Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
The assistant nodded eagerly, desperately wanting to appease Clayton.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Morgan. I’ll take care of it and locate Miss Nixon as soon as possible.”
Clayton finally nodded in satisfaction. He glanced back at the villa, its lights still on, but this time there was a menacing glint in his eyes.
As Clayton turned to leave, the assistant heard him mutter under his breath, “The thought of Leila being coveted by that creep makes me sick. Once we get Leila back, finish him.”
The assistant understood what Clayton meant. A shiver ran down his spine, but this was how Clayton had been operating.
The assistant just nodded, watching Clayton get into his car and drive away. He finally let out a sigh of relief. Something about Clayton felt off. There was a darkness about Clayton that made him uneasy. But he had no choice. Working for Clayton paid well, and everyone liked money.
Clayton wasn’t the only one busy. Landon was also on the move. Landon had a pretty good idea of where Leila was now. A lot of things that hadn’t made sense before were starting to become clear. He finally came to the conclusion that the gorgeous woman recovering at the White family’s villa was actually Leila.
Landon had been looking into the White family’s past and learned that the White family used to be neighbors with Leila’s family. It seemed Leila had come down the cliff looking for him. Later on, she had inadvertently ended up at the White family’s house, and for some reason, they had kept her prisoner.
Upon thinking it through, Landon deduced that Gracelyn had likely discovered his connection to Leila, and keeping her captive was some sort of revenge against him. Presumably, Gracelyn had used some underhanded tactics to keep Leila from escaping.
The thought of Leila trapped and helpless gnawed at Landon, fueling his anxiety. He knew Gracelyn was holding Leila hostage to force him into the open, a trap he knew he had no choice but to walk into. As Landon strategized his next move, a neat knock sounded at his door.
“Come in,” Landon called out, wondering who it could be at this hour. Calvin was the last visitor Landon expected, as Calvin’s hostility toward him was no secret.
Landon bitterly sensed that the kids harbored some resentment toward him because of everything that had happened. Even Elma, who was usually closest to him, had been giving him the cold shoulder lately.
Landon wasn’t angry with them. He only blamed himself. If only he had exercised more caution, even when he was on cloud nine, and hadn’t been pushed down the cliff, Leila wouldn’t have gotten into trouble when looking for him. Leila was now at the mercy of the Whites because of his old scores with them.
Honestly, Landon hadn’t pushed Gracelyn’s grandson to his limits, even after everything the latter had done. Landon had simply made sure he faced the music. After all, everyone should bear the consequences of their actions.
Yet, Landon hadn’t anticipated Gracelyn’s grandson opting to jump off the building after the intense online condemnation over his misdeeds.
Looking at Calvin, who stood silently before him, Landon was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions.
“If you’re here to yell or curse at me, I get it. Go ahead. Say whatever you want.” Despite being only nine, Calvin was already tall, his face a blend of Landon’s chiseled features and Leila’s softer ones. While Calvin was still a child, he wasn’t one for smiling much. His smiles were reserved for his siblings and Leila.
Calvin’s gaze was fixed on Landon, his expression unreadable.
After a long silence, Calvin finally spoke.
“If yelling at you would bring my mom back, I’d be happy to. But I’m here because I think we should work together.”
“Work together?” Landon echoed, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Landon had thought through numerous reasons Calvin might approach him, but collaboration was the last thing he expected.
A trace of confusion crossed Landon’s face, but he quickly understood. He said, “While I don’t want to turn you down, my priority is finding your mother. We can talk about working together later.”
Nevertheless, Calvin strode in confidently and took a seat opposite Landon.
“I understand. What I wanted to propose was joining forces to find my mother. I’d like to help and hope to be useful.”
If Calvin had seemed a bit overly mature earlier, now, seated before Landon with his proposal, he looked more like a worried child, anxious that Landon might reject his offer.
The reason was simple. Calvin had no choice. Approaching Landon was a desperate option.
Yet, Calvin genuinely wanted to find Leila. He knew the limited capabilities of his and his siblings’ means, and that there weren’t many options available. Clayton could not be trusted. Now, turning to Landon was their only choice. Even if Landon’s intentions toward Leila were not genuine, he still had to find her.
Calvin had devised a plan. If Landon did not earnestly search for Leila, he would leverage his hacking skills to damage Landon’s reputation online by painting Landon as the mastermind behind Leila’s disappearance, swaying public opinion to pressure Landon into agreeing.
Landon, oblivious to Calvin’s strategic thoughts, felt mixed emotions. He hadn’t foreseen that his growing involvement with Calvin would evolve into a partnership. It felt less like a father-son relationship and more like a business partnership.
More importantly, Landon fully understood what he was up against. The White family alone posed no real threat. But the White family would certainly use Leila to threaten him. Although Calvin’s last name was Nixon and not Kensington, he was still a part of Landon’s lineage. Gracelyn wouldn’t let Calvin go either. It seemed risky to involve Calvin.
Lost in thought and visibly troubled, Landon didn’t utter a word.
A trace of anger flashed in Calvin’s eyes. He stood abruptly with a stern expression.
“If you’re not willing, I won’t press you. Just forget we ever had this discussion.”
As Calvin walked toward the door, he halted suddenly. His voice dropped awkwardly as he said, “I hope you won’t tell my sisters about this.”
The thought of his sisters learning that he had approached Landon for collaboration and been turned down was mortifying for Calvin. Before he reached the door, Landon suddenly called out to him, “Calvin, I’m willing to work with you.”
A spark of hope lit up Calvin’s eyes, but he maintained his composure, waiting quietly for Landon to continue.
Indeed, Landon’s agreement came with a condition.
“But just so you’re aware, I don’t keep anyone around who isn’t useful. You’ll have to demonstrate your skills and convince me of your worth.”
Calvin appeared calm, but inside, he was elated. He composed himself, approached Landon again, and detailed his skills.
“I’m knowledgeable and I follow instructions well.”
Looking earnestly into Landon’s eyes, Calvin confessed, “I would do anything for my mom, as long as it leads to bringing her back.”
Landon, touched by this, reached out to pat Calvin’s shoulder.
“Your mom would be proud to see you like this. Don’t worry. I’ll ensure she comes back safely.”
Calvin responded seriously, “I hope you keep to your word.”
Landon was forthright. He openly discussed his recent dealings with the White family, his belief that Leila was with them, and the grievances between him and the White family.
Landon didn’t treat Calvin like a child.
Despite Calvin’s young age, Landon could see he was quite mature beyond his years.
This respect from Landon made Calvin feel valued.
They rarely got along so harmoniously for such a long time. Their discussion even lasted well into the night.
As Calvin walked out of the room, he saw Elma waiting nearby, looking troubled.
Noticing that Calvin looked as calm as ever, Elma let out a relieved sigh. She reached out to hold his hand and asked with concern, “Calvin, did our dad agree?”
Calvin nodded and patted Elma’s head.
“Were you worried about me? There’s no need to fear. I won’t stir up trouble with him at such a crucial time.”
Elma’s relief was palpable, but her sadness lingered.
“Calvin, I really miss our mom. Do you think we’ll find her? I don’t know when she’ll return home.”
Calvin thought back to the information Landon had shared with him. With a firm gaze, he reassured her, “Don’t worry. We’ll definitely find our mom soon.”
Elma’s face broke into a wide smile. An idea suddenly crossed her mind, and she looked at Calvin with hope in her eyes.
“I want to help too. Can I join in?”
Calvin found it hard to let Elma down, but he knew he had to be diplomatic.
“Right now, many eyes are on us, and the people behind our mom’s disappearance are dangerous and evil. Our top priority must be to stay safe. It’s not just about you or our sister, but me as well. If anything were to happen to us, it would devastate our mom when we find her. She wouldn’t recover from that.”
Elma considered his words and understood the logic, but her disappointment was evident as she pouted.
“It’s just because I’m too young now. I wish I could grow up faster.”