บททั้งหมดของ Ties That Bind: บทที่ 151 - บทที่ 160

LIA’S POVThe moment Thames asked that question…..“Lia, what are you doing here in the hospital?”I felt my heart stop.It was as though every sound in the corridor vanished. The air grew tight, heavy. Piper looked down, Rowan’s eyes flickered between me and her father. Lucia, still holding her newborn, shifted uneasily on the bed.I could feel their stares piercing through me….accusing, questioning, waiting.My throat felt dry. “I… I just came to help a friend,” I managed to say, forcing a casual shrug as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.Thames’ brows furrowed. “A friend?”“Yes,” I said quickly, trying to steady my voice. “A friend of mine had an accident earlier this morning. I came to make sure he was fine.”His eyes didn’t blink. He was studying me in that quiet, unnerving way that only a husband of many years could. The kind that made me feel like he could see straight through every lie I tried to wrap around myself.Lucia looked down again, clearly uncomfortable

PIPER’S POVThe morning light shone through the curtains when I woke up. My body still felt light from the night before….the laughter, the peace, the warmth of family. For the first time in months, I’d slept without disturbing thoughts in my head.Home, I said in a low voice as I got dressed. Today, we were finally heading home.Rowan was already up, standing by the window, shirt halfway buttoned, scrolling through something on his phone. His expression was calm but focused….his work face.“You’ve got meetings again, don’t you?” I asked, smiling faintly as I zipped my bag.He nodded, glancing up. “Yeah, two calls back-to-back once we land. The Tokyo deal is giving the team trouble again.”I chuckled softly. “You always say that, and somehow you still fix it in one call.”He smirked, slipping his phone into his pocket. “It’s called delegation, Mrs. Archer. Besides, I’m not letting work ruin our trip home.”“Good,” I said, stretching. “Because I need one more day of peace before the wor

PIPER’S POVMy hands shook the whole way home, but driving was the only thing that kept me from doing something worse…like dialing Rowan and waking him in the middle of a meeting, or calling Dad and letting my panic spill all over the phone. I needed a plan. I needed someone who could think clearly while my chest felt like it was being crushed.The message had come two hours earlier: an unknown number, a photo of Bryan in a pool of blood, and three words under it that I could still taste: “Bend to me.” Ruben. The same man who’d held me down before, who refused to leave me alone. I stared at that photo until my eyes were full of tears . I shouted until my voice went low. I had called Rowan once, and then I had put the phone down because I couldn’t let him see me like that….helpless, a mess. He had already sacrificed enough for me; I would not be the thing that ruined him at work.Diana was the only person I could think of who wouldn’t make me feel less. She had this rare, annoying tal

ALEXA’S POVI was lounging on the couch, a glass of wine in my hand, watching a show that barely held my attention when the door slammed open so hard it made me jump.I turned my head to see that it was Bryan panting so hard..“Jesus, Bryan!” I snapped, setting the glass down before it spilled. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you running in like that?”He didn’t answer immediately. His chest was rising and falling so fast that for a moment, I thought he’d collapse. Sweat rolled down his temples, his eyes wide and unfocused.“Bryan!” I called again, my voice sharper now. “Are you deaf or something? What’s going on?”He raised his hand slightly, gasping for air. “She… she almost saw me,” he finally managed to say, each word cutting through his breath.I frowned, confused. “Who are you talking about?” I asked, walking closer to him. “What do you mean she almost saw you?”He swallowed hard, eyes darting around as if someone might have followed him. “Piper,” he said at last. “Pip

PIPER’S POVThe moment that message from the investigator came through, my heart skipped.“I have information on Bryan. One that will interest you.”My hands trembled as I held the phone. Bryan. The same Bryan I had seen lying in his own pool of blood. The same Bryan Ruben claimed to have been dead. How could there be new information about him?I sat up from the bed, pretending to still be asleep as Rowan stepped out of the bathroom, his hair dripping wet and a towel around his waist.“Hey,” he said softly, smiling. “You’re up already?”I forced a weak smile. “Not really. My stomach doesn’t feel good.”He frowned, concerned. “Again? You were fine last night. Should I call a doctor?”I shook my head quickly. “No, it’s nothing serious. Just something I ate. Maybe from dinner yesterday.”He came closer and pressed his hand to my forehead. “You don’t feel warm, but you look pale. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”“Yes,” I said, trying to sound convincing. “You go to work, I’ll just rest.”He