Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 251

Sophie scoffed. "If I don't hit where it hurts, will you ever wake up? You're just too soft-hearted. He sweet-talks you a little, and you completely lose your bearings."

Willa lowered her eyes, unable to argue.

Sophie was right. She was entirely too soft-hearted.

Whenever Randal treated her a little better, showed a bit of vulnerability, or acted miserable, she forgot everything.

But this time, she had made up her mind. There was absolutely no turning back.

"Sophie, don't worry. I won't stay."

Sophie looked at her for a few seconds. Seeing that she wasn't joking, she slowly nodded. "Okay. I'll have someone clean up the house tomorrow. You can move in over there whenever you're ready."

"Yeah, thank you for the trouble."

Sophie sat with Willa a little longer. The two of them deliberately avoided their depressing reality and casually chatted about everyday things.

Sophie talked about a hit TV show she had been watching lately, complaining about how trashy but addictive the plot was. She then mentioned that her brother, Corbin, was being relentlessly hounded by their family to settle down, so much so that he was hiding out and didn't dare go home.

She also complained that her father was forcing her to work at the family company, but she adamantly refused, preferring to just be a couch potato.

Willa listened quietly, occasionally offering a faint smile or chiming in with a few words. Her tightly wound nerves finally relaxed a little.

Before they knew it, the sky outside the window began to darken.

Mrs. Gable brought over two bowls of warm broth and placed them on the coffee table.

Sophie picked hers up and took a sip, but she winced at the heat and set it right back down.

"Willa," Sophie suddenly dropped her smile and lowered her voice, her expression turning serious. "Has Stella been causing you any trouble lately?"

Willa paused, a little surprised. "Stella? Why bring her up all of a sudden?"

"I just keep thinking about it, and it makes me uneasy," Sophie frowned. "Her trying to crawl into his bed caused a huge scandal. I just forwarded a video to teach her a lesson, and she hated me enough to retaliate."

Sophie sighed helplessly. "No. Corbin is the one investigating it, and he refuses to tell me anything. He just said that we can't touch Stella right now and told me not to provoke her."

A cold chill washed over Willa, and her voice tightened. "Who do you think is helping her behind the scenes?"

Sophie shook her head. "I'm not sure. It might be Scarlett, or it could be someone else entirely."

The two of them fell silent for a long time before Sophie finally spoke up. "Willa, have you ever thought that maybe this person isn't actually targeting you?"

Willa froze, her face filled with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Sophie carefully weighed her words, "if this person's target isn't you, then destroying your reputation would actually have the biggest impact on Randal."

Willa's heart sank heavily.

It was true. She and the baby in her stomach were Randal's biggest weakness and his breaking point.

According to Sophie's theory, the timing of all this happening right before the ceremony was crucial.