All Chapters of Tied to the Ruthless Three: Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

ALEXEI POVI woke up with my head feeling lighter, the pain finally easing. It turned out Imelda had genuinely helped me; she hadn’t planned to quietly get rid of me after all. Slowly, I sat up on the bed and stepped out of the bedroom.Imelda was sitting casually on the couch, reading a book. My eyes drifted to the coffee table. There was a box of donuts and two cups of coffee already there.“You’re awake? How’s your headache?” Imelda asked.I simply nodded. “Better.”“I didn’t know what you’d want for dinner, so I just got donuts first. I know it’s sugar, but I think you need it.”A little awkwardly, I sat down and picked up a donut. “Thank you.”Silence stretched between us. I focused on each bite, the sugar melting on my tongue. My weak body slowly regained energy, and the coffee helped clear my thoughts.“This really is you, right, Alexei?” Imelda stared at me intently. “Or am I just hallucinating? You were supposed to be dead, in the sea.”When I woke up in bed with parts of my

Nathaniel had passed the critical phase, though he still was not fully conscious. The doctors had put him under sedation, intentionally keeping him that way to reduce the pain. It was pointless for me to keep waiting for him at the hospital.Now I was back home, waiting for Katerina to arrive, my heart restless. I could not let her find out that I was doing business with Darius. The point was, if Katerina sensed that something was off, especially involving me, she would never stop digging. I had to act as if nothing was wrong.At precisely nine o’clock, Katerina arrived at the mansion. Isolde, Tisha, and I met her in the living room. The air was tense and stiff as I sat across from her. Isolde and Tisha took the seats to my left and right, both of them silent.Once the maid finished serving the refreshments and left the room, Katerina took a sip of her warm tea and set the cup down on the table. I drew a slow breath. Any second now, she would begin.“I never expected something like th

Nathaniel was given a sedative because the doctor was worried he was still carrying severe trauma. Besides, his condition was not yet stable, so uninterrupted rest was the most important thing. Once I made sure Nathaniel was fully asleep, I stepped out of the room, where Gabriel was waiting in the corridor with the guards.“He’s asleep?” Gabriel asked.I nodded briefly. “Yes.”“I want to grab some coffee.”I followed Gabriel to the cafeteria, and we stayed silent the entire way. From buying the coffee to sitting down, Gabriel showed no expression at all. But I knew he was disappointed and shocked.For a while, we just sat across from each other. The coffee that had been hot in front of us went cold, untouched. No conversation passed between us. Gabriel remained quiet, occasionally staring out the window and losing himself in his phone.The situation made me feel deeply guilty, and I did not know how to explain myself to him. How could I possibly deny that Nathaniel’s words were not ju

“Who was that?” Gabriel asked.I shook my head quickly. “Isolde. She was asking about Nathaniel’s condition,” I lied.I immediately typed a reply: “You decide. I’ll come.” Then I closed the chat and placed my phone on the nightstand. I looked at Gabriel, putting on an expression as if nothing had happened.“I’m going to visit Nathaniel tonight. That’s okay, right?” I asked.Gabriel went silent for a moment. “I’ll go with you. He’ll definitely ask where I am if I don’t.”“Yeah, of course.”We lay tangled together on the bed for a while, then Gabriel left the room. I started racking my brain, looking for a way to meet Alexei without Gabriel finding out.I knew this was risky—especially since Alexei had a grudge against me. But if I went with Gabriel, I was sure Alexei wouldn’t agree to meet. Whatever this was between Alexei and me, it didn’t involve anyone else.As night approached, Gabriel and I headed to the hospital. I deliberately didn’t check my phone, afraid it would raise Gabriel

I didn’t want to let go of that embrace. I wished time would stop right there, that we wouldn’t have to part forever. To hell with the syndicate, to hell with the Lancroft or Vasiliev families. As long as Alexei and I were together, with no one left to interfere.But the images of Nathaniel and Gabriel flashed through my mind, instantly shattering that illusion. I pulled myself away from Alexei, realizing there wasn’t just one person waiting for me, but two who wanted me back at their side.“I have to go,” I said. “Please consider what I told you.”I turned away, but Alexei caught my arm. I blinked, feeling his grip tighten. His intense gaze made my knees tremble even more.“Where are you going?” he asked. It wasn’t demanding, but there was a clear reluctance to let me leave.“Home.”If only Alexei knew that I didn’t want to leave his side. If only he could read my heart and see that all I wanted was to stay with him. But I couldn’t remain here any longer.My presence would only raise