All Chapters of Legally Bound : Chapter 131 - Chapter 140

They continued walking side by side, fingers loosely intertwined, their pace unhurried. The neighborhood unfolded around them with quiet confidence; tree-lined streets washed in amber streetlight, iron gates framing townhouses with manicured hedges, the occasional doorman nodding politely from across the road. It was the kind of place where wealth didn’t announce itself loudly; it simply existed, settled into brick and stone and silence.Lily glanced around, taking it all in. “It’s beautiful here,” she murmured. “Everything feels… grounded.”Alex smiled at her choice of words. “That’s why my parents love it. Close enough to the noise. Far enough from the chaos.”They crossed at a quiet intersection, the distant hum of traffic softened by the canopy overhead. For a moment, neither spoke. There was comfort in the silence now, no tension, no urgency. Just the steady rhythm of their steps and the warmth of being together again.They reached a small park tucked between residences, its wrou

Morning arrived quietly, almost reverently, as though the house itself understood the weight of the day ahead.Sunlight filtered into the room in soft bands, catching on the polished edges of furniture and the muted sheen of silk curtains. Lily stirred first, blinking awake to the unfamiliar comfort of peace. Not the fragile, borrowed peace she’d known in recent months but something steadier. Chosen.She turned her head slightly.Alex was already awake.He lay on his back, one arm bent behind his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He didn’t look restless this time. Just thoughtful. Grounded in that particular way people were when they were bracing themselves for something important but no longer running from it.“Good morning,” she said softly.His gaze shifted to her immediately, the intensity melting into warmth. “Morning.”For a moment, neither of them moved. Lily studied his face, the familiar lines, the quiet strength there and felt a strange mix of nerves and certainty. Today wasn

Lily finally spoke.Her voice was soft at first, almost fragile, as though she were testing whether it would hold.“It’s okay,” she said.Mr. Smith looked up sharply, as if afraid he had imagined it.“I’ve been hurting for a long time,” Lily continued, her gaze steady now, even as tears filled her eyes. “For years. And I carried it everywhere with me; to school, to work, into relationships. I told myself I was fine, that I’d moved on, but I hadn’t.”She inhaled slowly, grounding herself.“I didn’t want to keep carrying it anymore.”Mr. Smith’s hands trembled slightly on the armrest.“I went to therapy,” she added. “It helped more than I ever thought it would. I learned that forgiveness is the best way to free you. And that’s what I chose to do.”She paused, then looked directly at him.“I ran,” she said honestly. “I know that hurt you. But at the time… it was the only way I knew how to survive. I wasn’t strong enough to stay and fight for myself yet.”Tears slipped freely down her fa

The moment Lily stepped into the house, the air shifted.It wasn’t the silence, because the house was alive with it, the kind that carried memories instead of emptiness. It was the portrait.Her mother.Large. Regal. Smiling softly from the wall opposite the entrance, just as Lily remembered. The same calm eyes. The same warmth that once filled every corner of this place.The breath caught in Lily’s chest.Alex felt it immediately. He didn’t rush her. Didn’t speak. He simply stayed beside her, grounding her presence without demanding her strength.She stared at the portrait for a long moment.Then she inhaled slowly.“I used to think she watched me leave that day,” Lily said quietly. “Like she was disappointed.”Alex shook his head gently. “She would’ve wanted you to survive.”Lily nodded, blinking but she didn’t cry. Not this time. The tears stayed where they belonged, contained, no longer sharp.Mr. Smith appeared from the corridor, stopping short when he noticed where Lily was stan

They stayed until the match was over.Alex was relaxed in a way Lily hadn’t seen in a while, leaned back into the couch, one arm slung casually over the armrest, eyes locked on the screen. Mr. Smith sat across from him, occasionally asking questions about the game, genuinely interested, even when he didn’t fully understand the rules. Lily sat between them, stealing glances at both men, quietly absorbing the strange, beautiful normalcy of the moment.When the final whistle blew and Alex’s team secured the win, he let out a satisfied breath.“That was a good one,” he said, stretching slightly.Mr. Smith smiled. “I see why you enjoy this so much.”They exchanged pleasantries, and not long after, Alex thanked him for the evening. Jackets were retrieved, goodbyes said. Mr. Smith walked them all the way out to the driveway, the night air cool and still.As Alex went ahead to open the car door, Lily asked “Where’s Philip?” “Oh he had an emergency so he asked for permission to leave.” “Ooh