Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 307

The first page was a bank transfer record.

The sender was a shell company registered under Harrison's name, and the recipient was the head of the investigative committee for The Empyrean Towers accident all those years ago.

The amount wasn't massive—only a few hundred thousand dollars—but the timing was incredibly suspect. It had been transferred exactly one week before the official accident report was published.

The second page contained phone records.

On the day after the accident, Harrison and Silas had spoken on the phone for four minutes and thirty seconds.

Over the course of the following month, the two had spoken seventeen times, always late in the dead of night.

These documents were more than enough to paint a picture of exactly what Harrison had orchestrated during The Empyrean Towers disaster, yet they still fell short of concrete evidence for a criminal conviction.

Julian was handing them over so freely simply to prove that he possessed even more damaging evidence in his arsenal.

"I appreciate the gesture, Mr. York." Willa slipped the files back into the envelope and turned to leave.

Julian leaned lazily against the sofa, his smile unwavering as he drawled, "I've held up my end of the bargain, Ms. Vance. When do you plan on fulfilling your promise?"

Willa turned back around, feigning ignorance. "What promise are you referring to, Mr. York?"

Julian chuckled softly. "You're a smart woman, Ms. Vance. There's no need to play dumb. I took care of the paternity test for you. Was that not me fulfilling my end of the deal?"

Willa nodded with complete composure. "I'm aware. I owe you a favor, and I haven't forgotten."

"Then how do you intend to repay it?"

Julian picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. His posture was relaxed, yet his underlying intent was aggressively cornering her.

Willa flashed a faint smile. "Mr. York, all you really want are the chips Randal holds. Or... more accurately, you want to know exactly what he's uncovered since infiltrating Vanguard, and whether or not his findings pose a threat to your position."

Julian set his cup down and rested his folded hands on his lap, his demeanor entirely unfazed. "Go on."

"That is certainly an unexpected accusation, Ms. Vance."

Willa struck while the iron was hot, systematically stripping away his layers of calculation. "You built this company from the ground up over years of grueling work. You finally turned Vanguard into a success, only to have your shares diluted by the Sterling Family and watch your executive control slip through your fingers."

"You aren't willing to swallow that defeat, but you can't go to war alone against someone with as much entrenched power as Harrison. So, you chose Randal."

"He's Harrison's son-in-law and the one man capable of keeping the Sterling Family in check. But you're conflicted. You want to recruit him, yet you're terrified to trust him entirely. You want to form an alliance, but you're constantly paranoid he might bite the hand that feeds him."

She raised a hand and pointed at herself, brutally laying bare her own predicament. "Therefore, you desperately need a middleman. You need a pawn who can pass messages for you while simultaneously keeping Randal on a leash. And that pawn is me."

Julian's face turned icy cold, all traces of amusement draining from his eyes. "You are far more intelligent than I anticipated, Ms. Vance.

"I can give you a definitive answer," Willa stated, her expression entirely solemn. "Randal's endgame has never been Vanguard. You can trust him absolutely."

Julian plunged into a prolonged silence, his index finger rhythmically tapping the armrest of the sofa, his expression obscured by shadows.