Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 228

Willa's brows furrowed slightly, but she didn't say much, only urging her father to stop dwelling on Naomi.

Stepping out of the prison gates, the blinding sunlight made her instinctively squint.

Randal was standing by the car. A large patch of his white shirt was soaked in sweat, and a half-smoked cigarette dangled between his fingers.

Seeing her walk out, he stubbed out the cigarette, pulled a clean shirt from the backseat, and began changing right there in the open.

Willa approached the car. Her gaze briefly swept over his unbuttoned collar and the beads of sweat still clinging to his chest. Without a word, she pulled the door open and slid inside.

Randal climbed in after her, still radiating the suffocating heat of the summer air.

He reached over to feel her forehead. "No fever. Why do you still look so pale?"

"It's just the heat."

"Then stop going out so much," he said flatly, before instructing the driver to start the car.

As the car cruised down the road, Willa suddenly spoke up: "Go to Sycamore Grove."

Randal frowned. "Why do you want to go there?"

Willa casually offered an excuse: "I need to pick something up. Sophie forgot to grab it for me when she moved out."

He remained silent for a few seconds before telling the driver, "Turn around. Head to Sycamore Grove."

When they arrived at Sycamore Grove, Willa pushed the car door open and stepped out, with Randal following closely behind.

Since she knew Sean Thorne had bought the property, she expected everything to remain unchanged.

But when she pushed open the courtyard gates, she was still struck with genuine shock.

The yard was immaculately maintained, and the flowers and plants she had left behind were thriving vibrantly.

The pomegranate tree in the corner was actually bearing fruit, with small, unripe orbs hanging heavily from the branches.

Stepping inside the house, the layout was exactly as she had left it, yet it now possessed a warm, lived-in energy.

Randal trailed her closely, never straying more than a step away.

Willa walked into the bedroom, pulling open a drawer to rummage through it aimlessly.

In truth, she had nothing important to retrieve; she simply wanted to see her old home.

Randal evidently realized who Sean was as well, his expression instantly turning icy.

The air in the room snapped taut.

As the two men locked eyes, an intense undercurrent of hostility flared, both radiating absolute disdain for the other.

Willa rushed forward in a panic, trying to intervene: "Sean..."

"Step aside, Willa," Sean ordered, his tone heavy with suppressed rage.

He marched right up to Randal. The two men stood face to face, mere inches apart.

Though Sean was slightly shorter than Randal, his commanding presence didn't waver in the slightest.

"Randal Yates, I'm going to ask you a question," Sean said, staring him dead in the eye, enunciating every single word. "Willa is pregnant, isn't she? Is that child yours?"

Randal's brow twitched. He stood in absolute silence, offering no response.

Willa's heart violently plummeted.

Oh god, was Randal going to spew his delusional nonsense again?