Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 184

Randal moved quickly. He made a brief phone call to someone and then directly dragged her into the car.

Willa sat next to him in the backseat, though there was a wide gap of space between them.

His gaze landed on the red chafe marks circling her wrist, and he frowned slightly. "Does it hurt?"

Willa didn't look at him, her tone flat. "You chained me up. Save the hypocritical concern."

Randal didn't get angry. Instead, he grabbed her hand and forcefully pulled her across the seat until she was sitting right next to him.

He gently rubbed the reddened skin, murmuring as if talking to himself. "It's okay. Once we get there, I'll put some ointment on it, and it'll fade in no time."

The car drove for over an hour before pulling up to the gates of a sprawling estate.

The iron gates swung open quickly, and a woman in her fifties hurried out to greet them.

The woman opened the car door. Randal stepped out, then walked around to Willa's side, opening her door and extending a hand to help her out.

Willa ignored him and stepped out on her own. The silver chain trailed from the car, hanging between them and clinking softly.

The woman caught sight of the chain. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but she instantly looked away.

"This is Mrs. Gable," Randal introduced. "She manages the estate. Tell her if you need anything."

Mrs. Gable gave a slight bow. She didn't look up, nor did she speak.

"Can she not speak?" Willa asked.

"She can," he replied, leading her inside. "But she won't initiate conversation with you. No one here will."

Willa stopped and looked at him. "Why?"

"Because I ordered them not to. They just need to do their jobs. If you need something, tell them, but they won't bother you."

A mocking smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Are you afraid I'll talk to them, or afraid they'll talk to me?"

Randal didn't answer. He simply led her into a bedroom. "This room has the best sunlight, and I had it cleaned just for you. The rest of your things will be brought in shortly. Tell Mrs. Gable if you need anything else."

Mrs. Gable came in with two cups of coffee, placed them on the table, and silently retreated.

Willa took a small sip and raised an eyebrow. "Panama Geisha?"

Randal remained expressionless and said nothing.

Willa took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, swallowing her frustration. "Randal, unlock the chain first. I can't run away. I don't have a car, and we're in the middle of nowhere. I need to work, and typing with this on is very inconvenient."

Randal thought about it for a long moment, then shook his head. "I'll unfasten it when I come home. While I'm gone, it stays on."

Willa scoffed, too exhausted to argue. "Whatever. Have someone bring me my laptop."

She looked down to text Martin back.

[I can submit the draft this week. Give me two more days.]

The moment she hit send, Martin replied.

[There's something else I wanted to discuss. Iris and I both think you have the perfect look for our cultural heritage video series. Would you be interested?]

Willa was just about to type a response when Randal snatched the phone out of her hand. He tapped the screen a couple of times and tossed it back.

She glanced down. Three glaring words stared back at her.

[Not interested.]