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CHAPTER 64 - ELENA
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2025-04-09 05:34:05
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CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 65 - ELENA
My phone buzzed in my hand again. Another message from Mother. Probably about the luncheon with Cameron’s aunt.I didn’t even look at it.Just thinking about Cameron made my chest tighten. That life—polished, perfect, planned—felt like a heavy weight crushing me from the inside.I couldn’t breathe.The knot in my stomach twisted tighter, becoming a dull, constant pain. Each breath felt sharp, like I was dragging glass into my lungs. Marry Cameron.The words spun in my head over and over, louder each time, like someone was screaming them inside me.Marry Cameron. Marry him.No. I couldn’t. I didn’t want this.My hands shook as I unlocked my phone. It took me three tries. My fingers were ice, my face burning hot, like my body didn’t know how to react.I scrolled to Tiffany’s name. My thumb hovered over the call button.Please pick up. Please be home.I pressed the button. The phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times.“Hello?” Her voice finally came through—light, sweet, and familiar.I let
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-09CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 65 - ELENA
The bridal suite buzzed with energy, but I felt completely detached from it all. People were moving around, their hands busy with brushes and pins, but it felt like they were working on someone else.I barely registered the soft lighting reflecting off the mirrors, the sweet scent of lilies and roses filling the room. Normally, the smell would have been comforting, but today it only seemed to make everything feel heavier.Giselle, the makeup artist, was in charge of my face. She worked with practiced precision, layering foundation and blending until my skin looked smooth and perfect, like porcelain.Marco, the stylist, fussed with my hair, pulling it into an elaborate updo, tiny pearls tucked carefully throughout. I watched them both, feeling more like an observer than a participant in the transformation happening to me.Numb. That was the only way to describe how I felt. A deep, suffocating numbness wrapped around me, keeping the fear and sadness at bay. It was like my emotions were
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-09CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 67 - ELENA
The door clicked shut behind Julian, and silence filled the room again. It wasn’t peaceful—it felt heavy, like he’d left behind all the pressure I was trying to ignore. I let out a slow breath, hoping it would calm me. It didn’t. The knot in my chest stayed right where it was.Then, just as the quiet started to eat away at me, the door burst open. Tiffany, Chloe, and Sabrina rushed in like a whirlwind of perfume, heels, and squeals. My bridesmaids.Tiffany came straight to me. No fake smiles, no silly excitement. She just wrapped her arms around me in a warm, tight hug. And in that moment, she felt like the only real person in the room.“You okay?” She whispered into my hair, her voice soft and steady.I nodded against her shoulder. “As okay as I can be.”She didn’t push. She just squeezed me tighter. Tiffany knew about Noah. She knew this wedding wasn’t something I wanted—it was something I had to do.Meanwhile, Chloe and Sabrina were already at the mirror, fussing over themselves.“
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-10CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 68 - NOAH
The cardboard box gave a small groan as I dropped it by the wall."Easy with that," Martha said behind me, raising a brow. "My charger’s in there."I turned to look at her, grinning. "What would we ever do if your phone died?"“World ends,” she replied, smirking.Marcus was on the floor across the room, setting up the tiny Wi-Fi box with serious focus. “We better get signal here,” he muttered. “Hazel Town looks like it barely has electricity.”I chuckled and looked around. Our new apartment was small—just two bedrooms, thin walls, and barely any furniture—but it was clean. And quiet. And ours.The smell of warm bread from the bakery downstairs floated through the open window. I had no idea how we landed an apartment right above heaven, but I wasn’t complaining.“It’s not Blackwood,” I said, dusting off my jeans, “but it’s home.”Martha looked around and gave a small nod. “It’s not bad.”“No screaming neighbors,” Marcus added.“No one is asking if we paid the rent yet,” I said.We all
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-10CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 69 - ELENA
The lace of my wedding dress clung to my skin like it was trying to hold me back. Every stitch, every shiny bead—it all felt like a trap. Like I was being sewn into a life I didn’t choose.Noah’s hand found mine. Warm. Steady. Real.He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to.His touch was a promise. I wasn’t alone.We moved fast, slipping away from the lights, the noise, and the fake smiles. No more congratulations. No more champagne toasts. Just us. And freedom.A taxi waited just outside the venue gates, headlights dim under the sky. The cool air hit my face, sharp and honest. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. This was it. This was happening. We were running.And then I heard it."Elena!"My body froze.That voice… It hit harder than I expected. Deep. Loud. Controlling. My father.He always sounded like a man who expected to be obeyed. Even now, even here, outside the hall and under the stars.I stopped for just half a second. Long enough to feel the pull of fear,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-10CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 70 - ELENA
The taxi smelled like old cigarettes and one of those cheap pine-scented air fresheners. Not exactly pleasant, but still way better than the heavy perfume of lilies and fake smiles I’d left behind.Noah and I sat close in the back seat. Our hands were tightly locked together, like we were holding on for dear life. I could still feel the tightness of my corset digging into my ribs, even though I had loosened it earlier.My father’s stunned face kept flashing in my mind. His silence. His shock. I wondered what my mother would say. What about Julian? Would he defend me or stay quiet?And Tiffany… she was going to get a lot of heat because of this. I still didn’t know how she got Noah’s number, but I was grateful. Without her call, I wouldn’t be sitting here now, with the boy I’d chosen. The boy who had always made me feel like I was enough.I let out a breath and looked at Noah. He hadn’t said much since we got into the car. His jaw was tight, and he looked serious, focused. But when I s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-11CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 71 - ELENA
The bus hissed loudly as it stopped, snapping me out of the soft comfort I had fallen into.“We’re here,” Noah said gently, brushing a hand over my arm. His voice was low and calm.I blinked, looking around. We weren’t near his house yet. Just a quiet bus station with flickering lights and a few tired people dragging suitcases.“This isn’t your place,” I said, confused.“Nope. I moved out of Blackwood, Elena. We’ll take a taxi from here,” he explained. “It’s about fifteen minutes to Hazel Town.”Hazel Town. I’d never heard of it before. I nodded, clutching my bag tightly. I still couldn’t believe I was doing this—running away from my old life, sitting beside a boy I barely knew a few months ago.But with him, everything felt okay.We walked toward the line of yellow taxis parked outside the station. Noah opened the back door of one and helped me in before sliding in beside me.“Where to?” the driver asked.“Hazel Town. Baker’s Row, right above Crescent Bakery.”The ride was quiet. I le
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-11CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 72 - ELENA
I couldn’t sleep.I tossed and turned in Noah’s small bed, my thoughts tangled like the bedsheets. Martha’s words kept echoing in my head, over and over again.He never gets any good things.If you break his heart... I’ll make your life hell.The room was dark, the only light coming from the streetlamp outside the window. The soft hum of the fridge and the occasional creak from the living room were the only sounds.I couldn’t take it anymore.I slid out from under the blanket and tiptoed to the door. My fingers hesitated on the knob. Then I opened it quietly and padded down the short hallway.Noah was curled up on the couch, a thin throw blanket over him. One arm was tucked under his head, his other hand resting on his chest. He looked peaceful… but tired. Like someone who had been carrying the weight of the world alone for too long.I stood there for a moment, just watching him. Then I whispered, “Noah?”His eyes opened instantly. He blinked up at me, then sat up slowly. “Hey… what’s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-11
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CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 91 - ELENA
The room was quiet now, save for the soft rustle of fabric as I gathered my things. The aftermath of what had just happened still hung in the air, an unspoken understanding between us, but I couldn’t shake the weight in my chest. My heart was racing, a mix of emotions—confusion, longing, and a bittersweet sense of peace.I stood by the window, my fingers brushing against the cool glass, watching the early evening light stretch across the sky. The room felt too small, too intimate, like it was closing in around me.The reality of what we had done was setting in. I had to leave. I had to face the rest of my world, the chaos outside this safe little bubble we’d created. But Noah—Noah was right there, watching me, his eyes full of that familiar intensity.“Don’t go yet,” Noah’s voice was low, thick with something I couldn’t quite place, but I felt it in my chest. He was still sitting on the bed, his legs tangled in the sheets, his body so still, as if he was trying to hold onto the moment
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 90 - ELENA
WARNING!!!! “I thought you weren’t ever coming back,” he said, voice low and sharp. “So what changed?”I swallowed hard. “Everything.”He didn’t respond. Just stared at me with those guarded eyes, the ones that used to be warm when they looked at me.“Noah,” I said again, stepping forward, “please just give me five minutes.”“You disappeared, Elena.” His voice cracked, full of pain and resentment. “You texted me that morning, and then you were gone. Your father took you. I knew that. But then weeks passed. No calls. No messages. Nothing. What was I supposed to think?”“I tried,” I whispered. “He took everything—my phone, laptop, tablet. He even changed the locks in my room. I wasn’t allowed out. I was a prisoner in my own home.”Noah’s jaw clenched. “Why didn’t you run?”“I couldn’t. Not at first. I was scared. He was watching everything I did.”“Still—” His voice broke. “You could’ve found a way.”“I did,” I whispered. “Eventually. Stella—my maid—risked everything to sneak me a burn
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 89 - ELENA
The legal battle was just beginning, and the acceptance letter from the University of North Dakota, while incredible, felt like a dream I wasn’t allowed to hold onto for too long.I sat cross-legged on my bed, staring at my laptop like it might vanish. The glowing email sat open, still unread all the way through. A new life.But all of it now felt so… far away.How was I supposed to focus on college classes and dorm rooms when my world was on fire?My fingers trembled as I closed the laptop. I hugged a pillow to my chest and let out a shaky breath.I couldn’t cry. Not again.I heard a knock on my door.“Elena?” It was Julian, my brother.“Come in,” I called softly.He peeked in, his expression a mixture of concern and exhaustion. “Hey... I just wanted to check on you.”I nodded, trying to smile. “I’m okay.”He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “Liar.”A small laugh escaped me. “Maybe a little.”He walked over and sat beside me. “You don’t have to act like you’ve got this al
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 88 - ELENA
The crisp white envelope felt like a punch straight to my chest.Court Summons.I stared at the bold letters, my hands trembling. It was real. Everything I’d planned, everything I’d dared to dream—it was finally happening.I was taking my father to court.A tremor ran through me, but it wasn’t fear. It was something sharper. A strange, shaky kind of defiance. This was it. After years of being treated like I didn’t own my own life, I was finally standing up for myself.And I wasn’t turning back.Then my phone rang.I jumped, fumbling to pick it up. The screen flashed: Ms. Brenner.“Hello?” My voice cracked, and I hated that it did.“Elena,” Ms. Brenner said, her voice firm but urgent. “We need to talk. Can you come into the office right away?”My heart dropped. “Did something happen?”“Yes. The summons has been officially served. Your father’s lawyer just reached out to me.”I swallowed hard. “Okay. I’ll be there soon.”My chest tightened, and I grabbed my phone, scrolling until I saw
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 87 - NOAH
Days turned into weeks, and the waiting nearly drove me insane.Every morning, I’d wake up with a sliver of hope in my chest, rush to check my email, only to be met with silence. And then I’d do it again ten minutes later… and again.I must’ve refreshed that inbox a thousand times a day. It felt like my entire life was sitting in someone else’s hands—waiting to be stamped with either a yes or a no.I started dreaming about it.Some nights, I saw the words Congratulations, you’ve been accepted blinking on the screen like they were meant just for me. Other nights, it was the opposite. A simple, cold rejection. Or worse—no reply at all. Those nights were harder to shake off. They stayed with me, like a weight I couldn’t shrug.One evening, I was back at the diner, elbow-deep in soapy water, scrubbing plates and trying not to spiral.The clatter of dishes and the hum of conversation around me couldn’t drown out the thoughts running wild in my head.That’s when Maria noticed.“You okay, N
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 86 - NOAH
I sat on the edge of my bed, the old springs groaning beneath me like they understood just how tired I was.The room felt smaller than usual, like the walls were pressing in on me, squeezing out the last bit of air I had left. I needed a break. I needed a plan. I needed something.The diner job hadn’t made me rich. Far from it. It just kept me going.Kept food in my stomach, rent barely paid, and my head above water. Barely. But somehow, I had scraped something together. Real money. Not a lot, but enough to make me feel like maybe—just maybe—I could start over.Then there was the cash Kade had given me.I hated thinking about it. About him. About where that money came from. It made my skin crawl. Taking it felt like swallowing glass. But I’d needed it.I couldn’t have cleared all my debts without it. I couldn’t have shaken off everything that was holding me down. As bitter as it was, it helped. And I needed to move on.I emptied my pockets and laid out the bills and coins across my bl
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 85 - NOAH
The bank. It kept replaying in my head like a bad memory that wouldn’t go away.I saw Elena every time I closed my eyes—her face, the way she would have reached out for me, and her voice calling my name as the car drove off. And I just stood there, helpless. Like a fool. Like a coward.They took her like she didn’t matter. Like she was just something to be collected and returned to a prison.The guard had said something that day. I don’t even remember the exact words anymore. Something about how they had the right.Something about her family. It didn’t matter. Nothing he said could explain it. Nothing could make it okay.I don’t remember how I got home. Cars honked, people yelled, and the world kept moving, but I didn’t care. Everything felt far away. Like I was underwater and everyone else was still breathing air.When I walked into the house, it felt colder.The kind of cold that had nothing to do with weather. The couch where she used to sit felt emptier. Her mug was still on the t
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 84 - ELENA
I barely made it to the end of the hallway before the tears started stinging my eyes.I wasn’t crying because of the slap—though it did hurt, and the sting was still fresh on my skin. I was crying because everything inside me felt like it was breaking apart. But also… finally falling into place.I stepped outside the mansion into the cold evening air, letting it fill my lungs like freedom. My steps were slow and shaky. I didn’t know where I was going—I just needed to get away from those walls, that house, and their voices.Then my phone rang.The screen lit up with a name I hadn’t seen in weeks.Julian.My brother.I almost let it go to voicemail. But something inside me said, Pick it up.So I did.“Hello?” I whispered.“Elena,” came his voice, rough and tired. “What the hell are you doing?”I blinked, caught off guard by his tone. “Excuse me?”“Do you have any idea what you’ve just started?” He snapped. “I got ten missed calls from Dad. Mom is blowing up my phone. I leave town for tw
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 83 - ELENA
I poured my heart and soul into that application like it was my lifeline.Every section, every word—I gave it my full attention. But it was the essay that really cracked something open inside me. The moment I began typing, it felt like the dam I’d been holding back for years finally broke.Tears rolled down my cheeks. Not the kind that came from sadness—but the kind that came from release. From finally speaking my truth.“I want to study people,” I typed, my fingers trembling as they danced across the keyboard. “Because for so long, I’ve been surrounded by people who never really saw me.”I stopped and stared at the screen. That one sentence said everything.My parents never saw me. Not really. They saw a trophy daughter. A future heiress. A social puppet they could dress up and parade in front of their world.They never noticed the quiet girl who loved books, who asked questions, and who dreamed about simple things like bike rides and real love.I sniffled and wiped my face with the
