Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 302

They finished their meal in silence, and Randal drove her home.

Willa pushed the door open and stepped out, walking into her apartment complex without a single glance back.

Just as she reached the lobby, his anxious voice called out from behind her. "Willa, can I... pick you up from work tomorrow?"

She tossed a dismissive "Whatever" over her shoulder and hurried into the building.

Back inside her apartment, Arthur Vance was in the living room playing with Nugget.

Hearing the door open, the little boy immediately turned his head and stumbled over, throwing his arms wide for a hug.

Willa rushed forward and scooped her son into a tight embrace.

The toddler wrapped his arms around her neck, his soft little hands patting her cheeks.

Willa's heart melted instantly, the lingering irritation from the car ride slowly soothed away by his gentle touch.

"Were you a good boy today, Nugget?" she asked, pressing a kiss to her son's forehead.

"He was an angel. He took a long nap this afternoon and didn't fuss at all when he woke up. He just played with his blocks," Arthur said. "Though he kept staring at the door around sunset. He probably knew you were coming home."

Arthur looked at her, hesitating before finally speaking up. "Willa, that man downstairs... was that Randal?"

Willa nodded. "Dad, just ignore him. He isn't going to fight us for Nugget."

"Then is he..." Arthur weighed his words carefully. "Does he... still have feelings for you?"

Willa met his gaze. "Dad, I can handle this myself. You don't need to worry."

Arthur sighed helplessly. "Alright, as long as you know what you're doing. I just don't want to see you get hurt again."

Willa let out a soft laugh. "I'm thirty years old. I'm not a little girl anymore, I know what's at stake."

After dinner, she coaxed Nugget to sleep, finished her nighttime routine, and lay in bed, tossing and turning.

She had finally managed to steer the conversation toward a crucial topic today, yet she still hadn't squeezed a single ounce of truth out of Randal.

What could possibly be so important that he felt the need to hide it from her?

The pantry instantly plunged into dead silence. Everyone awkwardly lowered their heads, pretending to be busy.

Lana was leaning against the window, a coffee cup in hand. Seeing Willa enter, her lips curled into a smirk, completely unapologetic.

"Willa, here for some water?"

Willa ignored her, filled her mug, and turned to leave.

"Willa," Lana called out deliberately to stop her. "Don't misunderstand, it was just idle chatter. I wasn't targeting anyone. You're not going to be petty about this, right?"

Willa glanced back, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "It's fine. Workplace gossip is completely normal, I don't care."

She paused. "But next time you decide to gossip about me, you might want to do your homework first. Randal's car isn't worth just millions. It's a three-million-dollar custom ride."

"Get the price tag right before you run your mouth. You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself and expose how narrow your worldview is."

Lana's face stiffened, her smirk instantly vanishing.

Without sparing her another glance, Willa calmly carried her mug out of the room.