Bound to my Enemy novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Chapter 33.

Elaine’s POV

"This is a dinner," he says. "Not a battlefield."

I look past him. Suits. Dresses. Smiles that don’t reach the eyes.

"Funny," I reply. "Everyone looks armed."

His mouth curves, just barely. Not a smile. Something close

Before he can say anything back, a clear, sharp sound cuts through the room.

Clink. Clink.

A spoon against glass.

The noise ripples outward, conversations tapering off in uneven waves until the hall settles into something quieter.

I don’t need to turn to know who it is.

My grandfather has always had a way of commanding a room without raising his voice.

"May I have your attention," he says. Like he doesn’t have it already.

Zane’s gaze flicks past me, toward the head of the room. His jaw tightens a fraction, like he already knows what’s coming.

I step half a pace away from him, instinct more than intention, and turn.

My grandfather stands near the long table, glass raised but untouched. He looks exactly the same as he always does. Straight-backed. Controlled.

Lucas moves closer to me again. Not touching. Just close enough that I feel the heat from his arm.

Ivy appears at my other side, eyes wide but bright, like she’s bracing.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," my grandfather continues. "I won’t take much of your time."

A lie. Everyone here knows it.

"This evening," he says, "is about family. About unity. And about the future."

I feel Zane shift behind me. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"There have been discussions," my grandfather goes on, "that concern the Whitmore family and our own. Discussions that have now reached a conclusion."

A murmur ripples through the room. Quiet and curious.

I keep my face still. Ivy’s fingers twitch near mine

"It is my pleasure," my grandfather says, "to formally announce the engagement of my granddaughter, Elaine, to Mr. Zane Whitmore."

The room reacts all at once.

Gasps that aren’t quite . Heads turning toward me, then toward Zane, then back again like they’re watching a tennis match.

I don’t move.

I don’t look at Zane.

I stare straight ahead and breathe.

Lucas swears under his breath.

Ivy’s hand closes around mine this time. Tight and Solid.

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