Chapter 120
Elena’s POV:
Tsee, Seraphina hummed softly, her gaze thoughtful as she swirled the remaining tea in her cup. The quiet murmur of conversation from the other patrons in the private lounge on the top floor café of Legacy Motors barely registered as a comfortable silence settled between us
I took a deep breath, the slightly floral scent of her perfume lingering in the air. Honestly! Aber everything I had been through in the past few months? Meeting Seraphina, a woman who had basically been my idol since I was a kid, didn’t put me on edge the way it might have just weeks ago. I felt a strange sense of calm in her presence, a feeling that perhaps she genuinely wanted to offer some form of support, however unconventional
“You needn’t worry about the rumors or the online articles, Llena,” she continued, her tone reassuring. “They will die down soon enough. The media’s attention span is notoriously short. As for the details of your personal life…” She paused, her gaze direct but not intrusive. “I certainly don’t have the authority or the right to intervene in such matters. But if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need my help with something anything at af please do let me know. I am more than willing to offer whatever assistance I can.” She offered a warm, genuine smile as she raised her teacup for another small sp.
Inodded, a feeling of gratitude washing over me. But then, a question that had been nagging at me since our conversation began finally surfaced. i pursed my lips slightly, a hire of curiosity coloring my tone. “So… what exactly did you want to talk to me about asked, and she nodded slowly, her gaze flicking towards the doorway through which Malakai had excused himself earlier. The subtle shift in her expression suggested that his absence was perhaps not entirely coincidental
“To be honest, Elena,” she began, her voice dropping slightly, becoming more confidential “my initial intention for this meeting had been different.. that was directly after everything that unfolded so dramatically at the charity gala” She paused, her eyes meeting mine, searching for understanding nodded slowly, silently urging her to continue. “I know this might sound rather invasive, and please forgive me if it does, but I had actually wanted to warn you
“About… Lasked, my brow furrowing in anticipation
“Nikola… well, the entire Vetrov family, to be precise. I just wanted to advise you to be careful and not make any hasty decisions in situation. However,” she added, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips, “it seems my worry might have been for naught, considering the
regarding your….. news that has already surfaced.”
1 frowned, a knot of confusion tightening in my stomach. “You… wanted to warn me about Nikolai Aren’t you… his friend?” The question hung in the air, laced with a genuine bewilderment. By the news surfacing did she mean the divorce?
She nodded, her smile fading slightly, replaced by a more thoughtful expression, res, Elena, I am his friend. I have known Nikolai for a very long time. I’m not saying he’s an inherently bad person, not at all. His circumstances, his past… they are undeniably bad, though. That’s precisely why I was initially happy when I found out he had married you I genuinely thought that perhaps he would finally be able to move beyond his deeply troubled past… that perhaps his constant visits to his therapist would finally come to an end. But it seems I had been terribly mistaken in that hope. And after everything that unfolded so publicly at the gala, with Sergei’s shocking revelations, I just felt this overwhelming sense of guilt for not having warned you beforehand. I hadn’t known about your connection to Sergei Morozov back then, of course, but I still feel I should have looked into Nikolai’s past more thoroughly. being one of the few people who knew about his long standing obsession with it.” She finished, her gaze filled with a genuine regret, and with every word, my gut felt like it was twisting into tighter knots. Nikolai, obsessed with his past?
“Why is he so obsessed, Seraphina? Is it only because of what happened to his mother?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. She tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful.
“Nola? Oh, Elena… I don’t know how much you truly know about his childhood. But his early years were marked by significant neglect and the kind of abuse, both emotional and physical, that he endured at the hands of his father and… well, his mother as well….
“Abuse?” I interrupted, the single word hanging in the air, a cold dread washing over me.
She quirked her brows, her expression acknowledging my shock. “res, Elena… Nikolai… be carries a very deep psychological shadow from it all. Buthe doesn’t remember many of the specific details, thank goodness. I honestly think that’s ultimately for the best. It’s better for him if those memories remain buried. He was hospitalaed numerous times as a child due to his father’s violent temper, and there was one particularly humific incident, i believe, where things got so bad that he was practically at death’s door. His mother in a fit of rage, she had apparently stabbed him with a broken piece of glass.” She finished, her voice hushed, and a wave of nausea, far stronger than the morning sickness, washed over me. Disgust and a profound. sense of sorrow mingled within me,
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Chapter 120
I took in a heaving breath, biting my lip to steady myself, “1. Heel terrible about everything he went through as a child, Seraphina But honestly. did he expect to happen? Did he really think that blindsiding me the way he did would somehow make everything better for him? He took revenge on someone who had absolutely no idea about any of it” I said, my voice filled with a mix of hurt and anger. Seraphina nodded slowly, h expression understanding “I know, Elena. I completely understand your feelings. That’s precisely why I wanted to tell you to steer clear, to protect yourself.” She trailed off, her gaze softening with concern,
Inodded slowly. Nothing about this conversation, however well intentioned, was setting me at ease, I’d seen this dynamic far too often in life, women having to make endless compromises and excuses for their husbands‘ wrongdoings, always trying to understand and forgive their flawed partners, often at their own expense.
I understood Nikolai’s trauma on an intellectual level. I genuinely felt bad for the horrific experiences he had endured as a child. Maybe… maybe if 1 hadn’t been carrying his child, if my life hadn’t taken this unexpected turn, I would have gone back to him, at least for the duration of our ridiculous contract. Or maybe even further. But now, everything was different.
“You have a bright future ahead of you, Elena. Stay focused on that, on your career, on building a life for yourself am absolutely certain you can achieve great things.” She offered a warm, encouraging smile as she stood up, and I followed suit, glancing at my watch to realize that our extended lunch break was officially over. We made our way out of the private lounge in the top–floor café, a comfortable silence settling between us once more
I went back to my allocated desk in the bustling intern area, thanking Seraphina sincerely for the unexpected lunch and her candid conversation. The rest of the afternoon at Legacy passed quickly, my focus returning to the demanding research tasks i had been assigned. However, as soon as I arrived back at the condo that evening, a sense of unease settled over me. The front door was slightly ajar, a sliver of darkness beckoning from within. My heart skipped an anxious beat.
“Mielle?” I called out hesitantly, my voice echoing in the silent hallway. Not hearing a response, I stepped inside, my senses on high alert. Then, I heard a loud, unmistakable sniffle coming from the direction of the living room. I hurried towards the sound, my footsteps quickening, and found Mielle huddled on the floor, her small frame shaking with dry heaves, Shinichiro sitting beside her.
I frowned, running towards them, a surge of alarm coursing through me. “What the hell happened?!” I asked, my voice sharp with concern, and Shinichiro looked up.
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