Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 14

Willa didn't bother explaining that the house wasn't hers or that she was on the verge of losing her job, but the stranger's kindness still managed to bring a sliver of warmth to her heart.

She thanked him with a raspy voice, paid the fare, and stepped out of the car.

The night wind felt even colder now. She pulled her trench coat tighter around herself and hurried toward the ornate iron gate.

Before she could even ring the bell, the door swung open from the inside.

Sophie stood in the doorway, her expression instantly darkening the moment she saw Willa's disheveled state. "Willa, who the hell messed with you? Tell me, I'll go beat the crap out of them!"

Willa let out a watery laugh, her voice thick with congestion. "It's freezing out here. Let me inside first."

Sophie quickly stepped aside to let her in, muttering as she closed the door, "I knew you were swamped with work lately. How did you suddenly find time to come over here? Look at your eyes, they're redder than a rabbit's."

She grabbed Willa's arm and pulled her toward the living room. "Sit down. I'll go heat up some milk. Your hands are like ice..."

Her voice cut off abruptly mid-sentence.

Willa was looking down as she took off her trench coat, inadvertently exposing the vicious bite mark on her neck.

"What... what is that?" Sophie's voice spiked an octave.

She leaned in, raising a hand to touch it before stopping herself, her heart aching for her friend. "Which bastard did this? Tell me. I'm going to have my guys tear his house down!"

"It was Randal."

Willa and Sophie had met while studying abroad. Despite their wildly different backgrounds, they clicked instantly and became the best of friends.

She had only ever vaguely mentioned a doomed romance to Sophie, never revealing Randal's name or detailing the tangled history between them.

But Sophie guessed it immediately. "Is this the... ex you talked about?"

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