Bound by lies Trapped by Desire novel Chapter 129

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Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Elena’s POV:

Lazar was here too?

The man standing beside the uniformed police officer simply stared at me for a disconcerting moment before turning his attention to Dmitri, walking over to him with a casual, almost insolent air, his hands still nonchalantly tucked into the pockets of his dark trousers.

“Yes, Officer?” I asked the police officer, whose face, now that I was closer, seemed strangely familiar. It took a moment of mental backtracking before the realization struck me: this was the same Officer Berkley who had taken my statement after Priya’s tragic death. The same officer who had offered me a ride home that night.

Officer Berkley seemed to be frowning slightly as he addressed me. He asked me to confirm my identity and then inquired about my connection to Mielle as we walked towards a more secluded area away from the funeral guests. I told him truthfully that she was my friend, a classmate from university. I then paused, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach, when he asked the inevitable question. When was the last time I met her?

“I was with her the night before the accident, Officer. We said goodbye late that night,” I stated, a sharp pang of guilt twisting in my chest at the memory of dismissing my premonition. He nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful, then asked, “Ms. Kovalyova, would you please be willing to come with us to the station to provide a more detailed statement about your last interactions with Ms. Winters?” His question was phrased as a polite request, but the underlying expectation was clear. I nodded in agreement.

Then, I turned my gaze towards Dmitri, who had already walked away from the small group of remaining mourners. A frustrated frown creased my forehead. With a sigh of resignation, I turned to follow Officer Berkley towards his waiting patrol car.

The funeral was over, the last of the mourners slowly dispersing, so I accompanied the two officers to their vehicle. We drove in a somber silence down to the local police station.

“So…you’re stating that Ms. Winters was planning to undergo an abortion, Ms. Kovalyova? And that Mr. Dmitri Vetrov declined to sign the necessary papers to acknowledge paternity?” Officer Berkley asked, his pen poised over his notepad, his gaze direct. I nodded, my throat tight.

“Yes, Officer. He was quite aggressive and dismissive about the whole situation, actually. He showed a complete lack of empathy for Mielle’s distress.” I paused, then tentatively voiced the suspicion that had been gnawing at me since the moment I heard about the accident. “Officer… have you taken Dmitri’s statement regarding this matter? Do you know where he was during the time of the accident? Is there any possibility that he was… maybe somehow connected to the driver, Frankie Hudson?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, the implication hanging heavy in the air. The Officer’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at me, his expression unreadable.

“The specific details of the ongoing investigation are currently private, Ms. Kovalyova. And I am unable to divulge Mr. Dmitri Vetrov’s personal information to you. However, rest assured that we will conduct a thorough and proper investigation to ensure that there was no foul play involved in this tragic accident.” The officer’s wor measure of reassurance. I nodded slowly, a slight sense of relief easing the tightness in my chest.

ffered a small,

The next hour passed quickly as answered Officer Berkley’s detailed questions. Once I finally left the police station, the

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14:14 Wed 30 Jul

Chapter 129

late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the pavement, I found myself walking aimlessly, my feet carrying ma without conscious direction.

I paused abruptly, a lump suddenly forming in my throat, as I realized I had instinctively walked towards the café vitere Mielle and I had shared our first and, as fate would have it, our last coffee date.

It was right in front of the university building. The café where I had first shared the news of my internship acceptance, her face lighting up with genuine joy, her spontaneous hug filled with unadulterated happiness. The memory was so vivid, so achingly real, that I couldn’t stop the tremor in my lips. I looked down at the cracked and uneven footpath where we had stood talking, and took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to compose myself.

With a heavy heart, I made my way inside the café. I ordered a matcha latte, Mielle’s favorite drink.

I sat down at the same small table near the window where we had sat before, the café now quiet and mostly empty. closed my eyes, taking another deep breath, the image of Mielle’s smiling face imprinted on my eyelids.

I desperately wanted all the worries and complications in my life to simply vanish, to be able to focus on the future without this crushing weight of grief and guilt. I softly brushed my hand across my abdomen. The baby was growing well. My internship at Legacy had been going well.

And the night I had returned to Maxcester City, I had even video chatted with Mom, showing her my room in Haruki’s condo. She and Aunt Rose had gushed and smiled, their relief at my finding suitable accommodation evident. My relationship with Mom had slowly begun to improve.

Even then, despite these small glimmers of hope, I felt like half of my ability to truly laugh, to truly feel joy, had frozen over. I was standing precariously in the middle of a vast, frozen lake, desperately wanting to cross over to the other side, a future that seemed both inviting and terrifying. But the ice beneath my feet was cracking and thawing, turning into treacherous, icy water. And it seemed, with a chilling certainty, that the moment I took another step forward…

I… would drown.

I flinched when I heard the familiar jingle of keys and the soft clink of a ceramic cup being set down on the table in front of me. I looked up, my eyes widening slightly, but at this point, I barely had the energy to react with surprise as Nikolai took the seat directly opposite me.

I was simply too tired, too emotionally drained, to muster any real shock, At this point? If Nikolai was so adamant about not signing those divorce papers, maybe I should just tell him. Tell him about the baby. Once he knew, surely then he would understand the need for us to go our separate ways. Surely then, he would stay away from me, for good.

“What are you doing here, Nikolai?” I asked, my voice flat, devoid of any real emotion. He shrugged off his dark wool blazer, leaving him in a black turtleneck sweater that emphasized the strong line of his jaw.

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