Bound to my Enemy Chapter 252

If anyone was ever going to step into this kitchen after Margaret...It would be them.Not because they could replace her, nobody could.

But because they bring warmth into the room the sa way she used to.

And suddenly I know.

There’s absolutely no way I’m letting them do this for free. I glance around the kitchen quietly while they continue arguing about whether too much pepper ruins soup.

Zane is definitely paying them.

Well. Maybe not directly, necause if I offer money outright, they’ll all look offended and probably throw vegetables at my head.

Especially Tessa.

So we’ll hav to be sneaky about it, maybe gift cards?Or fake "bonuses." Or honestly just forcing Zane to transfer money into their accounts without warning.

The thought almost makes smile into my drink.

Then from upstairs, faintly:

"Elaine!"

I blink before groaning softly.

"That man has survived being shot and sohow still found the strength to beco needy."

The girls burst into laughter imdiately.

"Go answer your husband, we will bring the tea up when we are done." Lila teases.

I roll my eyes dramatically while sliding off the stool

"He’s literally incapable of resting."

————

A little over a week and a half passes after Margaret’s funeral and sohow life starts moving again. Nt normally though I don’t think anything about our lives will ever qualify as normal again but the house slowly breathes easier.

The constant tension eases just enough that people stop jumping at every sound. Security is still ridiculously tight around the estate, but at least there are no more gunshots. No more blood staining marble floors. No more late-night panic attacks jerking awake every hour.

Even Zane is doing better, annoyingly better.

His strength returns faster each day, and now he’s back to stalking around the house acting like being shot was a mild inconvenience instead of nearly killing him.

The bruising along his side fades slowly. The stitches still bother him sotis, especially at night, but he hides the pain better now.

Too well, honestly.

I catch him wincing occasionally when he thinks nobody is looking.

Typical Zane behavior.

Still, compared to how pale and weak he looked in that hospital bed? He’s a completely different person now.

, on the other hand...I’m a complete ss and I don’t understand why.

At first I blad the stress, grief and everything that’s happened lately. But after over a week, things should’ve settled down at least a little.

Instead, I sohow feel worse, this morning proves it. I’m standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth when the sll of mint suddenly hits weirdly. Not weird weird, biolently weird and my stomach turns so hard and so fast that I barely have enough ti to yank away from the sink before nausea crashes through .

"Oh my God."

I slap a hand over my mouth imdiately as the dizziness cos next, fast and Sudden.

My entire body goes cold while my stomach twists painfully. What the hell?

I grip the bathroom counter tightly trying to breathe through it, but it only gets worse. The mint sll suddenly feels unbearably strong, like soone dumped chemicals directly into my nose.

I gag hard then imdiately rush toward the toilet. Again.

At this point I’m honestly getting offended.

By the ti I finish throwing up, my eyes are watering and my throat burns badly enough that I just sit there on the bathroom floor breathing heavily for a second.

"This is ridiculous," I mutter weakly.

Maybe I caught so weird stomach bug.

That has to be it.

Because there’s no way stress alone should make toothpaste sll like literal death.

I push sweaty hair away from my face tiredly before slowly standing.

The second I look toward the sink again another nauseating wave rolls through instantly.

Nope. Absolutely not.

I physically recoil from the toothpaste tube sitting there like it personally attacked .

What the hell is wrong with ?

I stare at the sink for another second before grabbing my phone with shaky y fingers.

Sothing is seriously wrong with and for so reason, the first person that cos to mind is Ivy. I’m the older sister but she always knows what to do in tis like this.

She h picks up on the second ring.

"Well damn sis," she says imdiately. "Look who finally rembers I exist."

Normally I’d laugh. Today? I just groan weakly and slide down to sit against the bathroom cabinet.

"Why do you sound like you got hit by a truck?" she asks instantly, concern replacing the teasing.

"I feel horrible."

There’s rustling on her end like she’s sitting up properly now.

"What happened?

"I don’t know," I mutter tiredly. "I keep throwing up and everything just irritates ."

"What do you an everything irritates you?"

"I an everything." I rub miserably at my forehead. "Slls mostly. Toothpaste almost killed just now."

She laughs then stops abruptly.

"Wait. Seriously?"

"Yes seriously."

I hear her shifting around more now.

"How long has this been happening?"

I blink slowly trying to think. Honestly the days have blurred together lately.

"A while," I mumble.

"How long is a while?"

"Maybe..." I pause. "Close to two weeks now."

Silence. Complete silence.

I frown imdiately.

"Ivy?"

Nothing.

"Why are you quiet?"

More silence.

Then finally:

"Okay wait."

Her voice sounds strange now.

My stomach tightens slightly.

"What?"

"Uh..." She hesitates awkwardly. "Random question."

"I already don’t like that tone."

"Have you and Zane been... you know..."

I blink.

"Been what?"

"El."

Realization hits .

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

Heat imdiately creeps up my face despite the nausea.

"What kind of question is that?"

"A valid one. Answer ."

"Yes," I say defensively. "Obviously yes."

"How long?"

"Oh my God, Ivy."

"Elaine."

I groan dramatically.

"Yes. We’ve been intimate for a while now. Happy?"

Another silence, much longer this ti.

My chest starts tightening slowly.

"Ivy."

She exhales softly.

Then very carefully says:

"Sis..."

Sothing about her voice makes my pulse suddenly speed up.

"I think you might be pregnant sis."