Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Leo revealed his strategy to Landon.
Landon nodded weakly, acknowledging the plan.
“You’ve done well. I trust you to resolve this.”
Landon’s face was ashen, his voice barely above a whisper, his vitality drained. The poison had nearly proved fatal.
Leo hesitated and then ventured, “Mr. Kensington, you had anticipated Miss Nixon would leave with Elma. Why hadn’t you asked me to retrieve them immediately? Why did you ask me to relay your condition to her through the phone call?”
Landon lowered his gaze, lost in contemplation. After a prolonged silence, he finally spoke.
“Leo, understand this: Leila deliberately intoxicated me.”
Shock coursed through Leo. This revelation was unexpected. Landon’s tone conveyed blame and suspicion toward Leila.
Leo countered, “Conflicts may exist between you and Miss Nixon, but surely she wouldn’t stoop to this level.”
Landon listened and then erupted in a chilling laugh.
“Are you suggesting blind faith in a relationship, Leo? Relying solely on conscience? I extended that trust, but look at my current state.”
Landon’s agitation triggered a coughing fit. The potent poison, though not fatal, had exacted a toll on his health. He might endure a weakened constitution indefinitely.
Leo observed Landon’s weakened state, recalling Landon’s prior vitality. A wave of sadness washed over him.
Leo sighed. Suspicion was an understandable response under such circumstances. However, the timing was undeniably off. Leila’s intoxication of Landon, followed by his poisoning, was a troubling sequence of events. It appeared to…
It could be a meticulously orchestrated scheme. Could someone have been relentlessly monitoring Leila’s actions? But the notion seemed implausible. Even if under surveillance, Leila’s thoughts would remain private. Plus, Leila hadn’t reported any encounters with suspicious individuals. All evidence pointed to Leila as the prime suspect.
Deep down, Leo still couldn’t believe Leila would actually try to kill Landon. But he couldn’t bring himself to defend her. He just stood there in silence. Anything else he said would only annoy Landon further. Exhausted, Landon waved his hand dismissively.
“You may leave now. I want to be alone for a while.”
Leo nodded and quietly left the room.
Landon lay in the darkness, staring at the ceiling. After a long silence, he let out a hollow laugh, full of bitterness and loneliness. He thought back to the moment Leila had gotten him drunk. His heart still ached at the memory.
After what had happened, Landon finally realized Leila must have gotten her memory back. That explained why she had suddenly turned so cold toward him. He had been so oblivious and foolish to think they could go on like that forever.
Landon wasn’t afraid of Leila getting her memory back. He knew it might happen someday. He just hadn’t expected her to be so cruel. He wasn’t upset that she had almost killed him. He was wounded by her betrayal. If she had really wanted him dead, she could have just told him. He would have gladly given her his life. He would never trust anyone again.
Leaving Landon’s ward, Leo thought about Landon’s reaction. Leo realized that despite everything, Landon still wanted to hear Leila’s side of the story. Landon’s love for Leila really ran deep. Leo just hoped Leila wouldn’t hurt Landon again.
Leo sighed and went to find his subordinates. He needed to find Leila. Leila had called Leo before he went into Landon’s room. She had said she would be back soon with Elma.
Leo didn’t think Leila was lying. If she had wanted to leave, she could have just left. There was no need to lie.
But soon, Leo felt he was wrong. His subordinates looked at him nervously.
“We… We can’t get in touch with Miss Nixon. We can’t track her location either…”
Leo was suddenly overcome with a sense of unease.
“What’s happening?”
The bodyguard, drenched in sweat, answered, “It looks like Miss Nixon and Elma have disappeared. We can’t find them anywhere. Do you think they ran into some trouble?”
Leo’s expression turned serious. Perhaps Leila hadn’t run into trouble. She might have simply chosen to run away. Moreover, she had skillfully covered her tracks.
Leo felt a surge of disappointment. It appeared he had wrongly judged Leila’s character. He had believed Leila would be the perfect partner for Landon, someone who would stand by him forever. However, she had ultimately let Landon down.
With no other option, Leo ordered his men to start looking for Leila and Elma while also instructing others to keep the situation quiet, especially from Landon. Landon was still recuperating from his injuries. The news might be too much for him to handle right now and could set back his recovery. At least they needed to wait until Landon was better.
Meanwhile, as Leo wrestled with the situation, Lacey was overwhelmed with fear.
Earlier, she had made up her mind to kill Landon. A sinister thought had crept into her mind at that moment. She thought that if she couldn’t be with Landon, then nobody else should have him either. If Landon were to pass away, Leila would lose him too, and she could maintain some semblance of pride.
Lacey had resolved that once Landon was dead, she would take her own life. This plan seemed fitting initially, but seeing Landon cough up dark blood frightened her. She still had the poison, but now she was hesitant to take it. Fear of death overwhelmed her, and she suddenly had a desire to live. She found herself wanting Landon to live as well.
Despite these conflicting emotions, Lacey fled without seeking medical help for Landon. She told nobody about what had happened, as she was worried that someone would find out she had been there.
The bodyguard, who had been bribed by Clayton to assist Lacey, had not seen her face.
Lacey had intended to slip away amidst the chaos after Landon’s death. However, Landon had survived. Leo had noticed something was wrong with Landon and rushed him to the hospital. Now, everyone was being closely watched and confined to the hotel.
Lacey was filled with regret over her actions. Had she known the poison wouldn’t kill Landon, she would never have used it. But it was too late for regrets. She hoped she wouldn’t get caught.
However, Lacey heard rumors that the bodyguards downstairs had been arrested and detained. Even though the bodyguard who had let her through hadn’t seen her face, they had exchanged words, so he was aware she was a woman. Among the women close to Landon, suspicion could easily fall on either Leila or her. She would be a prime suspect.
Now, Lacey could only hope Leila would take the fall. After all, it was Leila who had gotten Landon drunk in the first place. Otherwise, Lacey wouldn’t have had the chance to act.
As fear and anxiety gripped her, Lacey received a call from Clayton. Initially, she hesitated to pick up, but she was overwhelmed by panic. With no other options, she retreated to the bathroom to take the call in secrecy.
As soon as the call connected, Lacey’s voice shook uncontrollably with fear.
“What should I do? Landon isn’t dead. He’s alive and well. What if they start suspecting me?”
Clayton responded without a hint of surprise, “I knew when I gave you the poison that it wouldn’t kill Landon.”
This revelation ignited Lacey’s anger.
“If you knew it wouldn’t work, why did you push me into it? Are you trying to get me killed?”
Clayton laughed softly.
“You’re thinking too much. I plan to keep you around. You’re still valuable to me. Besides, I didn’t want Landon to die. If he died so easily, he wouldn’t be a worthy opponent. I’ve achieved my goal anyway. Don’t worry. If you’re ever caught, just come to me. Be it the Kensington Group or the Nixon Group, they’ll fall into my hands soon enough. Once Landon ceases to be a threat, I’ll imprison him and present him to you as a token of my appreciation for your help.”
Lacey listened to Clayton’s words and muttered, “You’ve gone mad. You’ve absolutely lost your mind!”
Clayton’s thinking must have been clouded by unrequited love. With Landon alive, he was bound to investigate the situation thoroughly. It would be nothing short of a miracle for her and Clayton to escape Landon’s punishment. Yet, Clayton allowed himself such deluded fantasies.
Lacey kept muttering under her breath that Clayton had gone mad and was on the verge of ending the call.
Clayton, sensing she hadn’t caught on to his scheme, said nothing. He worried she might panic, spill the beans, and destroy his intricate plan. In a burst of anger,
Clayton stopped her.
“Don’t end the call yet. Don’t you want to know what else I’ve been up to?”
“What?” Lacey asked, sounding utterly disinterested. She believed her end was imminent anyway.
With a harsh laugh, Clayton sent her several pictures.
As Lacey peered at the pictures, her eyes lit up. Leila and Elma were at Clayton’s mercy. What could Clayton be plotting?
While Lacey couldn’t piece it together right away, she recognized a chance to capitalize on an unforeseen opportunity.
Lacey wasn’t known for her cunning in such situations, but she valued her life. After the recent incident, she didn’t want to die. Lacey quickly asked, “What do you need from me? Put simply, how can I help you? I’ll do whatever it takes to remain safely by Landon’s side.” Now that Leila was out of the picture, Lacey was the only woman by Landon’s side. Lacey doubted Landon would long for Leila forever.
Lacey had become a key piece in Clayton’s plan, so he was transparent with her and shared his entire strategy.
“Leila got Landon drunk under my influence. There’s no need to cover for her. It would be best for Landon to be aware that Leila and I have previously met. Also, Landon is currently suspicious of Leila but still has feelings for her. He had someone inform her about the situation, hoping that Leila would bring Elma back. But since they’re both with me, they can’t go back. This situation will cause Landon and Leila to become deeply disappointed in each other. Your job is to clear your name and remain by Landon’s side.”
Lacey trembled upon hearing Clayton’s meticulous plan. He was terrifying, like a venomous snake poised to strike unexpectedly. She felt fortunate not to be on his bad side.