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Chapter 49
Last Updated:
2025-02-09 00:30:27
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Bound 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 : 2025-02-12Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 53
LUCAS' POV My hands lazily ran through my hair as I deeply exhaled a sigh of exhaustion staring at my desk filled with papers which was very unlike me. But ever since I got that text, my mind has gone haywire, not daring to imagine the worse they would do if they got their eyes on Elena or go ahead to actually do something to her. I couldn't take it. Nor would I leave her unprotected. It is why I already secretly assigned a couple of my strongest bodyguards to follow her every step in different disguises every single day who reported every minute of her day to me. Okay, I'll admit I was enjoying this a little bit. We had not called each other since that fateful morning and I was beginning to go crazy unable to hear her voice or see her up close for days now. My phone's loud and piercing ringtone instantly brought me back to reality as I quickly picked it up, seeing the name ‘James’ appear on the lit screen. “Tell me you've got something solid”, I said, placing my phone on my e
Last Updated : 2025-02-13Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 54
ELENA'S POV “I'm leaving for Mexico tomorrow Lena. Please be safe. Love, Lucas”. My heart sunk to my stomach as I repeatedly read the text until I could feel liquid gathering at the bottom of my eyelids, threatening to ruin the mascara I'd just applied there. I instantly raised my head back, chanting the words “it's for the best, it's for the best” until I felt each drop return back to it's source, dropping my head back to its normal position. So he really was disappearing again huh? My heart ached at the thought of him not coming back ever. The searing pain from the separation since that morning came rushing back all of a sudden. Was this really the end for us? My trembling fingers typed several responses but no one seemed enough to communicate my whirling emotions. Just as I began to type another string of words, Adrian's nonchalant voice came from behind me while I involuntarily turned off my lit screen. “Hurry up and leave Elena. You reek of enough desperation already”, sa
Last Updated : 2025-02-14Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 55
ELENA'S POV My eyes pierced deeply with curiosity at Lucas's furious expression, watching him pace about while the nurse gently attended to me. I was currently putting on an hospital gown in place of the shredded gown once whole with sophistication. Lucas had carried me bridal style out of the room as two other men were left to continue from where he'd stopped. The painful screams, groans behind me and the reality of what I had just escaped all seemed to dim in comparison to the shock waves traveling through me at the sight of Lucas. “Are you real?”, I asked, whispering softly while pinching his sleeve with my trembling fingers. Only a low grunt of confirmation could be heard as he still refused to look at me. Even though his body's heat didn't give me warmth anymore, I still wished for a sort of communication from him. But the seconds ticked loudly stretching the silence between us with the sound of his heavy footsteps pacing the hallway right outside my door. I laid helplessly i
Last Updated : 2025-02-14Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 56
LUCAS' POV “What the fuck took you guys so long?”, I yelled breathlessly at the two bodyguards I'd assigned to guard Elena. Nothing prepared me for the sight I met after bursting the door open. “We're sorry Mr. Lucas”, one of the men apologized in a remorseful tone, bowing his head. “The men escorting her seemed to have sensed our mission so they intentionally lost us”, he explained. I blew out a huge sigh of relief, running my fingers through my hair in frustration as the chill feeling I had grew stronger and stronger inside me. What if I hadn't come? What if I didn't make it on time?The image of her torn lips set my bones on fire making me hate myself even more. “Well, did you manage to get any of them?”, I asked, steadying my breath to remain calm as I studied their straught-to-business expressions. “Yes sir. They're in the basement as we speak”, one of them replied, his eyes shining in a somewhat mischievous light. My eyes narrowed at him briefly before recalling it was exact
Last Updated : 2025-02-15Bound by debt; Freed by love Chapter 57
ELENA'S POVFour days had started to feel like a year and half after I'd been locked up in a cold, empty room by Adrian. I continuously banged the door for the first two days but the bland meal I ate each day like a prisoner didn't help refill the strength for that. So here I was, curled on the ground with my eyes shut trying hard to not focus on how miserable my life had become. Everytime I thought there could never be anything worse than being in a contract marriage, I was always proved wrong by the lengths my new family took just to make my life a living hell. Up until now, I wasn't certain about the person who'd set me up like that but it was definitely within the Hawthorne's family. It had to be them but a large chunk of my anger was held against Adrian's father. There was not a single doubt he knew about Mr. Elvis's reputation before sending me straight into the lion's den and yet, he still did. My lips trembled against each other as I burst into a heart shattering cry, curli
Last Updated : 2025-02-15
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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
