<b>Chapter </b><b>174 </b>
Elena’s POV:
“Niki didn’t tell me anything of the sort.” I gritted out. My jaw was clenched so tight it ached, my eyes fixed on Benjamin’s face. “I’m only heading to his office.” I had to get to him.
Benjamin still shook his head, a resolute, imprable look on his face. “Sir’s orders. I can’t let you leave.”
I snorted, a bitter, humorless sound. “What are you going to do, lock me inside my room?! Because Niki said so? Show me where he is then, give me proof of what he said. If I am assured, then I won’t go.” I said, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. The guards outside my room had just let mee down. Why was he the one stopping me?
“Sir gave me the order in person. I don’t have any-”
Before Benjamin could argue further, though, a voice rang out, startling me. The sound was a low, sardonicugh, a voice! knew but never wanted to hear again. “Obviously, he doesn’t have proof. Because Niki never said such a thing.”
I snapped my head around so fast I felt a pop in my neck, and my eyesnded on that one person I never expected to see here.
“Lazar?” I questioned. He stood a few feet away, his hands in the pockets of his designer jeans, a smirk on his lips. His gaze trailed down to my boots, then stopped at the jacket I wore, before finally looking back at me, a silent judgment in his eyes.
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Miss Elena. Please go back inside.<i>” </i>Benjamin walked forward,ing in between me and Lazar. I pursed my lips, a new wave of doubt washing over me. Did Niki really order me to stay away? But then why won’t he pick up my calls? If he was safe, shouldn’t he have at least said something?
I felt this strange feeling, a six–sense, a gut feeling that something was wrong. And I truly wouldn’t be able to walk back into my room without getting an answer.
“What are you doing here, Lazar?” I questioned.
“What am I doing here? Shouldn’t I be asking you that? What are you still doing here?” Lazar asked, his voiceced with a mocking humor. I pursed my lips, looking around at the lounge, where patients and their families had started gawking, their faces a mixture of curiosity and concern.
“Your husband has been missing sincest night, and you’re only now realizing it? And to think he actually took a bullet for you.” Lazar added. My breath hitched in my throat. I clenched my fists and red at him, a sudden, furious rage rising in my gut. Pushing aside Benjamin’s hand, stalked forward, the quiet hum of the hospital a distant sound in my ears. “Where the hell is he?”
Lazar seemed to be smirking, his hands still in his pockets. “The fact that you’re still asking this…. who do you think would benefit the most from his absence? Dochenka‘?” He said thest word mockingly, and my eyes widened, a new, terrible realization dawning on me.
“Sergei? No wait–how do you know?” I asked, the words a frantic, desperate rush.
He pulled out his phone, his thumb flicking across the screen, before turning it around to show me a picture<b>. </b><b>My </b>heart jumped, a frantic, wild beat, and I moved to grab the phone, my fingers outstretched, only for it to be pulled away.
“Don’t be hasty,” he sighed, a patronizin
condescending sound.
I couldn’t make out the picture clearly, but I could see Niki. He looked unharmed, but the sight of him in chains made my stomach churn with a sick, cold fear. I grabbed Lazar’s cor, pulling it down, my voice a strangled cry. “Where is this? Why is he tied up?”
“It’s in his mansion, of course, where else? You though this was amusing to him.
re therest night…” He trailed off, walking around me in slow steps, as
I took in a sharp breath, turning to look at Benjamin. My mind was a chaotic mess of fear and rage, and I didn’t know what to do. But instead of saying anything in response, all Benjamin did was pull out his firearm. He aimed it at Lazar’s head, right in the middle of the room.
Gasps and screams erupted around us. I froze, the world slowing down to a silent, terrifying crawl. “What… what are you doing?” I asked, my voice a small, terrified whisper.
Benjamin seemed to clench his jaw, his eyes fixed on Lazar. “I am listening to my orders, which are to keep you safe. There is another team already en route to the Morozov
Mansion. Please listen to us and go into your room for your own safety.”
he said, his eyes finally looking at me, a silent, desperate plea in them.
Lazar seemed to keep smiling, a wild look in his eyes. He stood in ce, with his hands up in mock surrender. My heart skipped a beat, a sudden, sharp pang of pain. I nced at him, then at the guard.
? I wasn’t a professional. Yeah, I knew how to use a gun, but Benjamin had a point. Was me going there really going to help? I wasn’t a professional. Yeah, I knew how to use a gun, but
apart from getting my own self hurt and cause more even my aim was shitty. What in the hell would I even manage to do problems? I would be a liability, an obstacle, and I knew it.
Lazarughed, a wild, unhinged sound that echoed in the quiet hall. I took a step back, the truth of his words a bitter pill <i>to </i>swallow. “Do you really believe that? Sergei didn’t take him because he had an agenda against him. You are the one he’s after. You saw, didn’t you? The basement? The so–called ‘team‘ he sent won’t do a thing. Sergei is the one in control in his territory. The moment they are there, he will trap them, and most probably kill them.”
I scowled. “He’s after me? If that’s the case, then why did he even take Niki?!” I yelled, the question a desperate, furious
cry.
It didn’t make any sense.
“He didn’t. Niki purposely went to him… because of you.”
My eyes widened, and my heart fell, the world spinning in a chaotic mess of fear and disbelief. He what? The words were a gut punch.
“So… what do you say? Shall we go get him… or would you rather sit here and wait till your father does something to Niki? Something worse than he did to Andrey?” he questioned, his voice a low, taunting whisper.
He pulled out his gun, a small, silver thing that seemed <i>to </i>appear <i>from </i>nowhere, and aimed it at Benjamin, a dangerous, thrilling glimmer in his eyes.