[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bound-to-my-enemy":3,"chapter-bound-to-my-enemy-bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-256":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},1599928,2067,"Chapter 256.","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-256",256,"\u003Cp>\"I can’t do this right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My voice comes out thin and barely steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grip the edge of the counter tightly because suddenly I feel dizzy all over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thomas wisely says absolutely nothing behind us. Actually, I don’t even look at him, I physically cannot deal with another human being seeing my face right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare hard at the sink instead while panic claws violently through my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m pregnant With Zane’s baby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy shit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"El,\" Ivy says quietly again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I finally look at her and immediately see the worry written all over her face. That almost breaks me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I force out a shaky breath quickly before I completely lose it in the middle of a supermarket bathroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lie sounds terrible and Ivy clearly knows it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You do not look okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just...\" I swallow hard. \"I need to think.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hesitates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want me to come home with you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately panic flashes through me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I soften slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean... no. Not yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if anybody stays near me right now, I genuinely think I might start spiraling out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I can’t. Not until I figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly grab Ivy’s hands tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you for coming with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elaine.....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emotion burns painfully in my throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would’ve completely lost my mind alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face softens immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That almost makes me cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I squeeze her hands once more before letting go carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll talk later okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still looks unsure, very unsur but finally she nods slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Call me immediately if you start panicking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m already panicking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know what I mean.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite everything, I huff out the tiniest laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Ivy glances once toward Thomas standing stiffly near the entrance before lowering her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you going to tell him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach drops instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That answer terrifies me more than anything else. Because usually when it comes to him, I know, even when things are messy between us, even when emotions are complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know. But this? This changes everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ivy hugs me tightly before finally leaving the bathroom and I stand there frozen for another few seconds afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then slowly turn toward Thomas. He politely looks at literally anything except me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bless him for that honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ready to leave, ma’am?\" he asks carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nod weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drive home is torture. Absolute torture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The convoy moves smoothly through traffic while I sit curled into the corner of the backseat clutching my bag tightly against my stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pregnant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time the word enters my head, panic follows immediately after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare out the tinted window watching buildings blur past while my thoughts spiral harder and harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do I tell Zane? Do I even tell him now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if he doesn’t want this? What if he regrets us entirely afterward? What if this ruins everything?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My throat tightens painfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And underneath all the fear...There’s something else too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something quieter and softer. A feeling I don’t even want to acknowledge yet because it scares me too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rest a shaky hand unconsciously against my stomach. There could actually be a baby there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tiny human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mine.....my child and Zane’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought hits so hard emotionally I quickly pull my hand away again like I burned myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t think about that yet\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I squeeze my eyes shut briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, security vehicles continue escorting us through the city completely unaware that my entire life just changed inside a supermarket bathroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of the drive passes in suffocating silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sit curled against the leather seat staring blankly out the window while my thoughts continue spiraling completely out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The convoy slows briefly at a traffic light, sunlight flashing across the tinted windows before fading again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up front, Thomas shifts slightly in the passenger seat. I barely notice at first, but he looks visibly uncomfortable so I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it Thomas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitates for a moment then quietly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ma’am.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blink slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes meet mine briefly through the rearview mirror before returning to the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s something I think you should consider.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately my stomach tightens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The serious tone in his voice makes anxiety crawl sharply up my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitates. And suddenly I don’t like this conversation already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wih all due respect...\" he says carefully. \"You should question how this happened.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare at the back of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said you were taking precautions right? Well I uhmmm overheard you and Ivy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coldness spreads slowly through my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something about the way he says it makes my pulse spike. I straighten slowly in my seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thomas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhales quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m only saying this because I’ve worked around men like Mr. Zane for years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confusion flashes through me first. Then irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly are you trying to say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grips the steering wheel tighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That perhaps...\" He chooses his next words very carefully. \"This wasn’t entirely accidental.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a second I genuinely don’t understand him. Then realization hits and rage follows immediately after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My voice comes out dangerously sharp. Thomas glances at me briefly again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not accusing him directly, ma’am.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It sure sounds like you are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m saying wealthy powerful men sometimes take matters into their own hands when they want something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My entire body goes rigid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word leaves instantly. Thomas continues carefully anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should at least ask yourself how someone gets pregnant while consistently taking birth control.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare at him in complete disbelief. Actually disbelief, anger burning hot and immediate inside my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think Zane tampered with my pills? Or did something.?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t say that specifically.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But that’s what you’re implying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My breathing sharpens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s insane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe,\" Thomas says quietly. \"But not impossible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shake my head harder now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because absolutely not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not Zane. Not him. Yes, sure he’s controlling sometimes, protective to the point of insanity and possessive\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this? No. There’s a line and Zane would never.....Would he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horrible thought sneaks in before I can stop it. Immediately afterward comes another memor, him kissing my stomach this morning absentmindedly. The way he stared at me after I got sick at the funeral that strange unreadable look on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightens painfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shove the thought away instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re wrong,\" I say sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thomas nods once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hope I am.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That somehow makes me even angrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve been with him every single day,\" I snap. \"You think I wouldn’t notice something like that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think people notice what they expect to notice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fury crackles hotter through me now because suddenly I hate that his words planted doubt at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hate it. I hate him for saying it and worst of all? J hate the tiny ugly voice in the back of my head whispering what if.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" I repeat more quietly now. \"Zane wouldn’t do that to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thomas says nothing else after that but the damage is already done. The rest of the drive home becomes even worse somehow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because now alongside fear and panic...Doubt slithers silently into the spaces between my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you telling me this?.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because I see you as my sister....a sister I need to protect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We don’t say anything else after that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second the car stops, I’m out before Thomas can even open the dot properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ma’am.....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignore him completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart is pounding violently now, anger burning so hot through me that I can barely think straight. The front doors swing open before I even reach them. One of the guards says something to me but I don’t hear a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I storm through the house so fast my heels slam hard against the marble floors. Straight toward Zane’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t knock. I shove the door open so hard it bangs loudly against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane looks up immediately from where he’s seated behind his desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s on a call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I said move the shipment by Tuesda....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second he sees my face, he stops, hs brows pull together instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll call you back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ends the call without another word and slowly rises to his feet. Concern replaces the focus on his face immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elaine?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slam the office door shut behind me so hard the sound echoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression sharpens now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m breathing hardand My emotions are everywhere all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anger....So much anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I march toward him until I’m standing directly in front of his desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blinks once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you do!?\" I repeat louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>confusion flashes across his face now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elaine, what are you talking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That somehow makes me angrier, because he looks genuinely confused Or maybe he’s pretending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t do that,\" I snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His jaw tightens slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Talk to me properly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest rises and falls sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you get me fucking pregnant?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1525,"2026-06-06T09:39:37.420Z",1,"novelbin.me","7d19993d751f442c45c31336bae586802ec1bacfb1f40e0b22f99ee79e058f05","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-257","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-255",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbound-to-my-enemy-cover.jpg"]