Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 236

At least they were inside Randal's penthouse, and his bodyguards were stationed just outside the door. Eleanor wouldn't dare try anything drastic here.

Eleanor seemed to notice her tension. The corners of her lips twitched into a smirk, her posture radiating superiority. "Relax. I didn't come here to cause trouble for you today."

As she spoke, she pulled a folder from her designer bag, placed it on the coffee table, and slid it toward Willa. "Take a look at this first."

Willa didn't reach for the folder.

"Don't worry, it's not a check," Eleanor said, her tone tinged with impatience. "I told you to look, so look."

Willa hesitated for a second before picking up the folder and opening it.

Inside were two medical reports. The first was Willa's own ultrasound results.

But when she flipped to the second page, her pupils constricted sharply.

It was a surgical report for Scarlett Sterling. The diagnosis read: *Emergency hysterectomy following a ruptured uterus. Permanent loss of reproductive function.*

Willa's hands began to tremble. She looked up at Eleanor, bewildered.

Eleanor leaned back into the sofa, crossing her legs elegantly. "Do you understand now?"

Willa's voice felt tight in her throat. "Scarlett... can't get pregnant?"

"That car crash five years ago didn't just injure my son. Scarlett was in the passenger seat. Her uterus ruptured. She hemorrhaged. They had to take it out."

A terrifying sense of dread washed over Willa, making her instinctively shrink back into her chair. "Why are you showing me this?"

Willa bit down hard on her lip, her fingernails digging into her palms. The sharp pain grounded her.

She knew Eleanor was right about one thing—she could never match the wealth and resources the Yates family could provide.

But this was her flesh and blood. How could she ever let him go?

Willa took a deep, shuddering breath, a sudden, desperate lie forming in her mind. "Mrs. Yates, this baby isn't Randal's."

Eleanor's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

Willa rested her hand over her stomach, forcing a reckless, cynical smile. "I said, this child doesn't belong to Randal. He knows it, too. If you don't believe me, ask him yourself."

She paused, hammering the point home. "This baby has absolutely nothing to do with the Yates family. If you want a grandchild, find another surrogate. I'm sure there are plenty of women lining up for the job."