Chapter 2: The Setup
Yelena stood frozen for a moment, her eyes locked on the Chanel bracelet gleaming on the marble floor. The room was thick with tension, every pair of eyes fixed on her. Sonya’s fake gasp still hung in the air, and Tatiana’s outrage was palpable. Jonathan’s stern gaze bore into Yelena, demanding an explanation.
But Yelena wasn’t one to crumble under pressure. She straightened her shoulders, her expression calm and composed, as if the chaos around her was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
“Explain myself?” Yelena repeated, her voice steady. “I don’t need to explain anything. This bracelet isn’t mine, and I didn’t steal it.”
Sonya’s eyes widened in mock disbelief. “Then how did it end up in your bag, Yelena? Are you saying it just magically appeared there?”
Yelena’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. She had seen through Sonya’s ploy the moment the bracelet tumbled out of her bag. This was nothing more than a desperate attempt to humiliate her one last time before she left.
“If I were going to steal something, Sonya,” Yelena said coolly, “it certainly wouldn’t be a bracelet you’ve been flaunting around the house for days. I have better taste than that.”
Tatiana’s face turned red with fury. “How dare you speak to Sonya like that! After everything we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us? By stealing and lying?”
Jonathan stepped forward, his voice low and commanding. “Yelena, this is serious. If you took the bracelet, admit it now. We might still show you some mercy.”
Yelena met his gaze head-on, her eyes unflinching. “I didn’t take it. But if you’re so convinced I did, why don’t you check the security cameras? Surely a family as wealthy as yours has surveillance in every room.”
For a moment, no one spoke. Sonya’s confident smirk faltered, and Tatiana’s outrage flickered into uncertainty. Jonathan’s stern expression wavered as he glanced at Sonya, who suddenly looked less sure of herself.
“The cameras,” Yelena continued, her tone cutting through the silence, “will show exactly how that bracelet ended up in my bag. Unless, of course, someone planted it there.”
Sonya’s face paled, but she quickly recovered, forcing a laugh. “That’s ridiculous! Why would I do something like that?”
Yelena tilted her head, her smile cold and knowing. “Why indeed? Maybe because you couldn’t stand the thought of me leaving with my dignity intact. Or maybe because you’re desperate to prove you’re better than me, even though you’ve already taken everything I had.”
The room fell silent again, the weight of Yelena’s words hanging in the air. Even Tatiana seemed momentarily speechless, her anger giving way to unease.
Jonathan cleared his throat, breaking the tension. “Enough of this. Yelena, take the money and leave. We don’t want any more trouble.”
Yelena glanced at the envelope in his hand, then back at his face. For a moment, she considered taking it—not because she needed it, but because it would be one last reminder of how little they thought of her. But then she shook her head.
“Keep your money, Mr. Roberts,” she said, her voice firm. “I don’t need it. And I don’t need anything from this family ever again.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the door, her head held high. Sonya opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. Tatiana glared after her, her lips pressed into a thin line. Jonathan simply watched, his expression unreadable.
As Yelena stepped out of the villa, the cool evening air hit her face, and she took a deep breath. For the first time in months, she felt free. The Roberts family had tried to break her, to use her, to discard her—but they had failed.
She didn’t know what awaited her in Phurg, but she was ready to face it. Whatever her real family was like, they couldn’t be worse than the people she was leaving behind.
Yelena slung her bag over her shoulder and started down the driveway, her steps steady and determined. Behind her, the lights of the villa glowed like a distant memory, fading with every step she took.
Little did she know, her journey was just beginning—and the truth about her origins would change everything.