All Chapters of Ties That Bind: Chapter 101 - Chapter 109

ROWAN’S POVWhen Father asked me how Piper had known I was in trouble, the question lodged in my skull like a splinter I couldn't pry out.I stared at him, searching his face for impatience, for a smirk, for any hint that he was playing a game. He simply watched me with that cold steadiness he always wore…like a man who had seen every type of human fail and, strangely, learned to wait them out.“I don’t know,” I said finally, because I didn’t. I grasped at every possibility—had she followed me? Has someone told her? Had she been watching me secretly? Each possibility felt both plausible and impossible. “Maybe she followed me last night. Maybe she heard something. I’m not sure.”Father sighed in a way that meant he was disappointed. “You keep falling into mistakes, Rowan,” he said quietly. The words weren’t venomous; they were factual. Like an observation. Like a conclusion he’d reached after weighing the facts and finding me wanting.“I…” I started. I wanted him to tell me what to do

ROWAN’S POVI never thought those words would escape my mouth. Not to her. Not to anyone. But they had.“I love you.”It was out, raw and unpolished, but truer than anything I had ever spoken.Piper blinked twice, like she couldn’t quite process what she’d just heard. Her lips parted, her eyes wide and uncertain, searching my face for cracks, for insincerity.“Rowan,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Do you… do you mean that?”“Yes,” I said without hesitation, my chest tightening as I knelt there. “I mean every word. I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect to care this much, to wake up thinking about you, to make your happiness my priority over everything else in my life.” My throat burned as the words tumbled out. “I’m sorry for not listening to you, for doubting you, for making you feel like your voice didn’t matter. I was wrong, Piper. I was wrong about everything.”Her eyes glistened, her face torn between disbelief and something softer.“You don’t have to say it back,” I added

PIPER’S POVThe rooftop bar hummed with music and distant city light, but all of it felt muffled under the weight pressing at my chest. Ruben had been oddly gentle when he first sat beside me…businesslike, then almost fatherly in a way that made my skin prickle. He didn’t pry; he didn’t ask the blunt, cruel questions that would’ve made me crumble. Instead he offered small, steady statements that, disturbingly, felt easier to accept than the honest rage I knew I should be feeling.“So,” he said after a long silence, watching my fingers toy with the band in my purse. “You’re not in the mood to talk about what’s wrong with you?”“No,” I said flatly. The word snipped the air like a blade. I didn’t have the energy to explain. Not to him, not to anyone.He raised his hands, palms outward, like a man trying to show he meant no harm. “Alright. Later then. If you want.”I nodded, thankful for the simple permission to be quiet.He took a sip of his drink and watched the city for a moment. “Yo

PIPER’S POVThe corridor outside my room felt oddly familiar…lamps casting soft pools of light, the faint scent of lemon oil that always meant Ruben’s staff had been through, smoothing and arranging. I closed the door softly behind me and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. For a moment I just stood there, forehead resting against the cool wood, listening to the house settle. It sounded deceptively peaceful.My phone buzzed before I could even set my bag down. Diana. I thumbed it open with a small, tired smile. She’d calmed down a lot since the old days—less frantic, more practical—so I answered right away.“Pip! Are you okay? Rowan called looking for you like a lunatic. He said—he said he was worried.” Diana’s voice was all tinged with panic and concern in a way that made me want to laugh and cry at the same time.I hid a strand of hair behind my ear. “He called?” I kept my tone even. If I let it crack, Diana would get nervous and pester me all night. “Yes. He ca

ROWAN’S POVMy mind was a storm I couldn’t quiet. Thoughts darted back and forth, crashing into each other like waves against rocks. Piper. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she safe? Or worse—was she already planning her life without me?I couldn’t focus on work, couldn’t even eat properly. Every time my phone buzzed, my heart leapt, only to crash when it wasn’t her. And deep down, I knew why—she had blocked me. She had cut me off completely.I sat in my office, tapping my fingers restlessly against the desk, until finally, I decided I couldn’t keep spiraling like this. I needed advice. Someone who could see things clearer than me.So, I went to see my lawyer. At least, I needed to talk to someone before I ran mad. I thought she would be at Diana’s place but she didn’t sound like Piper was with her at all.He was an older man with sharp eyes behind square glasses, always calm even when chaos ruled. I sat across from him, wringing my hands like a child.“You look troubled, Rowan