[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bound-to-my-enemy":3,"chapter-bound-to-my-enemy-bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-145":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Bound to my Enemy",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1600083,2067,"Chapter 145.","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-145",145,"\u003Cp>The silence after Lucas’s last words stretches so long it starts to feel heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m the only one who speaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean it was his fault?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas doesn’t answer right away. Instead he rubs his hands together slowly, like he’s trying to warm them even though the room isn’t cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean exactly what I said,\" he finally replies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s no way,\" I say quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas looks up at me then and hs eyes are tired in a way I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You really want to hear this?\" he asks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes I do .\" My voice coming out firmer than I expect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I do want to hear it..... if I’m going to stand between two men who clearly hate each other this much, then I deserve to know why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas leans back in the chair and exhales slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" he mutters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze drifts past us for a second, like he’s staring at something that isn’t in this rom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When we were younger,\" he begins, \"Zane and I were close. Not just business close, like Real close.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah raises an eyebrow slightly, lucas notices and shrugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know that’s hard to imagine now, but it’s the truth. We grew up around each other a lot. Our families ran in similar circles, we trained together and fought together.... You guys were little kids then so you can’t remember much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caleb smirks faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also fought each other from the sound of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas lets out a quiet breath that might have been a laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, that too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looks back at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zane and I used to fight like brothers. I’m not exaggerating, We’d get into it over stupid things sometimes..... pride, egoo, who was better at something. You name it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sounds like you,\" Noah mutters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas ignores him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But despite all that,\" he continues, \"we trusted each other and.... nd we loved each other .\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice lowers slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Which is why what happened... made everything go bad pretty fst.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach tightens a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And his sister?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas’s expression shifts when I say that and something soft flickers through his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She came along later,\" he says quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pauses..... then adds,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And she ruined me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caleb blinks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That sounds dramatic?.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas gives him a flat look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I loved her, Caleb.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room goes quiet again as Lucas looks down at his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At first it wasn’t supposed to be anything serious. Just... spending time together. Talking nd laughing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mouth twitches slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She was stubborn and way too curious for her own good. Alwayd asking questions about things she probably shouldn’t have been asking about.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can almost hear the memory in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know what she was most afraid of?\" he says after a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Her brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That surprises me and Lucas most have noticed the look on my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No..... not because he was abusive or anything like that,\" he clarifies. \"But because Zane was... protective of her to a fault,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Possessive even.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leans forward slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And he didn’t like the idea of her being involved with anyone in his world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you hid it,\" Noah says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas nods once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We had to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looks at me again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She was terrified of how Zane would react if he found out she was sleeping with his best friend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Best friend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So the relationship stayed a secret,\" Lucas continues. \"For months.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caleb shifts slightly on the couch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Until?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas exhales slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Until the night everything went to hell.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas rubs the back of his neck like the memory physically hurts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We thought we were alone,\" he says quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One of the warehouses Zane and I used to use sometimes back then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glances at Noah briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You remember that place near the docks?. I used to take you there when you’d leave school early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah nods slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas continues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was late. Everyone had cleared out hours earlier so we figured we had the place to ourselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice lowers further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We were...uhmmm together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t elaborate but we all understand what he means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We were making out,\" he says bluntly after a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caleb shifts awkwardly even though Lucas doesn’t seem to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When then the door slammed open suddenly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightens, matching the way Lucas’s jaw tightens too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zane walked in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah lets out a quiet whistle under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas nods once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas huffs out a humorless breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you think happened?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looks at me directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He lost his freaking mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can picture it too easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane walking in and Seeing his sister tangled up with his best friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>L\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas continues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He didn’t say anything at first. He just stood there staring at us while we scrambled to get decent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers curl slightly against his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And then he grabbed her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How?\" Caleb asks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the arm,\" Lucas says immediately. \"Hard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach twists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She tried to explain,\" Lucas continues quietly. \"Tried to calm him down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Zane wasn’t listening?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas shakes his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No he wasn’t .\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice turns rough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He dragged her out of there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you try to stop him?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas closes his eyes briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" he says. \"I did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes open again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I also knew something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That if I followed them right then... it would turn into a fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah nods slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because you two used to go at it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas lets out a small breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looks down again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zane and I didn’t have normal arguments. When we fought... we fought.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glances at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t want to do that in front of her. I didn’t want her stuck between us while we tried to beat each other unconscious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you let them leave,\" I say softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas nods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I figured I’d give him time to cool off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice cracks slightly on the last words.\u003C\u002Fp>",1004,"2026-06-06T09:39:37.420Z",1,"novelbin.me","3016ffd29ab7664f234c6741b2901d8cf025777a3d075201fc07d2c50b6dd636","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-146","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-144",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbound-to-my-enemy-cover.jpg"]