Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Suddenly, a hand gripped the doorframe, stopping it mid-close. Startled, Lacey froze, nearly slamming the door on the hand. Her eyes darted upward in disbelief to meet the stern face of the man beside her.
“Mr. Kensington, what are you doing?”
Without a word, Landon pushed the door open and strode purposefully toward Leila. His expression remained cold, his gaze filled with an unsettling mix of emotions that made it difficult to read his thoughts.
Lacey smirked to herself, certain Landon was about to reprimand Leila.
But Lacey’s satisfaction quickly turned to shock when Landon reached for Leila’s wrist just as Leila was turning around to leave.
Landon’s next words wiped the smug look off Lacey’s face entirely.
“You’re Elma’s mother. If there’s ever a time she needs you, it’s now. Why are you walking away?”
Leila’s chest tightened at his words, her eyes burning with unshed tears. It wasn’t anger or indignation that brought tears to her eyes. It was the weight of her own guilt. She dropped her gaze to the floor.
“But if I hadn’t taken her to the hot spring, she wouldn’t have suffered from discomfort,” she whispered.
“I’m at fault, aren’t I?”
Landon’s eyes narrowed, his tone unyielding.
“That doesn’t matter right now. She needs you. Just come inside.”
Lacey’s confidence wavered as she watched the scene unfold. This wasn’t what she had anticipated. Shouldn’t Landon be mad at Leila? After all, he had always seen Leila as a manipulative woman with ulterior motives. Elma’s fever had been triggered, at least in part, by Leila’s actions. Why wasn’t he angry? Was he going to let Leila off the hook so easily? Did this mean he might even forgive her?
Unable to contain herself, Lacey stepped forward, blocking Landon’s path. Her voice was sharp.
“Mr. Kensington, are you really going to let her fool you again?”
The moment the words left Lacey’s mouth, a flicker of regret crossed her face. Yet, despite the sinking feeling in her chest, she told herself there was no turning back.
Landon showed no sign of anger. Instead, he met Lacey’s gaze with an unsettling calm. His voice was steady as he spoke.
“She doesn’t remember any of those past events. Whatever happened, I believe she meant no harm to Elma. She truly cares for her children.”
Lacey’s breath caught, her eyes widening in disbelief. So, Leila didn’t remember anything? That explained Landon’s sudden change in demeanor and why he was treating Leila so differently now.
But Lacey doubted someone would just suddenly forget their past. The notion seemed implausible. As she mulled over the possibility, her mind shifted to Clayton. Though Leila had fallen into his hands before, she’d emerged unharmed. Could it be that Clayton had found another way to manipulate Leila, perhaps to ensure she would stay by his side forever? The idea wasn’t entirely far-fetched, and the more she thought about it, the more it seemed plausible.
Still, Lacey masked her thoughts with an expression of shock. She drew in a sharp breath and stared at Leila, her mock disbelief etched clearly across her face.
“How? How could something like that even happen?”
Without waiting for a response, Lacey reached out abruptly and grabbed Leila’s wrist.
Leila was taken aback by Lacey’s abrupt movement and stared at her, her expression one of shock.
Without offering any explanation, Lacey simply checked Leila’s condition, giving her a once-over.
When Lacey let go, the look she gave Leila was odd. Turning to Landon, Lacey said, “She seems fine, Mr. Kensington. Do you really think she has lost her memory?”
Whether or not Leila had amnesia, Lacey didn’t want Leila to stay. By saying so, she hoped to deepen Landon’s disappointment in Leila, shattering any chance of them reconciling.
With Landon remaining quiet, Lacey continued, “Mr. Kensington, if you doubt my judgment, feel free to seek a second opinion from any doctor.”.
To Lacey’s surprise, Landon gave a cold smile and agreed.
“Yes, perhaps seeking a second opinion would be wise.”
Leila looked at Landon, taken aback by the impact of Lacey’s words.
Feeling uneasy, Leila listened as Landon said, “I should let other doctors assess Elma’s condition. Let’s consult various specialists, particularly pediatricians.”
Lacey, caught off guard, her eyes wide with disbelief and a trace of hurt, questioned him, “Why do you want to do this, Mr. Kensington? Do you doubt my medical expertise?” She felt deeply wronged.
Landon’s response was icy.
“It’s not a matter of trust in your capabilities. It’s just that you’re overstepping your boundaries, and that didn’t sit well with me. Regardless, Elma is Leila’s daughter. Do you really think you have the right to demand Leila secure your permission before visiting Elma? You should know your place. If not, maybe you should consider taking a few days off to reflect.”
Tears streamed down Lacey’s face, her expression a complex tapestry of sorrow and unease.
The severity of Elma’s fever today was the result of Lacey’s drugs.
Lacey had intended to scapegoat Leila for Elma’s discomfort, hoping Landon would further dislike Leila. However, she hadn’t anticipated Leila’s memory loss, which made all her efforts pointless.
Lacey was painfully aware that Landon’s forbearance toward Leila was not merely because of her amnesia.
Lacey snarled inwardly, “What was so special about Leila?” Jealousy consumed her, yet she forced herself to act genuinely remorseful as she bowed to Leila and Landon.
“I apologize, Mr. Kensington, Miss Nixon. Earlier, my anxiety led to inappropriate behavior and words.”
Lacey bit her lip, looking even more humble.
“I’m just very concerned about Elma. I’ve been taking care of her as if she were my own child. I sincerely hope she recovers.”
Landon remained silent, simply observing Leila. It was obvious he wanted Leila to decide for herself.
Leila frowned as she didn’t feel like forgiving Lacey. Lacey’s motives were crystal clear to her. While it was understandable that Lacey, like many women, was drawn to a man as impressive as Landon, Lacey’s audacity to scheme against her went too far.
Despite her memory loss, Leila was not one to let others walk over her. But the situation was different now. Leila had noticed that Lacey seemed vital to Elma’s recovery due to her medical expertise. With Landon’s apparent dislike of Lacey, if Lacey had been incompetent, Landon likely wouldn’t have kept her around.
Even though Leila hadn’t spent much time with Landon since her amnesia, she found herself perceiving his thoughts through his actions. Realizing Landon’s trust in Lacey’s medical skills, Leila knew better than to drive Lacey away. Still, Leila had no intention of letting Lacey off the hook easily.
Leila spoke to Lacey with a cool tone.
“If you want to make amends, help Elma get better. If Elma’s condition hasn’t improved by tomorrow morning, let’s go through Mr. Kensington’ suggestion of seeking a second opinion from other physicians.”
Lacey’s frustration was evident as she observed Leila’s assertive demeanor, clenching her jaw. For her grand scheme of marrying Landon, she knew better than to warrant his disgust. Biting back her anger, Lacey lowered her head, appearing compliant as she nodded.
Seeing this, Landon had no more to add. His views were in line with Leila’s. If other choices had been available, he wouldn’t have chosen to keep Lacey either.
Landon and Leila then walked into the room to check on Elma.
Despite the mild fever, Elma felt much better now, her eyelids no longer heavy.
Elma felt a surge of joy seeing her parents together by her bedside. She grasped Landon’s hand with one hand and Leila’s with the other.
Brushing her cheek against Landon’s hand, Elma said with a playful tone, “Dad, the hot spring made me sick. It’s not my mom’s fault. I insisted on going. Please don’t blame her, okay?” Her voice was still hoarse, and she coughed between a few words.
Leila’s eyes welled up with sorrow as she gently soothed Elma’s back.
A pang struck Landon’s heart, and he smiled gently, saying, “Alright.”
This was the first time Leila had witnessed Landon smile since her memory loss. His smile was like the first warm breeze of spring, capturing her attention.
Leila had always believed in the allure of beauty but hadn’t expected a man’s charm to affect her similarly.
After leaving Elma’s room, Leila expressed her astonishment and confusion, “Elma just called me ‘Mom’ and you ‘Dad.’ Mr. Kensington, is there something you want to tell me?” She fixed her gaze on him.
Since his impulsive kiss with Leila the day before, Landon had expected this moment. Yet, he was at a loss as to whether he should recount their shared past to Leila, whether it was joyful or grim. Revealing those old stories might bring her memories back. And if it did, she might stay by his side with ulterior motives, just like before, resembling a viper waiting for the time to strike.
Though Landon knew he could have simply driven Leila away, her current self-much like the one he had loved profoundly during their joyful days-was the very reason he couldn’t bring himself to distance himself from her. He knew he was somewhat pathetic, clinging to their past happiness like this.
Originally, Landon had planned to wait until he mentally prepared himself to reveal everything to Leila. But Leila, ever perceptive, soon pieced things together, shattering his plan. It was hardly surprising, though. She wouldn’t have caused him such deep pain if she had been less shrewd.