Craved by the Wrong Volkov-Chapter 317: Why?

Braelyn’s POV

Margaret led me out of the dining hall, her hand still wrapped gently around mine as if she was afraid I might suddenly disappear. We walked down the foyer to the main entrance of the Orlov estate.

The air outside felt cooler, carrying the faint scent of wet stone and grass. It seemed to have rained earlier today. The night had grown darker, but the enormous courtyard was brightly illuminated by rows of soft golden lights.

Two black Phantoms were waiting near the entrance, their polished bodies gleaming under the lamps. No wonder Elliot seemed familiar. I had seen him in the past although Volkov Apex had no business ties with the Voss family. Different countries and different sectors of expertise.

Elliot walked ahead of us with the same calm elegance Ronan carried. He stopped beside the cars and turned briefly toward Margaret. His gaze softened in a way I hadn’t imagined a man of his calibre’s eyes to.

"We will talk when we get to your house, Mother," he said quietly. The word made me pause.

Mother. My eyes widened slightly as I looked at Margaret again. The realisation hit me slowly. She was not simply some powerful woman who had come to rescue me. She was Elliot Voss’s mother.

Margaret only smiled at him, the same warm expression that seemed permanently resting on her face.

"Be safe on the road," she told him gently.

Elliot nodded once before stepping into one of the cars. The driver closed the door behind him and the engine came to life. He didn’t leave immediately, as if he were waiting...

Margaret then turned toward Yelena.

For a moment the two women looked at each other. There was a history in that silence, something heavy and complicated that I could not fully understand.

Margaret gave her a soft smile. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "I know this hurts you."

Yelena froze. Her fingers tightened around the silver handle of her cane until her knuckles turned pale. The bitterness in her expression returned instantly.

"I should have been more strict on that girl," she muttered under her breath. I knew she was talking about her daughter Nadia.

Margaret simply nodded as if she understood the pain behind the words. She did not argue or try to defend anything.

Instead, she gently tugged my hand. "You are going to ride with me, dear," she said softly.

Before I could say anything I was already being guided toward the second Phantom. A uniformed driver opened the door for us. I slid into the back seat beside Margaret and instantly realised the car had been customised for her comfort.

The seats were wider and softer than any car I had ever been in, covered in pale leather with small cushions placed neatly along the sides.

Margaret settled beside me with ease as the door closed quietly behind us. The car began moving almost immediately with Elliot’s car trailing behind.

My heart started racing as we drove away from the enormous estate. Through the tinted window, I watched the tall iron gates slowly open and then close behind us as we joined the main road.

Everything felt surreal. I was free, well at least I wasn’t in that cell again.

Margaret sat beside me calmly, her hands resting on her lap as she stared out the window. She did not speak for a long moment.

The silence made my nerves spiral out of control.

My mind was filled with too many thoughts at once. Yelena’s warning echoed in my ears. Stay away from Lucien. The words stung in a way I could not explain. It was for the best, after all I planned on disappearing from his life the moment I fled from Raphael.

Just when I thought the silence might suffocate me, Margaret finally turned toward me. "I know you have a lot of questions," she said gently.

Her hand reached over and held mine again. I nodded slowly. My throat felt tight and dry. Thoughts continued to race in my mind.

Margaret studied my face for a moment before speaking again, her voice softer this time. "Did Dominic ever mention me to you?"

For a moment I hesitated. The question stirred something in my memory. A vague image flickered in my mind, the dream I had earlier today. I wondered if she was the Margaret dad meant. It was the first time he ever mentioned that name.

"I think so," I replied quietly. "Once."

Margaret let out a soft laugh.

"That bastard," she said fondly, though there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "He called me before he died asking for forgiveness."

I blinked in surprise. "He knew about his wife’s sin and he knew the Orlov family would want blood. I knew what Avelina did to Nadia long before Yelena found out."

Her head snapped to her. Dad told her of a secret he never told me. I could not believe it.

" Yelena is my best friend," she continued quietly. "And I hated Avelina for what she did. But I could never bring myself to tell Yelena the truth." she laughed at the words.

Her fingers tightened slightly around mine.

"Dominic knew about my connection to Yelena. Before he died he begged me for a favour. He said if anything ever happened and Yelena discovered the truth, I should help you for old time’s sake."

She went silent. Her gaze was distant with pain written behind it.

"Even Avelina called me before she jumped, to apologise for what she did to Nadia and me. She said the guilt was killing her. She claimed Nadia’s ghost haunted her every night and that she could not take it anymore."

I listened silently as my chest tightened.

"She apologised to me," Margaret continued. "And honestly I did not want to help her. I thought it was karma finally catching up to her."

She turned and looked directly at me then.

"But I remembered the little girl I once saw standing beside Dominic years ago."

Her eyes softened.

"I suppose I have grown soft with age."

My head was spinning.

Too many truths were being revealed all at once. My thoughts felt tangled together as I tried to process everything she had said. It felt like a puzzle.

After a long moment, I finally found the courage to speak. My voice came out weak.

"Who are you to my father?"

Margaret did not hesitate. She looked at me calmly and answered with a faint, bittersweet smile.

"I was the childhood fiancée he abandoned at the altar to run away with his lover."

The words struck me like a bolt of lightning. For a moment I could only stare at her in complete shock.

"I loved Dominic. We always thought we were meant to be.." she scoffed. "Well i thought that was the case but I guess he never loved me and ran that very day..."

My breathing slowed down. "I never understood why he waited till then. If he told me he stopped loving me I would have stepped down..."

At times the truth is too difficult to believe. "Then why are you helping me?" The woman my father betrayed had just saved my life. Nothing about this made sense.