Bound to my Enemy Chapter 3 - THREE

Noah’s voice cut through the room, rough and strained.

"Why?." Noah asked.

Grandfather took his sweet ti before answering. "Because our family needs his influence and his na."

"But we already very well to do on our own why do we need him."

Grandfather didn’t answer to that question, leaving us all hanging.

"So who’s going to tell Ivy?" Noah asked.

Everyone froze.

The question hung in the air, heavy and unavoidable.

My grandfather didn’t even blink. "I will."

"I’ll speak to her myself," he continued, his tone asured, almost courteous. "You will all return here in three days. Mr. Whitmore will be coming to et her and we need to show a strong front as a family."

Lucas pushed back his chair with a violent scrape. "You’re bringing him into this house?"

"Yes."

"To sit across from her like this is so normal arrangent?" His voice cracked. "Have you lost your goddamn mind?"

"Watch your language Lucas, I won’t remind you again" my grandfather said calmly.

Noah swore loudly, the sound sharp in the otherwise pristine room. He turned away, dragging both hands through his hair like he was trying to tear the thought out of his head.

"There has to be sothing we can do," he said. "Sothing to stop this. You can’t just decide this life for her."

My grandfather said nothing.

That silence was deliberate. He used it the way other people used weapons.

Caleb leaned forward, his palms flat on the table. "Say sothing. Tell us how we’re supposed to live with this."

My grandfather finally looked up, his gaze sweeping over us slowly and deliberately landing on .

"It was either Ivy," he said, "or her."

The words hit like a physical blow.

My chest tightened. I stared at him, my mind scrambling, trying to understand what he ant.

Lucas turned sharply toward . "What the hell does that an?"

Caleb shook his head imdiately. "No. That is not an option."

Noah’s wide eyes found mine, wide and disbelieving. "Elaine?"

My grandfather’s gaze settled on fully now. "Elaine is older. More composed. But Ivy’s position makes this arrangent more advantageous."

Advantageous.

Lucas cursed, loud and furious, his hand slamming into the table again. Caleb followed, his voice rising, words tumbling out unfiltered.

"That is enough," my grandfather snapped, striking his cane against the floor. "I will not tolerate this behavior."

"You just offered her up like a spare," Lucas shouted, pointing at . "You expect us to just accept that? She’s family for fucks sake." Lucas cursed again but grandpa didn’t do shit, now if I did it would be a different ball ga, you see my grandpa still sohow thinks we are in the dieval tis and won aren’t allowed to curse or speak unless spoken to.

"I expect you to behave," my grandfather replied coldly. "This discussion is over."

He stood, straightening his jacket with slow precision.

"You are dismissed," he said. "Be here in the next three days."

Then he walked out.

The door closed softly behind him, and the sound felt final in a way that made my skin prickle.

For a mont, no one spoke.

Lucas stood rigid, breathing hard. Caleb stared at the table, jaw clenched tight enough to crack. Noah sank into his chair, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor like it might open up and swallow him.

I stayed seated, my hands folded neatly in my lap, even though my pulse was racing.

"He can’t do this," Lucas said finally. "We won’t let him."

Noah shook his head slowly. "You heard him. This isn’t a discussion. It’s already happening."

"Ivy won’t survive that," Caleb muttered. "She’s not built for n like Whitmore."