Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“So, you’re still not ready to tell me the whole story?” Landon raised an eyebrow, his tone lightly probing.
Sarah bit her lip, her emotions tangled as she wrestled with her thoughts. Finally, with a soft sigh, she said, “Honestly, there is nothing planned. I’ll be too caught up in my birthday party tomorrow to fuss over anything else. I just think, since you and she were once an item, it’d be better to part on good terms. Once she’s moved past everything, she won’t have any reason to disrupt your life anymore. That’s really it.”
Landon simply nodded. “I’ll have Edgar take care of it. She’ll be at your birthday party tomorrow, right on schedule. Don’t worry.”
Sarah’s face lit up with delight. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Landon in an attempt to kiss him on the cheek.
Landon was just about to push her away when Edgar conveniently entered the room, oblivious to Sarah’s affectionate gesture. Edgar interjected politely, “Mr. Kensington, it’s time for your video conference. Shall I set it up for you?”
Landon gestured for him to proceed. “Go ahead and arrange it.”
Frustrated by Edgar’s timely interruption, Sarah huffed and stormed out.
Landon exchanged a knowing glance with Edgar, who then followed Sarah out with a resigned expression.
Edgar quickly caught up to Sarah, a polite smile playing on his lips. “My apologies for earlier. I had no idea you were inside Mr. Kensington’ study. You know, he’s usually so particular about keeping his personal space and professional duties separate. It’s quite a privilege. No one has ever been allowed such access to his study before you.”
Sarah, who had been briskly walking away, slowed her steps, her stern expression softening slightly. “Is that so?”
“Indeed,” Edgar remarked, his grin growing wider as he tried to charm her. “And there’s something else. Since you departed quite hastily, you might not have caught Mr. Kensington’ invitation. He mentioned he’d like to meet you tonight in the small garden. It was quite nostalgic for him, remembering how you both used to spend time there. He seemed hopeful you’d be able to make it.”
Sarah’s demeanor changed at once, her eyes lighting up with renewed interest. “Did he really say that?”
Edgar nodded earnestly. “Absolutely. I wouldn’t dare make something like that up. I’m off duty now. Perhaps you should consider getting ready for the evening.”
Sarah’s face lit up, her grin wide as she reveled in the unexpected joy.
Despite their past interactions, Landon and Sarah had never actually been on a date. Sarah, leveraging her family’s prominence, had often sought Landon’s attention during their school days. The garden had been a favored rendezvous for couples back then, and although Sarah had invited Landon numerous times, he had always declined.
But now, seemingly out of nowhere, Landon had extended an invitation. The thrill sent Sarah’s heart racing, a blush of excitement coloring her cheeks.
Sarah rushed back to her place to dress up, instructing the servants to fetch the finest bottle of wine. Determined to create the perfect setting, she hurried to the garden to craft a romantic and intimate atmosphere. Then, Sarah directed the staff to keep their distance, ensuring privacy unless absolutely necessary.
With a quaint cabin tucked away behind the garden, Sarah anticipated that once the ambiance was set, they would be undisturbed. Opting for a striking red spaghetti strap dress that accentuated her features and enhanced her allure, Sarah was confident in her charm. This time, she believed, Landon would surely find it hard to resist her.
Unbeknownst to Sarah, Landon had no plans to meet her in the garden.
Twenty minutes after her departure, his relentless headache flared up again. A notification from Edgar appeared on Landon’s phone, a message confirming that Sarah had been successfully misled to the garden. Letting Sarah wait there was intended as a punishment for her recent defiance.
Despite Sarah not being forthcoming, Landon had a hunch that she would attempt something significant the next day. The specifics, however, remained unclear to him, adding to his frustration. The more Landon dwelt on the situation, the more his irritation grew. He couldn’t understand why he was still preoccupied with someone who had treated him with such indifference.
In a fit of annoyance, Landon turned to his liquor cabinet, pulling out several bottles. He chugged it down, the alcohol scorching his throat, providing a temporary relief from the pain, though it did little to quell it entirely.
As Landon sat there, the realization hit him. Edgar had been right all along. He was essentially trying to dull his senses with alcohol, seeking a brief respite in what he knew was essentially poison. Tapped by the weight of many, who were just waiting for a chance to exploit any vulnerability, Landon felt compelled to continue.
Before Landon knew it, he had consumed too much. With his eyes heavy, he wished the alcohol would lull him to sleep, but his mind was haunted by the image of a single person that he couldn’t shake off.
In another part of the house, Edgar had discreetly orchestrated for someone to leave the door unlocked for Leila.
Unaware, Leila carried on with her evening routine, taking a bath before preparing for bed. She took a moment to send a text to Irene, confirming the time and place for their meeting the next day.
Just as Leila pressed send, the sound of the door creaking open caught her attention. At that moment, clad only in a bath towel, Leila felt a chill run down her spine when she heard the unsettling noise.
Leila whirled around, her hand snatching up a vase as she quickly flicked off the lights. Silently, she edged toward the source of the sound, her heart pounding.
As a shadowy figure loomed in the doorway, Leila raised the vase high, ready to strike. But the intruder was quicker, seizing her wrist in a firm grip before she could bring the vase down.
The sharp, pungent odor of alcohol hit Leila, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Then, a voice she knew all too well murmured close to her ear, tinged with a mocking tone, “You look like you’re ready to kill someone.”
Leila’s eyes narrowed in recognition and alarm. “Landon? Why are you here at this hour?”
Leila struggled against Landon’s grasp, her movements desperate to communicate the pain he was causing her. However, Landon remained unyielding, swiftly prying the vase from her grip and securing her other hand with ease.
Now, trapped and unable to either escape or vocalize her frustration through sign language, Leila trembled with fury, her body taut as she stared at Landon with vigilant eyes.
With a flick of the switch, Landon illuminated the room, his gaze catching the wary look in Leila’s eyes. He smirked, his tone dripping with mockery. “Now that you’re in my grip, it’s too late to be afraid.”
In defiance, Leila turned her face away, refusing to meet his gaze any longer.
Landon, undeterred, leaned in closer, his head resting near her neck as he inhaled deeply. He was always intrigued by Leila’s unique scent. It wasn’t masked by perfumes or detergents but was a natural essence that seemed to radiate from her very skin.
It was a pleasing, alluring fragrance that inexplicably soothed Landon, easing the tension in his nerves and even diminishing his headache-a relief he hadn’t experienced in a while.
Seizing the moment as Landon appeared momentarily lost in his senses, Leila wrenched her hands free. She tried to push him away, only to find that his drunken state did nothing to lighten his weight, making him surprisingly difficult to move.
Leila strained with all her might but found Landon unmoving atop her. Strangely, Leila sensed that Landon wasn’t applying his full weight, and despite being pinned down, she didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. It dawned on Leila swiftly-Landon must be doing it deliberately.
Furious, Leila sank her teeth into Landon’s shoulder. Landon grunted, the impact seemingly sobering him from his drunken state. Squinting with a hint of menace, he reacted to her bite. Leila, seizing the moment, used her free hands to sign frantically, trying to convey that she wasn’t Sarah and that he was making a mistake.
Landon, however, was unfazed. He reached out, firmly grasping her chin, his voice low and firm. “I’m not blind, I know exactly who you are.”
Leila’s eyelashes fluttered, a mix of fear and confusion as she opened her mouth to question his intentions. But before she could speak, Landon leaned in, cutting off her words with a kiss.
Leila trembled under his touch, her eyes wide as she stared into Landon’s intense gaze. His unique scent enveloped her, overwhelming her senses. Caught in the moment, Leila found herself unable to resist, swept up in the intensity of Landon’s passion.
She attempted to resist, but Landon was swift, capturing her hands and securing them behind her back. As the kiss deepened, Landon wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her even closer to him. Their bodies pressed tightly together, the space between them vanishing entirely.
Landon’s dark eyes shimmered with a complex mix of emotions as he gazed at Leila, the intensity in his gaze softening into something more enigmatic. Despite the passion that clearly tempted him to further abandon, he held back, moderating his desire. He teased her lips, alternating between gentle nibbles and firmer, more insistent pressures.
Locked in this embrace, time seemed to stretch on indefinitely, each moment lingering as they remained entwined. Finally, Landon pulled away, gasping for air as he released Leila.
Breathing heavily, Leila lifted her head, her eyes scanning the room in a daze. Without realizing it, during their intense moment, they had somehow moved onto the bed. The closeness they had just shared felt surreal, almost as if it belonged to another lifetime.
Leila struggled to make sense of her emotions. She had thought her love for Landon had faded, yet during their kiss, her body had reacted on its own. Her limbs went weak and her heart raced uncontrollably. Could this intense physical response be merely a reflex, remnants of their once passionate relationship?
Without waiting for Leila to recover, Landon drew her closer into his arms again, inhaling her scent deeply. Outside, a gentle drizzle began to fall, the light pattering against the window adding a tranquil backdrop to the room’s atmosphere.
For Landon, the moment felt surreal, almost dreamlike. Leila lay still beside him in a daze until a sudden memory jolted her. She started to rise, but Landon’s arm tightened around her, holding her back as he murmured, “What are you afraid of? Do you think I’d hurt you? Stop resisting. Can’t you see?”
Leila’s frustration flared at his words. Was he using her as some sort of emotional crutch? Struggling with a mix of anger and the need to protect herself, especially mindful of her pregnancy, Leila carefully extricated herself from his grasp. It was crucial to avoid any careless movements that might jeopardize her baby’s well-being.
Once she stood, Leila turned to look at Landon. His face was pale, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. The intensity of their kiss seemed to have brought him back to a clearer state of mind.
As the sharp, familiar pain surged through Landon, it threatened to break his usual stoic demeanor. This was the first time Leila had seen Landon visibly affected by pain. There had been an incident in the past when Landon suffered from a stomach ulcer due to poor eating habits. At that time, despite the severe discomfort, Landon had endured it for an entire day before the pain interfered, compelling him to seek hospital care.
When Leila received the news and hurried to the hospital, she found Landon perched on the hospital bed, his posture relaxed as if he were merely taking a break. His expression turned into a slight frown upon seeing her, a hint of displeasure crossing his face. “What are you doing here? You didn’t have to come. It’s not like I’m dying!”
Leila, carrying a pot of stomach-nourishing soup she had prepared, placed it down and gestured to explain Edgar had informed her of his hospitalization, and worried, she felt compelled to check on him. For a brief moment, Landon’s expression softened, his eyes revealing a fleeting tenderness before returning to their usual calm. He averted his gaze, his voice growing colder. “It’s pouring outside. I’m just saying that you should think twice before acting on your impulses. Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not that I care about you. As my wife, showing up here in the middle of the night could make others think I’m on my deathbed. We can’t have that.”
At the time, Leila was still reeling from the loss of their first child and was physically and emotionally fragile. The sting of Landon’s cold dismissal in the hospital still lingered sharply in her memory, so leaving the room with her dignity intact had been her only option that day, her expression grim.
Now, recalling that moment, Leila recognized the authenticity of Landon’s current agony. It wasn’t an act. The pain he was in was genuine, severe enough that he couldn’t conceal it.
Leila hesitated, torn by her instincts, but decided to reach out to Edgar for help, only to remember that he had already finished his duties for the day and was unreachable.
Meanwhile, Landon continued to groan, his body curled up on the bed in a pitiful display. With a heavy sigh, Leila acknowledged her own relenting nature. She was too compassionate for her own good. Despite everything, Leila found herself moving toward Landon, shaking his body slightly to get his attention.
Landon struggled to meet her gaze, his brow furrowed deeply as more sweat beaded on his skin. Leila gestured slowly, ensuring Landon could clearly see her movements. She cautiously asked if he wanted her to reach out to Sarah or if he needed medical attention, like summoning a doctor or heading to the hospital.
Realizing she couldn’t physically support him, she gestured to ask if he could move since she couldn’t possibly transport him to the hospital.
Landon responded with a deep, labored sigh and then suddenly reached out, grasping Leila’s wrist and pulling her close into his arms. Taken aback by his sudden move, Leila stumbled forward, falling once again into his embrace. With Leila in his arms, Landon exhaled deeply, a look of relief washing over his face.
“You don’t have to do anything. Just let me hold you a bit. I’m feeling really awful,” Landon murmured, his voice a mixture of pain and something else that Leila couldn’t quite decipher.