Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
However, the moment was fleeting as Landon’s tone took on an even icier quality. “But here’s the deal. Until the child is born, you’re staying with me. I need someone to handle my everyday affairs. Don’t worry, I won’t intentionally harm your baby. I have no interest in blood on my hands. However, if you deny this arrangement, I can’t promise the safety of anyone you might turn to for help. And don’t even consider escaping. You know very well that I can track you down anywhere. Challenge that if you doubt it. Once the baby arrives, you’re free to leave.”
Leila’s gaze fixed on him, a mixture of shock and disbelief coloring her features. She gestured emphatically, questioning how he could possibly expect a pregnant woman to fulfill the role of a servant. Was there no shred of morality left in him?
Landon’s response came as a chilling laugh. “Morality? You dare lecture me on that? Believe me, compared to your actions, I am nearly a saint.”
Leila was stunned, not understanding what misdeeds he was referring to. This left her feeling both wounded and outraged, yet utterly without recourse to defend herself.
Leila took a deep breath, feeling as though she had no other option but to agree with Landon.
Fighting back tears, she nodded her agreement, her only condition being that he let go of Brent.
Landon’s sneer morphed into a grin as he swung the car door open. “Alright. Get in, we’re going somewhere,” he declared.
Once Leila was inside the car, her phone buzzed with a message from Brent.
Brent was checking in, asking if she was okay, whether Landon had done anything drastic, and if there was a need to involve the police.
Just as Leila was about to respond, Landon’s chilling voice interrupted from beside her. “If you dare reply to him, I’ll change my mind immediately.”
Resigned, Leila clenched her jaw and stowed her phone away, prompting a smug smile from Landon.
Landon drove Leila to a bar, one that radiated opulence.
The staff greeted Landon with profound reverence, clearly indicating his VIP status there.
Leila took it all in, wondering if Landon frequented this place, possibly even with Sarah.
As the thought crossed Leila’s mind, a sudden wave of nausea overcame her, a harsh reminder of her pregnancy.
She halted, covering her mouth to conceal her discomfort.
Landon’s observant eyes caught on.
Landon turned to Leila, his face clouded with a brooding expression. According to the primary doctor, she was only one month along. Only a month had passed, and she was already showing signs of discomfort? Or perhaps she simply despised him.
“What’s the matter? Having second thoughts?” Landon asked. He folded his arms and watched her, his smile edged with scorn.
Leila signaled that the heavy scent of alcohol in the air was overwhelming and that it nauseated her.
Landon clearly wasn’t convinced by her claim. “Why didn’t the smell bother you when you were with Brent?”
Anger flared within Leila. Landon’s tone had been dripping with sarcasm from the beginning.
It dawned on her that he suspected her of having an affair with Brent. What right did he have to question her? She hadn’t breathed a word about him and Sarah. Was he setting her up to take the fall if he married Sarah and people started to talk?
The more Leila pondered over it, the more her frustration grew. Ignoring Landon, she hitched up her dress and strode inside, her expression icy as she brushed past him.
Landon watched her go, noticing the fury in her stance and feeling none too pleased himself.
He had secured a chamber and immediately started drinking, rapidly emptying one glass after another.
Leila, though still seething, couldn’t hide her growing anxiety as she watched him. Compelled by concern, she stood up and snatched the bottle from Landon’s grasp.
“What do you mean?” Landon looked up, one eyebrow arching slightly. “Do you think I’ll get angry? Are you trying to please me?”
Leila shook her head, her movements sharp as she tried to explain that she knew he had brought her here to torment her, but if he overdrank and something happened to him, it would spell trouble for her.
Landon’s expression hardened, his eyes turning icy.
Leila recoiled, startled by his sudden chilliness, and nearly lost her footing.
She teetered backward, but Landon caught her just in time. Once she regained her balance, he pulled her down to sit next to him forcefully.
The menacing look and frosty gaze faded as if they had been figments of Leila’s imagination.
Landon gestured toward the bottle. “Don’t just sit there. Pour me a drink.”
Leila shook her head, standing her ground.
Unperturbed, Landon grabbed her wrist, his grip firm but gentle, his smile tinged with coldness. “I don’t need your concern. Just pour me a drink.”
Reluctantly, Leila complied, filling his glass repeatedly.
Landon had too much to drink, his normally handsome, pale face now tinged with a slight flush. Despite his drunkenness, he didn’t loosen his grip on Leila. In fact, it tightened.
Leila winced in pain and frowned, yet she made no attempt to pull away. She realized that any struggle on her part might only infuriate Landon further. Annoyance at herself crept in for feeling pity for him. His welfare was no longer her concern.
At last, Landon put down his drink. It was rare for him to get drunk, and even in his drunken state with the smell of alcohol on his breath, his eyes remained clear.
Leila could tell he was always on edge. Back when they were together, she had tried everything to lighten his mood and help him unwind.
Yet, over time, Landon grew more irritable. His expression dark and foreboding, he confronted her. “Leila, you bend over backward to please me. Do you think I’m not good enough for you, or are you trying to make others believe I’m mistreating you?”
Leila had shaken her head vigorously, scrambling for the right words to convey that wasn’t her intention at all. She simply wanted to bring back the happiness they once shared.
However, all she received in return was the chilling sight of Landon’s back as he walked away, leaving her words unacknowledged.
As memories surged through Leila’s mind in vivid flashes, she felt a weight settle on her shoulder. Suddenly, Landon had laid his head against her.
Leila’s muscles tensed instinctively. It wasn’t that she felt nervous or repulsed-it was a sensation both familiar and strange.
The last time they had been this close seemed like a distant past life.
Landon’s whisper brushed against Leila’s ear. “Give me one reason. Is it me, or is it the Kensington family? What makes you want to run away all the time?”
A complex expression flickered across Leila’s face. She wanted to make a gesture, but with her wrist still caught in Landon’s firm grip, all she could do was squirm.
Landon let out a sneer. “Do you despise being this close to me so much? When did you start feeling this way? When?”
His gaze clouded over with confusion, and a trace of pain flitted across his features, unseen by Leila.
Leila simply assumed Landon was intoxicated, and it annoyed her. She had cautioned him to moderate his drinking, but he never heeded her advice. Who could predict what he might do in such a state?
After a brief struggle, Leila managed to wrench her hand free from his clasp. Red marks marred where he had gripped her wrist too tightly. Her skin was sensitive, prone to bruising at the slightest pressure.
Tears welled up in Leila’s eyes, her lashes quivering, adding to her already sorrowful expression.
Landon caught a glimpse of her and quickly averted his eyes. “Help me up,” he muttered.
Still seething with anger, Leila made a rough attempt to lift him but struggled to hoist the weight of a full-grown man like him. Each step demanded effort, and Landon appeared to exacerbate the difficulty, leaning heavily on her.
By the time they reached the door, Leila was gasping for breath.
Then, as if on cue, the rain began to pour outside. Landon turned to Leila with feigned innocence. “I’ve been drinking. If I get wet, I’ll catch a cold.”
Leila wanted to dismiss his concerns as none of her business. However, knowing his volatile temper, she clenched her teeth and, in a reluctant gesture of care, draped her jacket over his head.
Fortunately, Edgar arrived just in time with the car. He stepped out, and upon seeing their position, his face registered surprise; momentarily at a loss for words. “Well… Mr. Kensington,” he stammered.
Edgar hesitated for a moment before moving to assist Landon. However, Landon simply gave Edgar a stern look.
Getting the message, Edgar refrained from helping and instead opened the car doors for them both.
Leila, visibly drained, struggled to help Landon get into the vehicle. Drenched and exhausted, her efforts seemed even more difficult.