Bound by lies Trapped by Desire novel Chapter 78

Nove come to take the interest that had been unpaid for over a month. I remembered that night like a scar etched into the folds of my mind- armament and stinging when touched.

trix Nad stood her ground, fingers clenched tight over the edge of the dining table as though gripping it would stop the storm pounding on our doorstep. She hadn’t said much after the initial shout to get out. Her eyes met mine. Then she turned away.

ast opened her wallet with trembling hands, counted the bills, and handed over what little she had left. Electricity money.

watched her as she did it, hiding just behind the hallway wall. The kitchen light cast shadows over her face, but I could still see it–the quiet fury bered beneath her worry. That unyielding strength that told me she’d rather freeze in the dark than let those men step foot past.

That was when the fighting had truly started between mom and dad.

And truthfully? I’d suspected George would leave.

He’d already been stretched thin. A foreigner in Velhaven, estranged from his family, stuck in a failing job with no support system, drowning in debt because of a child that wasn’t even his by blood. And yet, he didn’t. He stayed. Through the arguments, the cold, the debt collectors banging on the door at midnight–he stayed. For me. For her.

Because he loved us.

He and Beatrix began to build something out of nothing. They worked late hours, picked up extra shifts, sold things they once swore they never would. And slowly, piece by piece, the chaos quieted into something livable again.

Until that one call from the hospital changed everything.

it had been more than a month ago, but it still lived inside my chest like a ghost. I’d been in class, the windows open to a gust of early spring breeze. I remember that because the wind had flipped my textbook pages right before my phone vibrated on the desk.

didn’t even hear the ringtone. I just saw the words:

UNKNOWN CALLER

Seething had felt wrong just then. My chest felt tight. Like a bad omen.

heart in my throat, and heard the words I prayed never to hear again. Accident. Crash. Drowsy driving. Confirm identity.

to bag, no shoes–I’d kicked off my heels in the hall and ran barefoot across cracked sidewalks, cutting my feet on the pavement. Two kilometers. That’s how far the hospital had been. i sprinted the entire way with lungs screaming and vision blurred by tears.

By the time I got there, it was too late. He’d died because he’d been so exhausted while driving that he’d fallen asleep.

elready gone.

part of s never came back from that hospital hallway. It stayed behind–crumpled, cold, numb.

port woke up with me again this morning.

yes shot open, stinging from unshed tears, the pillow beneath me damp and twisted in

at just physically but like the echo of a wound long scabbed over and now cracked open again.

my grip. I couldn’t breathe for a moment. My chest ached,

red in a breath, trembling as I glanced toward the hotel window.

sunlight was just beginning to creep across the horizon. The rain from last night had left streaks across the glass like tear tracks, and the ar

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Chapter 78

hum began to stir in the distance.

I checked my phone.

5:04 AM

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No notifications. No breaking headlines. Nothing. Not a single news article. No social media frenzy. No mentions of the gala, of Sergei Morozov, of the gunshots that had rattled the art hall filled with billionaires and cameras.

Nothing

It was like it never happened.

My lips parted. My fingers tightened around the phone. How?

Did Nikolai have that kind of power? Or… was it Sergei?

My stomach twisted.

Was my mother safe?

The question flared through me like wildfire and jolted me to action. I threw back the covers, not caring that my gown was still crumpled and clinging to my legs. 1 needed to hear her voice. Now.

I grabbed my phone and pressed her contact. It rang twice before she answered.

“Elena?” Beatrix’s voice was groggy but warm. “Sweetheart? It’s so early… did you forget to set your alarm again?”

Her tone was light. Teasing.

Tears stung my eyes.

She didn’t know.

She didn’t know a damn thing.

I swallowed and tried to control the tremor in my voice. “Hi, Mom. I just… wanted to check on you.”

“Oh, I’m fine, love. Why? Did something happen?” she asked, genuine concern breaking through the sleepiness.

I bit the inside of my cheek. “No, nothing. I just…I thought we could have breakfast together.”

There was a pause. “Oh. Are you sure, dear? It’s still bright and early in the morning.” Her voice dipped with concern now, warmer, gentler. “Don’t you have class at noon today, don’t you want to sleep a little longer?”

I groaned internally. Right. University.

The last thing on my mind.

“..“Thesitated, then picked my words carefully. “Lwanted to have breakfast with you, if that’s alright. Then I’ll head to uni from there.”

She didn’t respond right away, I could practically hear her squinting through the phone, probably wondering why I was up this early—why I sounded so off despite my attempts to sound normal. Still, she let it go.

“Hm,” she hummed, then chuckled. “Well, I’m not going to say no to breakfast with my daughter.”

I smiled faintly. “Don’t worry about cooking or anything. I’ll bring something from the Red Ribbon Bakery.”

“Ooh,” she cooed. “What do you wanna eat? Croissants?”

2/4

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Chapter 78

I laughed softly, letting the sound come naturally this time. “I was actually going to ask you that.”

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She hummed again. “Oh, that does sound wonderful. Alright, I’ll start the coffee. I’ll use that fancy machine Nikolai brought. It’s about time I figured out how to make something besides Americano with it.”

There was a small pause.

“Bring some pastries too,” she added with a knowing little grin in her voice. “He has a sweet tooth, doesn’t he?”

I swallowed.

The smile on my lips faltered.

“Nikolai’s busy,” I said quickly. “With work. He had to head out early today.”

It wasn’t even a lie, not really. I hoped he was at work. I didn’t know. I didn’t want to know.

But the moment I said his name, the ache came back–slamming into my chest like a wrecking ball. My heart thudded painfully, like it was physically protesting the mention of him.

Still, I pushed through it.

“Don’t worry though,” I added, trying to keep my voice upbeat. “I’ll bring some either way. He’ll probably want something sweet when he gets back.”

Even though he won’t be coming back. But that’s a problem for evening Elena.

“Really? Okay then,” she said lightly, and I could hear the creak of her bed as she got up, completely content. “See you soon, love.”

“Yeah,” I murmured. “See you

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