Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 304

The man sitting in front of her was entirely different from the arrogant, untouchable Randal she remembered.

In the past, he would have never been this submissive or enduring; he always operated with absolute self-righteousness and zero reservations.

Willa withdrew her gaze and looked back out the window, her tone chillingly resolute. "From now on, do not interfere with my work, and do not plant anyone near me. I don't need that kind of protection."

Randal's fingers tightened slightly, his lips barely moving as he agreed, "Okay."

Willa could hear the reluctance dripping from his response, but she didn't let herself soften.

Some boundaries had to be drawn with absolute clarity.

They sat in silence for a moment before Willa's eyes inadvertently landed on a stack of documents resting on the passenger seat.

The papers were tucked into a dark gray folder, exposing a corner stamped with the Vanguard Properties logo.

She hadn't thought much of it at first, but as her gaze swept over the page, she caught a few distinct words.

The Empyrean Towers Project.

"What is this?" Willa immediately reached out to grab the folder.

Randal's expression shifted slightly, instinctively reaching out to block her. "Just some... work documents."

But Willa was faster, having already flipped the folder open.

The first page was a set of meeting minutes dated eight years ago. The title read: "Vanguard Properties Emergency Shareholder Meeting - Resolution on The Empyrean Towers Project Accident Handling and Equity Readjustment."

She continued reading.

Item One: The collapse of a building under construction at The Empyrean Towers project resulted in three fatalities, with estimated compensation and fallout costs totaling approximately three million dollars.

Item Two: Given the severity of the accident, extensive resources are required to pacify public opinion, coordinate with regulatory authorities, and prevent a total shutdown of the project to safeguard the company's reputation.

Following negotiations, founder Julian York voluntarily relinquishes 15% of his shares in Vanguard Properties, to be held in trust by Sterling Investment.

She turned to the second page.

And her father, the man ruthlessly pushed forward as a scapegoat, was just an insignificant sacrifice in their multi-party deal.

She flipped to the next page.

The third page was a summary of financial transfers spanning from eight years ago to the present, detailing massive transactions between Brightway Building Materials and multiple shell companies under Harrison's name.

Willa scanned it briefly. The figures were staggeringly high, with meticulous annotations attached to each transaction.

She reached the fourth page, but before she could inspect it closely, Randal snatched the entire folder away. "Don't look at that."

However, she had already caught a glimpse of the bold heading: Traffic Accident Scene Report.

Dated exactly eight years ago.

Willa had a sinking suspicion about whose name was written on that report, her heart rate accelerating.

"Do you suspect your brother's car crash was connected to Vanguard?"