Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 8

When the call connected, a steady voice came through the speaker.

"Willa? What made you think of calling your Uncle Sean?"

"Mr. Thorne," Willa began, "I want to go see my dad. Could you... help arrange a visit for me?"

Sean paused in surprise. "You're back in the country?"

"Yes, I've been back for two months. I didn't want to bother you, so I didn't reach out."

The line fell silent for a few seconds before he let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, I'll make some calls tomorrow. Your dad... he's been asking about you constantly."

"Okay. Thank you, Mr. Thorne."

After hanging up, she stared at her screen for a long time before ruthlessly blocking the number she had just been forced to save.

——

Inside the Skyline Heights apartment.

Hearing the door open, Scarlett Sterling didn't even turn around. "You're here?"

"Yeah," Randal replied. He walked over to the sofa with easy familiarity, sat down, and unbuttoned the top button of his collar. "Scarlett, we need to talk."

Scarlett walked over with a cup of coffee and leaned down to place it on the coffee table in front of him. "Drink some coffee first."

Randal didn't even glance at it, getting straight to the point. "Let's cancel the engagement."

"Both families are set to publicly announce the alliance in a few months, and now... you want to call it off?" The smile on Scarlett's face stiffened considerably. "Unless... you have someone else in mind."

"I don't," Randal shot back instantly, without a second thought.

Scarlett sat down across from him. "Randal, I thought you would have figured this out over the last two years. This engagement was never just about the two of us, and it certainly isn't something I can control."

She took a slow sip of her coffee. "I don't care who you mess around with on the outside, and I promise I'll never interfere in her life. But that's as far as my tolerance goes, and it's the most dignity I can offer you."

"Scarlett," Randal's voice dropped an octave, "being shackled in a loveless marriage drains us both. You need to move on, too."

"But you promised Jace you would take care of me."

Jace.

Scarlett followed him to the door and whispered, "Drive safely. When you have time, your mother..."

"I don't have time," Randal interrupted before walking out.

The two of them rode in silence until they were settled inside Miles's obnoxiously flashy Bugatti. Only then did Randal speak again. "I need you to look into someone for me. Willa Vance."

Miles's hands paused on the steering wheel. He turned his head in utter confusion. "Huh? Who's Willa?"

"Zack's girlfriend."

The moment the words left his mouth, a suffocating tightness seized Randal's chest.

He opened his phone, typed out a quick message to Willa, and hit send.

[Break up with Zack.]

The moment it sent, a glaring red exclamation mark popped up on the screen.

A massive 'Bang!' echoed as Randal slammed his phone against the console. Miles jumped out of his skin, his foot slipping and slamming the gas pedal hard.