Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 2

Zack was left utterly speechless.

"My cousin here has always been naive. He's never been in a relationship and is easily fooled. You don't mind if I ask a few extra questions, do you, Ms. Vance?"

Randal lowered his eyes, tracing the rim of his glass repeatedly. His tone was casual, yet heavily loaded with implication.

Without waiting for her to respond, he pressed further. "A woman as beautiful as you must have plenty of suitors. Tell me, how exactly did things end with your ex?"

Willa's hands tightened on her lap. She forced a smile, unable to fully hide the bitterness in her eyes, yet she stubbornly held her ground.

"Everyone has lapses in judgment when they're young. It was just a matter of cutting my losses before it was too late. There's no point in dragging out the past—it only disgusts everyone involved."

Randal's movements abruptly stopped. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the glass, the veins on the back of his hand bulging to make the jagged scar look even more menacing.

He looked up at her, all traces of amusement vanishing from his eyes, replaced by a dark intensity that sent a chill straight to her core.

Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Mrs. York quickly stepped in with a warm smile. "Randal, don't just sit there interrogating her. Here, try this dish. It used to be your favorite when you were little."

After placing some food on his plate, she turned to Willa with a gentle tone. "Willa, please don't take it to heart. Randal has always had a sharp tongue, but he doesn't mean any harm."

Willa managed a faint smile and stayed silent, though a bitter taste coated the back of her throat.

Randal picked up his glass, poured himself another full serving, and downed it in one swift motion.

He didn't launch another direct attack, but his piercing gaze lingered on her, suffocatingly heavy and impossible to ignore.

Willa felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

She endured it for a while longer until she absolutely couldn't take it anymore, finally using the restroom as an excuse to escape the stifling private room.

The restaurant was styled like a traditional courtyard, with the restrooms located on the opposite side of a winding corridor.

Willa didn't head in that direction. Instead, she took a detour into the secluded back garden.

It wasn't until she reached the shadow of a large sycamore tree that she finally let out a shaky breath.

His face was entirely too close!

A shameful realization hit her—no matter how much time had passed, just being near him was enough to send her mind spiraling.

Her body remembered their past intimacy much faster than her rational mind could catch up.

The thought filled her with a suffocating wave of self-loathing.

A dried leaf fluttered down, landing softly on her hair. Willa snapped back to reality and began to struggle fiercely. "Randal, what are you doing? Let me go!"

"You've been gone for five years, so why did you bother coming back?" Randal leaned in, his voice dripping with malice. "Did your sugar daddy finally dump you? Or did you just figure my naive cousin was an easy mark? You really aren't picky, are you, Willa?"

"What sugar daddy?" She let out a humorless laugh, whatever fleeting flutter she had felt evaporating instantly. "Watch your mouth, Randal. I am Zack's girlfriend now!"

"Girlfriend?" The word seemed to physically wound him. He let out a low, unsettling laugh.

The laughter died abruptly. He suddenly reached up, clamped a hand around the nape of her neck, and crushed his lips ruthlessly against hers.