[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bound-to-my-enemy":3,"chapter-bound-to-my-enemy-bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-25":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},1599963,2067,"Chapter 25.","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-25",25,"\u003Cp>My grandfather was already seated when I arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same chair. Same desk. Same unreadable expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t ask how I was. He never did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve decided to come,\" he said, like it had ever been optional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat across from him, folding my hands together so he wouldn’t see them shake. \"You called.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" He studied me for a moment, then leaned back. \"There will be a dinner tomorrow night.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zane Whitmore will be there,\" he continued. \"It’s time the engagement is made official.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightened. \"I thought this was still... being discussed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was,\" he said calmly. \"It’s done now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed. \"And Ivy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s out of this.\" His tone made it clear there would be no debate. \"If you are truly ready to take her place, there are formalities to settle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked down at the desk. The wood grain blurred for a second before I forced my focus back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of formalities?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll meet with Zane today,\" my grandfather said. \"You’ll sign the preliminary agreement between both families. If you’re serious, you won’t delay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated. \"Where?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened a drawer and slid a card across the desk toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I picked it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An address. A company name I recognized instantly. One of the most visible firms in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s either you,\" he added, voice firm, \"or Ivy. I suggest you keep that in mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood slowly. \"I’ll go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded once, already reaching for a folder like the conversation was finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the air felt heavier than it should’ve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got into my car and sat there for a minute before turning the key. The card rested on the passenger seat, like it had weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drove without music. Just the road and my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ivy’s face kept flashing in my mind. Her nervous smile. The way she’d looked when Zane said my name instead of hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s either me or her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words echoed over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Halfway there, the world tilted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The road blurred, my hands tightening on the steering wheel as my vision dimmed at the edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sucked in a breath and another, pressing my foot harder on the gas just to keep moving. My head felt light, my heartbeat uneven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can’t stop. You can’t faint here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought of someone calling an ambulance, of my brothers finding out, was enough to keep me upright. I focused on the white lines on the road until the dizziness eased, leaving me drained and shaken. The dizziness were getting more frequent which meant I had little time before i couldn’t hide this from my brothers anymore. The thought left me feeling grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I reached the building, my hands were cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled into the first open spot I saw and parked. I didn’t move right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rested my forehead against the steering wheel, breathing slowly. In. Out. Repeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Get it together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few minutes, I straightened, smoothed my clothes, and reached for the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The building stood tall in front of me, glass and steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepping out of the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And walked toward the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>",531,"2026-06-06T09:39:37.139Z",1,"novelbin.me","b1e88fd06d35122b01d660390a7515e1382e62c5d885f70cb8344a28be286b87","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-26","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-24",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbound-to-my-enemy-cover.jpg"]