Semua Bab Ties That Bind: Bab 121 - Bab 130

PIPER’S POVI tried to keep my eyes open, but the weight on my eyelids was too heavy. Still, my heart refused to calm down. I was tensed, my whole body stiff like stone. I didn’t understand why my father-in-law, Ruben, was sitting there by my bed, his hand brushing gently over my hair while I slept.It wasn’t normal.Maybe he was just trying to comfort me, I told myself. Maybe he was caressing me the way a father would comfort a daughter. He didn’t have a daughter of his own, right? Maybe that was all this was.But deep down, I knew something was wrong. The way his hand lingered too long. The way he sat there in silence, his eyes fixed on me as if he was studying every breath I took.I swallowed hard, pretending to shift in my sleep. My heart was racing so fast it almost hurt.Why is he doing this? I thought. Why now?But before I could think further, the alcohol I had drunk earlier began to do its work. My body grew heavier, my eyelids shut completely, and slowly, against my will, I

PIPER’S POVThe moment I heard footsteps, my heart stopped.We both turned our heads, and there he was…Rowan.He stood in the doorway, his tall frame stiff, his storm-gray eyes darting between me and Ruben. For a second, no one moved. My breath caught, my chest tightening so much that it hurt.“Father,” Rowan said finally, his voice sharp, like the word itself was poison on his tongue.“Son,” Ruben replied smoothly, calm as always, his lips curling into a faint smile.My eyes widened. My body froze. Father and son.I didn’t know whether to feel relief or despair. Relief, because Rowan was here, and part of me believed he could take me away from Ruben’s suffocating presence. Despair, because nothing made sense anymore. How could the man who had comforted me, who had acted like a protector, suddenly be the one asking me to be his wife?What kind of twisted world had I stepped into?“What’s going on here?” Rowan’s voice thundered, his anger filling the room. His eyes locked on Ruben, the

PIPER’S POV Rowan’s voice would not stop sounding in my ears. “Piper, please… you have to believe me. I was drugged. I was blackmailed. Everything you saw in those pictures… it wasn’t me in my right senses.” His voice cracked, like he was breaking apart, I could see the terror he felt. For the first time since this whole mess started, he looked less and did not look like the cold proud Rowan Archer everyone feared, instead he looked more like a man begging for his life. I sighed heavily, trying not to let my emotions get into my head. My chest felt heavy. “Rowan,” I whispered, looking away, “you should have told me. Even if you thought I wouldn’t forgive you… you should have trusted me.” He came closer, desperate. “I was scared, Piper. You don’t understand. That night… it wasn’t just about me. I couldn’t breathe with the thought that you might walk away if you knew. And after what happened…” His voice dropped low. “…after I… after I ran over your best friend… even if it was by m

PIPER’S POVI tried not to think about the incident on the plane. My heart beat faster whenever I remembered the man I thought I saw….the one I knew was supposed to be dead. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the lack of sleep, or maybe I was feeling guilty. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to talk about it, not to Rowan, not to anyone.So instead, I closed my eyes and let sleep pull me away.The low engine sound of the plane, the faint voices of other passengers, and Rowan’s presence beside me…. it all went into darkness until I drifted off.It felt like only a second had passed when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.“Piper,” Rowan’s voice came, soft but yet firm.I sighed, blinking slowly as my eyes opened slowly. His face was close, his eyes tired but watching me carefully.“We’ve landed,” he said. “We’re finally in our city.”I stretched a little in my seat, my body heavy from sleep, and nodded.The airport was busy, the noise of luggage wheels scraping against the floor filli

LIA’S POVThe knocks came again this time louder, stronger. Whoever it was wasn’t giving up. My heart skipped a beat as I froze in place, my eyes darting toward the door.Then a familiar voice called out, “Lia? Are you home?”I felt my stomach twist. It was Thames.Oh no.My heart started to pound so fast that I could barely breathe. Steven looked at me, an alarm written all over his face.“Who’s that?” he whispered.I swallowed hard. “It’s Thames.”His eyes widened. “What? You mean your…”“Yes,” I cut in quickly, panic rising. “It’s him. He’s back.”Steven sat up straight. “What do we do? I can’t exactly go out through the front door!”I stood up from the bed, pulling on my robe with shaking hands. “Just… just stay quiet, okay? Don’t say a word. I’ll handle this.”He frowned. “Are you sure? Maybe I should go out through the back…”“No!” I said sharply, my voice coming out louder than I meant. I took a deep breath and lowered it. “No. If he sees you, it’ll be worse. Just stay put. I’l