[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bound-to-my-enemy":3,"chapter-bound-to-my-enemy-bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-217":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},1600155,2067,"Chapter 217.","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-217",217,"\u003Cp>I don’t even make it far. I’m still walking down the hallway, replaying everything in my head.....his face, the way he looked at me, that tension I left him with.....when I feel it, like someone’s right behind me before I can turn....a hand grabs my arm hard, I barely get a breath in before I’m spun around and my back hits the wall earning a gasp from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Z...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My words die in my throat because his hand is already at my neck. Not really choking me but holding me ther In a firm grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart jumps straight into my throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s right in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think this is funny?\" he says, his voice low, rough, nothing like the calm control from earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallow, trying to steady myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t.....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t,\" he cuts me off immediately. \"Don’t act like you don’t know what you’re doing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers shift slightly against my neck....not enough to hurt, but enough to remind me I’m not going anywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My pulse is racing now but I don’t look away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve been pushing me,\" he continues, quieter now but heavier somehow. \"Since you walked into that office.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I inhale slowly, trying to keep my voice from shaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe you needed to be pushed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment it leaves my mouth, I know I shouldn’t have said jt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Careful,\" he murmurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.....His other hand comes up beside my head, bracing against the wall, boxing me in completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And before I can even think....His lips are on mine in a hard kiss. There’s nothing gentle about it, nothing soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s all heat and frustration and everything he’s been holding back...it knocks the air out of me and i freeze completely caught off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then my body catches up before my brain does and my hands grip his shirt, pulling him closer instead of maybe pushing him away. Because I should stop this, I know I should but I don’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand at my neck tightens just enough to tilt my head back, to deepen it, to take exactly what he wants and I let him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>God, I let him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kiss is messy and unncontrolled, the kind that doesn’t give you space to think. Mh head spins somewhere in the middle of it and I moan Into his mouth as our tongue touch and he sucks on mine. My chest feels tight and my breathing uneven with verythin blurring except him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he finally pulls back....I’m actually dizzy, like I might lose my balance if the wall wasn’t behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lips feel swollen and my grip is still on his shirt, like I forgot how to let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s still close, close enough that I can feel his breath and close enough that if he leans in again....i don’t think I’d stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I hate it. I hate how much I want him to do it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hus eyes drop to my lips for a second, thn back to my eyes and something in his expression tightens like he sees it too and he knows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then suddenly....He lets go just like that, his hand leaves my neck and the absence hits immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suck in a breath, trying to steady myself, trying to get my head back on straight as he steps back puutting space between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice is back to being controlled now, like he’s locking everything back up, like none of that just happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare at him, still trying to process it and still trying to breathe properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He runs a hand through his hair, looking away for a second before his eyes snap back to mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Move your things,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My brows knit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Back to our room,\" he repeats. \"You’re not staying separate anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart skips and i don’t even know why, maybe because of how suddenly everything just shifted, maybe because I’m still standing here trying to recover from what he just did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t wait for me to respond, doesn’t ask if I agree he just turns....And walks away, leaving me pressed against the wall with my vreath uneven and lips still tingling, completely thrown off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t remember falling asleep, i just remember lying there... staring at the ceiling, my lips still tingling, my chest still tight from everything that happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.....Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of my phone ringing drags me out of sleep. It’s loud, too loud enough that I flinch, my brows pulling together as I reach blindly across the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body feels heavy like I didn’t sleep properly at all. Which I didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I finally grab my phone, squinting at the screen through half-open eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wakes me up a little more as I push myself up, my head pounding faintly as I swipe to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello...?\" My voice comes out rough, still thick with sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finally,\" Lucas mutters on the other end. \"You sleep like the dead or what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a quiet breath, rubbing my face with my free hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just woke up,\" I mumble. \"What time is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Late enough,\" he replies. \"You good?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m fine,\" I say, even though my throat still feels dry. \"What’s up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a brief pause on his end then he exhales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t have much,\" he starts. \"But I’ve got a little update.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wakes me up properly as I sit up straighter, pushing the blanket off my legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"About what we talked about?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My grip on the phone tightens slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay... tell me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swing my legs off the bed, my feet touching the cold floor as I stand slowly, pacing without even realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So,\" he continues, \"I reached out to Mia again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mia...Just hearing her name still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And?\" I press.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She still had some of it,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stop pacing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...some of what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The substance,\" he replies. \"The stuff she was putting in your drinks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach twists, even now, even after everything, it still doesn’t feel real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That doesn’t make any sense,\" I say quietly. \"Why would she still have it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She said she didn’t want to throw it away,\" Lucas answers. \"Didn’t want anyone finding it, didn’t want it traced back to her. So she kept it hidden.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a slow breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay...\" I say, trying to stay focused. \"So what did you do with it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I took it to a lab,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A private one,\" he adds quickly. \"Before you start. Not some random place. People I trust.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nod slowly, even though he can’t see me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright... and?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a small pause. Then....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not normal,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean it’s not something you just get anywhere,\" he replies. \"The guy at the lab said it’s rare. Like....really rare. Not something people casually come across.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chill runs down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rare how?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hard to source,\" he explains. \"Expensive. And not something you’d use unless you knew exactly what you were doing....but it’s very good because it’s slow and nearly untraceable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... someone planned this,\" I say quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" Lucas answers bluntly. \"This wasn’t random. Whoever did this knew what they were doing, knew what they wanted it to do, and made sure it wouldn’t be easy to trace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I start pacing again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what now?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m trying to track where it came from,\" he says. \"If I can find the source, I can find who had access to it. And from there.....maybe the buyer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart picks up slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s good,\" I say. \"That’s really good, Lucas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t get ahead of yourself,\" he mutters. \"It’s not that simple. Stuff like this doesn’t come with a receipt and a name tag.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" I say quickly. \"But it’s something. It’s more than we had before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hums quietly in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll keep digging,\" he says. \"I’m not dropping this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know you won’t,\" I reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I mean it.....Lucas doesn’t let things go, not when it comes to family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a brief silence between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a small hesitation and immediately...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach drops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" I ask, my voice tightening. \"What is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s grandpa,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart stutters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s in the hospital,\" Lucas says quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stop moving completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He collapsed last night,\" he continues. \"They rushed him in. The doctors are saying it’s not looking good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean not looking good?\" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas exhales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean... they don’t know if he’s going to make it,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" I say immediately. \"No, that doesn’t....he was fine. The last time I saw him he was fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s old, Elaine,\" Lucas says gently. \"Things change fast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shake my head, even though he can’t see me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No... no, he’s strong. He’s always been strong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" Lucas replies. \"But this time... it’s different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1503,"2026-06-06T09:39:37.420Z",1,"novelbin.me","4b846e3a2a0ace063e2794b00a6e1938115da2ebec135e42dc966b8caf8e2ce3","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-218","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-216",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbound-to-my-enemy-cover.jpg"]