Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 74

"It is what it looks like," Randal stated flatly, turning back toward the exit.

"Randal, stop right there." Scarlett struggled to keep up in her stilettos.

Randal didn't slow his pace in the slightest.

It wasn't until they reached the front doors that he finally stopped.

Scarlett caught up, breathless. "Randal, neither of us can change this marriage arrangement. You have no right to take your anger out on me."

Randal stared at her, his gaze chillingly sharp.

"When your father proposed this, you shouldn't have agreed. Wasn't it Jace you were so obsessed with? Why did you agree to marry me? Scarlett, let me make this crystal clear right now: this wedding is never happening."

"Why? Because of Willa? You're still in love with her?"

Randal didn't bother to deny it. He pulled out his phone, dialed his driver, and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"If you're fine playing the puppet, be my guest. But leave me out of it."

"I told you, I can turn a blind eye if you want to keep her on the side, as long as you give me the respect I deserve as your wife."

Randal stopped dead in his tracks and whipped around.

The movement was so violently sudden that Scarlett gasped and stumbled back a step.

"You went to see her?" The aloof indifference in his eyes evaporated, replaced by a terrifying, predatory darkness.

Scarlett took another step back, opening her mouth to justify herself.

Randal closed the distance between them, his voice a low, venomous drawl. "What exactly did you say to her?"

Her heart plummeted, and her first instinct was to deny it.

"Stay the hell away from her, or I'll make sure there's nothing left of your precious reputation."

The color drained from her face, but she stubbornly clung to her pride. "Randal Yates, you owe me!"

"Owe you?" He scoffed, his smile cruel and hollow. "The only person I owe is Jace. When did I ever owe you a damn thing? The only reason I haven't publicly shattered this engagement and humiliated you is out of respect for him. Don't push your luck."

"Do you even realize that car crash ruined my..." Scarlett bit her lip, cutting herself off before she could finish the sentence.

How could she possibly lose to a nobody like Willa Vance?

A twisted, suffocating wave of pure hatred roared to life in her chest, utterly destroying her last shred of rationality.

Scarlett slowly lifted her head. The poised, elegant woman was gone, replaced by someone cold, bitter, and unhinged.

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"I need a background check on someone."

"Willa Vance."

"I want every single detail of her life from childhood to now. Leave no stone unturned."

Inside the car, Randal leaned back against the leather seat, his eyes closed, his expression dark as thunder.

The driver glanced at him cautiously in the rearview mirror. "Where to, Boss?"

"Sycamore Grove."