Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“Sophie, it’s late. Why aren’t you in your room? Where are you going?”
It was Clayton. He materialized out of thin air, like a phantom in the darkness.
Sophie gasped and stumbled back, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at Clayton.
“Clayton, please,” she whimpered, her voice shaking.
“Let me go. I’m just a kid.”
Clayton’s friendly facade crumbled. He sighed.
“Sophie, it’s not that I don’t want to let you go, but if I do, you will tell your mom about all those things I’ve done, making my future with her impossible.”
Clayton smiled gently, trying to appear kind and reassuring as always.
But Sophie wasn’t fooled. Terror gripped her as Clayton slowly walked toward her, each step sending shivers down her spine.
Clayton pressed on, his voice tense with urgency.
“Furthermore, Sophie, if you don’t proceed with this exchange obediently, your mother will be in danger. Do you genuinely want something to happen to her? Remember, she has always been kind to her. Yet, here you are, sitting by and watching her suffer. How can you be so utterly heartless?”
Sophie clenched her jaw, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Stop trying to manipulate me, Clayton. If things were different, I wouldn’t hesitate to do anything just to ensure my mother’s safety, even if it means putting myself at risk. But I see through your schemes. You have hidden agendas.”
Seeing his facade falter, Sophie challenged him.
“Clayton, since I’ve seen through your true colors, why not lay all your cards on the table? What is it that you truly desire?”
For a brief moment, Clayton’s face contorted with anger, his voice laced with bitterness as he responded, “I just can’t fathom it. Haven’t I devoted myself to your mother all these years? I’ve even risked my life for her. Why won’t she be with me? Does she look down on me? Perhaps if I could take control of the Kensington Group, she might view me differently.”
Sophie shook her head in dismay.
“You’re mistaken. She rejects you simply because she doesn’t harbor feelings for you. Her heart would remain unchanged even if you became the most exceptional man on earth. Love can’t be forced. Even I, much younger than you, grasp this simple truth. Don’t you understand?”
“I refuse to accept this!” Clayton’s voice thundered as he surged toward Sophie in a wild rush.
Sophie whirled around, her heart pounding, and sprinted away. But she clearly couldn’t outrun him.
Clayton closed the distance with ease, his large hands clamping around her slender neck.
Sophie stared back at him, horror-struck by the madness in his eyes.
“How could I accept defeat without trying some more methods? If things are as you say, then I will try a new strategy, making her see no one else but me.” Clayton’s tone was chillingly calm as he laid out his sinister plan.
“Loneliness breeds dependency. If she has no one but me, she’ll have to rely on me.”
Clayton’s smile grew increasingly deranged.
“I think my idea is fantastic. Care to share your thoughts?”
Sophie flailed against his iron grip, panic coursing through her veins. Despite her protest, she was outmatched by his overwhelming strength. Her struggles were futile, like an ant challenging the wind.
Pain contorted her features, but she gasped out her defiance, “This is wrong. My mother doesn’t love you, and she never will. Love means wanting her happiness, not bringing her suffering. What you’re doing isn’t love-it’s obsession.”
Clayton’s anger flared dangerously. His fingers clamped tighter around her, the veins on his forearms popping prominently as he glared down at her.
“Absolute rubbish! You, a mere child, claim to know of love? How laughable. The nerve of you provoking me! You must have a death wish, and I don’t mind sending you to it!”
He sneered venomously, “The Duncan family just needs to vent their frustration, seeking one person’s demise. Your corpse could be bartered for your mother’s safety. Sophie, you heard me? Your demise could be her salvation! Surely, you find relief in that, right?”
Sophie’s energy had drained away, her body limp with defeat. Her complexion turned ghostly, her eyes dimming as they fluttered shut, the weight of despair pressing down on her. Just as darkness threatened to consume Sophie, Clayton’s cruel grip unexpectedly slackened.
Sophie crumpled to the cold ground, air rushing back into her lungs in harsh, ragged gasps. Though her sight was clouded, the figure keeping Clayton restrained was clear enough. It was Landon.
Pinning Clayton firmly to the ground, Landon’s cold, fierce demeanor was terrifying. He punched again and again, each strike carrying the weight of his fury, as if he wanted to crush Clayton completely.
Sophie, still choked by her own coughs, realized the violence unfolding before her eyes had to stop. With a shaky effort, she managed to seize Landon’s uncontrolled attention.
Clayton’s unconscious body fell limp as Landon turned his full attention to Sophie. Landon wanted nothing more than to comfort her with a hug, but his concern about her feelings toward his closeness held him back..
Landon’s eyes brimmed with tears, gleaming red in the dim light. His voice quivered with palpable dread as he spoke.
“I’m sorry, Sophie. I arrived too late. It’s entirely my fault. Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?”
Sophie paused, taking a deep breath to steady her voice. She gazed at Landon, her gaze laden with mixed emotions.
Relief washed over Sophie because Landon had managed to arrive just in time to rescue her, yet a trace of resentment lingered from his delay. The brush with death had been harrowingly close. Consequently, her faith in Landon had waned considerably, though she masked her feelings well. Calmly, she replied, “Dad, we’ll spare him for now. Our priority is to locate my mom.”
Landon quickly responded, his tone soothing, “Don’t fret. While I was on my way here, I dispatched a team to trace your mother’s location. We’ve pinpointed where she is, and she will be rescued shortly. She’ll be safe, I promise.”
Sophie gave a nod of acknowledgment.
Turning to his men, Landon ordered, “Detain Clayton.”
Then, Landon directed the bodyguards to escort Sophie to a place where she could recuperate.
Once Sophie departed, Landon was consumed by remorse. He had planned to rush to Sophie’s side the moment her distress call came in. However, an urgent plea from Lacey had delayed him, insisting that Elma appeared to be in peril, which diverted his attention at that critical moment. Despite feeling torn, he had chosen to stay by Elma’s side for a while, resulting in the delay of his arrival at Sophie’s side.
Though being the father of both Elma and Sophie, Landon acknowledged his bias at that critical moment. After all, Sophie was in good health, whereas Elma was not.
Landon admitted he was to blame for Sophie’s close call. He never anticipated that Clayton would actually attempt to end her. The thought of what could have happened if he had been just one second later was unbearable. The overwhelming sense of guilt and unease, stemming from Sophie’s ordeal, which could have been avoided with his prompt arrival, gnawed at him. Despite everything between him and Leila and her apparent relationship with Clayton, the three kids were innocent, and any sufferings originating from being caught in the crossfire were uncalled for.
Landon dared not hope for Sophie’s forgiveness. All he could do was strive to make amends for the rest of his days.
Landon hadn’t lied to Sophie. Soon, news of Leila reached them.
Landon had personally taken charge of the rescue operation to bring Leila back.
However, it wasn’t until the following morning that Sophie heard of her mother’s rescue.
Sophie first made sure Brysen was safe before hurrying to the hospital.
Upon reaching the entrance to the ward, Sophie was greeted by Landon’s unsettling countenance, sending a chill through her heart. She hesitated at the threshold, grappling with the urge to enter.
Casting a glance at Landon, Sophie broke the tense silence.
“How’s my mom?” Her tone was flat, noticeably omitting the word “Dad.”
Landon’s expression twisted with discomfort, his smile strained.
“I can’t quite put it into words. It’s best you see for yourself.”
Bracing herself, Sophie pushed open the door. The sight that met her eyes was unexpected.
There sat Leila, perched on the edge of the bed, absentmindedly humming a melody that carried no tune, her spirit seemingly unbroken.
The noise caused Leila to look over at Sophie, standing hesitantly in the doorway.
Leila’s eyes were clear, her mind seemingly untouched by confusion.
Sophie’s heart wrenched painfully as Leila’s indifferent gaze met hers like she was a stranger.
True to Sophie’s sinking feeling, Leila’s voice came, tinged with confusion.