Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 12

She sent it again, only to be met with a glaring red exclamation mark indicating she was blocked.

Randal Yates truly held a grudge like no other.

The idle gossip in the department grew increasingly harsh, and Xandra's attitude toward her had noticeably cooled.

After contemplating it for a long time, Willa finally took the afternoon off on the third day and went straight to the exclusive club.

As soon as she stated her purpose, the receptionist looked troubled. "Ms. Vance, I'm sorry, but Mr. Yates gave strict orders that he isn't seeing any guests today."

"I really have an urgent matter. I just need a few minutes of his time..."

The receptionist remained firm. "I'm truly sorry, but this is a direct order from Mr. Yates. Please don't make this difficult for me."

Standing in the sprawling, empty lobby, Willa felt a chill seep into her bones, the fleeting courage she had mustered slowly draining away.

Just as she turned to leave, a young man in a crisp white dress shirt hurried over. "Ms. Vance, I'm so sorry you made a wasted trip. Mr. Yates is genuinely tied up right now."

Willa recognized him as the assistant who had guided her to the reception room on the day of the interview.

She knew better than to make life hard for another employee.

She gave a slight nod to show her understanding.

The assistant quickly pulled a folded sticky note from his pocket and offered it to her. "Ms. Vance, Mr. Yates asked me to give this to you."

Willa took the note and unfolded it. There was only one line written across it.

[Eight o'clock tonight. Room 1808, The Grand Regency.]

Just as she thought, Randal was deliberately stringing her along.

She wanted to press for more details, but the assistant had already turned and walked briskly away.

Pinching the flimsy piece of paper, she suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to toss it into the nearest trash can, but after hesitating for a few seconds, she shoved it into her coat pocket.

Randal strolled over at a leisurely pace and took a seat on the sofa opposite her, stretching his long legs out casually as the hem of his robe fell open slightly.

He swirled the liquor in his glass and let out a low chuckle. "Willa, I assumed that since you came, you already knew exactly what I wanted to do."

He deliberately dragged out the last few words with lingering ambiguity, his gaze trailing over her body with heavy, suggestive intent.

Willa met his stare, a sharp, mocking smile curling her red lips. "Randal, no matter how twisted your tastes are, you wouldn't go so far as to make a fool out of your own cousin, would you?"

The moment the words left her mouth, the playful amusement in Randal's eyes shattered, replaced by a suffocating, icy pressure.

"Make a fool out of Zack? Thanks for the reminder."

He slammed the glass down hard onto the coffee table. With a loud crack, the liquor splashed everywhere, soaking a large patch of his robe.

"Break up with Zack." He leaned forward, his fingers trailing mockingly along her jawline. "Then, come back to me. Let me experience what it feels like to throw a relationship into the trash with my own hands."