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Chapter 44
Last Updated:
2025-02-05 01:49:04
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Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 45
ELENA'S POVI was always a stranger in this house but tonight, as I sprawled on the couch shifting in different positions, it dawned on me that I was like a beggar in my own home, who ate the crumbs from whatever he was offered. Adrian remained adamant about us sharing a room and seeing that Miss Campbell, the Hawthorne's family housekeeper was suddenly assigned here, it was pretty clear whose idea this was. Although that didn't stop the troop of ladies waltzing in and out of the house like bees in a swamp. I groaned into a pillow beside me as the moans from upstairs were getting unbearable every passing day. Oh God! Another heavy makeup tomorrow! This had become a routine in the last week. “She's like the mistress”, a voice whispered past me in a mocking tone making me instantly shut my eyes tightly like I was sound asleep. “God, I hope he responds to my advances soon. I can't wait to bring this house down with my screams”, another said, giggling in between until their voices comp
Last Updated : 2025-02-06Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 46
ELENA'S POVKaren wouldn't tell anyone in the company right? She would be smart enough to think about Adrian's reputation since she's his supposed fiancee. Damn Adrian! Damn him! My usual sharp tongue couldn't utter a single word in front of her. How could I deny my smudged lipstick and glistening eyes which was actually due to anger. But someone like Karen would gladly take it the wrong way. My heart raced faster than my legs as I tried to foretell the lengths Karen would go just to hurt me with the information she found out about Adrian and I. Sure enough, there were more eyes on me today than usual but, I returned each one with a shaky wave and an awkward smile, subtly gritting my teeth in annoyance. Karen did it. Everyone knew. Great! I rushed straight to my office, sighing in relief as I settled down alone, away from the judgemental stares of everyone out there. Turning on my computer and going straight to my emails as I always did every morning, the first email instantly cau
Last Updated : 2025-02-07Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 47
ELENA'S POV I stretched painfully on the sofa, rubbing my lower back to ease the pain caused by sleeping in one position for weeks now. Today was the first time I wasn't rushing out of the house since I started working at my father's company, now known as the Hawthorne's Corporation, which made it very easy to use my one out of ten sick leaves for this week. At least, a week was more than enough time for the rumors at work to fade out, and for me to secure another job elsewhere. All I needed was just to work there for a year and I could begin clearing my father's debt and finally tell Adrian to suck it. I groggily climbed up the stairs to my room, which was unfortunately Adrian's room to get ready for the day's business. “You look well for someone who's sick”, Adrian commented, his gaze following my movements around the room. My mouth remained shut as I carefully picked my things and entered the bathroom, slamming the door without a single word. Adrian and I had not shared a word
Last Updated : 2025-02-08Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 48
ELENA'S POV My eyes startled in surprise on seeing Adrian at the foot of the staircase with hands glued in his pockets as he coldly threw out the question “Where have you been?”. I quickly regained my composure, walking past him like he was thin air up to the room we now shared. “I'm asking you for the last time, Elena”, he said, striding towards me and catching up in no time as he slammed the door heavily behind him. “Nowhere that's any of your business to start with”, I said, taking off my simple jewelries and preparing to take a shower. “You're my wife Elena. So start talking”, he ordered, crossing his legs in an arrogant manner. “I doubt you know the difference between a wife and a slave Adrian”, I reply, meeting his cold glares with a challenge in my eyes. “And take a good look at me Adrian, I am not the latter”. “Is that so Elena?”, Adrian asked rhetorically, advancing towards me like a predator about to pince on its prey. “Because from what I know, you are my wife and also
Last Updated : 2025-02-08Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 49
I was out in the streets again. Except it was dark and quiet. The lonely neighborhood with a defenseless girl roaming around in torn pajamas was the perfect setting for an horror movie. But that wasn't what I was bothered about. Despite the soft night breeze resting on my body, my heart couldn't stop pounding thinking about the last few seconds. Wielding my hairpin against Adrian's neck was a bold move even for me, but the flicker of panic in his eyes confirmed that he would never pull that stunt again. Adrian finally let me go but drove me out into the cold tonight. The bastard didn't even let me take my phone. Taking a deep sigh, I crouched down underneath a tree leaning my head on the trunk as the memories of my father and I came flooding into my head. Although I had tried hard not to think about him since the accusation that currently out me in this situation but somewhere inside me, I still believed he was too good of a person and he couldn't do that. But if not, why did he
Last Updated : 2025-02-09Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 50
LUCAS POV My grip tightened around the glass in my hand as I raised it to my lips, watching Elena and Adrian on the television with bright smiles on their faces. Elena wore a turtleneck sweater hiding the bruises on her neck from last night while her pale face was plastered in heavy makeup as she acted all loving with Adrian. The hate grew stronger in my eyes as I glared at Adrian planting a light kiss on her lips. How dare he even touch her after his display of wickedness last night? He didn't deserve to be even a breath close to her after last night. I was going to make him pay dearly for it. Even if Elena gave up on herself, I would die before I gave up on her. However, the thought of Elena never coming back to me gave me a burning sensation in my chest, slowly spreading to every part of my body.The look in her face when she left my place gave me reason to believe I had totally let her down. My eyes burned as I replayed the turn of events that led to the ugly situation ea
Last Updated : 2025-02-10Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 51
ELENA'S POV It wasn't suprising for anyone to think I was stupid. Even I knew how foolish it was to succumb to being treated like a piece of trash in the hands of the Hawthornes.But if giving the media and my colleagues a big, happy smile about being married to their evil and irresponsible boss would keep my family out of the streets, then I was left with no other choice. “How was last night with your lover?”, Adrian whispered into my ears as he pretended to plant a kiss on my cheek while we faced the flashlights from the camera. Mr. Hawthorne had decided to make his son trend again by using this announcement as a freaking excuse. “It's none of your business dog. When are we getting out of here? The fake smiles are making me sick”, I whispered back, forcing out a smile towards Karen who stared at me with murderous eyes.“Careful Elena, don't think I can't do anything to you just because we're in public”, replied Adrian, biting the lobe of my ear so hard until I was forced to apolo
Last Updated : 2025-02-11Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 52
LUCAS' POV My forefinger continuously tapped the table in front of me as my cold eyes pierced at my step brother, Henry Everhart. Apparently the son of my step mother, who I have also come to see as a mother to me. “Do you care to explain the reason for your display of tantrum today?”, I calmly asked, leaning back into my chair despite the urge to choke him to death. “Tantrum?”, he scoffed, flashing a wide grin towards me. “More than half of the board is already on my side Lucas. Father's stupid will doesn't count”, he fumed, shooting up from his chair and panting hardly. This was his weakness. Although I hadn't been in the same space with Henry for longer than five seconds but, his irrationality was one of his major weaknesses. It was also the reason I could easily figure there was a mastermind behind this. He wasn't alone. He wasn't smart enough to pull of this stunt all by himself. “Do you think I care?”, I asked in return, leisurely folding my arms across my chest. “Henry, a
Last Updated : 2025-02-12
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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
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 132
LUCAS' POV Tonight was just as gloomy as the last one when we met up at this very bar, somehow hoping to meet the girls here - at least for Nathan and I. James on the other hand was unusually quiet and brooding over his third glass tonight, detached away from himself. “What is happening to us?”, Nathan questioned, stretching his arms with multiple lines of frustration running across his face. “Just when I thought I didn't matter to them and I'm happy, he just ties me to that slut?”, he ranted, yelling above the loud music blaring around us. Too occupied in my own emptiness to offer any real response, I simply nodded in understanding, acknowledging his frustrations even more clearer as I was in the same position. How convenient for my late father who never even had a glimpse of me from the time of my birth to seal my future with a devil in human form - Mr. Anderson. “Welcome to a man's world Nathan”, I finally answered, after long minutes of silence. Nathan scoffed in response, fo
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 131
ELENA'S POV Since things had gone haywire the last time I stepped into the city, I'd decided to stay away until I was sure of what to do with myself. But for now, I bit into a slice of toast and grabbing a bottle of water to take a long for my morning jog. In the past few days, I was starting to become too relaxed staying indoors and it had somehow made my brain lazy. So I opted to go for exercises, starting with a morning run every morning. I stepped out of the house with a determined glint shining in my eyes, staring ahead through the light fog hovering the neighbourhood. “Good thing it’s not fully dawn yet”, I muttered underneath my breath, a smirk playing at the corner of my lips in satisfaction as I didn't feel ready to be known by anyone here.Apart from Eloise and perhaps Luci, I hardly ever had a good relationship with anyone. From high school until college, everyone always acted like I was a threat around them or just something they couldn't stand. Back in high school, I
Bound by debt; Freed by love CHAPTER 130
ELOISE' POVIt was all fun and games until I saw it before my very own eyes. The very girl I loathed and just like that - the solid bricks of reassurance built somewhere in my heart crumbled slowly. His love for me was never a doubt but accepting it was harder than I wanted it to - still, the end came too quickly even though I'd always known it. Expected, even. I took a quick glance at my phone longing for that familiar name sliding through the screen but none came - for days. Just to make sure, his contacts were all unblocked, and I knew he knew that. I wanted to listen to his own side of the story, yearning to believe them even if my mind fought it. Nathan had never lied to me, and he never would but it didn't make any difference in what I believed, especially now.“Please give this to him when you see him”, I said in a downcast tone, handing his black card to his house keeper who obviously had a lot to say but my shielded aura was enough warning. I missed her too regardless. Wa
