Bound by lies Trapped by Desire novel Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Elena’s POV:

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“Elena? What happened?” My mother’s voice cut through the silence as she descended the staircase. “Why are you speaking to him in such a way?”

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. The ache in my throat felt too raw, like I’d swallowed glass.

And Nikolai? He just stood there. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all–probably hadn’t even showered. Still in the same damn suit from last night, though now the jacket hung limp in one hand and the rest was rumpled to hell. His turtleneck was twisted at the collar, and his dark hair was a mess, flattened oddly on one side like he’d fallen asleep against a wall or a car window.

He looked like a man who’d lost something. And he had.

Me.

But that look didn’t bring me satisfaction. It brought nausea.

No one said a word. It was just the three of us in a strangely still moment–me stiff with rage, him with eyes screaming guilt, and my mother blinking between us like she’d walked in on an argument already halfway detonated.

“I see what this is,” Mom finally said, the corner of her lips twitching upward with knowing amusement. “You two had a fight, huh?”

Her tone was light, almost teasing, and for a second I wished I could laugh. But I couldn’t even muster a breath.

She chuckled to herself, waving her hand dismissively. “Me and George used to fight a lot too, you know. Builds character in a relationship.” She turned, already heading for the kitchen, humming under her breath. “Don’t mind me. You kids should talk. I still haven’t gotten the coffee ready.”

My muscles screamed in exhaustion as I placed the bakery bag on the dining table. The scent of warm croissants and pastries teased at the edge of my senses, but I couldn’t even imagine swallowing a bite. I sank onto the sofa like a puppet with its strings cut, arms limp, spine bowed.

Behind me, I heard Nikolai shift.

“Malish-”

“Don’t, Nikolai.” I cut him off sharply, my voice sharper than I intended. “Just stop. Alright?”

I didn’t want to hear that word from him. Not now. Not ever.

He froze.

I glanced up at him then, and the look on his face… God. Why did it twist the knife in deeper? Even after everything, even after all the lies, seeing him look like that–lost, hollowed out, eyes rimmed in red–I felt guilt bubble up through my chest like bile.

Why the hell did I feel guilty? He had used me. Lied to me. Stood next to me at our wedding knowing I was nothing but a pawn to him. And yet…

And yet

“Elena”

“I said stop,” I repeated. “Just… leave. I don’t want to talk right now. Give me some time.”

He didn’t move. His jaw tightened. Then, softly, he asked, “You… where did you go last night? With Dmitri?”

1 flinched.

Turning my face away from him, I exhaled slowly through my nose and scoffed, “Where do you think I went? I went to a hotel.”

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Chapter 79

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The silence that followed that sentence made me glance back. The devastation on his face was like a punch to the gut. His eyes went wide, his entire posture caving in slightly like someone had sucker punched him.

+2月

But I wasn’t finished.

“Alone, Nikolai, I went alone.” I snapped. “What kind of woman do you take me for?”

The flash of hurt in his expression nearly undid me, but I powered through it, voice brittle as dried glass.

Me dropped me off at a taxi stop. Aren’t you the one who stalks me? I’m surprised you didn’t already know that.” I tilted my head. “After all, you seem to know me better than I know myself.”

He opened his mouth to protest, to say something–anything–but I wasn’t done.

“Elena, what happened… truly wasn’t my intention.” He said it with such quiet conviction, such heartbreak, like he actually believed it.

leaned back against the cushion and let out a dry laugh. “Your intention? Go ahead then. Tell me. What exactly was your intention?”

He hesitated.

“My intention wasn’t to hurt you,” he said eventually. “Sergei… he’s not a good man. He–he caused the death of my mother.”

There it was again. That name. Sergei. Like a poison dripping into

every sentence.

“Sergei?” I echoed, my voice hollow. “What does he have to do with this? Didn’t you say your mother overdosed?”

His head lowered slightly. “Yeah… but that was because of him.”

Tinhaled deeply, steeling myself.

“Did he hold her down and shove pills down her throat?” I asked bluntly.

Nikolai’s head snapped up, his brows drawing together. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I know exactly what you meant,” I said, sitting up straighter. “This isn’t about your mother, is it? No. This was about you. About revenge. About getting back at the world for what happened to your mommy.”

“Elena, that’s not-”

“No. Let me finish,” I snapped. “You suffered because of your parent. So you wanted me to suffer because of mine. Is that it?”

His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again,

“No! That’s not true!”

“But that’s how it looks, Nikolai,” I said, laughing bitterly. “That’s how it feels. Like I was just some–some pawn in your sick game. Another stepping stone in your plan.”

He looked like I’d slapped him. “Stop twisting my words.”

“Then untwist them,” I challenged. “Tell me, What/exactly did you plan on doing to me? With me?”

He went rigid. The seconds stretched. Tick, tick, tick. My heart pounded in time with the silence.

Finally, he spoke. “The contract. You already know. I just… I just wanted to end this in a way that wouldn’t hurt either of us. You could help your family. I’d get to… finish what I started.”

And there it was. The truth. Dressed up in velvet, wrapped in diplomacy, but ugly underneath.

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Chapter 79

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“You didn’t want me,” I whispered. “Not really. You wanted revenge. You wanted closure. You wanted to hurt him. And I just happened to be the weapon that fell into your lap.”

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