Bound by lies Trapped by Desire novel Chapter 117

Chapter 117

Elena’s POV:

I stepped out of the doctor’s examination room, the sterile scent of antiseptic clinging to my clothes and hair, and made my way towards the reception deck

Recalling the memories of my earlier unexpected encounter with Seraphina in the office bathroom made my stomach clench with a renewed wave of ansiety and guilt,

She’d asked me point blank, if I was pregnant. The question had caught me completely off guard, my mind freezing for a split second as I desperately searched for a believable lie. “No,” I’d managed to stammer out, the denial feeling hollow and unconvincing even to my own cars I felt a pang of gult, an undeniable sense of being a terrible person for lying, especially to someone who had looked up to

But then, to my relief, Seraphina had simply nodded, her expression softening with understanding when I’d quickly followed up, attributing my unwell state to simple anxiety and an upset stomach from the unfamiliar city food.

She’d then, with genuine warmth, invited me to join her for lunch the following evening. I had readily accepted.

However, the encounter had also served as a reminder of the need to be more careful, to ensure my increasingly obvious symptoms didn’t raise any unwanted questions or cause any potential problems, especially given my decision to keep the pregnancy a secret for now.

That realization had prompted my decision to visit an OB/GYN after work, hoping to find some relied and guidance

Aber being prescribed some anti–nauses pills and being sternly advised by the doctor to get more rest–a piece of advice that felt almost comical given my current living situation and the demanding internship–I decided to head out of the clinic and find a cab to take me back to Haruki’s condo.

That’s when my ears perked up, catching a faint sound amidst the general hustle and bustle of the hospital waiting area. I heard muffled sniveling and soft, choked gasps, the distinct sounds of someone trying desperately to suppress their sobs.

I turned around, my pace sweeping across the crowded room, in a comer, sitting hunched over on one of the chairs, was a woman with her hands covering her face. Her long, dark hair obscured her features, but there was something about her posture that looked strangely familiar.

1 frowned, a sense of recognition slowly dawning on me, and moved forward, my footsteps quiet on the linoleum floor. “Mielle?” I asked softly. The girl wont rigid at the sound of her name, her shoulders tensing. Then, slowly, hesitantly, she looked up, her face pale and tear–streaked, her eyes red–rimmed and swollen

“Elena?” she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. I immediately sat down on the chair next to her. “Hey. Are you alright, Mielle? What happened?” asked

Her gaze darted around the waiting area, as though she were afraid of being overheard, then she looked back at me, her eyes filled with a raw vulnerability. Instead of answering my question, she asked one of her own, her voice trembling slightly. “What are you doing here, Elena?”

I pursed my lips, momentarily taken aback. I hesitated for a moment before answering “… wasn’t feeling too well, actually I’m in Maxcester City now for the internship, so I just… came here for a quick check up.” I said, hoping my vague explanation would suffice. She nodded slowly.

The atmosphere between us turned tense and silent, the only sound the muffled announcements echoing through the hospital

Finally, after what felt like a long and uncomfortable moment, she spoke, her voice barely audible. “I’m pregnant. Before I could even fully process the information, she burst into a tresh wave of tears, her body shaking with silent sobrs, and my heart jumped in my chest.

“What?” I asked, the single word escaping my lips in a stunned whisper. Then, shaking my head slightly, trying to make sense of her unexpected confession, I blurted out, “No. How?” I instantly regretted my clumsy phrasing as she dissolved into even more heart–wrenching sobs. Without hesitation, Emoved closer, clutching her trembling hand in mine and pulling her gently into a comforting hug.

We stayed like that for a long while. Eventually, her sobs subsided into soft sniffles, and gently pulled away, looking at her face, which was now pala and drawn. She seemed utterly alone and terrified, a fact that made it painfully obvious that this pregnancy was unwanted

“Mielle, who’s the father of the child!” I asked gently, my voice low and soothing. Her body went still again, as if my simple question had caused her to freeze from the inside out. She then shook her head slowly, her gaze fixed on some unseen point beyond me.

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Chapter 117

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, the words sending a fresh wave of shock and sadness through ine.

“You… don’t know?” asked again, needing to clarify the unbelievable. She nodded slowly, her eyes filled with a profound and heartbreaking uncertainty, making my heart drop further with each silent affamation.

“Melle, can you explain to me exactly what happened?” I asked, my voice gentle but finh. She pursed her lips, her hands trembling in her lap, and took a slow, shaky breath before finally beginning to explain, her voice soft and halting,

My stomach clenched slowly, a cold knot of dread tightening within me as I listeried to her speak. She recounted how she’d been invited to a party almost a month and a hall ago, a gathering ostensibly to celebrate Lazar’s birthday. She remembered feeling out of place amidst the unfamiliar faces and the free–flowing alcohol. And then, the memories became fragmented, hazy She vaguely recalled accepting drinks from Dmitri, feeling increasingly lightheaded and disoriented. The next thing she remembered with any clarity was being pinned down, the details blurry and terrifying, under the influence of what she suspected was more than just alcohol. There were multiple men involved, including Dimitri.

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