Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 1

Five years after their breakup, Willa Vance's first instinct upon seeing Randal Yates again was to run.

The York family dinner was ridiculously extravagant.

By the time Zack York half-guided her into the private dining room, the table was already packed with relatives.

Before Willa could even offer a greeting, her gaze collided with the profile of the man sitting next to the head of the table.

With just one look, she forgot how to breathe.

The man wore a flawlessly tailored black silk shirt. His eyes naturally carried a devilish, untamed edge.

He exuded a cold, untouchable elegance, yet it was wrapped in a layer of reckless, predatory madness.

Lounging against the back of his chair, he rested his left hand casually on the armrest, revealing a stark scar that snaked from the web of his thumb to his wrist bone.

Randal Yates.

Her first love—the man she had once loved to the marrow of her bones, only to push away with her own hands.

His gaze swept over indifferently, landing on her as a mocking half-smile played on his lips.

Willa's legs went weak. She took a subconscious half-step back, only for Zack to gently wrap an arm around her shoulder.

He leaned in close to her ear and pleaded in a whisper, "Willa, don't be nervous. Just get through this one dinner, and I owe you."

At that moment, Zack's mother came over with a warm smile. "Zack, this must be Willa, right? Come in and sit down. It's too cold to stand by the door."

There was no escaping this.

Suppressing her panic, Willa allowed Zack to lead her to the table. She sat closely beside him, leaving exactly one empty seat between herself and Randal.

"This is my girlfriend, Willa," Zack introduced with a bashful smile. "Willa, this is my cousin, Randal Yates. He flew in specifically from Norvale today."

"Your cousin?" Willa suspected she had misheard and needed to confirm. "You're saying... he's your cousin?"

"Yeah, my aunt's son," Zack replied, completely oblivious to her shock, his face full of pride. "He used to be a professional race car driver. Unfortunately, he had an accident a while back and doesn't race anymore. Now he runs the racing team's operations."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a suffocating wave of absurdity washed over her.

The world was incredibly small, so small she had nowhere to run.

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