[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bound-to-my-enemy":3,"chapter-bound-to-my-enemy-bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-260":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},1599932,2067,"Chapter 260.","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-260",260,"\u003Cp>\"The next time you hit me in my own house,\" I say evenly, \"be rest assured I’m going to fuck you up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t react, doesn’t apologize either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just quietly takes a sip of the whiskey like we’re discussing business instead of the fact that he rearranged my face downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, that almost pisses me off more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re lucky Elaine was there,\" I mutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas lowers the glass finally and i lean back slightly in my chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You put a fucking baby in her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" he says quietly. \"I don’t think you do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something sharp flickers through me briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s my wife.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s my sister.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m well aware.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas’s jaw tightens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t get to make decisions like that for her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence settles heavily in the room as j grip the glass tighter for a second before finally sighing and tossing the whiskey back in one rough swallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burn barely even registers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" I say quieter this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the thing is...I mean it now. I fucked up, I know I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas watches me carefully like he’s trying to decide whether the regret is genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, he drinks again before asking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So why did you do it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare at the desk briefly. Then answer honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because I am selfish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas scoffs softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A baby isn’t a leash.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clearly not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My expression hardens slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not proud of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another silence follows. Then finally Lucas leans back slightly in his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well,\" he says dryly. \"Congratulations. You managed to get my terrifyingly stubborn sister pregnant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite everything, the corner of my mouth twitches faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She is terrifying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She gets that from me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s unfortunate for society.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That almost earns a smile out of him. The tension eases slightly after that, only slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pour myself another whiskey before leaning back into my chair again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s another reason I wanted to talk to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas notices the shift in my tone immediately, his expression sharpening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reach toward one of the folders sitting on my desk and toss it lightly toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think I finally have a lead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stills\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A lead on what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I meet his eyes directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened years ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With Aria?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he says her name, something tight pulls in my chest. Even after all these years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nod slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas studies me carefully for a second before leaning back slightly in his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have some leads too,\" he says quietly. \"On all the attacks. Especially the recent one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately my attention sharpens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of leads?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rotates the whiskey glass slowly between his fingers before answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think it’s all connected to one person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One person?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas nods once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe not directly. Maybe they had help here and there.\" His expression hardens slightly. \"But I think one person orchestrated all of this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All of it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The poisoning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maya,\" I mutter darkly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My jaw tightens instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas continues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aaron escaping, the attacks, th framing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pauses briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what happened years ago with Aria.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence settles heavily between us, because if he’s right...it means somebody has spent years slowly destroying everything around me piece by piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fuck,\" I mutter quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas nods grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s exactly what I said.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lean back in my chair slowly trying to process the sheer insanity of what he’s suggesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think one person single-handedly orchestrated all this?\" I ask finally. \"For this long?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes....i’m not entirely sure...my sources are still working on it but I have a suspect at least.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The certainty in his voice unsettles me, I stare at him harder now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you have a name?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long pause follows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then finally:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My pulse immediately spikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas reaches into his pocket slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have a name,\" he says quietly. \"And a picture too.\" Every muscle in my body tightens instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My sources tracked the Maya poisoning first,\" he continues. \"Then after Elaine asked me to look into what happened at the site years ago with Aria...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression darkens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something is definitely not right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lean forward immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Show me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas pulls out his phone but right as he unlocks it, his hand clips the whiskey glass sitting too close to the edge of the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glass tips over instantly, amber liquid spills everywhere across the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fuck,\" Lucas mutters quickly while standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I curse under my breath too and immediately grab several files before the whiskey reaches them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Papers scatter everywhere as Lucas snatches up another stack quickly while I drag important documents out of the spreading mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jesus Christ,\" I mutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At least it missed the laptop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Barely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strong smell of whiskey fills the room while we hurriedly clear the desk. A few important papers got soaked anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fantastic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas grabs a towel from the side cabinet and tosses it toward me while wiping his own hands dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You keep too much shit on your desk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was busy earlier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That sounds like a personal problem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glare at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ignores me completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the mess is mostly handled, I sit back down slowly while my side throbs again in protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas pockets his phone again carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You still haven’t shown me the picture,\" I point out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitates. That immediately puts me on edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On a second thought I want to confirm something first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas studies me carefully for a second before answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The site.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My brows pull together\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My incident with Aria happened there....well you caught us there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And after that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already know where he’s going with this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was shut down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Completely?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nod slowly. Lucas’s expression turns thoughtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we should go there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare at him for a second before nodding once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was thinking the same thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brows rise slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There might still be something there,\" I continue. \"Records, old footage, files.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After all these years?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas looks unconvinced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly? Fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, something in my gut twists sharply now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if there’s even the slightest chance answers are sitting there...i need to see for myself.\u003C\u002Fp>",1031,"2026-06-06T09:39:37.420Z",1,"novelbin.me","13be98c852bad7aefc6274fe6b7c947dcb14dcfbd79a876a91949321f9a18dc5","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-261","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-259",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbound-to-my-enemy-cover.jpg"]