Lahat ng Kabanata ng Bound by debt; Freed by love: Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

ELENA'S POVThree days passed with me spending each day at the cemetery, always waking up next to my mother's tombstone where she was buried. Despite my swollen eyes and the urgent need to shower, I still couldn't bring myself to go back to a life without her in it. She was all I had and lived for since Dad bailed on us. Even though I refrained from saying it out loud before now but I hated him more now. If there was anyone to blame, he would take all of it and nothing less. “Elena?”, a familiar voice called from behind me while I hurriedly wiped my snot before turning around to meet him. Lucas. The boy I'd always known was shy, easily intimidated and sweet but the man standing in front of me was cold and intimidating. His neatly styled black hair made his other facial features stand out in a way that gave him an imposing aura. “Elena, what happened?”, he rushed towards me, crouching down to my level with his eyebrows raised in concern. Being the first person to show me any sense

ELENA'S POV I rolled endlessly to my sides unable to sleep for more than a minute without seeing the peaceful face of my mother laying in her own cold blood. It's been almost a month now and nothing plagued my dreams more than that picture. My eyes flew open as I let out a soft sigh in frustration turning around to slowly grasp my environment. I've been at Lucas place for days now and it was strange that I barely saw him. Although I was given the best care in his absence but it still felt as if he somehow built a wall around himself.Furrowing my eyebrows in suspicion, I threw the covers off me making my way to his bedroom and as usual, the sheets were well arranged with a certain sense of desolation to his room. Something was definitely going in and I had to figure it out. Lucas had been there for me through all my darkest moments and I couldn't abandon him now. Holding the thought, I cheerfully skipped to the kitchen where there was no maid in sight unlike Adrian's villa which ha

ELENA'S POV Resuming my job at the Hawthornes company made me more busier than expected as I was no longer under Karen but back to my former position as a senior team lead of the interior design department. “Miss Elena, it's so nice to have you back”, Eloise squealed once she saw me, also congratulating me on my pregnancy as it was beginning to show a bit. Although I seemed content on the surface at being back on track and having a little space from Adrian, I wasn't fooled by his showers of affection and pretentious care as it was all just a way of keeping his eyes on me. As for Lucas, he hadn't come around much as I instructed but he'd been busy doing some investigations concerning the tape I sent him on the night of my mother's death. Something just wasn't right about it. From everything I knew about my parents especially my mother, she was always the first to apologize to anyone as she valued her relationships dearly. I had to find out what it was and I couldn't let Adrian's

ELENA'S POVMy dry, eyed gaze rested on the ceiling above me, entertaining the numbness inside me. My hands laid motionlessly by my side as I vividly listened to the commotion outside my ward. “Let me in or I'll bring this hospital down and make you all loose your jobs”, Adrian yelled desperately from outside, the sound of his fists on the door resounding loudly in my ears. “I'm sorry sir but the patient doesn't want to see you now”, my doctor said, her tone firm and unafraid. I should say something…just like the last time, I thought but every part of my body only felt too heavy to move an inch. Anger, hurt and above all the pain that came with everything seemed to paralyze me and it summed up my uncertainty of what to say if I saw Adrian's face. My expectations from him during my pregnancy crumbled to pieces the moment he denied the baby after what he put me through just to conceive. “Elena, can you hear me? Let me in now”, he yelled continuously, fiercely banging on the door c

ELENA'S POV The day had finally come for me to be discharged from the hospital and I dreaded it more than I anticipated it. The scars still stuck to my skin but no longer painful to feel and stare at unlike before. Although three weeks wasn't enough to get over the terrible changes in my physical appearance, I was determined to get through this as something more important occupied my mind. Eloise, Lucas and Nathan sat around my bed munching on a quick breakfast as we engaged in a light hearted conversation. “I think the public has really grown interested in your marriage ever since the first scandal”, Nathan said, his tone keen and observant. My eyebrows subconsciously raised in amusement with my spoon of food pausing in mid air. “What do you mean? That was such a long time ago and I barely remember it. Besides, even if they still do, they probably hate me more”, I countered, my spoon dropping back to the bowl of food as I suddenly recalled my traumatic experience after the scanda