Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
She was about to end the call when Clayton’s voice pulled her back.
“Lacey, think it over. I can help you win Landon over once and for all.
If we join forces, Leila and Landon will have no chance of rekindling anything.
Face it, you’ve earned Landon’s trust over the years, but trust alone won’t beat Leila.
She has power and influence, while you don’t.
How do you plan to compete?”
The mention of competing with Leila made Lacey pause, her finger hovering over the disconnect button.
For a moment, doubt flickered across her stubborn face.
“I know Leila’s manipulative,” Lacey retorted, her voice laced with defiance.
“But you’re no better, Clayton.
You aim for Landon’s demise.
Working with you would betray Landon.
Leila might stoop that low, but I won’t.”
Hearing Lacey’s indignant outburst, Clayton let out a low, amused chuckle.
“Is that so? Then why, three years ago, did you tip me off about Landon’s whereabouts?
If you hadn’t told me he was going to meet Leila, I never would have known.
Landon was lucky to survive that encounter.
If things had gone differently, he might not be here now.”
“Shut up!” Lacey shouted, her voice trembling with anger.
The mention of that betrayal cut deep, a wound that never fully healed.
It was a painful reminder of the moment she had crossed a line she could never uncross, a betrayal that haunted her to this day.
Her heart twisted as she remembered how desperately she longed to be with Landon.
Somehow, she convinced herself that if she could win his heart, he might forgive her.
Perhaps his love for her would be strong enough to overlook her past sins.
After all, Landon had always held love above all else, going to extraordinary lengths for Leila.
Why couldn’t he do the same for her?
Sensing her vulnerability, Clayton pressed on, his voice smooth and persuasive.
“Besides, I’ve had a change of heart.
I don’t want Landon dead anymore.
If he ends up with you, then he and Leila will never be together again.
Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
Lacey froze, her breath catching as Clayton’s words sliced through her like a cold blade.
Your next adventure is at g al n ovels . con
Her grip on the phone was unyielding, her knuckles turning a stark white from the pressure.
With a sharp shake of his head, Clayton said, his tone sharp and unyielding, “It’s up to you.
If you don’t work with me, you’ll be left with nothing.
Landon might never go back to Leila, but don’t fool yourself.
He won’t come to you either.”
The weight of his cutting words settled heavily on Lacey, silencing her as her throat tightened with unspoken retorts.
Taking a deep breath, Lacey steadied her voice, though her chest felt tight.
“Fine,” she said, her tone laced with reluctant resolve.
“I’ll do it your way.
But I meant what I said.
I won’t hurt Landon.
Don’t forget that.”
Clayton’s laughter came through the line, low and dripping with disdain.
His laughter made Lacey uneasy.
Her jaw clenched as she ended the call abruptly, unable to bear the weight of his mockery any longer.
As the silence settled, Lacey’s thoughts spiraled.
Cody’s face surfaced in her mind, a ghost from the past that refused to fade.
Was it all a mistake from the start? Maybe.
Yet, even if she could turn back time, she knew she would make the same choices.
Frustration clawed at her insides.
Why couldn’t her plans ever go smoothly? Why did she always end up cornered like this, exposed and vulnerable?
On the other end, Clayton ended the call with a sharp flick of his wrist, his jaw tightening as he turned toward Neal.
Without missing a beat, he delivered a vicious kick, the force of it echoing in the quiet room as Neal’s body curled reflexively in pain.
Neal, his body already bearing the marks of violence, stifled his cries despite the searing pain coursing through him.
Clayton’s expression was stormy, his clenched jaw betraying the fury brewing beneath the surface as he wrestled with the near unraveling of his plans.
Grinding his teeth, Clayton’s voice dripped with contempt.
“I believed you were competent, but you’ve proven utterly useless! You can’t even manage such a simple task.
Do you understand that if I’m exposed now, all my years of meticulous planning will be utterly wasted?”
With a sharp gesture, someone removed the cloth gag from Neal’s mouth.
Neal’s voice trembled with desperation as he pleaded with Clayton, “Mr. Morgan, it’s not my fault.