Page 153 of The Bittersweet Bond

Bas

Hey, just wanted to say thanks. You tried to help. Respect for that. And sorry for my tone earlier.

Hehit send, tossed the phone aside, and got out. The cold air hit him, but he barely noticed.

He needed to work off his frustration.

Maybe an hour on the treadmill, then weights—something, anything to get rid of the pressure in his chest.

The mansion was silent, as always—immaculate, untouched, lifeless.

The emptiness of the house had long become familiar to him, almost comforting.

In his room, he tossed his jacket over his chair, pulled off his shirt, and changed into workout gear.

The basement gym was dimly lit.

The steady hum of the treadmill was the only sound as Bas started to run.

With every step, he felt the frustration drain from his body—pushed out through his legs, through the sweat running down his back.

Sergej. Cat. Evin.

No matter how fast he ran, the thoughts wouldn’t leave him.

Why did everything have to be so goddamn complicated?

After an hour, he was exhausted.

But the anger inside him was more controlled now—not gone, but manageable.

He grabbed his phone from the bench and saw Ben’s reply:

Ben

No worries. I get why you were pissed. What you and Evin have—I’m not getting in the middle of that.

Bas let out a breath, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.

Maybe this was the start of something he never would have allowed before Evin.

Bas

Good to hear. I respect how you treat her.

Ben’s response came quickly:

Ben

She deserves the best. If that’s you, then I’m backing it. No drama from me.

Bas stared at the message, then leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

For the first time in days, a weight lifted off his chest.

Ben wasn’t his friend.

But in that moment, he was an ally. And that was more than he had expected.

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