[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bound-to-my-enemy":3,"chapter-bound-to-my-enemy-bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-209":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},1600147,2067,"Chapter 209.","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-209",209,"\u003Cp>I watch her move around the kitchen, quick and familiar, like she’s done this a thousand times. And for the first time since I stepped back into this house..... i feel something settle. Not everything...especially not the mess in my head about Zane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this? This moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels... good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I missed you,\" I say quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pauses for a second, then glances back at me with a small, soft smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I missed you more,\" she replies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somehow.... I believe her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t stay in the kitchen longer than I need to nor because I don’t want to but because if I sit there too long, I’ll start thinking again about Zane and I’m not ready for that spiral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after eating.....after Margaret practically watches me finish every last bite like I’m a child she’s nursing back to health....i head upstairs, change into something a little lighter, something that doesn’t cling to me like everything I’ve been through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I leave to go see my girls.....i need something normal. Something that reminds me I’m still... m and there’s only one place I can think of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The house is the same, with Same warm lighting fr a second, I just stand there, takin king it in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elaine?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My head snaps up to see Tessa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s already halfway out of her seat, eyes wide, hand over her mouth like she’s seeing a ghost and then she’s running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my God....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She crashes into me, arms wrapping around me so tight I stumble a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where the hell have you been?!\" she half-yells, half-crying into my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a small breath, hugging her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m okay,\" I say softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t look okay!\" she pulls back immediately, hands gripping my arms as she looks me over. \"You look...what the hell happened to you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I can answer....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"El?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>June’s voice this time, it’s quieter but just as shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s standing now too, eyes scanning me carefully, like she’s piecing things together in her head with Lila right beside her, already frowning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened?\" Lila asks bluntly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No filter, same as always.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>God, I missed that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I....\" I start, but I don’t even know where to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tessa grabs my hand and pulls me toward the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sit first,\" she says quickly. \"You look like you might pass out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not going to pass out,\" I mutter, but I let her pull me anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sit and they all sit around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And suddenly...:.I’m under inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three pairs of concerned eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You disappeared,\" June says gently. \"No calls, no messages, no visits. Nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We thought something happened,\" Tessa adds quickly. \"I went to your room like three times but you weren’t there, I asked around but no one will tell me anything .....\" she stops, her face tightening. \"Actually... something did happen, didn’t it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I look down at my hands, at the faint marks still there thn back up at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I got kidnapped,\" I say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like tht, beecause there’s no easy way to say it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their reaction is almost instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Tessa breathes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>June’s face goes pale as Lila leans back slightly like she needs space to process that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kidnapped?\" Lila repeats. \"As in....actual kidnapped?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The table goes quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell, Elaine...\" Tessa whispers, eyes already filling again. \"Are you serious right now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I give a small, tired nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>June reaches across the table slowly, placing her hand over mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you okay?\" she asks softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That question..it always comes back to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paus and Think about it, thn I shrug lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m here,\" I say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not really an answe but it’s all I’ve got.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lila exhales sharply, running a hand through her hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who did it?\" she asks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shake my head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s... complicated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not an answer,\" she presses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" I reply. \"But it’s the only one I have right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tessa looks like she wants to ask a thousand more questions, but she stops herself. Instead, she just reaches for my hand again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You scared the hell out of us,\" she says quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you didn’t think to call?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I couldn’t.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That shuts her up be ecause something in my voice makes it clear...i mean that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence settles again, then Lila leans forward slightly, eyes narrowing just a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You look different,\" she says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shrugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not in a bad way,\" she adds quickly. \"Just... different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>June nods slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see it too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tessa frowns slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Different how?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lila studies me for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like you’ve been through something,\" she says simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a small brea\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" I murmur. \"I think I have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another quiet moment then Tessa suddenly straightens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay,\" she says, clapping her hands lightly. \"We’re not doing this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blink at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Doing what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Letting you sit there all quiet and traumatized,\" she says firmly. \"Nope. Not happening.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite everything.... I almost smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tessa....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" she cuts me off. \"You’re here now. You’re safe. And we’re going to act like normal people for at least one hour.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lila smirks slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good luck with that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>June smiles softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think it’s a good idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tessa points at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you.....no more heavy stuff for the next hour. Doctor’s orders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raise a brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not a doctor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shake my head slightly as something in my chest loosens a little and maybe right now...that’s exactly what I need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The house settles into that quiet, heavy evening calm as Margaret calls from the kitchen that dinner is ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I take a breath before standing up, For some reason... my chest feels tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t even know why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s just dinner. Just... him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walk toward the dining room slowly, my steps quieter than usual, like I don’t want to announce myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment I step in..... i see him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane is already seated with his back straight. One hand resting on the table, the other scrolling through his phone. His jaw tight, expression unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t look up when I enter, not immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitate for half a second before pulling out a chair across from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hi,\" I say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My voice comes out softer than I expect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looks up then briefly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our eyes meet and something flickers there.....Something I can’t quite place but it’s gone just as quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gives me a short nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elaine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallow slightly and sit down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Margaret walks in then, placing plates on the table, the smell of food filling the space....but I barely register it. Because the silence between us? It’s loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane goes back to his phone like I’m not even here. Scrolling and Typing, like this is just another night, like we’re just two people who happen to share a tabl and for some reason.....It makes my stomach twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Margaret places my plate in front of me, giving me a small, reassuring glance before leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she’s gone....The silence gets worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pick up my fork, put it down again and glance at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hasn’t looked up since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hate this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clear my throat lightly....still Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...So,\" I try again, forcing some normalcy into my tone. \"I see we’re not talking?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That gets his attention as Slowly....slowly....he lifts his head and looks at me but there’s something distant in his eyes. Like he’s here....but not fully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leans back slightly in his chair, exhaling through his nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am talking,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said hi and I responded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blink at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zane.....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m just busy,\" he cuts in, glancing briefly at his phone again before setting it down this time. \"Preoccupied. That’s all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone is cCareful but I can hear it.....that edge underneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lean forward slightly, studying him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Busy with what?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugs one shoulder like it’s nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That never stopped you before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words slip out before I can stop them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stills for a second Then his eyes lift to mine again And this time....There’s something sharper in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You wanted space,\" he says quietly. \"I’m giving it to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That hits Harder than I expect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sit back slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not what this is,\" I mutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice is still calm but now there’s something colder threaded through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You left,\" he continues, eyes steady on mine. \"You came back and walked in like nothing happened.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not fair....,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t it?\" he repeats, cutting me off again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clench my jaw slightly. God, this is going exactly how I didn’t want it to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t walk in like nothing happened,\" I say, my voice tightening. \"You ignored me the second I stepped in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lets out a short, humorless breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t ignore you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You walked right past me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t trust myself to stop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That.....That makes me pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" I ask, quieter now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he just shakes his head slightly, like he’s already said too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It doesn’t matter,\" he mutters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it does matter,\" I push, leaning forward again. \"You don’t get to act like this and then say it doesn’t matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looks at me then And for a second.....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wall he’s holding up? It cracks a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You came back,\" he says, voice lower now. \"But not for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does that even mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest feels tight again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I came back,\" I repeat slowly. \"Isn’t that enough?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For who?\" he asks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question hangs there Because I don’t have an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a ghood one, not one that won’t open up everything we’re both clearly trying to keep contained.\u003C\u002Fp>",1616,"2026-06-06T09:39:37.420Z",1,"novelbin.me","6e8b98550d672b89df799670220efc2dcccc6ad71b79bfb36c902d9ab404f11e","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-210","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-208",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbound-to-my-enemy-cover.jpg"]