Bound by lies, Trapped by Desire - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Elena’s POV:
"Get out."
Mom’s voice sliced through the air like a blade. Her glare didn’t waver, didn’t falter—just cut cleanly between us. For a split second, I wasn’t sure if she meant me too. My breath caught, my heart pounding, but when she looked past me and leveled all that fury squarely at Nikolai, I understood.
She meant him.
And for some reason, my chest still tightened.
Damn it, Nikolai. Why did he have to go and open his big mouth like that? Did he want to get us both disowned? Did he think dramatic confessions worked in real life?
I clenched my fists, resisting the overwhelming urge to scream at him. Just once, JUST ONCE, couldn’t he let me handle this my own way?
But it was too late. The damage had been done.
What was I supposed to do now? Cry? Beg? Throw myself at her feet? No. I didn’t cry unless it mattered. I didn’t beg unless it saved someone. I didn’t grovel for mistakes that weren’t mine to begin with.
So I did what I always did.
I braced myself.
Nikolai looked between us, his jaw flexing before he spoke. "I understand that you’re angry," he said evenly, facing her without flinching. "And that’s fair. But I want you to know that I’m marrying your daughter not just because she wants revenge—even though that might be part of it—but because I genuinely like her. And I hope, in time, you’ll support us."
I turned my head to gape at him.
What?
Where did that come from?
He sounded sincere. Too sincere.
Then, as if that bomb hadn’t just dropped, he smiled faintly, bowed his head respectfully, and added, "Take care and get well soon."
And with that, he left.
The door shut behind him like a thunderclap.
Silence settled in the room, heavy and suffocating. I stood there for a beat, unsure if I should speak or just evaporate into mist. Then I turned to face her.
She looked tired.
More than tired.
She looked betrayed.
Her expression was calm, but I could feel the tension coiling beneath her skin like a drawn wire.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"Tell me the truth, Elena. You’re my daughter."
The air grew colder. The tension wasn’t just crackling now—it was screaming.
I hesitated, unsure of what to say. But then I remembered one thing I was grateful to Nikolai for—at least he hadn’t said why I was marrying him. He hadn’t sold me out. Not completely. Not yet.
So I forced myself to meet her eyes and nodded. "Whatever Nikolai said is… mostly true."
Mostly.
He hadn’t told her the part where I was basically selling myself for a price.
She stared at me, that sharp glint in her eyes returning.
"Did he offer you money in return for marrying him?"
The question was a whisper, but it landed like a slap. I swallowed, heart pounding.
I shook my head fervently, "I—I really do like him, Mom. I promise."
She let out a quiet, bitter laugh. "Do you really think of me as such a lowly mother? That I wouldn’t know when my own daughter is lying to my face?"
I flinched.
"You should have just let me die if this is what you were going to tell me when I woke up. That you basically sold yourself to save me. Am I supposed to be grateful?"
My stomach twisted. The tears welled up finally, hot and stinging.
No. I didn’t want her to be grateful. That wasn’t what this was about. I just—
I just wanted her to live.
But she made it sound like her life wasn’t worth saving. She made it sound like I was committing a crime, wanting to save the one person in this world who loved me. Who I loved.
"No," I said quickly, voice shaking. "That’s not it. It’s not like that. Please don’t think that."
She looked away from me, her eyes burning with hatred. Not for me, for herself.
The silence stretched again.
Then, softly, she said, "Leave. Give me some time alone."
I blinked. "Can I stay until dinner? I—"
"Leave, Elena," she said, firmer this time. "I’ll have the nurse feed me. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind with how much they’re being paid."
The jab landed cleanly.
I stood there for a second, frozen, swallowing down the lump in my throat. Then I nodded.
Without a word, I turned, grabbed my phone, and walked out of the room.
My legs moved on autopilot, but I had no idea where to go. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to go to university. I didn’t have a shift to distract me anymore.
So I just walked.
Down the hallway.
Down the stairs.
Each step heavier than the last.
And as I reached the hospital lobby, rage started to bubble inside me. Thick, hot anger that blurred the edges of my vision.
Why did he do that?
Why the hell did he have to say all that now?
I’d have found a way to tell her eventually. I had a plan. Or at least the start of one. But no. He just had to show up with his charming smile and his carefully polished oxfords and drop a nuclear bomb in the middle of my already shattered world.
Would he still be here? It had only been a couple minutes. He wouldn’t have left so soon right? I turned and started walking to the double doors leading outside of the hospital.
I scanned the glass doors leading to the parking lot—and there he was.
Nikolai.
His hand in his pocket, as the other clicked away on his phone.
I marched forward, my steps quick and determined. My pulse roared in my ears. My heels clicked sharply against the tiles.
He was just getting to his car when I caught up to him.
I grabbed his shoulder and spun him around with a force that surprised even me. His brows shot up as he turned to face me.
I jabbed my finger into his chest.
"WHAT. THE. HELL. WAS. THAT?!"