Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 47

Her pulse raced as a wave of anxiety and dread crashed over her, though buried deep inside, an unacknowledged sliver of anticipation took root.

Lost in thought, she was startled when Liz from Administration knocked and entered. "Ms. Vance, the Director would like to see you in his office at ten-thirty. It's the room at the very end of the hall."

"Alright, I'll head over now." Willa's nerves flared up.

After Liz left, Willa dragged her feet for a few moments before finally taking a deep breath and heading toward the office.

The door was slightly ajar. She raised her hand and gave it two light knocks.

"Come in."

A male voice answered, laced with a cynical, lazy drawl.

Willa's heart sank, and the foot she was about to step inside with immediately pulled back.

She had heard that voice recently, but it wasn't the one she had been dreading.

Before she could pinpoint the owner, the voice called out again, "Come in?"

Willa shook off her daze, braced herself, and walked in, offering a respectful greeting. "Manager."

She slowly raised her eyes and was met with a familiar face sporting a faint smirk.

The moment she recognized him, Willa froze, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.

A wave of immense relief swiftly washed over her.

Thank God, it wasn't Randal.

Miles leaned back in his chair, his tone casual and familiar. "Surprised to see me? Did you think it was going to be Randal?"

Caught red-handed, Willa grew even more tense, her back going completely rigid.

Maintaining a guarded stance, she asked, "May I ask why you wanted to see me, Mr. Zane?"

"What do you want to drink? Tea? Coffee?" Miles countered.

During her three years with Randal, she had never known he had such a close friend named Miles Zane.

Realizing he had run his mouth again, Miles gave a stiff smile. "I knew of you, but we never exactly met."

"Back then, Randal kept you completely hidden. We all just knew there was someone in his life. If we pushed, he'd just tell us to drop it. The only time he ever slipped up was when he got drunk and muttered that you had zero tolerance for bullshit."

Willa's breath hitched, her fingers curling involuntarily.

It was true. When she and Randal first got together, she had been living in a bubble of bliss. Arthur Vance had spoiled her rotten, raising her as a pampered princess, and Randal had treated her like something infinitely precious.

Once, in the dead of winter, he had driven halfway across Norvale just to buy her a bowl of shrimp wonton soup she had casually mentioned wanting.

By the time he handed it to her, the soup had gone completely cold and soggy. It hadn't even tasted good, but the warmth she felt in her heart that night had stayed with her all these years.

Being spoiled with that kind of singular devotion had made her uncompromising. She hadn't tolerated the slightest flaw in their relationship. Looking back now, it felt like the foolish arrogance of youth.

A bitter smile grazed Willa's lips as a fleeting darkness crossed her eyes.