Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 315

After the statements dropped, the tide of public opinion took a bizarre, sharp turn.

At first, there were only scattered murmurs of doubt, easily ignored.

But by noon, the narrative completely flipped.

On the trending charts, the hashtag #RandalYatesScamMarriage skyrocketed to the top.

Willa tapped into the hashtag, greeted instantly by a massive exposé from a major gossip account.

Headline: *The Dark Truth Behind Randal Yates: A High-Society Scam Marriage. Was Scarlett Sterling Just a Pawn?*

The article was heavily dramatized, starting with Randal and Scarlett's lavish wedding. It included photos from the event, showing Scarlett in a stunning white gown, smiling radiantly.

It then presented leaks from an alleged 'insider,' claiming Randal had never intended to truly marry Scarlett. The wedding was merely a calculated stepping stone for him to infiltrate Vanguard Properties.

*[Randal Yates needed the Sterling family's connections and resources, but he refused to be chained down by marriage. Scarlett was nothing but a tool to him.]*

The final paragraph viciously dragged Willa back into the crossfire: *[As for the child, that's just a convenient excuse he's using to finally shake off Scarlett.]*

The comment section was an absolute bloodbath.

*[Scumbag! If this isn't trash behavior, what is?]*

*[They threw a massive wedding and now claim they never got the certificate? What was the wedding then, a cosplay event? My heart breaks for Scarlett, strung along for two years.]*

*[What terrible karma did Scarlett have to run into a nightmare like this guy?]*

*[Randal Yates: I need the Sterling family's wealth, but I won't marry you. Wow, his calculations are so loud I can hear them from orbit.]*

*[Basically an attempted marriage scam. He used her and tossed her aside, and now he's trying to act like a devoted father.]*

*[The rich are so twisted. I feel sick for both women.]*

*[So whose side of the story are we supposed to believe? I'm dizzy from all this drama.]*

*[Believe who? Just believe Randal is a scumbag and call it a day. That's the only factual takeaway.]*

Willa read through about a dozen comments before turning off her screen.

Arthur stepped out of the kitchen with a bowl of soup, asking tentatively, "Willa, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Willa stood up, walked to the window, and pulled the curtain open just a sliver.

That afternoon, the second wave of public outrage crashed down.

This time, it didn't come from a gossip blogger, but an anonymous corporate whistleblower account.

The headline was brutally direct: *Randal Yates Meddles in Vantage Media HR Decisions to Protect Mistress.*

The article alleged that Randal was exploiting his status and connections to pressure Vantage Media into overturning Willa's suspension.

*[According to an internal source at Vantage, upper management received 'concerns' from Randal Yates's camp less than twenty-four hours after issuing the suspension notice.]*

*[Subsequently, Vantage Media's parent corporation was subjected to inquiries regarding corporate governance and transparency from external entities.]*

*[Is this really just a coincidence? Why would the suspension of a mid-level employee cause such panic at the corporate level?]*

The comments ignited once again.

*[Isn't this a massive abuse of power?]*

*[Insane. He's threatening an entire corporation just for some woman?]*