All Chapters of Ties That Bind: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

ROWAN’S POVMy eyes snapped open to blinding daylight spilling through the curtains. For a moment, I lay there disoriented, my chest tight, heart racing. The sheets were tangled around me, cold and empty. No trace of anyone else—just me.I turned my head, scanning the room. Silence. Not even the faintest perfume lingered. It was as though Aurora had never been there, as though last night’s nightmare was just a hallucination. But my body knew better. My skin still burned with the ghost of her touch, the ache in my muscles, too real to deny.I dragged a hand over my face, groaning as a dull throb pulsed behind my temples. My head was pounding, the aftermath of whatever chemical they’d pumped into me. With a deep breath, I pushed myself upright and reached for my phone on the nightstand.The screen lit up with five missed calls—all from Piper.“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.My stomach dropped as guilt cut through me, sharper than the headache. Piper. The one person I couldn’t affor

ROWAN’S POVI walked into my office and glanced over at Piper's desk, noticing she was already working. I approached her, my mind still reeling from the morning's events."Why did you leave without me this morning?" I asked, my tone a mix of curiosity and concern.Piper looked up at me, her expression calm. "I wanted to go to work on my own," she replied, her voice steady.I frowned, taken aback by her response. "We're married, Piper," I said, my voice firm. "I didn't expect you to just leave without me."Piper's gaze met mine, and I saw a spark of defiance in her eyes. "It's on paper," she said, her voice casual. "No one would know outside these walls. So, why the need for permission?"I looked at her, really looked at her, and I saw no fear or anxiety in her eyes. It was as if she had suddenly developed a newfound confidence, a sense of freedom that I hadn't seen before. I wondered how come Piper, who had always been so accommodating, now had the guts to speak her mind and stand u

PIPER’S POVThe moment I pushed the door open, the first thing I saw was him. Rowan.He was in the living room, sitting forward in the armchair like a man ready to pounce. The empty wine glass on the table betrayed his restlessness, the tight set of his jaw exposing his anger. His eyes snapped to me instantly, sharp and dark, and for the briefest second, I caught the flicker of relief in them—before it vanished beneath the storm.A rush of satisfaction warmed my chest. Watching him burn like that, seeing him restless over me for once, felt… good. After that night I’d spent waiting, wondering, doubting, it was almost poetic to have him squirm.He leaned back, exhaling heavily, his gaze never leaving me. “You’re not going to say anything? Where the hell were you?”I shut the door behind me slowly, dropping my purse on the console. My voice was calm, casual, almost dismissive. “Just a friend meet-up. Nothing serious.”His jaw ticked, eyes narrowing. “A friend meet-up? At night? You did

ROWAN’S POVThe drive back felt endless. My thoughts looped like a broken record, Aurora’s voice replaying in my head—“Two million dollars, Rowan. No negotiation. Seventy-two hours.”The chip sat heavy in my pocket, burning like a live grenade. Every time I thought of Piper seeing what was inside, my chest tightened until it hurt, She didn’t deserve this—not the lies, not the shadows Aurora was trying to drag into her life.But I couldn’t deny the truth either. Aurora was smart. Calculated. If I gave her the money without conditions, she’d come back for more. That much I knew.The question gnawed at me: Should I just walk away? Pretend it never happened? Risk it?No. I couldn’t gamble with Piper’s trust. Not this time.I pulled into my driveway, killed the engine, and sat there for a moment, staring at the steering wheel. My breathing was uneven, the weight of the choice pressing down on me like stone.Aurora thought she had me cornered. She thought I’d just cave. But she forgot some

ROWAN’S POVTwo days later, my phone buzzed on the desk just as I was finishing up a stack of contracts.The screen lit up with Michael—Attorney. I leaned back in my chair, jaw tightening. He wouldn’t be calling unless it was something important.“Rowan,” Michael’s voice came through, calm but sharp. “I’ve got the documents you asked for. Everything we discussed, sealed, signed, and prepared. You finally have what you need.”For a second, I didn’t even breathe. My fingers curled around the edge of the desk as relief surged through me like a current. Finally, months of waiting, planning, maneuvering—it was all aligning now.“That’s the best news I’ve heard all week,” I muttered, forcing myself to keep my tone level.“Send me a scanned copy and hold on to the originals. I’ll swing by later this week.”“Understood,” Michael said. “And Rowan? Be careful with this. Once you use it, there’s no going back.”I knew exactly what he meant. This wasn’t just paperwork—it was leverage. Something