Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 77

Willa quickly got out of bed, washed up, changed her clothes, and hurried out the door.

The moment she stepped out of her alley, she froze.

That feeling was back.

For the past few days, she couldn't shake the creeping sensation that a pair of eyes was glued to her back.

She whipped her head around. The alley was bustling with the usual morning commuters, but nothing seemed out of place. She tried to convince herself she was just exhausted and paranoid.

Frowning, she turned and kept walking.

When she reached the bus stop, she glanced over her shoulder one more time.

Amidst the crowd, a man in a black baseball cap was staring intently at his phone. She couldn't see his face, just the sharp silhouette of his profile.

Her heart hammered violently against her ribs. She wanted to step closer to get a better look, but the bus pulled up to the curb, blocking her view.

She boarded and quickly claimed a window seat, pressing her face to the glass to look back at the stop.

The man in the baseball cap was still standing there, and now his head was raised, staring dead at her bus.

Willa gasped, tearing her eyes away, her heart pounding frantically.

She gripped her phone tightly, debating whether to call Sophie Sommers about this.

After a long internal debate, she hit dial.

The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before it connected.

"Wills, do you know what time it is?" Sophie mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"Sophie, I think someone is following me."

Dead silence on the other end, followed by the frantic rustling of bedsheets.

"What? Who's following you?"

"I don't know." Willa kept her voice low. "I've had this creepy feeling for days. This morning, I actually saw him. He was wearing a baseball cap, but I couldn't make out his face."

"Did you call the cops?"

"I don't have any proof. They won't do anything."

"What about Randal?" Sophie's voice spiked in volume. "Isn't he supposed to handle this kind of thing?"

Willa blinked in surprise. "What does this have to do with him?"

Sophie practically yelled through the speaker, "Aren't you two back together?"

"It's nothing." Willa forced a tired smile. "Just didn't sleep well."

Iris gave her a long look but didn't push. She dropped the folder onto Willa's desk.

"I went through your draft. It's solid. I've highlighted the areas that need tweaking. Clean it up and send it back to me before the end of the day."

"Got it."

"Don't try to carry the weight of the world by yourself. If you need help, ask for it."

Willa was stunned for a second before nodding. "Thank you."

Iris didn't say anything else and walked away.

At exactly 5:00 PM, Willa packed up her things and headed downstairs.

The moment she stepped out of the office lobby, she spotted a blindingly red Porsche idling at the curb.

Sophie was leaning casually against the door, sporting oversized sunglasses and a sequined dress that looked like it belonged on a red carpet, practically glowing in the late afternoon sun.

Spotting Willa, Sophie slid her sunglasses down her nose and waved enthusiastically. "Over here!"

Willa hurried over, but before she could speak, Sophie demanded, "What's going on? You told me you worked somewhere else last time..."