Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 50

He didn't finish the sentence, but the color instantly drained from Zack's face.

"Randal... you..." He stared at Randal in disbelief. He never imagined the older cousin he had respected since childhood would resort to blackmailing him.

Willa didn't want Zack getting caught in the crossfire because of her. She cut in before he could respond. "Zack, this is between Randal and me. You don't need to get involved."

She looked up at Randal, her face pale and devoid of emotion. "He's your cousin. Don't make things difficult for him."

Randal's expression didn't soften in the slightest. A low chuckle escaped his lips, carrying a hint of unhinged madness. "Good. Very good."

He shoved Zack aside, spitting out a vicious curse. "Get the hell out!"

"Willa!" Zack tried to grab her, but Miles clamped a firm grip on his arm.

"Let it go, Zack. Listen to Willa. Stay out of this."

Randal dragged Willa forcefully all the way to his car, shoving her into the back seat.

It took a long while before Miles slowly slid into the driver's seat.

"What are you waiting for? Drive." Randal's brows were knit together, his hostility practically suffocating the confined space.

Miles sighed, offering a helpless word of advice. "We've all been friends for years. Do you really have to let things get this ugly?"

Randal's tone was deadpan, completely indifferent. "Do I look like I care?"

Left with nothing more to say, Miles obediently started the engine.

After a long silence, Randal grabbed a folder from beside him and tossed it onto Willa's lap. "Look this over before you decide whether or not to accept my terms."

Willa held her breath, her trembling fingers pulling out a stack of printed documents. She flipped to the first page.

One glance was all it took for her to forget how to breathe.

It was a photocopy of the case file from her father's accident.

Willa flipped to the next page, uncovering a transcript of an interrogation.

Five years ago, it was this exact testimony, combined with an unexplained sum of money in her father's bank account, that had cemented his guilt for corruption and bribery. Even with glaring inconsistencies, the case was hastily closed.

The last page of the transcript featured another handwritten sticky note. The handwriting matched the previous one, likely a summary added by whoever Randal had hired to compile the file.

*[Note: Donnie Dawson vanished from his temporary residence 12 days after the accident. His current whereabouts remain unknown.

Leonard Langley passed away 20 days after the accident due to a sudden heart attack.

Franklin Garrett died in a single-vehicle DUI crash 6 months after the accident, killed on impact.]*

Reading this, Willa lost all her strength.

Every single person who might have known the truth was dead. The only ones left were her father and the missing Jonathan Dawson.

She looked up, her voice trembling violently. "Jonathan Dawson... he's Donnie Dawson? Did you find him?"