Tied by Law, Torn by Love

uttered to herself, a dry, almost sarcastic laugh bubbl

ay?" His voice was sharp, commanding-l

rry, I'm in a hurry. We can talk at the

y stunned. It wasn't just the unexpected strength-it was the calm defiance in he

e thought as she turned and walked off.

ke off the annoyance that had sta

through. They already clashed too often at work-she wasn't about to ext

clenched. Elena always had a way of getting under his skin with her sh

in front of his face, as if trying t

Elena wasn't fragile. She was solid steel beneath all that quiet restrain

otten what he was

ip was firm, practiced. And yet she had, with barely any effort at all. Like her bod

ayed frozen for a moment, replaying the scene. Then he l

path. Still angry, Narima didn't even look at him

ther this had anything to do with the woman he was sup

*

her mind drifted to Narima's proposal-and the looming mess in her life. The quiet hum of

her phone and started dialing, one contact after an

maybe five thousand dollars, I could help. Bu

ry conversation. Polite

ing a bank loan instead

ena muttered, trying to hide

freely-her time, her energy, even money when they needed it. B

ce, personal struggles, misplaced priorities. Whether th

n, Elena," her friend added. "

d her phone onto the couch. She dragged her hands across her face and collapsed back o

ake things worse. His parents already despised her-and knowing she

their complicated family history. To them, she was merely the daughter of the woman who had once stolen the

ng the thoughts away. This wasn't th

to the bank?" she whispered to her

ed sword. It could save her today-but could ruin her tom

lickering to life, she s

through," she told herself. "I just need to sell

erything. Tonight's visit to the hospital

gers, and before she knew it

frustration. She had gone through the enti

f matching watches she and her father had owned for

re never a priority. All that mattered was practicality and comfort-some

bered somethin

he powered up her laptop and ope

"And I can't touch this money. The insuranc

bining every account, they barely reac

against the desk while her

e sighed. She tried to estimate how much s

not

e value. But she and her father had always driven modest,

ld bars from her father's safe-Elena wrapped up for the night

ning, she di

gold. Then she went to the car dealer and sold both her own car and her father's.

of her phone. The bank balance stared back, cruel and indi

t's still not enou

ion, and her lips curled downward in defeat. She had hoped

chosen so carefully once upon a

hought, the sharp ring of h

ooked

f her father

ne made her

asking if their salaries can be paid a little e

thing could be heard-long, heavy, l

ds pa

ft laugh s

ter. Almos

f, or maybe to the sky above that always

contin