Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 288

Suddenly, her heart seized. She hurried into the living room and shoved the prepared bottle into Arthur's hands.

"Dad, we are moving within the next two days. We have to go immediately."

Arthur was bewildered. "So soon? I thought you were still looking for the right place?"

Willa shook her head, unable to mask the panic in her eyes any longer. "We can't afford to be picky. Anywhere with a roof is fine, but we have to leave as quickly as possible."

As she spoke, she rushed into the bedroom, yanked open the closet, and began tossing clothes onto the bed.

"Willa, what on earth happened? Did your mother do something?" Arthur followed her to the bedroom doorway, holding Nugget, looking completely lost.

Willa's hands paused. Not knowing how to articulate her terrifying suspicions, she forced a calm facade to brush it off. "No, I just don't want to live here anymore. We're too close to him, and it constantly sets me on edge."

Arthur stayed quiet for a moment. He didn't pry any further. Laying Nugget down on the bed, he stepped forward to help her pack.

"Alright, if you say move, we move. Do you have a place in mind?"

Willa thought for a second. "Let's find a short-term rental first, just something close to my office. We can take our time finding a proper place later."

Arthur nodded in agreement. "Then I'll go apartment hunting tomorrow. You focus on work, don't let this distract you."

The move happened in utter secrecy, without a word to anyone.

Arthur packed up all their belongings, hailed a moving van, and hauled everything away before the sun even came up.

The new rental was in the Norvale East District, only three subway stops from the office. It was a top-floor walk-up in an older complex with no elevator, but the upside was its simplicity and quiet environment.

The landlord was a hard-of-hearing elderly woman who minded her own business, which suited Willa perfectly.

For the first few days after settling in, life was incredibly peaceful.

The colleague was Lana Thorne. She had been with the company two years longer than Willa and had been eyeing Vanguard pitches for ages. After being rejected multiple times, she was already harboring a grudge.

"No, we've just done two interviews before."

Lana chuckled softly, clearly not buying a word of it.

Willa knew she wouldn't believe her, but she couldn't be bothered to explain further.

It was true that Julian rarely accepted media interviews. The fact that a probationary rookie like her snagged an exclusive was bound to spark nasty gossip.

"Alright, that's settled." The editor smacked the table, steering the conversation back to other pitches.

After the meeting adjourned, Willa gathered her things to leave.

Just as she reached the door, Lana caught up from behind, nudging her arm and lowering her voice to a whisper. "Willa, tell me the truth. Are you and Julian having some sort of illicit affair?"