Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“Is that so?” Brent sneered in disdain.
At that moment, Landon’s voice interrupted them from behind. “Sarah tends to joke too much. Mr. Hayes, please, don’t take her words to heart.”
Turning, Brent and Sarah saw Landon approaching.
Sarah quickly crossed the space between them and threw her arms around Landon, her demeanor shifting dramatically.
No longer the aggressor, Sarah adopted a saccharine tone as she said, “Landon, I’m just upset on your behalf. I asked Mr. Hayes not to trouble you over Leila’s issues, but he threatened me. I’m so frightened.”
Landon swiftly maneuvered Sarah behind him, seemingly assuming a protective posture. “Mr. Hayes, are you challenging me?” he asked, his voice tinged with hostility.
Brent observed the scene with a derisive snort. At times, he truly questioned Landon’s choice in partners. How could Landon have eyes for a woman like Sarah?
Yet, having just deduced the truth from Sarah’s accusations, Brent wasn’t furious anymore. He only felt a profound sense of pity as he regarded Landon. “You two seem to truly love each other. I sincerely wish you both a joyous marriage. After all, it’s rare to find another pair so remarkably devoid of principles and morals.”
Landon, recognizing Brent’s sarcasm, responded with a scowl, “When you seduced my wife, didn’t you realize you lacked morals and principles yourself?”
Brent couldn’t resist questioning, “Are you certain that the child Leila is carrying is mine?”
Landon’s expression curdled into one of revulsion. “Mr. Hayes, do you take pride in these antics of yours?” he shot back bitterly.
Brent exhaled a weary sigh, deciding further dialogue was pointless. As he turned to leave, he dropped a final remark. “Landon, I just hope you don’t come to regret your choices.”
Watching Brent walk away, mixed feelings seized Landon.
Unbidden images flickered through Landon’s mind, visions of him tenderly holding Leila’s hand, scenes that felt both foreign and unnervingly familiar. In those fragments of memories, he enveloped Leila in his arms, his voice quivering as he offered apologies. He vowed to care for her and the child, committing himself to right his wrongs.
Yet, Landon doubted he had ever uttered such promises to Leila. Why then did these memories haunt him? It was as though a portion of his memory had vanished, and despite his efforts, he was unable to retrieve any further details. These elusive memories felt more like fabrications or figments of his imagination rather than real events.
Although Landon had pinpointed the origin of the medicine he had been drugged with and had avoided being administered further dosage, the residual effects proved stubbornly persistent.
During a video consultation, his doctor had cautioned him, “If pharmacological treatments fail, we may need to consider surgical intervention.”
The doctor was en route to Avalon, though his exact time of arrival remained unclear.
Sarah stood by Landon, concern etching her features. “Landon, are you alright?”
Landon paused for a moment, his complexion returning to normal. “I’m fine,” he reassured her, gently pulling his hand away from hers.
Sarah, oblivious to his subtle withdrawal, remained lost in the sweetness of Landon defending her just moments earlier.
Sarah spoke softly, a hint of anticipation in her voice. “I’ve asked Edgar to handle the reservation at the restaurant. Are you free tonight?”
Landon nodded and said, “I’m available, though I have a meeting this afternoon. I’ll ask Edgar to take you somewhere you can relax.”
With that, Landon turned and walked away.
Sarah watched him go, her eyes shimmering with infatuation. As she contemplated her scheme, her excitement surged.
With Leila temporarily out of the picture, Sarah was certain her plans would unfold without interruption.
Brent and Jerome departed soon after, leaving the venue quieter.
Landon hadn’t made any effort to conceal their visit.
News of Leila’s plight spread rapidly among the local community and online, eliciting a wave of sympathy.
One netizen commented, “Honestly, even though I was never a fan, what the Kensington family is doing to her is just too harsh.”
Another chimed in, “Exactly, she’s Landon’s wife, not an enemy. It’s shocking how little concern there is for her well-being.”
“Frankly, it’s her own doing for clinging to the Kensington family. Why couldn’t she simply make use of the resources they provided and lead a normal life? This is just the fallout from her ambition for wealth and status.”
“That’s too harsh. She’s vanished now. We don’t even know if she’s alive. How about a little compassion?”
As the online debates intensified, Landon “reluctantly” ordered a search for Leila.
Sarah, unable to tolerate the criticisms directed at Landon, shed her well-crafted persona to directly argue with the netizens.
Landon observed the online turmoil with detachment.
“Keep portraying Leila as a sympathetic figure,” Landon instructed his team. “Also, stir up some conspiracy theories claiming she had a bad relationship with Dean’s family. That man had conspired with Dean, making it clear Dean was an accomplice, despite the uncertainty of Dean’s knowledge of these issues. As public scrutiny intensifies, let’s see if they start turning on each other. I’ll wait for the fallout.”
Edgar nodded, instantly grasping Landon’s strategy. Landon intended to bide his time until Dean and that man clashed.
As the car came to a halt, Edgar announced, “Mr. Kensington, we’ve reached the hospital.”
Landon acknowledged with a nod and snapped his notebook shut.
Outside the ICU, Dean and Melinda were embroiled in a heated argument.
A young, attractive woman stood next to Dean, holding his hand and casting a smug look at Melinda.
Melinda’s anger flared. “Dean, what are you implying? It’s disgraceful enough that you’re fooling around with a mistress, but to bring her here? You’re embarrassing yourself.”
Dean responded with visible impatience, “Hazel is just concerned about me. She didn’t want me to exhaust myself, so she came to visit. I’m struggling to eat and sleep properly here, and you show no concern for me at all, despite being my wife. Shouldn’t I appreciate someone who does?”
Melinda felt unfairly accused. “I’ve been urging you to go home. You’re the one clinging to your reputation, refusing to leave. Just remember, if you’re caught fooling around in the hospital, don’t expect me to support you.”
Dean’s expression remained detached. “You can’t bear me a son, so what’s wrong with me being with other women? I’m not worried about getting caught. If my affairs become public, you’re the one who should feel ashamed, not me.”
Fury and contempt flickered in Melinda’s eyes, her gaze icy and filled with undisguised disgust.
“Dean, Melinda’s concern is that our mother is still in the ICU. If the media sees you with other women, it could tarnish your reputation as a devoted son.” Upon hearing these words, Dean and Melinda turned to see Landon approaching.
Dean looked at Landon with a sneer. “Even if they label me fickle, it pales in comparison to your heartlessness. The accident happened when our mom was on her way to see you, near your place. It makes one wonder if you’re somehow connected to her accident.”
At this point, Melinda shifted her focus from Dean’s mistress and chimed in with her own accusations, “Lately, Shirley has had moments of lucidity where she calls out your name. Despite whatever issues you had with her over Leila’s situation, she remains your mother.”
It was clear that in moments like these, Dean and Melinda could present a united front.
Landon remained unfazed by the accusations from both, even managing a smile. “Dean, you should be well aware of the reason I didn’t make it a few days ago. Isn’t this what you want?”
Dean immediately became agitated. “What are you implying? I reached out to you after the accident, but you ignored my messages. If you truly wanted to see our mom, who could have stopped you?”
Landon sneered, “You were busy orchestrating trouble for me on the mountain where our grandfather is buried. Had I attempted to visit our mom then, you surely would have concocted an excuse to dismiss me, right?”
Landon harbored suspicions that Dean was involved in the recent issues, and Dean had anticipated Landon’s speculation.
Dean remained unfazed, confident that Landon lacked any concrete evidence.
Yet, Dean hadn’t anticipated Landon’s blunt approach. Landon’s candor caught him off guard, leaving him speechless, unable to deliver the rebuttals and justifications he had meticulously prepared.
Observing Dean’s reaction, Landon chuckled softly, patting Dean on the shoulder. “Dean, I know you’re not the sharpest, but next time, try to handle things neatly. Before you conspire with someone, make sure to investigate whether they have any hidden agendas. That man turned on you the moment I confronted him. It seems your partnership isn’t as solid as you thought.”
Dean’s expression darkened immediately. He shrugged off Landon’s hand, retorting, “What are you implying? I’ve been at our mom’s side, going through her surgery paperwork. I’ve been so busy dealing with that I haven’t kept up with anything else.”
Yet, the brief flicker of panic and guilt in Dean’s eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.
Landon, unrelenting, continued to provoke Dean. “It appears there’s been a misunderstanding. That man thought the child Leila was carrying was mine. But that child has nothing to do with me. You guys schemed to whisk Leila away, thinking you could use her pregnancy to blackmail me. You didn’t see this coming, did you?”
Dean’s countenance fluctuated between annoyance and shame, his emotions painting a theatrical display.
Melinda cursed Dean silently in her mind and stepped forward to position herself in front of Dean. “Landon, you must be stressed and overthinking things. I don’t follow your train of thought. Let’s not dwell on this. You should see your mom. She might be unconscious, but she surely misses you. Talking to her might do her some good.”