Bound by lies Trapped by Desire novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Elena’s POV:

The sterile while halls of the emergency ward felt like they were closing in on me, the scent of antiseptic and fear thick in the air.

My mother was wheeled in on a gurney, nurses shouting to each other in rushed, clipped voices as the emergency room doors swung open, then slammed shut, sealing her away from me

I stood frozen in the hallway, my pulse a frantic drim against my ribs.

What do I do? What do I do?

My hands trembled as I pressed them to my face, trying to steady my breath, but it was impossible. She was fine this morning. Weak, but dive. And now she was in there, fighting for her life.

A nurse approached, her expression gentle. “Miss Kovalyova!”

I turned, my throat too tight to respond.

The doctor will speak with you shortly”

I nodded numbly, my nails digging into my palms.

Minutes streiched into eternity, I had no idea how long 1 stood there, my body tense and aching.

Then the doors swung open again, and a doctor stepped out, his face strained.

1 rushed forward. “Is the okay!”

– need

to perform an

The doctor exhaled. “Your mother suffered a severe cardiac episode due to prolonged stress and underlying conditions. We emergency bypass surgery to prevent further damage.”

My breath caught. “Okay.” I said, too quickly. Then do it.”

His face hardened. The procedure costs fifty cight thousand dollars here.”

The number hit me like a punch to the gut.

A sharp ringing filled my ears as my mind tried to process it. Fifty thousand dollars!!

I didn’t have that kind of money.

Hell, I barely had enough to cover next month’s rent. We were already in deep shit with our previous debt.

“You’ll need to secure the payment within the next twenty–four hours so we can proceed, the doctor continued, oblivious to the way my world was crumbling beneath my fedL

“Twenty–four hours?” My voice came out hollow.

“Yes. If we delay any longer, her condition may worsen beyond what surgery can fix.

I stared at him. Twenty–four hours. Fifty eight thousand dollars.

“Do you have insurance” the doctor asked, his voice impassive, like this was just another conversation for him.

“No” My voice broke on the word.

“Family who can assist?“

I wanted to laugh–What family!

–He sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose Tsuggest you find a solution quickly. We will keep her stable for now, but time is of the essence. With

that, he nodded and disappeared down the hallway, leaving me standing in the wreckage of my life.

I stumbled backward onto one of the plastic chairs in the waiting area, my vision swimming.

I was alone.

There was no one I could call, no one I could ask

1/4

Chapter 2

And for one horrifying second, my mind drifted to Dmitri.

Dmitri Vetrov. My ex–fiancé.

Rich Powerful. The youngest son of a multimillionaire. He could write a check for fifty thousand dollars without blinking

Would he help me?

My stomach curled in disgust at the thought.

I could see it now. His smug, self–satisfied smirk. The condescending ult of his head as he crossed his arms and leaned back, acting as if I owed him something for his generosity after how I had left him begging on his knees just a while ago.

No.

If my mother found out I had lowered myself to begging my cheating ex for money, she wouldn’t accept it. She would rather die than have me throw away my dignity for her.

And I wasn’t sure I could survive begging Dmitri either.

Then who?

„My nails dug into my knees, my breath coming in short gasps. What do I do? What do I do?

And then-

A familiar name echoed from a nearby television,

I lifted my head

The hospital’s mounted TV was tuned into a business channel, the news anchor’s voice crisp and professional

—Vetrov Enterprises, owned by billionaire Nikolaj Vetrov, announced a record–breaking deal today—”

Nikolai Vetrov

The camera shifted to a man in his mid–thirties, dressed in a sharp black suit, his jawline like it was carved from stone. His dark brown hair gelled back to perfection

His cold, calculating dark eyes scanned the reporters, his smile hiding something dangerous.

The most eligible bachelor in the whole of Alderidge.

And the man who hated Dmitri with every fiber of his being.

Dmitri’s twenty–fifth birthday. Six months ago.

A lavish party was held in a massive ballroom, filled with people who definitely didn’t belong in my world. I was from a lower class family, attending college with a scholarship

that was also the day Dmitri had proposed to me.

Then he exhaled, releasing a cloud of smoke. “My condolences”

I frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Your mind is sharp” he murmured, voice low, slightly slurred from alcohol. “But your taste in men is absolutely tragic“:

Like, who says that about their own brother?

It was the first time I truly realized Nikolai didn’t just dislike Dmitri like a lot of siblings do. He despised him.

“You have such a smart little mind, he mused, “but it’s wasted on a man like him

But I didn’t defend Dmitri. I noticed the venom in Nikolai’s tone and knew it would be useless. I didn’t want to pick a fight with someone like him either.

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