Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Leila intercepted Edgar as he was about to leave, her expression resolute. She communicated through sign language, inquiring about Landon’s condition and why Edgar hadn’t been forthright with her.
Edgar managed a weak smile. “Don’t worry, Mr. Kensington is merely exhausted. He’s been under the weather and neglecting his meals. Acute gastritis. All he needs is some rest.”
However, something felt off. Leila shook her head, her doubts apparent.
She had seen Landon push himself to the limit before. It had never resulted in anything like this. Her instincts screamed that something far graver was afflicting Landon this time.
As Leila looked up, she noticed Edgar’s troubled expression. She didn’t press him further. If he was reluctant to speak, it likely meant that Landon had asked him to stay silent.
A shadow crossed Leila’s face, and she signaled her acceptance of his silence, indicating she wouldn’t pry further.
Leila told Edgar to take good care of Landon, as she had other things to do and needed to leave.
Edgar nodded, his features strained. “I’ll arrange a ride for you,” he said.
Just then, footsteps echoed sharply through the area.
“Bitch, what did you do to my son?” Shirley burst onto the scene, her anger palpable as she struck Leila across the face, stunning everyone present.
The slap came so swiftly that even Edgar was caught off guard.
As Shirley approached with an entourage, Edgar’s headache intensified. How did the news spread so quickly?
Edgar immediately directed the bodyguards to shield Leila.
Stepping forward with a forced smile, Edgar tried to defuse the situation. “Please, there’s no need for concern,” he assured Shirley smoothly. “Mr. Kensington merely has a stomachache. He collapsed from exhaustion. Leila isn’t involved.”
“Do you think you can still conceal the truth from me?” Shirley shot back, her eyes flashing with accusation.
Her anger remained unquelled. “Sarah has told me everything! Leila brazenly refused to leave Landon alone, stirring up constant turmoil. Landon has been losing sleep for days because of her antics! Today, who knows what mischief she concocted that led Landon to take her out, only for him to collapse! I’ve always known my son to be robust ever since he was little. How could he suddenly fall ill like this?”
Shirley’s sharp gaze then turned toward Leila, laden with icy disdain and suspicion. “I’m aware you and my son are divorcing, and I’m told it’s because you’ve found someone else. Landon probably wants you to walk away empty-handed, but you won’t have it, so you’re plotting against him, aren’t you?”
Leila nursed her cheek. At times, she couldn’t help but marvel at Shirley’s wild imagination. From a mere hint of a narrative, Shirley could spin a whole saga.
Undeterred, Leila brushed the bodyguard’s hand aside and stood resolute before Shirley. She began typing on her phone, “Are you suggesting that I’ve done something to Landon for money?”
Shirley arched an eyebrow. “What else could it be?”
Leila found it slightly amusing. Continuing to type, she retorted, “If money really mattered to me, those things wouldn’t have ended up in your hands back then.”
Shirley caught Leila’s drift immediately. A flicker of guilt passed over her eyes.
Before Roderick died, he left Leila a substantial inheritance, including cash, several firms, and properties.
No one could fathom why Roderick had been so lavish with Leila. Everyone, except for Landon, envied her.
This envy fueled numerous disputes between Shirley and Landon.
By then, Leila and Landon were engaged, though their relationship had seen better days.
Yet, Landon chose to honor Roderick’s last wishes. Since Roderick had explicitly left those assets to Leila, they rightfully belonged to her, and nobody could dispute that.
Shirley, however, was discontented with the situation.
Seeing Landon caught in the middle, and knowing she had called this place home for so long, Leila decided she couldn’t let the tension worsen. Thus, she proposed relinquishing her inheritance, retaining just a portion of the money and transferring most of the businesses and properties to Shirley.
Only then did Shirley’s unrest subside.
If Leila truly valued money, she wouldn’t have so easily relinquished those things back then. The internal strife of the Kensington family was, after all, irrelevant to her. Over the years, Leila had endured significant bullying and icy glares, primarily from her mother-in-law, Shirley.
Under Leila’s gaze, Shirley seemed uncomfortable, yet her words grew even sharper. “Who can say what you were actually thinking at the time? Perhaps you were just putting on a show for Landon. After all, by marrying him and taking on the title of his wife, you would stand to gain quite a bit. I’ve encountered many women like you.”
Regardless, I’ve already informed the police.”
Following closely, Melinda added with a sneer, “Why waste your breath on her? Just bring her to the station and let the police handle it. They’ll uncover whatever she’s done.”
“The police?” Edgar’s eyelids fluttered. The situation was escalating rapidly.
Unfazed, Leila typed her response. “Fine, I’ll wait right here for the police.”
Shirley gave Leila a sharp look before hurrying toward Landon’s hospital room.
Sarah halted abruptly as she passed Leila, crossing her arms and staring down at her. “See? I was the one who suggested we call the police. I even said you probably had a hand in Landon’s sudden fainting. Everyone sided with me instantly, including your in-laws. Who would believe you?”
Leila didn’t lose her temper but simply signed to say Sarah was an idiot.
Sarah, puzzled, glanced at Edgar for an explanation.
Edgar, grasping Leila’s gestures, chose not to explain and just gave Sarah a frosty look. “Miss Miller, so it was you who decided to involve the police,” he commented dryly. “Just so you’re aware, Mr. Kensington will be far from pleased when he finds out. Brace yourself for his reaction.”
Sarah bristled. “Why should he be upset? I’m looking out for him. After all, he and Leila went out together, and while she’s unscathed, he ended up collapsing abruptly.”
Leila disregarded Sarah’s comments, which only aggravated Sarah further.
Striding over in her high heels, Sarah leaned in close to Leila and whispered menacingly, “I’ve prepared a little surprise for you outside. Once the police cart you off, by tomorrow everyone will be talking about how you tried to murder Landon out of jealousy. You’ll be painted as the villain. And when Landon divorces you, don’t expect a penny from him.”
Unruffled, Leila typed her response. “Things won’t unfold as you anticipated.”
Leila was sure Landon would bail her out if it came to that.
Sarah found herself baffled by the circumstances, while Leila grasped the situation with clarity.
It wasn’t that Leila was smarter than Sarah. Rather, her long history with Landon gave her a deeper understanding of him.
When Landon collapsed, Edgar didn’t call for an ambulance. Instead, Edgar had sent Landon directly to the hospital. The medical staff’s calm and adept handling of the situation after their swift arrival suggested this wasn’t their first emergency with Landon.
Moreover, judging from Edgar’s choice to keep her from the true cause of Landon’s sudden illness, Leila deduced that Landon’s health issues were kept under wraps. This should be kept from the public.
However, Sarah unwittingly disrupted Landon’s plan by broadcasting the incident citywide, intent on ruining Leila.
Leila wasn’t certain how Landon would react to Sarah’s actions once he recovered, but she was confident he would quash any rumors swiftly. She had no cause for concern.
At that moment, the police showed up.
Leila was cooperative.
As expected, Sarah had summoned numerous reporters to the scene.
The moment Leila stepped out, a flood of reporters surged forward, their cameras poised to capture her being escorted into the police car.
The intensity of the scene rivaled that of a high-profile arrest for a severe crime, drawing the gaze of everyone nearby.
“Hey, what’s happening? Are they arresting a murderer?”
“Haven’t you heard? This woman’s got a lover in the middle of a divorce, and now she’s plotting to murder her husband because he won’t give her any money.”
“Oh my goodness, really? But she looks so sweet and innocent.”
“Looks can be deceiving. Women like her manipulate with their beauty, stopping at nothing to achieve their aims. Her poor husband must be suffering.”
Upon arriving at the police station, Leila was immediately taken for questioning.
Due to Leila’s inability to speak, a sign language interpreter was promptly brought in.