Bound by lies Trapped by Desire novel Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Elena’s POV

“You don’t have to hide it from me, you know?” Aunt Rose continued, maning forward on the plush soda, her eyes twinkling knowingness that made me slightly uneasy.

“I know you’re bisexual, darling, And I’m sure that Trixie won’t mind it either. It’s always better to have a wife than a husband, in my i She’ll be understanding empathetic, loyal, probably knows how to cook adecent meal and definitely won’t staren you’d pastang take care of yoursell. And also, most importantly of all…” she paused for dramatic effect, winking conspiratorially,

than another girl.”

Igaped at her, my mouth hanging slightly open, a strangled sound escaping my lips. My mind struggled to process the conversation. Aunt Rose, offering me relationship advice that involved women it was so out of left field, so utterly unexpen was completely speechless.

“Aunt do you have a girlfriend finally whispered, leaning closer. The question felt audacious, a crossing of a line wasn’t suited until just this

moment

And she sighed dramatically, her gaze drifting towards the window, a hint of melancholy softening her sharp features almost did you know? There was this lovely woman I met in Paris… a pastry chef with the most incredible hands… She trailed off, a wistful smile racing her head, the dreamy expression fading.

then shock

“But I ended up marrying that mongrel of a husband instead because back then, people weren’t so open-minded, darling Society had i view on such matters. You don’t have to suffer the same societal constraints as I did. Not to mention… her eyes flickered back to me, a shread gintin their depths, “…if you have a wife, taking care of a kid becomes infinitely easier. Trust me on that one”

She looked me up and down with a considering gaze, a knowing smirk playing on her lips, and suddenly, my initial amusement knot of unease in my stomach.

nished, replaced by a

Okay…so I had fully expected Mom to tell Aunt Rose about the internship Maxcester City. But not everything. The specifics of my… marital arrangement was already going a little far, and now… even my premancy? It felt like my entire life had been laid out for public consumption.

“She told you?” asked, my voice barely a whisper, the sense of betrayal, however illogical given their close bond, pricking at my composure. Aunt Rose simply rolled her eyes, a gesture that spoke volumes

“Darling, I’m practically your second mother,” she said, her tone laced with a familar blend of exasperation and affection. “If your own mother doesn’t confide in me, then who will be there to talk some sense into that stubborn etle head of yours!” She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee, then led forward conspiratorially. “Your own mother is too much of a mush head to be able to properly scold you when you need it-”

Her words went unsaid, the rest of her intended lecture abruptly cut short by the sharp, insistenting of the doorbell

I glanced at the time displayed on my phone. It was probably mom. Before I could even begin to push myself up from the floor, Aunt Rose was already on her feet as she made her way towards the door.

I could hear the immediate gasp of my mother from the living room after the door opened, followed by the muffled sounds of an emotional greeting They were probably hugging atter being apart for so long. But I zoned everything out, the sound of their reunion fading to a dull background hum. My mind was far away, lost in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions and a growing sense of frustration.

had given her the green light. Mam

Mom if he wanted to implement any

Aunt Rose would never have spoken to me so frankly, offering such personal and unconventional advice, unle always, always, set boundaries for me, no matter who it was. Even Dad, during my teenage years, had to go the new rules or restrictions. Which meant… Mom had basically told Aunt Rose to ‘set me straight to steer me down a path the deemed more sensible. I rolled my eyes at my own lame attempt at humpir, the irony of the situation not lost on me

But beneath the surface of my amusement, a wave of anger was beginning to swell Mom had told me she’d step back, that she’d accept my decision and not tell Nikolai. That basically meant agreeing right?

Only for her to treat me with this passive–aggressive distance all week, and now, enlisting Aunt Rose as her secret weapon. Thad naively thought she was simply upset, needing time to process my decision. But no…she was basically conspiring against me, plotting with Aunt Rose to manipulate me into

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Chapter 108

doing what she thought was best.

And if there was one thing I had learned from my childhood, it was that this dynamic duo–Mom and Aunt Rose had an uncanny ability to make me anything they set their minds to. And I mean anything I vividly remembered the time I’d completely missed all my highschool classes for an emble due to that unexpected surgery I had been utterly unmotivated to catch up, the thought of facing my studies feeling overwhelming in my teenage logic, I figured it would make more sense to simply lag behind, maybe even take another year off to recover fully

Butno. Absolutely not. Mom and Aunt Rose had somehow talked me into studying at a breakneck pace, cramming in four semesters” worth of coursework in a single year. The ingenious blackmail they’d used? The promise that I would be able to get my coveted part time job earlier if behind in my studies. Which, in my fiercely independent teenage mind, basically translated to no pocket money, a prospect that was utterly unacceptable since I’d been partly financially independent from a relatively young age.

And that was just one of the many examples of their combined persuasive (and sometimes borderline coercive tactics. Not to mention that one time they’d arranged a completely unsolicited blind date for me when I’d turned nineteen. Mom had been inexplicably upset that I hadn’t even entertained the notion of a boyfriend throughout my entire high school career, viewing it as some sort of personal failing on my part

The blind date, surprisingly, had been with Fiona’s cousin, Joshua. He was a genuinely nice guy, and we’d had a pleasant enough evening, but there was absolutely zero spark between us. We’d both politely acknowledged the lack of chemistry at the end of the night and left it at that. But it hadn’t been happy with their blatant decision to lure me to that restaurant under false pretenses. I had thought it was going to be a simple mother daughter dinner date, a rare opportunity for some quality time. Not an actual, capital–D Date Date

Damn it! The realization hit me with the force of a physical blow. I was either going to lose this baby, lose my incredible internship opportunity, or lose whatever remaining respect Nikolai might still harbor for me if I stayed here and subjected myself to their well–intentioned but ultimately suffocating interference.

Without another thought, I pushed myself up from the floor, my muscles protesting the sudden movement, and ran out of the living room, bounding up the stairs two at a time, completely ignoring my mother’s surprised and slightly panicked voice calling out my name from below.

This was it. The first time I had truly, consciously rebelled against her direct wishes. She’d always boasted to her friends with a proud smile, that her daughter had never been a rebellious teenager. Unfortunately for her carefully constructed narrative, it seemed I was just a little slower on the uptake

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