All Chapters of Ties That Bind: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

109 Chapters

ADs AGAIN

PIPER’S POVI kept telling myself it was just a campaign. Just acting. Nothing more. But the way people stared at Alexa made my stomach twist. She was glowing, standing there like she was queen of the damn world, every camera, every crew member, every whisper in the room circling around her.And then there was me.Dressed in this ridiculous pregnancy belly, oversized shabby dress, my hair purposely unstyled to make me look like the “neglected wife.” The whole concept of the ad was Rowan being tempted by a side chick because his wife didn’t care to look good. Great storyline, right? Basically painting me as the pathetic woman while Alexa got to shine.I shifted uncomfortably under the lights. Every move felt heavier, like the fake belly wasn’t the only weight dragging me down.“Heard this was how she looked before getting married to Rowan,” a sharp female voice cut through the air.I turned my head, my chest tightening. It was her—that staff member. The one who always stared at me wi

Last Updated : 2025-09-05

FIERCE

PIPER’S POVMy voice carried across the room, sharper than I thought it could ever be.“You’re fired.”The words felt heavy, final. For a second, the entire office froze. The staff member I was addressing blinked rapidly, as though she was trying to convince herself she had misheard me.“Mrs. Archer, I” she began, but I cut her off, my tone firmer and a bit louder than before.“Don’t even try to explain. Apart from not doing your job properly, you insulted a higher staff. Do you have any idea what that means?” My voice didn’t shake like I thought it would. “As a senior member of the board, I will not tolerate it. You’re fired.”Her lips trembled, her eyes moved to the others in the room, maybe searching for sympathy or any opposition but none came. The silence from the other employees was suffocating and perhaps that wasn’t what she expected.I turned my head slightly toward my secretary, my expression as controlled as I could manage. “Serve her the letter immediately before she leave

Last Updated : 2025-09-05

LIES

ALEXA’S POVDamn… she is fierce.That was the first thought that tore through my head as I watched Rowan’s so-called contract wife fire a staff member in front of everyone. I hadn’t expected that at all. Everything I’d been told about Piper painted her as a soft, low-class woman, someone who does not know how to handle herself, let alone command authority in a company like Archer Corp.But this? This Piper stood tall, her voice ringing like a whip, her authority unshaken, nobody even said anything. The way she ordered her secretary, the way she fired the girl without hesitation, this wasn't weekness. It was power.And the worst part? Rowan loved it.I saw it in his eyes. The way his lips curled into that admiring smile, the way he leaned closer to whisper something in her ears, and her cheeks glow. He was… proud of her.I bit the inside of my cheek, heat forming up my throat. No, no, no. I can’t let this continue.I’d known Rowan long before she ever stepped into his life. I’d been

Last Updated : 2025-09-06

MISCONCEPTION

PIPER’S POVThe moment my eyes landed on them, I felt my chest tighten the more. Alexa’s hands were wrapped around Rowan’s, her touch on him in a way that screamed like she wanted him rather than accident. And when I looked closer, I caught it, the way she twitched her lips, the devilish smile she thought she had hidden so well. It was enough to cease the air and burst anger through me..My heart burned. My throat was wobbling. I didn’t even bother to wait for an explanation. Without a word, I turned around and stormed out of the room, my heels hitting the marble floor like I was on a fashion show runway.“Piper, wait!” Rowan’s voice called after me, it was strained yet desperate.I didn’t wait. I couldn’t.By the time I reached the lobby, my phone was already in my hand. My fingers shaking as I opened the app and ordered a ride. I didn’t care how it looked to anyone else. I needed to leave, I needed space before the storm inside me consumed everything.The car pulled up, I could

Last Updated : 2025-09-06

A FATHER’S COUNSEL

ROWAN’S POVMy knuckles were getting weak from pounding on her door, but Piper didn’t answer. Not once. Behind the door, she shut me out, her silence cutting deeper than any insult could, and even deeper than the argument we had. I leaned against the wood, my forehead pressed to it, whispering words she would never hear over the music she’d turned up to shut me out.“Piper, please… it wasn’t what you think. I swear it.”But nothing. Just a little sound and her stubborn silence.Eventually, my chest felt too heavy and my feet too tired to stand there any longer. I pulled myself away, dragging my feet down the hall.The pain of rejection held on to me as I opened the door to the guest room. It was pathetic, really. My wife, my own wife, sent me away to sleep like a stranger in my own home.I dropped onto the bed, loosening my tie, and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.For a moment, I closed my eyes, replaying the scene again and again in my head. Alexa’s fall, My in

Last Updated : 2025-09-07

AN UNEXPECTED ALLY

PIPER’S POV The morning sun rays entered into my room through the curtains, its warmth brushing against my face. I stirred, blinking the sleep away, and I reached out to the other side of the bed. Empty.For a split second, my stomach dropped. Then it all came rushing back, the fight, my tears, the door I locked in his face.Rowan hadn’t been beside me because I had shut him out. My chest tightened with a cocktail of regret and anger.Why do I feel guilty? I asked myself, pulling the covers off. He’s the one who let Alexa cling to him. He’s the one who made me feel small. Not me.Still, the silence in the room felt unbearable. I got up quickly, slipped into a robe, and went down the stairs. The house felt too quiet, the kind of quiet that increased every thought in my head.When I reached the dining room, it was empty. No coffee, no food laid out, no Rowan waiting. My lips pressed together, tightly.I turned toward the kitchen, hoping at least a staff member was around. Instead, as

Last Updated : 2025-09-07

SHADOWS IN PLAIN SIGHT

ROWAN’S POV The first thing I noticed when I woke wasn’t the sunlight coming through the curtains but the emptiness in my chest.I dragged myself up from the guest bed, still dressed from the night before, my tie hanging loosely around my neck like a noose. Sleep had been a stranger, leaving me restless and raw.Then I heard it…. voices, floating up from downstairs. One of them was Piper’s. My heart kicked in my chest. She was speaking. To someone.I hurried down, desperate to catch every word. But when I stepped into the kitchen, both voices hushed instantly. Piper sat at the counter, still in her pajamas, her hair loosely tied back. Across from her was my father, sipping coffee like he belonged there, like he owned every corner of this house.Their eyes flicked to me in unison. My stomach clenched.“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice low, cautious.Ruben smiled faintly, calm as ever. “Just a father-to-daughter talk. Nothing you need to worry about.”My brows furrowed. “Daughter?

Last Updated : 2025-09-08

THE WRONG KIND OF AFFECTION

PIPER’S POV After Rowan left for work, the house felt too quiet again. The clink of dishes in the kitchen and the hum of silence pressed against me, making me restless. I poured myself another glass of juice, trying to ignore the gnawing ache in my chest. My mind kept replaying the night before—the lock on the door, Rowan’s fists pounding, my music drowning him out.I was still lost in thought when Ruben stepped back into the kitchen. His presence filled the room instantly, commanding without trying.He studied me for a moment before shaking his head lightly.“You don’t look too well, Piper,” he said, his tone measured but laced with something resembling concern. “Maybe you should get out of this house for a while. Clear your mind.”I raised a brow, clutching my glass. “And go where? I don’t exactly feel like parading myself around right now.”He smirked faintly. “How about the Super Bowl? A little noise, a little fun—it might help calm your nerves. And you don’t have to worry abou

Last Updated : 2025-09-08

DOUGHNUTS AND CONFESSIONS

PIPER’S POV The living room felt like a minefield. I sat stiffly on the couch, my arms crossed, my jaw set, the sting of yesterday still fresh in my chest. Rowan’s footsteps echoed on the floor as he entered, and though he greeted his father warmly, his tone softened when he turned toward me.“Good evening, Father. Piper,” he said, his gaze lingering on me as if waiting for something more than a curt reply.“Hello,” I muttered, flat and cold, refusing to give him the satisfaction of anything warmer.Ruben’s eyes flicked between us, sharp enough to sense the storm beneath the surface. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he said, reaching for his coat. “Rowan, talk with your wife. She deserves your time more than I do.”Rowan nodded, his expression unreadable. “Of course, Father.”And with that, Ruben left, the heavy door clicking shut behind him. Silence swallowed the room whole.Rowan moved closer, his hands sliding into his pockets, his voice low. “Piper… I need to explain.”I didn’t even

Last Updated : 2025-09-09

SLIPPED OUT WORDS

ROWAN’S POV I didn’t plan to say it.The words just slipped out of me like something I’d been holding for far too long.Lying there with Piper’s head resting against my chest, her hair spilling across the sheets, I could feel her warmth close to me after we made love, it was like something cracked open inside. My hand absentmindedly caressed her arm, my thumb tracing circles against her skin, and before I could stop myself, I whispered, her eyes boring into mine.“I think I’m in love with you, Piper.”The silence that followed was heavier than anything I’d ever felt.Her body stiffened against me. Slowly, she lifted her head, those wide eyes locking on mine. Shock was clear in her expression, disbelief in her eyes.“What did you just say?” she asked, her voice very low.I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “I said… I think I’m in love with you.”She blinked at me, stunned. “Rowan, just because we’ve grown to care for each other doesn’t mean you might love me. That’s… that’s differe

Last Updated : 2025-09-09

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