Chapter 97

Maya’s POV

Amid all the chaos surrounding us, there was one thing that cut me deeper than anything else: Elias and I were actively avoiding each other. It hurt me to my core, especially since I was carrying a secret pregnancy and withholding critical information about Thomas. I felt like I was straddling a cliff, terrified that any misstep might send us both tumbling into an abyss.

When our SUV pulled into the spacious garage of the house, I sat for a moment in silence, steeling myself. As soon as Elias parked the car, I lifted my bag from the back seat and headed straight down the hallway to the guest room where I’d spent the previous night. Every footstep echoed with tension, and I desperately wished I could just wave a magic wand to dissipate the thick, uneasy atmosphere between us.

Before I could close the door behind me, Elias’s voice stoppe