unspoken words hanging between them like heavy storm clouds.

"Evin—get in the car!"

His voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the night like a sharp blade. No plea, no persuasion—just a command. Low. Unyielding.

Her jaw tightened, fingers digging into the skin of her arms as she fought to contain the fury burning inside her. Fury at him. At herself. At this entire situation that felt like a noose tightening around her throat.

"Why should I?" Her voice came out sharper than she intended, and she prayed he wouldn’t hear the uncertainty buried beneath it.

But Bas didn’t flinch.

---