Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 194

He clung to her desperately, terrified of being pushed away again.

"Willa." Randal's voice pulled her back to reality. "Do you still blame me?"

Willa shook her head, intentionally shifting the subject. "With me stuck recovering like this, I'm afraid it's going to delay the cultural heritage project."

Randal froze for a second before asking, "You really want to do this project?"

"Yes. I've always been very interested in this subject," Willa nodded.

"Then once your injuries are fully healed, going to film it isn't entirely out of the question," Randal said carefully.

Willa's eyes flew wide open in absolute shock, completely unprepared for him to suddenly relent.

Randal handed her phone over. The screen was open to her chat with Martin Jenson.

[Martin Jenson: Willa, could you reconsider? Iris and I have been looking for days, and we still haven't found a suitable candidate.]

She looked up at Randal, her eyes brimming with confusion. "You... you're letting me shoot it?"

"I said, once your injuries are completely healed." His tone was slightly awkward, but he was clearly trying to coax her. "And someone has to go with you."

"Okay." She agreed without missing a beat.

Randal paused, clearly surprised. "You're not going to take this chance to haggle and make other demands?"

Willa offered a faint smile, her tone detached. "If I told you not to send anyone to follow me, would you agree?"

He honestly shook his head.

"Exactly. So bargaining is pointless."

There was no point fighting over things she couldn't change.

The fact that he was letting her do the project at all was a massive concession. If she pushed her luck, she might just infuriate him and lose this slim chance altogether.

"Iris recommended me, and he thinks I'm the right fit. That's why he's waiting," Willa explained, holding onto her patience.

He let out a sullen "hmm," still looking noticeably displeased.

Willa let out a helpless sigh. The man was thirty years old, yet when he got jealous, he was just as irrational, stubborn, and immature as he had been in his early twenties.

As if suddenly recalling something, Randal's expression darkened further. "By the way, I'll pay back the money to Sean Thorne for you. You are absolutely forbidden from having any contact with him from now on."

The frustration in her chest instantly flared, impossible to suppress. "Randal, you're being unreasonable. Sean is my dad's friend. He practically watched me grow up."

He doubled down stubbornly. "I won't let him take a loss. I'll pay him back millions, alright?"

"This isn't about the money at all!" Willa shot back sharply. "If you do that, wouldn't I just owe you even more?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.