[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bound-to-my-enemy":3,"chapter-bound-to-my-enemy-bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-207":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},1600145,2067,"Chapter 207.","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-207",207,"\u003Cp>\"The woman who kidnapped me,\" I say finally. \"My rapist’s sister.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something in him goes completely stil like a switch flipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you believed her?\" he asks quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She had details,\" I shoot back. \"Things that actually made sense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or things that were meant to sound like they make sense,\" he counters immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I falter slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He notices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She wanted to break you,\" he continues, his voice still controlled but more intense now. \"You said it yourself....she’s connected to the man I killed. You think she wouldn’t twist things to turn you against me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightens again because that does make sense but so did what she said and that’s the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know,\" I say again, more frustrated now. \"I don’t know what’s real anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane’s expression shifts again...,not angry this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then look at me,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitate but I do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you really think I’d go that far?\" he asks. \"After everything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I open my mouth....Then stop because the answer isn’t simple and he sees that.....that hesitatio and doub and it hits him\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can see it clear as day, something in his expression cracks just slightly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fully but enough and suddenly.....this isn’t just a fight anymore, it’s something worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now neither of us is sure where we stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I don’t answer him....not a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane just... looks at me, for a second longer than he should, like he’s waiting, hoping and when nothing comes....He exhales, It’s quiet, but I hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nods once mor to himself than to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" he mutters under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a little louder, without looking at anyone else in the room....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know where to find me when you’re ready.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turns and walks out....js like that. He didn’t even look back once. And some how that hurts me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door closes behind him with a soft click that feels louder than it should and th room stays still for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m still standing there, staring at the space he just left like if I look long enough he might walk back in. He doesn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elaine.....\" Noah’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s voice sounds careful like he’s stepping into something fragile but i don’t even turn to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t,\" I say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It comes out sharper than I expect...,,enough to shut him up immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t want comfort, I don’t want questions and I fknt want anyone in my space while I’m trying to make sense of what just happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I can’t even do that myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I turn.....And I walk away up the stairs, each step feeling heavier than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I get to the room, push the door open, and shut it behind me harder than I need t, the sound echoing briefly Then it’s quiet again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t even bother with the lights, I jusy walk to the bed and sit. After a while of just sitting there and Staring at nothing.... everything hits at once, I drop my face into my hands and I cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It comes out messy and uneven, like I’ve been holding it in for too long and my body just decided it’s done waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My shoulders shake and my chest hurts....like physically hurts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He said he loved me...\" I whisper to no one, the words feel strange in my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He said he loved me...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what did I do? I shut him down, I shut him down like it didn’t matter ljke it didn’t mean anything but it did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the problem....it did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drag my hands down my face, my fingers catching on damp skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t even say anything...\" I mumble, my voice breaking. \"I didn’t even...,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t finish that because what would I have said? I don’t even know and that’s what’s tearing me up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I knew he was lying, this would be easier, if I was sure he was telling the truth, this would be easier but I’m stuck in the middle and it’s the worst place to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because part of me...a stupid, quiet part of me.....Believed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way he said it and the way he looked at me,.,.that didn’t look fake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve seen him lie, ive seen him manipulate. That... didn’t feel like either of those and that’s what scares me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because what if it’s real? Whay if he actually meant it? Then what does that make everything else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I press my lips together, trying to stop the next wave of tears, but it doesn’t work....they slip out anyway. Hit Unforgiving tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what if he didn’t do it...\" I whisper, my voice barely audible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then everything I said....everything I accused him of.....My chest tightens again as guilt creeps in, mixing with the anger and confusion until I can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know what to believe...\" I admit softly and th that’s the worst part....It’s the not knowing.... I pull my knees up onto the bed, curling into myself slightly, arms wrapping around my legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I miss him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I don’t even know if I should.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sleep doesn’t come easy.....i toss, turn, wake up, fall back asleep, wake up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And every time I close my eyes, I either see Zane standing there... looking at me like that\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or I hear his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fucking love you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time morning finally settles in properly, I’m not even sure I slept at all. But I’m awake and my mind is clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind of clear that only comes when you’ve thought about something so much your brain just... stops arguing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sit up slowly, the sheets slipping off my body, and stare ahead for a second\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can’t stay here,\" I whisper to myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It doesn’t feel like a choice anymore, it feels like something I have to do not because I want to. But because I can’t keep dragging everyone into this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandpa is already making noise and the board is watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas and my brothers are already stepping into something bigger than just family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m right in the middle of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drag a hand over my face and let out a breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a good thing I didn’t bring my stuff,\" I mutter under my breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s nothing to pack and nothing to delay me. Maybe that’s why it feels easier or maybe harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I get out of bed and move through the motions. Ahowr, Clothes wirj Something simple. Something that doesn’t make this feel heavier than it already is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t overthink it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I do, I won’t go I know that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I step out of the room and make my way downstairs, my chest already feels tight again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re all there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I step into the living room, their attention shifts to me almost immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas straightens slightly and for a second....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost don’t say it but I do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m going back,\" I say\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Straight to the point, no room to soften it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Back where?\" Ivy asks first, even though she already knows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I meet her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To Zane’s.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas is the first to react, his brows pull together instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" he says, like he didn’t hear me right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m going back,\" I repeat, steadier this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah stands up now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did something happen?\" he asks. \"Did we....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did we make you uncomfortable?\" Caleb cuts in, concern laced through his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shake my head quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" I say immediately. \"No, it’s not that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I step forward a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You guys have been... everything,\" I admit, my voice softening just a bit. \"You took care of me. You protected me. You gave me space.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glance between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I needed that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ivy’s eyes are already glassy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why go back?\" she asks quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That question.....it sits heavier than anything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I take a breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I don’t even know how to explain it properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just... need to,\" I say finally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounds weak but it’s the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas shakes his head slightly, frustrated now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, that’s not a reason, Elaine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" I say, meeting his eyes. \"But it’s mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That stops him.... because he agrees but because he knows me and he knows when I’ve made up my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room goes quiet again, different this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah exhales and runs a hand through his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t have to do this,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" I reply softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I still am.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas looks away for a second, jaw tight, then back at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You sure about this?\" he asks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s something in his voice not just concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I say it anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if I don’t sound sure, I won’t be able to take another step forward. He studies me for a long moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then finally.....He sighs a long, reluctant breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" he mutters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not agreement, just acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ivy walks up to me first and then she hugs me tight lik she doesn’t want to let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You better call me,\" she murmurs against my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a small, shaky laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah comes next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hug is firm, grounding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anything happens, you call,\" he says quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>",1538,"2026-06-06T09:39:37.420Z",1,"novelbin.me","5ca969f7370e4697354af6c305f72d6f989c218205f003153439764e271125db","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-208","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-206",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbound-to-my-enemy-cover.jpg"]