Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Meanwhile, Leila felt a growing oppression in the air, thick and stifling, as if the very atmosphere was conspiring to suffocate her. The urge to escape for a breath of fresh air was overwhelming.
Yet, just as Leila moved to step outside, the muffled sound of bodies collapsing to the floor reached her ears. Heart leaping to her throat, Leila spun around to find her bodyguards collapsed, motionless on the floor. Leila cried out to them, but the silence was deafening.
As an unsettling realization dawned on Leila, she made a frantic attempt to escape. However, her legs betrayed her, weak and failing.
Leila managed only a few stumbling steps before collapsing to the floor. Her mind fogged, and the scene before her eyes blurred into indistinct shapes. Her eyelids drooped heavily, threatening to drag her into unconsciousness.
In a desperate bid for lucidity, Leila bit down hard on her tongue, the sharp pain snapping her back to a moment of clarity. At that precise moment, the door to the secluded back room creaked open, and out stepped Neal’s mother.
The timid demeanor Neal’s mother had earlier was nowhere to be seen. Instead, her eyes were steely and filled with a chilling venom as they fixed on Leila. The deception was clear now: this woman was anything but simple.
Leila chided herself for being so easily fooled by Neal’s mother’s harmless performance. Her heart sank with the weight of her miscalculation, but she knew regret was a luxury she could no longer afford.
Peering down at Leila, Neal’s mother, assuming Leila had passed out, allowed a smirk of triumph to curl her lips.
“You despicable woman!” Neal’s mother growled bitterly, her face twisting into a mask of scorn.
“Had it not been for your meddling, my son would have been unscathed. While Clayton has his faults, it’s you who truly deserve to be tormented. I swear on everything you will endure every bit of suffering that has befallen my son.”
Leila’s heart skipped a beat.
“Clayton? Clayton was the mastermind? Why did he do that? How could he bring himself to treat Brysen so harshly? Was it to keep Brysen from revealing some truth?”
As confusion swirled through her thoughts, Leila began connecting the elusive dots that had once confounded her. Suddenly, the murky secrets that had lingered in the shadows started to click into place.
Desperate to free herself, Leila found her strength sapped, as vulnerable as a fish sprawled on a cutting board. Realizing the truth while ensnared in someone else’s plot was excruciatingly painful. What cut the deepest was the betrayal by Clayton, the person she had placed trust in.
Tears streamed down Leila’s cheeks, a silent testament to her despair, as unseen hands lifted her.
Elsewhere, Sophie had just returned to the hotel when Brysen appeared moments later.
Amid contacting Leila’s assistants from the Nixon Group, Sophie turned to find Brysen’s unexpected presence startling.
“Brysen,” Sophie hurried over, her brow furrowed with concern.
“Where’s my mother? Wasn’t she supposed to be with you?”
Brysen stared ahead, her eyes hollow, her trauma rendering her speechless.
With a heavy sigh, Sophie turned to question the people accompanying Brysen, piecing together that Leila had directed Brysen toward the car earlier, followed by an instruction to send Brysen back first. Yet, the reason for Leila’s absence remained shrouded in mystery.
Sophie’s puzzlement deepened with each passing moment. Why on earth would Leila send Brysen back first?
Sophie dialed Leila’s number but received no response, which only intensified the unease settling in her chest.
Just as Sophie was about to call again, her phone rang. A spark of hope flickered-perhaps it was Leila. However, it was a representative from the Nixon Group, asking if they should send a doctor.
“Yes, please,” Sophie responded quickly, providing the address. Once Sophie ended the call, a sinking feeling enveloped her. She couldn’t shake the dread that something was terribly wrong.
“No more waiting,” Sophie declared, rising to her feet with resolve.
“Stay here and look after Brysen. I need to check on my mother.”
Someone attempted to intervene.
“Please reconsider. Your mother specifically instructed us to keep you here with Brysen. We have to adhere to her directives.”
Sophie’s voice was resolute.
“I can’t just sit here not knowing if my mother is safe. I’ll be distraught if things keep on like this. Try to stop me and see how angry I get.”
The bodyguards shared a hesitant glance but ultimately stepped aside, not daring to hinder Sophie.
With her heart pounding, Sophie dashed out and made another desperate attempt to call Leila. But all she got was silence on the other end.
It was unusual for Leila to go off the grid. Sophie couldn’t shake the unease twisting in her gut.
Just as Sophie reached the hotel’s entrance, she bumped into the familiar face of Clayton.
A flicker of unease crossed Clayton’s eyes when he saw Sophie. His brow furrowed as he asked, puzzled, “Sophie? What are you doing here? Are you by yourself?”
Sophie shook her head, choosing her words carefully.
“I’m here with my mom. We came for a vacation, but we got separated. Now, I can’t reach her, and I’m worried.”
“Vacation?” Clayton’s expression shifted from surprise to something more guarded before softening into mock concern.
“How could Leila just go missing? Don’t worry. I’ll get my people on it. Where did you last see her?”
Sophie hesitated, leaving out the details of the old neighborhood but mentioning a nearby beach instead.
“We went for a walk at the beach, but I got tired, so she told me to head back and rest. But when I woke up and tried calling her, her phone wouldn’t connect.”
Clayton nodded, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat.
“Don’t worry. Maybe your mom’s phone fell or ran out of battery. We’ll find her.”
As Clayton glanced up, his gaze caught on Brysen standing nearby.
Clayton squinted his eyes, his tone cautious.
“Is Brysen feeling better now? Is she well enough to travel with you?”
Sophie shook her head.
“No, she’s still the same. My mom brought her along, hoping it might lift her spirits and help her recover.”
Clayton nodded, relief flickering across his face.
They began their search for Leila. Days turned into a week with no sign of Leila.
Sophie, on the verge of a breakdown, cried herself to sleep every night. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Clayton the truth. Instead, she often sneaked back to the old neighborhood, only to leave disheartened every time.
The stress took its toll on Sophie when they couldn’t find Leila. Her appetite dwindled, and the weight loss became more apparent each day.
Seeing Sophie in such a state, Clayton felt a sharp pang of sympathy. He brought her some food, hoping to offer comfort.
“You have to eat something. If you collapse before locating your mom, it won’t do any good. You’re the eldest of the three siblings, Sophie. You need to think about your brother and sister. They need you.”
Clayton’s words hit home. Sophie hadn’t contacted Calvin or Elma, terrified they’d panic if they knew Leila’s disappearance. Calvin would act impulsively, and Elma, being young and attached to Leila, would be devastated.
Sophie forced down a few spoonfuls of soup before drowsiness dragged her into a restless sleep.
Clayton urged Sophie to get some rest before leaving.
Clayton’s gentle facade vanished the moment he confirmed Sophie was sound asleep. His jaw clenched as he turned to his assistant.
“What’s really going on with Leila? Wasn’t she held by the Duncan family?”
The assistant’s voice trembled.
“I don’t understand what’s going on with the Duncan family. They refuse to let Miss Nixon go, claiming it’s personal now. Neal’s gone off the rails, and they’re demanding Miss Nixon’s life in exchange.”
Clayton’s anger flared at the revelation.