Bound by lies, Trapped by Desire - Chapter 119: Chapter 119

Elena’s POV:
I frowned, but answered him. “Oh no. She’s a classmate from university. A girl. My age.” My voice held a note of surprise at his unexpected assumption. Haruki hummed thoughtfully, a brief pause before he spoke again, his tone laced with a subtle concern. “Alright then, Elena. Just… please be careful. And kindly update me about Shinichiro as well once you’re back home tonight. And take care of yourself.” With that, he abruptly ended the phone call, leaving a sense of hurriedness hanging in the air. I frowned slightly, staring at my phone. He was obviously in a hurry, or perhaps something had come up unexpectedly. I probably caught him at a bad time.
I quickly called a cab, providing the address of the hospital. Mielle, though still visibly shaken and embarrassed by her emotional outburst, didn’t protest at my proposal of staying the night at the condo. When we finally reached Haruki’s building, I quietly let us in. Upon entering the kitchen, my gaze drifted towards the counter, and my brows shot upwards in surprise. The plate of leftover sandwiches, which I had left there earlier, was completely empty.
Had Shinichiro actually eaten then? A small flicker of relief sparked within me. Perhaps he wasn’t entirely unreachable after all. I told Mielle to make herself comfortable in the guest room for the night, offering her a blanket and a pillow, while I heated up some milk and arranged a couple of packaged cakes on a tray.
With the tray in hand, I walked over to Shinichiro’s closed bedroom door, making sure the faint sliver of light beneath it was still visible before I gently knocked. There was a prolonged silence from within, the muffled sounds of the television barely audible. I knocked again, a little louder this time. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open, and he stood there, looking at me with a guarded, almost hostile expression. “Yes?” he asked, his voice flat and unwelcoming.
“Ah… I made some hot chocolate?” I offered tentatively, pointing at the tray in my hand. He went tense for a fleeting moment, his gaze flickering down to the steaming mugs, before he moved slightly, taking one of the cups without a word. He then promptly closed the door again, leaving me standing in the hallway. I cleared my throat, the silence of the condo amplifying the awkwardness of the interaction.
“Ah… one more thing,” I called out through the closed door, and after a brief pause, the door opened just a crack, his dark eyes peering out at me. “I actually brought a friend over with me… Mielle. I really hope you don’t mind… but she needed a place to stay for the night. She’s going through a tough time. I already have your brother’s permission.” I said.
Shinichiro scoffed softly, a dismissive sound that conveyed his utter disinterest. “Do whatever you want. It’s not my house.” He said before slamming the door shut again, the sound echoing through the quiet condo.
I sighed, a wave of exhaustion washing over me, and made my way to my own room. I made sure to message Haruki before sleep. The night passed by restlessly, my sleep punctuated by fragmented dreams and lingering worries. I left her a brief text message before leaving for work the next morning, letting her know I had gone to work and that she was welcome to stay as long as she needed.
The workday itself was surprisingly better than the previous day, the anti-nausea medication finally starting to make a noticeable difference. I managed to focus on my tasks.
My brow furrowed in confusion when I felt my phone buzz for what felt like the tenth time in the past hour. I finally turned up the phone and glanced down at the screen, my eyes widening as I saw the sheer number of missed notifications – all from Fiona? A knot of unease tightened in my gut. I excused myself from my workstation, the insistent buzzing of my phone growing more frantic with each passing minute.
I walked slowly towards the relative privacy of the office restroom. Reaching a vacant stall, I quickly locked the door and finally called Fiona back, my voice tight with apprehension. “What are you talking about, Fiona?” I asked, and she practically screamed into the phone, her voice shrill with a mixture of shock and disbelief. “Girl, what are you doing? You’re divorcing him? It’s all over the news, Elena! Everywhere!”
I winced, pulling the phone slightly away from my ear. “Shh, Fiona! Keep your voice down!” I hissed, my cheeks flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and alarm. “That’s our private matter… how did you find out?” The line went silent for a split second, and then a wave of realization washed over me. “Oh, wait, I didn’t mean you, specifically. I meant like… other people. Of course, it’s fine if it’s you, you’re my best friend.” I stammered, trying to backtrack, acutely aware of my slip-up.
Fiona sighed dramatically on the other end of the line. “Damn, Elena… it really has been a while, hasn’t it? You’re already treating me like some random acquaintance. Anyways… if you would just open your eyes and look at any news outlet on your phone right now, you’ll see it plastered everywhere. On the front-page headlines, no less! And not just that, you know. There are also ridiculous rumors swirling around that you somehow used connections to get that internship at Legacy.” Her voice was laced with indignation on my behalf, but the mention of the rumors made me knock my head lightly against the cool metal of the bathroom stall in frustration.
I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat, my stomach twisting with a fresh wave of anxiety. “I didn’t, Fiona. You know I would never do that.”
“I know you didn’t, Elena… trust me, most people who actually know you personally know exactly how talented and hardworking you are. You don’t need anybody’s help getting to where you are today.” I listened to her unwavering support, a small, genuine smile finally touching my lips.
Then I straightened my spine, pushing down the surge of panic threatening to overwhelm me. “Alright, Fiona. I should probably get back to work now. Thanks for letting me know about all this.” I said. I had far more important things to worry about than some baseless rumors. As for the divorce news being public… I couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but something felt distinctly off about the whole thing. It felt like someone had deliberately disclosed this information to the media. I mean, hadn’t Nikolai always been incredibly skilled at quashing any unwanted rumors before they gained traction?
So then why now? A sinking feeling in my gut told me… what if… what if it was Nikolai who had orchestrated this on purpose? The thought made my blood run cold.
Then I shook my head firmly, stepping out of the bathroom stall. No, Nikolai wouldn’t stoop that low, would he? But then, I was abruptly reminded of my spectacularly terrible judgment of character when it came to Dmitri, and my hands began to tremble slightly. Shit… what if he actually had?
“Elena?” Someone gently grabbed my shoulder, and I pivoted around so quickly my heart leaped into my throat.
“Malakai?” I said, my eyes wide with surprise, my breath catching in my chest. He immediately brought his hands up in a gesture of surrender, his expression concerned.
“Woah, Elena! You okay? You weren’t answering my calls, and you looked a little pale, so I… I just touched your shoulder. I’m sorry if I startled you.” He said, his brow furrowed with worry. I shook my head, trying to compose myself, the adrenaline slowly receding. “It’s alright, Malakai. Just… a lot on my mind,” I admitted, offering a smile. He nodded understandingly, then glanced down at his watch.
“Well, that’s… understandable, I suppose. It’s officially lunchtime now, though. Shall we go together?” He asked, his usual cheerful demeanor returning, but I frowned, momentarily confused.
“Go where?” I asked, and his smile turned slightly awkward, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. “Uh… didn’t you promise my sister a lunch date? Yesterday?” He said, and my eyes widened in dawning realization. “Oh… God, you’re right! I completely forgot.” I said, a wave of guilt washing over me.