Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 271

"Willa?" Arthur noticed her distraction. Following her gaze, he frowned slightly. "Do you... know that man?"

Corbin also caught sight of the figure across the street. He helped Arthur into the car first, then walked over to Willa, reaching out to take Nugget from her arms.

"Should we go over and check?" he asked.

Willa shook her head, her tone indifferent. "No need. There's nothing to say."

Corbin glanced at her, said nothing more, and leaned in to secure Nugget in the car seat. Once he clicked the buckle into place, he opened the passenger door.

"Get in, Willa."

Willa's mind was entirely consumed by the distant silhouette; she hadn't heard a word he said.

Because he was so far away, she couldn't make out his expression, but that solitary figure looked even more sullen and lonely than before.

"Willa," Corbin called out again, snapping her back to reality. She quickly ducked her head and slid into the car.

"Willa," Arthur hesitated. "That man..."

"Dad," Willa interrupted him. "We'll talk about it when we get back."

It was nearing noon when the car pulled into Sycamore Grove.

Arthur insisted Corbin stay for lunch.

Willa had assumed Corbin would decline, knowing he usually disliked loud gatherings, but to her surprise, he readily agreed.

Smiling, Arthur headed into the kitchen to busy himself, leaving the others to wait in the living room.

The savory aroma of home-cooked food wafted through the crack in the door. Willa hadn't smelled that comforting scent in a long time.

Arthur was an excellent cook, but ever since he went to prison, she had forgotten the warm atmosphere of a real family meal.

"I strongly object," Willa stated firmly.

"But she's still your mother, after all. I don't want you to..."

"I think we need to be clear about this," Corbin interjected with a deep voice. "If it weren't for Willa's mother, Stella Whitman wouldn't have had such an easy time kidnapping Willa."

"Kidnapping?" Arthur's face drastically changed as he shot a look at Willa. "Willa, what on earth is going on? Why did Sean never mention this to me?"

Sean Thorne, standing nearby, looked equally shocked and confused, indicating he knew nothing about it either.

Willa lowered her head and continued picking at her food, unwilling to bring up those dark memories. "It's in the past," she mumbled evasively. "There's no need to bring it up. Nugget and I are perfectly fine now."

Corbin wasn't usually a man of many words, but he couldn't help but speak up for her injustice. "Stella Whitman locked her in a basement. By the time we found her, she was running a high fever and nearly miscarried. It was a miracle Nugget survived."

Arthur's face instantly drained of color. His lips trembled, unable to form a single word. It took a long time for him to recover from the shock and lingering fear before he asked in a shaky voice, "Did... did those people do it?"