Bound by lies Trapped by Desire novel Chapter 21

hapter 21

Elena’s POV

Three days passed by just like that. Mom had finally let me come in on the second day, reluctantly allowing me to sleep on the spare bed that Nikolai had the hospital staff set up for me. I could tell she was still upset, though. That much was clear from the sharpness in her tone, the shortness of her replies, and the way her eyes would narrow ever so slightly whenever the topic of Nikolai surfaced.

The very first question she asked me when I returned to her room that day had hit me like a cold splash of water

“If I tell you not to marry Nikolai… will you listen to me?”

It had made me pause, just for a beat. A single breath where I tried to read between the lines of what she was really asking. I gave her a small shook my head, and said, “I know you aren’t cruel enough to ask me such a question.”

smile.

It was underhanded, I know. But what else could I do? The real answer would have hurt her either way. If I’d said yes, then she would have known that I had truly sold myself to him–married a man for her sake, for her bills, for her survival. But if I had said no, then it would have been a lie.

And I was so damn tired of lying

She didn’t say anything else. Just gave me a long, exhausted look before turning her head toward the TV and pressing play on her Turkish drama

gain. A low hum vibrated in her throat. Meanwhile, I quietly unpacked the items I had brought back from the apartment and organized them into drawers.

According to the doctor, she would need to remain under observation for three more days. That left us with one day before the wedding. One single day.

I didn’t understand why Nikolai was in such a rush.

No matter how many times I tried to reason it out in my head, nothing made sense. There was no logical urgency. It couldn’t be the sex–we’d already had that. And it wasn’t as if he needed to maintain appearances yet. He didn’t even seem interested in flaunting our relationship. Nor was he in love with me, not after what he’d said. No, his desire for this wedding to happen quickly… it felt personal.

Then there was the other matter–the things he knew about me. The small, almost unsettling familiarity he had with my life. My favorite color. The fragrance I used. My favorite food. Even the fact that I was double majoring in mechanical and automotive engineering.

It wasn’t normal.

The thought that he might have been stalking me before all this still sent a little shiver down my spine. But what unsettled me more was that he didn’t even try to hide it. He admitted it with this strange confidence, like it was the most casual thing in the world.

Just then, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Nikolal’s name appeared on the screen, lighting up the display I reached for it automatically, only to freeze when I saw Mom watching me with narrowed eyes,

She paused the TV.

“Tick it up,” she said.

I blinked at her. “What?”

“Put it on speaker.”

My stomach flipped. I looked at the phone again.

“You heard me,” she said. “If you want me to believe that you two are actually in love, glen let me see it. If I have even an ounce of doubt that this is some sacrificial marriage you’re being forced into because of me

Lout her off quickly. “Mom He isn’t like that, okay? He’s nice. He’s not forcing me

She cut me off right back. Then let me hear what he has to say. And Elena… If I suspect even for a second that you’re being enerced, I’ll be the first person to object at the altar”

There it wasL

I sighed and tapped to accept the call, my tunnb hovering over the speaker icon for a second too long before finally pressing

“Good morning. Malishka!” His voice came through the speaker, rich and playful, like he was genuinely happy to hear me. It sounded intimate—the kind of voice a man would use for someone he loved.

I hadn’t known what to say to that. Because quite frankly, no, I hadn’t expected us to share a ‘friendship. It was meant to be contractual, and I had expected it to be more professional. At least in the beginning,

So, once again, I answered, “Good morning”

I glanced at her.

I blinked. “Yeah, they served us an hour ago

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify