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CHAPTER 117
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-02 20:38:44
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Bound 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 : 2025-04-04Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 120
ELENA'S POVThe loud sounds of wailing filled my ward, almost making me believe I had died and was being grieved over. Nathan, Lucas and I simultaneously stared at each other then shifting our gazes back to Eloise who wept like a baby with her head on my laps. “I should have never left you alone. I'm so sorry. I can't forgive myself for what happened to you, Elena”, she sobbed heartbreakingly, her tears soaking through the hospital gown on me while my hands laid helplessly beside me, not knowing what to do with them.“It…it's okay. I, I'm fine now Eloise”, I muttered hesitantly, a deep frown covering my eyebrows in deep contemplation on how to console her. During the past few days she had spent at Nathan's place as I advised, mostly insisted, her features now looked brighter along with a certain glow I couldn't quite place. Except the tears streaming down her face and smudging her makeup all over the place. “Eloise, Eloise, I'm fine. You don't have to—”“No you're not”, she counter
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-05Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 121
LUCAS' POV My fingers trembled with joy holding her bags while strolling behind her, watching as she went into the house with a straight face. She will get used to it soon. This was her home and I hoped she learnt to love it soon. As we stepped into the living room, Elena and I suddenly stopped halfway turning our heads around with a deep frown forming on my face. Just as my lips began to purse tightly refraining from cursing out loud, Sofia descended downstairs wearing a bright smile on her face, making my hands itched to tear it off. “What is this?”, I asked, barely getting a grip on myself. Her eyes brightened even more as she turned in the direction of Elena with a polite nod. “Relax Lucas, I somehow managed to hear we were going to have a guest for a while and even though it was short notice, I still had to put all this together for her”, she replied, a hint of amusement in her voice like I was the stupid one. Seconds ticked by without a response from me so she walked up to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-07Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 122
ELENA'S POV‘Hate is a strong word to say’, my mother always said each time I ranted on and on about a certain person that wronged me that day. I have never been the forgiving type and usually, it always took me longer than normal to snap out of my overflowing kindness and patience towards anyone. But as I watched him disappear farther and farther into the distance away from me, into the cold we were no longer strangers to, Hate only seemed to downplay the raging emotions I felt towards him. It was a line he'd been crossing more frequently than often in the past few days. How dare he use her to back up his threats? A cold frost of air huffed through my nostrils followed by the incessant ringing of my phone. “Hello”, I said, knotting my eyebrows close together in a defensive manner. “Elena”, a voice I could recognize even in my afterlife, coursing the rage within me a hundred times faster. Too angry to give any reply, I hung up immediately storming off into the house and heading s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-08Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 123
ELENA'S POVThe air was saturated with the smell of fresh bacon and savoury pancakes, making me sniff even harder from my dreams. My eyes subconsciously opened staring straight into the kitchen from the sofa I laid on. He was right there - whistling a happy tune while flipping the pancakes in the pan. Pancakes and bacon. It was both our favourite meal for breakfast as I clearly recall my winnings for lots of them so we'd share at school. But now, she got to share them with him…and he seemed happy. He was happy, and that should be all that matters right? “Elena?”, his voice came, sounding right in front of me and making me shut my eyes quickly in embarrassment. Shit. Shit. How did I get so lost in my thoughts that I didn't see him coming? I wasn't prepared to face him after everything I saw last night. “Hey”, he whispered, squatting down the length of the sofa and planting a peck on my forehead, causing my skin to recoil in irritation. I jerked up to a sitting position, wiping of
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-09Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 124
LUCAS' POVThe past one week has been hellish in my apartment and at the company as well - Elena's silence which made me uncomfortable and Henry's appointment as the standing CEO until my official wedding with Sofia, as announced to the entire world by her cunning father. Even from my investigations, it wasn't certain whose side Henry was on - but there was only one way to find out and it could only be through the woman I once called ‘mother’. “It's pretty strange how you stopped coming around to beg for my apology after your stupid plans couldn't get me killed that night”, I said, raising the cup of coffee to my lips but not letting a drop pass through them. I couldn't trust her. Ever again. From where she sat on the couch opposite me, she seemed to have aged much in such a few weeks. The weary lines running across her face all scrunched up together into a deep frown, staring at me in confusion. “What are you saying Lucas?”, she asked, a slight tremor in her voice perharos due to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-10Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 125
ELENA'S POV The girls were finally reunited after what seemed like forever. Luci spontaneously showed up at the bar, making Eloise and I squeal uncontrollably in happiness. After three quick shots, Eloise and I pumped with excitement ready for the night in a better mood than earlier, when we both came down with a sense of overwhelming sadness. It also turned out Nathan's parents had planned out an arranged marriage for him and knowing her background, it was a bleak road for them henceforth. I hugged her tightly, softly reminding her of her strength and rare beauty no matter what. “You need this more than I do Elena”, she said, glaring at me with a knowing look, making my gaze droop to the ground. Without even saying it, we both knew what she meant. My rejection to Dave's offer. Thinking about it each time made me feel both stupid and sometimes, in agreement with my decision. Letting him do anything for me felt like he owed me something in the first place and my pride wouldn't acc
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-12
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
