Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 298

"Willa," Randal said, offering a strained, tentative smile. "Actually... I live in this building too."

Willa froze, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Since when?"

"I just moved into 102 today." Terrified of triggering her anger, he frantically tried to explain. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to be closer to you, to see you more often."

Willa's expression turned glacial. "Do you think this is a joke, Randal? Are you trying to spy on my life again? Why don't you just set up a sleeping bag under my bed? Wouldn't that be more efficient?"

She took a menacing step forward. Despite the height difference, the sheer venom in her aura made Randal instinctively retreat half a step.

His face hardened, a flash of humiliating defeat crossing his eyes, but he refused to back down entirely.

"That's not what I'm doing, Willa, I swear. I just..."

"You really haven't changed one bit," Willa interrupted, her voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. "Must be a real struggle for Mr. Yates to slum it in a run-down building like this. I hope you can sleep at night."

Without sparing him another glance, she marched up the stairs.

Early the next morning, the sky barely tinged with gray, Willa was already awake. Plagued by anxiety, she had tossed and turned all night, eventually deciding to get an early start.

She quietly tucked the blankets around Nolan, quickly washed up, changed into her work clothes, and headed out the door.

However, the moment she reached the ground floor, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Standing in the dimly lit hallway was Randal, leaning casually against the wall. In his hand was a brown paper bag from a high-end bakery.

Seeing her, he immediately straightened up. His eyes darted to her face, then quickly dropped, desperately trying to mask his panic. "Morning. I... was just heading out too."

Willa noticed the dark circles under his eyes. She let out a weary sigh, lacking the energy to call out his terrible acting.

Pressing her lips into a thin line, she walked straight past him without a word, heading for the exit.

Randal fell into step right behind her.

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