Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Leila’s heart raced with fear. She managed a weak smile and replied, “It’s not like that. I’m just feeling uncomfortable and sweaty. Surely you don’t want to do it this way, right?”
The man’s laughter grew wild, his gaze intensifying. He articulated each word with chilling clarity. “I told you to take off your clothes! Didn’t you hear?”
Leila stood frozen, prompting the man to seize her chin forcefully, almost as if he intended to wrench it off. Pain shot through Leila, forcing her mouth open.
At that moment, the man shoved a pill into her mouth. It was too late for her to spit it out.
His complacent laughter echoed as he declared, “You said you wanted to stay by my side. Don’t blame anyone else. Get on the bed and strip now. Maybe I’ll be gentle.”
Leila suppressed her tears and stared icily at the man before her. In a desperate bid, she lunged at him, attempting to fight him off.
But she was no match for him at all. The disparity in their physical strength was evident, further compounded by the effects of a drug coursing through her veins. Leila’s body burned with an unbearable heat, sapping her strength, leaving her feeble.
In a futile attempt to regain control, she bit down on the tip of her tongue. Yet, it was to no avail. The heat only intensified.
The man shook his head dismissively. “Stop fighting. Ms. Martel gave me the most potent drug to ensure success. There is no cure for it yet. Without a man, you’re doomed.”
As the man advanced toward Leila, tears of despair began to fall from her eyes.
The man pounced, tearing at her clothes while he breathed heavily, uttering provocation.
“To be honest, we’ve already arranged for the media to cover this. Ms. Martel is really kind. The handsome young man from a wealthy family she picked for you is not too bad. You made the mistake of choosing me. Feeling any regrets? No use crying over spilled milk. From now on, you are my woman.”
Leila cursed Joanna inwardly, her disdain for the latter growing with every passing second.
Just as the man was about to strip her completely, he groaned and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Her mind being tampered with by the drug, Leila blinked, her confusion and fear palpable. In her daze, all she could make out was a blur moving toward her. He was tall, his posture erect.
At first, Leila didn’t recognize this newcomer. But as he neared, the mask on his face became unmistakable, and recognition dawned.
“Mr. Lando…” Affected by the drug, Leila’s words slurred slightly, taking on an unintentionally seductive tone. Her body felt unbearably warm. Her pretty face turned a deep red, and her eyes, brimming with tears, could have captivated any onlooker.
Mr. Lando rushed to Leila’s side and enveloped her in his arms. He exhaled a heavy sigh. “Leila, you owe me once more.”
It was then that Leila recalled the man’s words about the sole antidote for the drug. The last shred of her rational mind screamed at her to keep her distance from any man. “Go away,” she hastily said, pushing against Mr. Lando desperately.
Leila was oblivious to how her actions made her look like she was playing hard to get. Her movements were weak and tentative, resembling a kitten’s delicate, uncertain swipes with its tiny paws.
“Don’t move,” Mr. Lando said, his eyes hardened with a dangerous glint.
Leila’s voice trembled as she pleaded, “Please, just go! Leave me alone!”
As the drug took effect, Leila felt an escalating discomfort. It was a deep, gnawing heat threatening to erode her sanity.
Mr. Lando gently placed her on the bed and then, with a cold voice, commanded the person outside, “Get the antidote now!”
Lenny stepped forward and examined Leila’s condition. With a shake of his head, he said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Lando. It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I have never encountered a drug like this before. I’m afraid…” Although Lenny trailed off, everyone knew what he meant.
Mr. Lando’s chest heaved as he took in the news. “Can she handle this on her own?”
Lenny shook his head. “Her heart might not be strong enough to withstand it.”
Mr. Lando took a deep, steadying breath. “I understand. Leave. Keep a close watch on the situation outside.”
“Understood, sir.” With a nod, Lenny exited the room, closing the door gently behind him.
The room fell silent. The only occupants left were Mr. Lando and Leila.
Mr. Lando began to slowly remove his mask. His face beneath the mask was strikingly handsome, marred only by a long scar that ran down the left side.
The scar had evidently been there for quite some time, though the lingering red mark remained starkly visible. He settled beside Leila, gently holding her hand. His voice was soft and tinged with nostalgia, “Since you are not fully conscious, let me show you my face. Don’t be frightened by my appearance.”
At this point, Leila had entirely lost her senses. She suddenly sat up and leaned against him, her movements bold and confident. With a seductive grace, she straddled his lap, her posture both inviting and daring.
Mr. Lando wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her, his expression a blend of conflicted emotions and deep sorrow. “Leila, are you certain about this?” In response, Leila pressed a soft, burning kiss to his lips. That kiss obliterated any remaining shred of reason between them.
Two hours later, Landon released Leila with a contented sigh.
Exhausted, Leila curled up in his embrace like a docile kitten. Her delicate face rested against his chest, and she let out a faint, tired whimper.
Landon’s hand wandered to her face, tenderly tracing the features he had yearned for day and night. He felt as though the moment was surreal. It was as if he was trapped in a dream that he couldn’t wake up from. Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed through the room.
Lenny hesitated at the threshold, showing a rare moment of restraint. He said urgently, “Mr. Lando, there is a throng of reporters outside, some from major media outlets. Should we send them away?”
“There is no need,” Landon replied coldly. “They are after Leila, and if we don’t give them what they want, they will resort to more underhanded tactics.”
Lenny couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Mr. Lando, you have let this woman turn everything upside down.” Standing nearby, Edgar couldn’t resist giving Lenny a swift kick. “You little brat! What do you know?”
To Edgar, Leila and Landon’s reunion felt like a twist of fate, a chance to mend what was broken.
However, with this new complication and their famously stubborn natures, reconciling seemed anything but certain. It remained uncertain whether they could make up.
As the clamor from outside intensified, the weary and disoriented Leila began to stir, her brow knitting into a frown as she slowly roused from her slumber. Landon’s heart skipped a beat when he saw this. Panic surged through him as he hastily donned his mask. When he turned around with the mask, he found Leila staring directly at him.
“Landon,” she stammered, suddenly at a loss for words, unsure how to explain what had just happened. However, Leila appeared calm and collected. She stood up gracefully and began to get dressed.
As she dressed, she said, “Don’t blame yourself. We are both adults, responsible for our own choices. Without you, things could have been a lot worse for me today. I didn’t exactly ask for this. Honestly, I should be thanking you. I know that if you had the antidote, you wouldn’t have done this.”
Landon remained silent. He was abruptly gripped by a peculiar sense of abandonment. He couldn’t help but feel she didn’t want to take responsibility after having sex with him.
Landon sat up, and as he moved, the blanket slipped away, exposing his sculpted physique. His eight-pack abs and well-defined muscles were clearly visible, veins subtly tracing under his skin. The blanket fell just past his V-line.
Landon had plenty to say, but in the end, all that escaped him was a soft, rueful laugh. “You seem to be handling this situation remarkably well.”
Leila finished dressing and turned to face him, her eyes brimming with tears that threatened to spill over. In a sudden, jerky movement, she stepped back, sending the glass on the bedside table crashing to the floor.
Without hesitation, Leila grabbed a shard of glass and pressed it against her neck. A thin, red line appeared on her pale skin with just slight pressure.
Landon’s heart pounded in his chest as if it were about to leap out. He quickly grabbed a piece of clothing and wrapped it around his waist. Panic surged through him as he rushed toward Leila.
“Don’t move!” Leila cried out, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I feel just the opposite of calm. My reputation means everything to me, and right now, I’m in agony because you’re not the man I love. I didn’t even know you before this moment. I refuse to be labeled as just a loose woman. Today, it seems, is my unlucky day, but I can’t bear to continue living like this.”
Landon’s heart raced as he saw the desperation in Leila’s eyes. He could tell she was about to do something drastic.
In a fit of desperation, he blurted out, “How can you claim not to know me? I’m the father of your daughter, your ex-husband! We only ended up in bed by accident. If you hate me so much, I’ll disappear from your life forever. But please, don’t do this!”
Leila froze at his words.
Landon took a cautious step forward, gently grasping her wrist and carefully extracting the shard of glass.
As he did, Leila raised her eyes, her expression serene, devoid of the despair she had shown moments ago. A faint, ironic smile touched her lips, and her voice dripped with sarcasm. “I knew about it all along. I was just waiting to see when you would finally admit it.”
Landon’s heart plummeted. The coldness in her eyes made him frown. He asked with a voice filled with bitterness, “When did you find out?”
Leila sighed and replied, “Your story was convincing. When you told me you were dead, I actually believed it. However, just now, I recognized you.”
Leila offered no further explanation. In truth, it all came down to her feelings for Landon. Landon had been the love of her life for as long as she could remember.
She knew his body intimately, every curve and contour. She was also well-acquainted with his habits and those small, telling gestures he made.
Leila had harbored suspicions for quite some time. But never in her wildest dreams did she expect them to be confirmed in this way.
With a mocking laugh, Leila shook her head, her voice turning cold. “Landon, are you still going to hide behind that mask and avoid facing me?”