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CHAPTER 111
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-30 18:56:30
Bab terkait
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 112
ELENA'S POVBeauty sessions had always been my least favorite thing to do even as a kid which was why I'd always carried my hair in one consistent style over the years - a ponytail, imply because it was the eaisest. My shoulder length dark brown hair had always been maintained in the best way I could but, over the years as both a workaholic and lazy person, my hair began to barely be noticed by me. But the makeover today with Betty had not only been therapeutic but even, more entertaining than I thought. Loud music blasted through the tiny walls if her studio apartment while we went through different styles and colours on the internet. My head buzzed in confusion as I was soon stranded in the multitude of choices, scared to pick wrongly and live with the regret like I didn't already have enough to last a lifetime.As if seeing through my confusion, she turned off her phone reassuring me to trust her, which I frankly couldn't bring myself to but laid back anyways. After several hours
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-31Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 113
ELENA'S POV I had barely shut my eyes for less than a minute trying to catch some sleep before preparing for work but the scenes from earlier continued to play in my head, reliving every word we said. Pressing my face down with an extra pillow and groaning into it, the not so old encounter disappeared only to return this time with exaggerated scenes. “Aaarghhh! Damn you Lucas”, I screamed at the walls in front of me, my voice breaking slightly in frustration. Just then, the door to my room creaked open revealing Eloise's round, curious eyes peeking inside before stepping in fully. “You look troubled Elena, what's the matter?”, she asked, her voice filled with concern as she carefully dropped the tray besides me on my bed. I gently rubbed my heavy eyes, sighing tiredly and assuring her it was nothing. “Wait, you look different, I'm not sure if it's —”, she suddenly paused, hanging her mouth wide open as she circled me around the bed checking out my hair. “Elena!”, she shrieked in
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-31Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 114
LUCAS' POV “Lucas, the clients were really pissed when you didn't show up yesterday and I'm really scared they wouldn't want to do business with us anymore”, Henry reported, his voice laced in concern and distress. My eyes remained shut with my back turned against him without moving an inch like I'd heard none of the words he said. Honestly, my plans for my arrival had crashed completely since that night with Elena. I had secluded myself in the safe corners of my room for days now without a single word to anyone.Most times, it felt like the walls were closing in on me and crushing me into pieces completely. I hadn't only lost her but myself as well. Why wouldn't she hear me out? The dead, empty gaze in my eyes as she spat those words angrily. Had my arrival for her in the first place been in vain? Blames on me for making the first mistake, walking out of everything we had without a word. And now, we both weren't the same people anymore as I seemed to have kept hurting her even whe
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-31Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 115
ELENA'S POV The night no longer went as bad as I expected mostly because of the comforting company of Dave as I opted to address him and the tons of compliments I got on my new look. Being a busy night as always, Dave and I didn't get to talk much as I was the only one taking care of everyone's orders but more importantly, our conversation as brief as it lasted was enough to lift my mood from its previous state. At some point when it was past midnight, there was no sight of him anymore like he'd chosen to retire early for the night which I envied now the luxury no longer existed - only a mere wish. And by the close of the night, I headed home feeling a lot lighter in my spirits and just when I was a few metres away from the familiar doorstep, the door slowly opened, revealing no one else but…Was that not Eloise's father? What was he doing out of prison already? And in the house! Oh my goodness! Eloise, please be alive. Please stay alive. The old bastard snuck a peek to his left
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-31Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 116
LUCAS' POVBreakfast had never been my thing, at least until Elena was around as she also wasn't also one. Early in our friendship, or so she probably thought, we easily clicked because of our similarities. We could both be focused when we wanted to, had dreams bigger than the world put together and weren't vulnerable with anyone other than ourselves. Perhaps it was why our separation killed me everytime. Even though it was only metres apart. ***Flashback ***My heart continued to pound as we drove through the gates of the big mansion, I'd now come to know as the Everhart Mansion. I face palmed the windows of the car taking in every sight, trying hard not to recall the scenes of the horror movies I'd watched a lot. Rolling my eyes to the strange woman quietly sitting beside me, I couldn't help but start to believe I was stupid. What if she was wrong? What if she was a damn good liar who had only deceived me to get me here? I softly squeezed the gun I'd stolen from the stud
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-01Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 117
ELENA'S POV The air in the bar tonight was more lively than usual, but my mood still remained dampened as I continued to stare into space, mixing shots robitically. “Elena, how come you're still moody? I already apologized”, Betty said, sliding her hand around my waist like she usually did in a playful manner. The clothes we were required to wear during our shifts were very uncomfortable for me as I've always held myself in an high sense of elegance since childhood. My closet was filled with monotonous clothes which were also, pants most of the time. As for the bright colorful clothes I owned, they were only a few I wore during high school and only on special outings with Lucas. So my night shifts here were always done in a grumpy mood, majorly because of the lust filled eyes fixed on me throughout the night and the number of times I'd been helpless even when disrespected. This job was my, no our only hope until I found another place to take on, which wasn't seeming so sure at t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-02Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 118
ELENA'S POV It felt like four years ago when everything was back to normal again with an air of merriness and hopeful hearts. I walked around the house with surprise filling my gaze and uncertain steps. “Sweetheart”, my eyes snapped up in the direction of the voice I'd almost forgotten, freezing in place as I stared at my mother. “Mom? Is, is that you?”, I asked, my feet flying towards her and gripping her tight to my self while bursting into tears. “O my baby girl”, she said, sniffling in between and stroking my hair. “I missed you so much. How could you leave me like that?”, I sobbed in her arms, feeling like a little girl all over again as she had been my safe space since my childhood. She apologized over and over, our tears soaking each other's shoulders until we ran out of breath, finally disentangling from the hug and flashing bright smiles towards ourselves. So it was all a bad dream afterall. My mother wasn't really gone. She was right here with me. “Where's Dad by the w
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-03Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 119
LUCAS' POV Twice. Twice now, I thought I'd lost her. It was like fate enjoyed making my stomach churn in regret, paying me back for the one time I broke our promise. To always be with each other. The reoccurring scene of Sofia kissing me out of the blue didn't also help matters. As I stared solemnly at Elena's pale and lifeless body, her bitter laced words and fireballs in her eyes were far more bearable than being without her. I could take all her hate just as long as she didn't disappear on me. How would she ever know my life without her in it had no meaning? “What the fuck was that?”, I raged, pushing Sofia off only to see an empty space right where Elena stood earlier. “Shit! shit! What had I just done?”, I muttered, pulling my hair forcefully. Sofia on the other hand, smirked cunningly with her back leaned comfortably against the sofa as she popped open the bottle on the table. “Relax Lucas. She's going to come around real soon. Trust me, I'm a woman”, she assured, a lazy an
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-04
Bab terbaru
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 141
ELENA'S POVThe ride back to the event's location was silent, mostly with me brooding and on the edge while Dave's was to avoid provoking my sharp claws. As we arrived at our destination, my eyes widened in surprise then excitement, taking in the view of the most beautiful and expensive hotel in the city. Before everything went south in my family, most of my private clients bitterly complained on how difficult it was to book this hall. Hmmm. Whoever got this place definitely had to be related to the president, I thought. Dave and I walked inside while he introduced me to the managers, informing them of my job here and as I beamed uncontrollably, still floating in my head, a lady walked up to join the circle, staring at me harder than normal. My eyes narrowed into slits feeling uncomfortable with her unapologetic stares and just when I had reached my limits, she blurted out, “Are you by any chance Elena Bradford?”, she asked. My stomach sank realizing the tone in her voice but I c
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 140
NATHAN'S POV It was crazy how rarely I visited Lucas' company despite being his business advisor for years now. According to my knowledge as well, Lucas was also hardly ever here as well. More than half of the employees definitely didn't recognize me but I could care less anyways because I wasn't here for them - I was here on an errand from that cunning motherfucker, Lucas. The door to my office automatically opened as there was a face detector on it, making it the only office in the company that couldn't be compromised. Lucas had refused to increase the security into his office, saying dumb stuffs like “They'll just fine another way to break in without my knowledge, but you”, he patted me on the shoulder like it was supposed to be an encouragement. “They wouldn't give you much attention so they wouldn't see me coming…at all”. Just as I stepped inside the office, barely taking in the fresh scent of lavender and the breathtaking view from my large window occupying the entire east s
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 139
ELOISE’ POVMy heart ran wild and was continuously filled with chaotic thoughts yet releasing different words from my mouth. The mix of beats surrounding me through my heavy headphones all sounded distorted, making me feel like I was drowning and there was no one coming to save me. “...Hold on cause I'm letting go. I'm gonna—” I paused abruptly, noticing the heavy silence around me which wasn't a good thing. Spending half of my day behind a glass filled with lots of impatient and expectant eyes while I performed was not at all included in my expectations to be a part of the entertainment world. I could feel the glares piercing through the glass like lasers and imagined them drilling into my skin just like Elena's betrayal. Actually, hers stung more than this.Why was it so hard to support me? Just when I finally started to have something for myself. If she could go through her toxic marriage with Adrian, get heartbroken by Lucas and pick herself up then why couldn't I? What was it
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 138
ELENA'S POV My eyes flurried open, gradually adjusting to the soft beams of sunlight resting on my face. I stretched more comfortably, suddenly pausing as my body finally sensed the unfamiliar surface where I laid. Turning my face to take a look, my lungs gave way to a shrieking sound but thankfully, sighting Dave laying peacefully on the sofa opposite mine made me swallow the panic rising to my throat. How could I have done this? Yanking the covers off my body, I jerked into a sitting position trying to make sense of the situation with a lot of questions buzzing around my head. How had I fallen asleep in a stranger's house? How did I not scream myself awake somewhere in the middle of the night? This was all too much for me, I had to get out of here. With light and careful steps, I finally stepped outside racing all the way to my house and collapsing on my couch, breathing hardly. “Elena?”, Eloise' voice came from behind me, circling me with suspicion in her eyes. “Oh Elly, w-wh
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 137
LUCAS' POV Not so surprisingly, the recordings from the cameras in my office had been wiped out, making me order for all the cameras to be removed. There was no use for them anyways since their locations had been found already. The culprit could have been Henry or any other pawn and despite how impatient I felt in digging out the root of the case, I knew it would only do the opposite of the results I really wanted. ‘patience, patience, Lucas’, I chanted repeatedly underneath my breath with my knuckles resting on my desk as I watched them dispose all the cameras, not knowing whether to be angry or sad. Despite my tough and cold exterior that night as I threatened him - meaning every of those words still, the sting from the betrayal still hurt deeply more than anything. I'd thought giving him a promotion and making him the acting CEO during times when I was out the country for a meeting or business dinner would make him realize my sole trust in him and recognition as my brother.
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 136
ELENA'S POV Dear Miss Elena, we sincerely appreciate your offer to design the hall for the party. Please take a look at the contract details below and let us know if you need any clarifications. We'd be happy to help! I blinked twice at my screen still in awe at Dave's commitment to helping me soothe my frustrations and bring my dreams to life. How come he still went ahead with this plan even when I'd asked him to stay away from me? No. This was just too unfair. He didn't have to do all these because my response was still the same. The past few years of my life had been traumatic and still overwhelming at the slightest thought of it. No one, not even Eloise knew about my constant nightmares and the pills stacked up under my pillow that helped me sleep soundly. That's right! I had ran out of those and needed to restock soon. “Hey Lena”, Eloise said, jumping in on the bed and snuggling up to me. My eyes froze into the empty space in front of me, surprised at her sudden entrance whi
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 135
NATHAN'S POVThe Brooks family was among the top five wealthiest in Atlanta - a city known for its beautiful summer sights and most times, a substitute of Vegas. Casinos, drugs and trafficking thrived bountifully underneath the beautiful women and all the fun you could find there. Despite my family always emphasizing my addiction to fun and lots of women flicking around me, somewhere deep down inside my heart accused them for bringing me up here in the first place. My father for instance, was never a better example than any of us as we - my brother and I grew up to see different shades and sizes of women leaving his bedroom every morning. At a very young age, we made countless trips to the casino watching how he handled deals with a few of his ‘businessmen’ and how we feared he might lose his life sometimes. Fortunately, it didn't take long to get used to the tense atmosphere mixed with thick smoke and the smell of pipes and drugs in the air. Not so surprisingly, it soon became m
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 134
ELENA'S POV Wine didn't seem to work on me anymore as I tossed uncomfortably throughout the night, unable to get any sleep. Seeing the soft sunlight reflect through my curtains, I decided to get some work done; more like continue from where I'd left off last night. With Eloise nowhere in sight, I quickly assumed she was off to work doing something meaningful with her life anyways. Going at this pace for me, would probably take me long, painful months to get any real clients. “Fuck it”, I cursed, jogging all the way to my kitchen to make some breakfast while listening to Eloise' cover on the said David Thompson's song. David Thompson. Right. I had to do some background check on him so I swiped out my phone, typing his name and meticulously reading every article, every headline written about him. And just as I expected, there were a few terrible news about him especially concerning his divorce and scandals about his record label company. My heart skipped a beat skimming through th
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 133
ELENA'S POVIt was exactly three days since I went out for a run again, not because I was scared to see Dave again but…okay, I was scared to run into him again. So here I sat by the window with a hot coffee in hand, and my work laptop on my laps anonymously pitching my offers to potential clients; most of which were the rich people in the city. Unfortunately, the only few replies I got was them stating their need for a housekeeper. “What the fuck is wrong with these people?” I muttered to myself angrily, forcefully closing the laptop shut and heading towards the kitchen for another round of coffee. “Can I have one of that too?”, Eloise asked cheerfully behind me, a hint of amusement in her voice. Humming lowly in response, I filled an extra cup and handed it to her by the time I was done. “What's causing all the mood swings Elena?”, she asked, settling into the chair opposite me. I hissed in irritation, shifting restlessly in my chair as I seethed with frustration. “These rich peo
