bChapter /bb89 /b

Elena’s POV:

“Elenal Why are you doing thisb?/bb” /bSerge’s voice rang out, too now to sound authoritative “I’ve loved my whole life not knowing my wife left me with a daughter in this worldTM

My heart stuttered once, but I didn’t let it show. I didn’t give him that power.

My eyes flicked to the bodyguard standing just a few feet from him, his hand resting with quiet purpose on the grip of his holstered gun. Then my gaze tumed to the woman beside me. The only woman who had ever really mattered,

Beatrix My mother.

I swallowed down the lump wing up my throat and looked Sergel dead in the eye. “Well then you can live the rest of your life thinking that bas /bwell!

His expression faltered. For the first time since he stepped foot in this house, Sergei Morozov looked shaken. Not furious. Not condescen

Just shaken.

He looked between my mother and me, like trying to decode something that no longer made sense. Like he couldn’t fathom how the story had turned out this way.

“Is it because of her?” he asked finally, his voice quieter, but with a growing edge. “This woman? She’s not your real mother. She didn’t give birth to you.”

The words hit like a p

I didn’t flinch.

“And yet she was beside me,” said calmly, biting back the crack in my voice, “bwhen /bI needed adults the most.”

His eyes narrowed.

“bYou /bdon’t understand, do you, Sergei?” I continued, straightening my spine until my posture matched the fire inside me. “My childhood is over. I’m an adult now. The time bwhen /bI needed parents is gone. It passed. bAnd /bduring that time?” 1 pointed at Beatrix. “She was the one who hold my hand during fevers. She was the one who scrubbed vomit out of bedsheets. bShe /bcarried me through panic attacks. Through my illness. Through rights I couldn’t breathe. Through years where I bthought /bbdying /bbmight /bbe beasier/b.”

My voice trembled.

“And where were you?”

Sergei didn’t move.

“Where were you when she went hungry to buy my medication? When debt collectors knocked on our door in the middle of the night? When I sat in school with bruises on my arms because we couldn’t afford heating and I got frostbite on my walk there?”

I took a deep breath, blinking back angry tears. “You weren’t there. And your money wasn’t there. What bwas /bthere was yourpany. Your business that ruined our lives.”

His ja ticked.

“It doesn’t matter whether you knew or not. The damage was done. You were the root of it. You don’t get to walk in now and pretend you. I never needed you. So, you can leave,”

bIdon’tored /b

bThe /bsilence that followed was thunderous. My chest rose and fell quickly as adrenaline cooled in my veins, every word I’d hurled into the air echoing back

like a wardruin

I’d never spoken like that to a man older than me. Not like that. Hot with that kind of fire. That kind of fury. That kind of truth.

My mother had always taught me to be respectful, especially to elders, She’d pped my hand once just for raising my voice it a leacher

But right now? I didn’t Eare.

I bhad /bstared the devil in the face, and I didn’t blink.

Serge’s gaze darkened. The pain flickering in his eyes was buried quickly, like a shutter mmed down over it. His back stayed straight, arms still at his sides, but something in his face bined hollow.

“I’m not saying you need me,” he said atst, his voice lower now, oddly quiet. “But I can give you many things that you want. Things notaven that

Niki can afford.”

Iblinked.

Was he seriousb? /b

Ilet out a bitterugh, breathless and sharp, and turned away from him, pacing a few feet to collect myself. I ran both hands through my hair, gripping the strands for a second, grounding myself with the pressure.

Then I turned back to face him, disbelief coating every syble.

“Are you… bribing me?” I said slowly, as though my bbrain /bcouldn’t quite process how ridiculous bit /bsounded out loud.

I turned to my mother, searching her face for confirmation that I hadn’t just imagined it. Her expression was tight, but resigned, like she’d already expected this oue from the moment Sergei first darkened our doorway.

“My goodness,” I bsaid/b,ughing again. But there was no humor in it. “I can’t believe this.”

“I don’t need anything from you,” I said finally, my voice hardening. “Nothing, I’ve already paid too high a price for the scraps offort I get in life. And i definitely don’t need to owe another man something I can never repay”

Because somewhere deep down, I knew the truth.

That with Niki, too, I would never be free. No matter what he said. No matter how many times he imed towed him nothing

I felt it. That debt. That weightb. /bThat tether wrapped around my throat.

Even if earned bevery /bcent and repaid it, my own emotional debt would remain. The debt he owed me.

Because even if I did want to repay him, I couldn’t. And maybe.. maybe a part of me didn’t want to

And that was the worst part.

I caught movement from the corner of my eye. The bodyguard had leaned down, his lips close to Sergel’s ear. His whisper was low, but just close enough bfor /bme to catch fragments.

close down unconscious location”

Istiffened.

My fists clenched at my sides.

What the hell were they talking about?

I stepped slightly bforward/b, heart beginning to race again.

bA /b

Serger’s brow furrowed, then he let out a soft sigh its expression twisted in mild frustration before he gave a short shake of his hai

He waved a hand dismissively.

“Let’s leaveb,/b” he said atst, turning foward the door. His eyes lingered on me for a long, stretched moment something unreadable ficting brkind thens

Then he looked at my mother, nodded once like this was just a formality, and walked out of the house with the grace of a man who believed he still had time on his side.

I didn’t move until Theard the front doar click shut

iAnd /i

then?

Ecopsed onto the sofa like my spine had finally given out. My knees drew up toward my chest, my arms wrapping around them, and buried hall myce into the worn fabric of the cushions.

Mom remained standing, arms ssed, watching me.

And then she turned, looking past me toward the far corner where Benjamin stillingered. She raised her chin slightly.

“You may bleave /btoo,” she said, her tone icy and final. Not cruel, but unshakable.

Benjamin paused, clearly wanting to protest. His lips parted slightly, brows drawing inward.

But then he nodded. Silent Respectful

“Yes, ma’am”

The front door opened again. Closed.

And the house fell into silence.

Not peaceful silence. Not even awkward silence.

I shifted slightly, guilt twisting deep in my belly

“Mom” began, barely louder than a whisper. I’m sorry. I… really didn’t know-

“How to tell me!” she finished for me, exhaling a long breath that was heavier than any sigh I’d ever heard from her.

She rubbed her temples, eyes closed. Then she lowered her hands and looked down at

Go get changed,” she bsaid /bquietly, but her tone left no room for debate. “We’ll talk after dinner. It seems we have a lot to go over.”

bShe /bstarted to turn away, but then paused, pivoting back slowly

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Give me your phone.”

blinked, “bWhat/b?b” /b

“Phone Now”

Confused, I pulled it from my pocket and handed it bto /bher.

She tapped around for a few seconds, her jaw clenched, then handed it back to me.

b*/bbYou /bwon’t be speaking to Niki for a while..

Her words punched through me like a pist of freezing wind.

I swallowed “Mom

Her voice bwas /bsharp.

“I know you’re bin /blove with him,” she said, softer now but not gentler. “But that doesn’t change what he did. And until we figure out how to handle this.. you won’t be getting in contact with him. You know I’m not the type to unnecessarily interfere in rtionships. But what he did was very different from what Dmitri did. He thought of you as a tool to be traded. And now all this with Sergel. She paused, sighed, then added, “People with money are the most dangerous kind of people, bLlena/b. We both know that.”

I stared at her. Then down at the phone in my palm.

I hit my lip and nodded.

bWhat /belse could i do?

She didn’t even know the whole story. Not all of it. But she knew enough.

And bthat /bwas enough to build the wall of mistrust between us.