Chapter 151

Elena:

I watched as Batrov entered my room, his eyes wide with rage, taking me off guard. 

“What did you do to her?” He asked, making me frown in confusion. I stood up, shaking my head in question, and he looked me dead in the eye, his eyes holding more rage than I have ever seen in his gaze. “Yigrette, what did you do to her?”

I shook my head in question, not understanding what the man was referring to. “She came to your room before she fell down the stairs. And I am not dumb, the woman wouldn’t be tripping easily. What did you give her to drink when she passed by your fucking room?”

I took a deep breath and shook my head, trying to understand what the man was referring to. He grabbed me by my throat, choking me, and I wrapped my hand around his wrist, wanting him to let me go. His eyes were fixed on mine as he did what he was, and though I couldn’t understand what he was speaking of, I couldn’t help but find myself wanting to close up on myself as my vision blurred. It was sometimes my way to cope with what I was dealing with Konstantin, but the last thing that I ever expected was to be dealing with this when it came to Batrov. 

“IF I find out that you are the one who harmed the woman; I am going to be sure to be the one to make you pay even before Konstantin is back.” He said, looking me dead in the eye. I gulped, trying to take a breath as my vision blurred. My heart raced against my ribcage and I coughed trying to catch my breath before he let me go.

He pushed me back, forcing my body to the ground, and I coughed as I put my hand on my neck. My chest rose and fell with each heavy breath that I took and the man kneeled down, looking me dead in the eye as he did. 

“You should be thankful for the fact that I chose to show mercy right now. Boss wouldn’t be appreciating me killing his wife anyway, and considering the fact that I currently don’t have anything against you, I will choose not to say a word.” He said, keeping his eyes on me as I looked down at my lap. He grabbed me by my chin, forcing my eyes on his as he tightened his grip around it. I closed my eyes as I felt him digging his nails in my skin, and he shook his head at me. “I am done with your acts of innocence…”

He let my chin go before getting up, and though I couldn’t see blood drawn out on my finger, I could tell that he scraped my skin. And I didn’t need to mention the bruise that was going to be forming in a bit. My eyes teared up, and I jumped as I heard him slamming the door shut as he walked out. I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut as I tried stopping the tears from falling from them. I didn’t even understand what was going on, but I knew for fact that I didn’t have anything to do with it. 

But I knew that I was going to be understanding what was going on from Vladimir. I knew that he was going to know what happened…

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“Elena?” Vladimir asked, frowning when he saw me sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for him. His eyes met mine for a second before he walked toward me. I was surprised when he put his finger under my chin, raising it gently. His touch was as gentle as a feather, careful not to hurt me as he did. Our eyes met but I looked away from him, avoiding his gaze as a heavy feeling settled in my chest. It wasn’t one that I could describe. “What happened, Elena?”

“I think that only you can answer that question,” I said, and he frowned in confusion. I put my hand on his, ignoring the clench that I felt in my chest as I pushed him away from me. I didn’t want to, but I needed answers. And if he was the reason that I was hurt, then I had the right to know.

“What are you talking about?” He asked, taking a step back. I looked at the man on the floor, in front of me, and I couldn’t help but find myself wondering what I did to deserve that. I often did that when I wanted forgiveness from Konstantin, not wanting him to hurt me. He had me on my knees to plead for my sister’s picture. It was a sight that he enjoyed, and though I knew that I had lost my life, I knew that at least, I had one day, my birthday, to see their picture. It assured me that my sacrifice didn’t go in vain. At least my mother, father, and sister grew to live normally.

“Batrov came to my room today,” I said, looking away from him. He frowned as I got down on the floor in front of him. “Someone got hurt. He said that my room was the last place she went to, but I only saw Yigrette and two maids who brought me food today.”

“Yigrette is dead,” he said, making my eyes widen in surprise. 

“What?” I asked, shaking my head in question. “How…?”

“I had to kill her,” he said, and I gulped. “Claire and I were talking about something. She and Batrov are planning something against me, and Claire was telling me about it. Yigrette eavesdropped and heard a lot more than she should have, and I had to get rid of her.”

“Vladimir…”

“I managed to make it out as if she fell off the stairs.” He said, stopping me. “The woman was already dying when she walked toward the stairs, and if you are worried about it being caught; the poison melts in her blood. No one would know more than the fact that she was drunk. I managed to get her in my room for a ‘bargain’ and a drink. The poison was in the drink, and when she walked out, she fell and passed away.”

“They think that she left my room…”

“The house has a thousand cameras, and I made sure that she would be seen leaving my room. If anyone asks, she found me with Claire, I dismissed Claire and the two of us had a drink. Whatever happened later was the fact that she tripped.” He said, stopping me. “I told you, I am going to go to the end of this to keep you safe. All I want from you is to trust me.”

My heart raced against my ribcage, and for the first time, I found myself not only speechless, but not alone. And that was why I did the one thing that popped in my head as my body took action before my brain registered what I wanted to do.

I leaned and kissed him…