Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 62

"Hello, Iris..." she answered, her voice raspy.

"What happened to your voice?" Iris's cool tone filtered through the speaker. "Miles asked for time off on your behalf first thing this morning, saying you were in the hospital. What's going on?"

"It's nothing, just a bit of a fever. It's already broken."

"That's good. Will you still be able to make it to the business forum in a few days?"

"Yes, I can go."

"Alright," Iris acknowledged. "Then I won't replace you. Get some rest. I'll email you the interview materials later."

After hanging up, Willa clutched her phone and stared at the ceiling, her mind in a chaotic knot.

That afternoon, she hastily went through the discharge procedures.

Randal didn't contact her again.

Two days later, Willa's health was mostly back to normal, and Iris emailed her the exclusive interview materials.

The business forum was scheduled at the banquet hall of a top-tier hotel in Norvale. After the forum concluded, the organizers would arrange a private interview room.

She made sure she was fully prepared ahead of time.

On the day of the event, she wore a tasteful beige suit and light makeup, looking relatively refreshed.

When Iris saw her, she gave her a once-over. "Fully recovered?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Great." She nodded. "We can't afford a single mistake with this interview."

Just as the two of them arrived at the hotel entrance, a sleek black car pulled up slowly.

The door opened, and Randal stepped out of the backseat.

He was dressed in a dark gray, custom-tailored suit that only accentuated his cold, aristocratic aura.

It wasn't surprising to see him at an event like this.

Willa only spared him a single glance before looking away. She was just about to head inside when she caught sight of him walking around to the other side of the car, opening the door, and gentlemanly offering a hand to help Scarlett out.

The two shared a smile as Scarlett naturally linked her arm through his. They were a painfully perfect match.

Willa's footsteps ground to a sudden halt.

Iris took all this in and subconsciously cast a complicated look at Willa.

Randal and Scarlett headed toward the VIP lounge area.

"The interview location is the lounge at the far end of the right corridor." Iris checked her watch and gave her instructions. "Go get set up first. I need to go say hello to the organizers."

Willa nodded and made her way down the hall.

The moment she turned the corner, she spotted a familiar figure.

Zack was standing at the end of the corridor, looking down at his phone.

As if sensing her presence, he looked up. Meeting Willa's eyes, he froze for a second before hurrying over to her.

"Willa?" he said, pleasantly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for an interview. What about you?"

"I..." Zack scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "I came with my uncle. He dragged me along to gain some exposure. I got bored, so I came out for some fresh air."

Willa nodded and prepared to keep walking.

But Zack stood right in front of her, refusing to budge, looking like he had something to say but didn't know how to say it.