Bound by lies Trapped by Desire (Elena and Nikolai) novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Elena’s POV:

But then my eyes widened.

That was a low blow. How had those words even managed to escape my mouth? I felt a profound wave of disgust, not just at Lazar, but at myself. I was becoming like them, stooping to their level, using their tactics. The thought made my stomach churn.

And I could tell that Lazar, with his unnerving perceptiveness, saw my disgust at myself immediately. A slow smirk spread across his lips. “That’s the reason he’s willing to go so far for you, Elena… because you’re a novelty for him. A new toy. Wait till that dies down, wait till the thrill wears off, and you’ll see how quickly he discards you, just like he discards everything else that loses its shine.” His voice was a low, insidious whisper.

He kept moving closer, his eyes never leaving mine. I reacted instinctively, pushing him away with both hands, making sure to keep my balance, refusing to be intimidated. “I won’t wait for anything, Lazar. I actually have a life to live, a future to build, unlike you. It doesn’t matter to me who leaves me, who discards me; it’s always their loss, never mine. What do you have, Lazar? What do you even do all day except walk behind Dmitri like a pathetic, eager dog, begging for scraps of attention and approval?” My words were fueled by anger that had nothing to do with Sergei, and everything to do with the contempt I felt for him, for what he had done to Mielle.

He grabbed my elbow then, his grip surprisingly strong, and pulled me close, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh. I winced, a sharp gasp escaping my lips, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. My knee instinctively came up, ready to deliver a swift, painful kick to his groin, when I felt a sudden, powerful jolt. A loud, resounding crash echoed across the grand foyer, the sound reverberating through the vast space.

My eyes widened in shock as I watched Lazar being violently pulled away from me, flung backward like a discarded rag doll. He stumbled, his feet tangling beneath him, and crashed into one of the ornate, antique vases that stood on a pedestal near the staircase. The vase went down with a deafening smash, shattering into a thousand glittering fragments across the polished marble floor.

“It seems you and your mother don’t take my words seriously at all.” Sergei’s voice, cold and utterly devoid of emotion, cut through the‘ sudden silence. He stood a few feet away, his hand still extended from where he had evidently pushed Lazar with a force that belied his calm demeanor. He straightened his blazer, his composure returning almost instantly, as if he hadn’t just sent his son flying across the room.

I felt my heart stutter, a fresh wave of panic washing over me as Fiona’s frantic voice echoed from my phone, which I had forgotten was still clutched in my hand. “Elena!?” She called out, I quickly brought the phone up, unmuting it.

“I’m coming, Fiona.” was all I managed to say before I abruptly cut the call.

Sergei turned to look at me, his gaze dropping briefly to my phone, then back to my face. He pulled out a napkin from his pocket and wiped

his hands.

“I’m sorry for what happened, Elena. I’ll make sure to teach him a proper lesson about respect.” He said, his voice flat, his gaze unwavering. I frowned, my eyes flitting past him to where Lazar was slowly, pushing himself up from the shattered remains of the vase, his face pale, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and, to my surprise, actual fear.

I felt a very slight flicker of guilt, but I ruthlessly quashed it. Mielle had probably felt similar, if not far worse, fear and pain at his hands. He hadn’t shown her any mercy, any compassion, I hardened my heart. I nodded once, a sharp, decisive movement, then forced myself to push forward, past Sergei, towards the massive double doors of the foyer.

The doors opened automatically as I approached, a rush of chilly air seeping in. I stepped out, and the doors thunked closed behind me.

I didn’t breathe properly, not until I reached the massive silver gates that marked the boundary of Sergei’s estate. And there, pacing frantically outside the gates, was Fiona, As I approached, the guard who had been saying something to her turned to look at me.

I nodded and he immediately moved, pressing a button that caused the heavy gates to swing open, allowing me to step out.

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11.35 Wed, 6 Aug

Chapter 144

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“Tell your friend,” the guard spoke, his voice gruff, nodding towards Fiona, who stood with her arms crossed, a ‘humph‘ escaping her lips as she looked away, refusing to acknowledge him.

“Next time she comes, tell her to bring ID. I’ll register her in the system. Mr. Morozov doesn’t like unexpected visitors.” I quirked a brow at his… unexpected offer, but nodded. “Thanks. But I don’t think she’ll be coming back anytime soon.”

The guard seemed to look at Fiona momentarily, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, before he nodded once and went back inside his small square quarter, the door clicking shut behind him. I also got inside the car along with Fiona. It was too chilly to stay out like this, arguing on a driveway.

“Bastard,” Fiona grumbled, rubbing her arms, her eyes still narrowed at the guardhouse. I couldn’t help but look through the window again, my gaze drawn to the guard who was now visible through the small window of his quarter, looking out at us.

it hit me then, that he was quite the looker, despite his gruff demeanor. Dark hair pulled back in a neat man bun, grey eyes, a faint scar tracing a line through one of his dark brows. He had a strong, lean figure, even beneath the bulk of his uniform.

“What did he do?” I asked, pulling my seatbelt on. Fiona huffed, a dramatic sigh escaping her lips. “I asked him politely to let me enter, but he wouldn’t budge. Started saying that he’d shoot me if I stepped any further beyond the gate. Can you believe the nerve?”

“Fiona, I swear to God I would have kicked you myself if this was any other situation. Please, for the love of everything, don’t ever do this again.” I said, my voice stern, despite the relief flooding through me that she hadn’t actually tried to fight. She rolled her eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be apologizing? I nearly had a heart attack with that location you sent! I was having such a nice day off, I had planned on

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