Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Calvin’s tone turned grave as he replied, “It’s the Morgan Group’s system.”
Leila was momentarily stunned by Calvin’s words, her mind going blank as she tried to make sense of it all. She hesitated before asking, “Is it really the Morgan Group?”
Regretting her question almost instantly, Leila quickly added, “Calvin, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just hard to accept all this. I… trust you.”
Calvin stayed silent, empathizing with Leila’s difficulty in accepting the news, as he, too, had struggled to believe it. Initially, he had suspected that Lacey’s contact might be Clayton and had been gathering evidence to confirm his suspicions. Now, with solid proof in hand, he felt it was time to share his findings with Leila.
Leila paused for a moment to reflect on recent developments. If Lacey was indeed working with Clayton, many things began to fall into place, potentially explaining the misunderstandings between her and Landon. Regaining her composure, Leila said, “Regardless, I need to verify a few things myself. Calvin, you’ve put in a lot of effort during this period. Regardless of the nature of Clayton and Lacey’s relationship, I will keep my distance from Clayton.”
A smile broke across Calvin’s face as he felt a sense of relief.
“Mom, I’m glad I could be of help.”
Overcome with emotion, Leila bent down to embrace Calvin. Despite his usual calm demeanor, she recalled he was still just a child, not yet ten years old. Witnessing her son working so diligently on her behalf brought a surge of heartache.
Leila implored him, “The most important thing for you now is to enjoy your childhood, study well, and pursue your interests. Don’t burden yourself with these issues. Honestly, it’s my fault. If I were stronger, you wouldn’t have needed to worry about me.” As she continued, her emotions intensified.
Calvin, sensing her distress, reached out to comfort her, patting her back just as she had comforted him in his younger years.
Fighting back tears, Leila managed a smile.
“It’s fine. Everything will get better.”
Calvin simply nodded.
That evening, Leila clicked into Landon’s contact info, her fingers hovering over the chatbox, unsure of what to say.
She was aware of how much Clayton had done to drive a wedge between her and Landon, deceiving her along the way. Yet, she was still grappling with unresolved issues, like Elma’s condition. Landon had insisted on Lacey’s treatments, but Elma’s health had only deteriorated, despite the deceptive signs of recovery. Leila wondered if Landon was even aware of the harm Lacey had discreetly caused to Elma or if he had deliberately ignored it.
Feeling the weight of uncertainty, Leila was just about to close the chat when her hand slipped, accidentally calling Landon.
She quickly tried to end the call, but Landon picked up immediately, his voice filled with concern and urgency.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Leila hesitated, hearing the worry in his voice. She then spoke.
“Nothing’s wrong. Didn’t you say you wanted to set a time to talk? Have you decided on a time?”
“Yes,” Landon replied softly.
“How about tomorrow? We’re both going to Clayton’s birthday party. Maybe we could find a quiet moment to talk there.”
His tone was casual, as if attending Clayton’s birthday was just another ordinary outing for him.
Leila’s mouth twitched slightly at this, knowing well that Clayton would hate seeing them together, especially at his own celebration. It seemed all too convenient, and she doubted Landon’s intentions.
“Let’s find another time. If we can’t, then I won’t be at the party tomorrow,” Leila suggested, hoping to avoid any drama at the event.
Landon went silent, clearly frustrated but understanding her caution. He knew she preferred not to be seen together, perhaps out of concern for the crowd.
Still, Landon couldn’t help but wonder if Leila was overly considerate of Clayton’s feelings, not wanting him to see them together. Landon pressed the issue, asking, “Why do you want another time? Are you concerned about Clayton being upset?”
Leila, irritated at just the mention of Clayton’s name, was not in the mood for further discussion. Her voice chilled as she replied, “I’ll confirm the time and place later and let you know. Whether you attend or not is your decision.”
She quickly ended the call.
Landon stared at the disconnected call, frustration simmering inside him.
Shortly after, Leila sent him only an address, indicating her indifference to whether he showed up.
Landon, tied in a knot of frustration, managed a terse “Got it.”
There was no further word from Leila.
Overwhelmed, Landon tossed his phone aside, rubbed his temples, and let out a self-deprecating laugh, feeling his self-respect slipping away. Unbeknownst to him, Lacey had overheard their conversation from the doorway.
Knowing Leo and the butler were away that day, Lacey had prepared a medicinal meal for Landon, hoping to curry favor.
Although Landon was home, opportunities for Lacey to see him were scarce due to the butler and Leo, who deliberately kept her at a distance. Despite Landon’s lack of involvement in keeping her away, Lacey felt surveilled, with every move monitored. Every time she attempted to bump into Landon, she “coincidentally” met the butler or Leo, who promptly devised reasons to dismiss her.
Subsequently, keeping tabs on Landon’s whereabouts became increasingly challenging for Lacey.
Lacey had assumed that becoming Landon’s fianc?e and living inside the Kensington family residence would make things easier. However, even catching a glimpse of Landon had become difficult.
Now, finally, when she had the chance, she accidentally overheard Landon arranging a meeting with Leila.
Caught up in her emotions, Lacey gripped the bowl too tightly, causing hot soup to splash onto her hand. She winced but endured the pain silently, her expression darkening with venom.
Lacey couldn’t help but wonder about Leila’s audacity. Landon was engaged, yet Leila continued to vie for his attention. Hadn’t Leila always proclaimed her disinterest in Landon, declaring that she didn’t seek his attention? It seemed Leila’s detached demeanor was merely a pretense.
Lacey speculated bitterly about how often Leila might have secretly tried to charm Landon, though Landon remained oblivious to Leila’s maneuvers.
The more Lacey dwelled on these thoughts, the more her anger and anxiety grew, painting her internal turmoil.
Lacey always feared that everything she had schemed to possess could be snatched away. Anxiety washed over her, and she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She bit down on her lip so hard that it bled.
The sharp pain from her hand and lip jolted Lacey back to reality. Glaring at the door with venom, she walked away without a second thought, even though she hadn’t eavesdropped at the doorway just moments before.
Soon after her departure, the butler arrived. He surveyed the area and confirmed that Lacey was not by the door.
To ensure that Landon was not disturbed, the butler summoned several bodyguards.
“Stand by the door,” he instructed them.
“I’ll triple your payment. Take turns and keep Lacey at bay.”
These bodyguards were accustomed to such duties. Indeed, those close to Landon harbored no fondness for Lacey. They all deemed her unfit to be Landon’s wife.
When Lacey returned to her room, she could no longer restrain herself and flung the herbal concoction to the floor.
As the liquid and glass shards scattered across the floor, she found no relief from her anger, only a sense of being lost.
She sat on the bed, uneasy, and muttered anxiously to herself, “What can I do? How can I fix this and turn the tables?”
Lacey felt like screaming. The situation should not have unfolded like this. Logically, the conflicts between Landon and Leila should have reached the point where they were beyond repair. Even if a resolution were possible, Landon’s arrogance should have prevented him from reconciling with Leila.
Lacey and Clayton had persistently sought to create discord between Landon and Leila.
But Lacey was at a loss as to why the situation had developed contrary to her expectations. She had anticipated the worst-case scenario-Leila remaining a constant in Landon’s heart.
Still, the depth of Landon’s love for Leila caught Lacey off guard. Even with suspicions about Leila’s intent to claim his life, Landon still yearned to reunite with Leila, as long as she employed a few tricks.
Lacey could no longer contain her rage and shattered everything in her room. It wasn’t Landon’s deep affection for Leila that saddened her as much as the uncertainty of her next steps.
Lacey knew that if she remained inactive, Leila and Landon would inevitably reconcile. Such a development would not only turn her into a laughingstock, but her misdeeds might also come to light. Even if her wrongdoings remained hidden, she knew Leila would seek revenge.
Lacey was well aware of how disliked she was, and a miserable future loomed if she did nothing. Panic overwhelmed her, and in a desperate attempt, she dialed Clayton’s number, her voice trembling as she explained the situation.
“What are we going to do?” she asked, her words tumbling out in a rush.
“Are we just supposed to stand by and watch Landon and Leila potentially reconcile? If they clear up the misunderstandings and realize what we’ve done to tear them apart, we’re doomed. Even if my actions stay hidden, Leila will come for me. Your connections with the Morgan family won’t be enough to protect us from the combined might of the Nixon and Kensington groups. This affects both of us!”
To her surprise, Clayton simply sneered.