Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 138

Willa's heart skipped a beat. "I never said it was him..."

"Then who? Zack? Sophie?"

"Stop guessing. It's none of them," Willa quickly cut in. "What if I told you it was your mother?"

"Eleanor?" He referred to his mother by her first name, suddenly letting out a scoff. "I almost forgot, you were the one who took her money and went abroad five years ago."

"How did you know?" Willa felt a sudden jolt of panic.

The mocking smile on Randal's lips deepened. "She was the one who told me, of course. She laughed at how cheap my feelings were—bought and sold for a mere five million dollars."

"Did she tell you anything else?"

"What else was she supposed to tell me?" he retorted.

Willa looked him dead in the eye and asked, word by word, "Do you remember when your racing team's funding got cut five years ago?"

"I remember." Randal lowered his gaze, his expression darkening. "I almost couldn't race, but shortly after, the manager secured an investment. But..."

He didn't finish the sentence, his face growing even more somber.

Willa guessed that he was recalling the horrific crash that ended his racing career.

She had tortured herself with regret on countless occasions, knowing that without that five million dollars, he might still be tearing up the tracks, living a brilliant, untamed life.

She never imagined her good intentions would ultimately destroy him.

Lowering her head, Willa tried a different approach. "What if I told you that accident was partly my fault? Would you hate me even more?"

After she spoke, a long, heavy silence stretched between them.

She didn't dare look at him, quietly waiting for his response.

An eternity seemed to pass before a raspy voice drifted down from above her.

"It really was because of you."

Willa's face was gently lifted, forcing her to meet his gaze.

His eyes were rimmed with red, but there was no trace of the hatred she had expected. Instead, he looked as if he had calmly accepted destiny's cruelty.

Suddenly, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, strangely filling her with a trace of warmth.

By unspoken agreement, they neither brought up the engagement nor discussed their future.

They simply took it one day at a time, treating every moment they shared as borrowed time.

Randal remained suffocatingly clingy. Whenever Willa felt her patience running thin, she couldn't help but complain.

"Aren't you supposed to spend time with Scarlett now that you're engaged?"

Randal's face darkened instantly, a flash of subtle hurt crossing his features.

"You want me to go see her?"

"No, I just..."

"Then what do you mean?" He stepped closer. "Are you sick of me being around all the time? Or do you just want me to go humor her so you can have some peace and quiet?"

Willa was left speechless by his barrage of questions.

He stared at her, his eyes reddening once more.

"Willa, are you thinking about running away again?"