Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 43

Willa's heart gave a violent lurch as she slowly turned her head.

This was the first time she was seeing Scarlett up close.

The other woman had a luxurious light gray cashmere coat draped over her shoulders, which accentuated her luminous skin and delicate features. Her entire demeanor exuded the graceful elegance of someone raised in extreme privilege.

Her gaze was friendly enough, but beneath that warmth lay a distinct, condescending aloofness.

"Randal, who is this...?" Scarlett asked, offering a flawless smile as she looked at him, her tone soft.

Randal's gaze fell on Willa, his expression unreadable. He turned to Scarlett and casually dropped two words. "An acquaintance."

With just those dismissive words, he effortlessly erased their three years of history.

Willa's throat tightened. She tried to muster a polite smile but found herself entirely incapable.

Confronting Randal and his fiancée directly brought back the intense heartache she had forced down in the restaurant, hitting her with ten times the force.

Scarlett nodded in understanding, offering Willa a polite smile in greeting, before turning back to Randal. "My driver is here. Are you riding back with me?"

"No, I'll have her drop me off. We're going the same way."

The moment Randal said that, Scarlett's smile stiffened imperceptibly. The look she shot Willa carried a flicker of arrogant displeasure, though she fought to maintain her poised facade.

"The same way?" She tilted her head slightly, looking at Randal, her smile dimming. "I don't believe I know which prominent family this young lady is from. I don't think we've met."

Randal furrowed his brow, remaining silent for a second before speaking up. "I moved."

"Moved?" Scarlett looked visibly surprised. "Why didn't I know about this? Where did you move to?"

Randal clearly lost his patience, his tone turning dismissive. "It's just moving. I don't need to report my every move to you."

Randal didn't release his grip until the car had driven off.

"Randal! You—" Willa gasped for air, her voice shaking. "What are you doing? Aren't you afraid your fiancée will be furious?"

"She won't be mad." He leaned in close to her ear, his tone dripping with wicked frivolity. "Scarlett told me she doesn't mind if I keep a mistress on the side."

As soon as those words landed, Willa felt like she had been struck by lightning, freezing instantly in place.

The faint feelings of guilt and gratitude that had blossomed during their hike vanished into thin air.

Her stomach cramped violently, the sickening ache intensifying. Acid surged up her throat, and she clutched a nearby tree, dry-heaving uncontrollably as tears blurred her vision.

So this was why he had always hidden his identity in the past, why he had never introduced her to his friends. It was all because she was nothing more than a dirty secret.

"Randal..." Her voice trembled so violently she could barely string the words together. "What exactly am I to you?"