Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Despair washed over Leila, but as she scanned their surroundings, her eyes landed on a small window high above the back wall. With renewed urgency, she pulled Linsey toward it, gesturing for her to climb.
“It’s too high for me. You should go, Leila,” Linsey argued, her voice trembling. “You’re thinner, and I can give you a boost.”
But Leila couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Linsey behind. Ignoring her own safety, Leila hoisted Linsey toward the window. This was her responsibility-she had brought this danger upon them. She couldn’t let Linsey suffer for it.
The smoke thickened, making it impossible to speak. Leila urged Linsey to hurry, silently pushing her toward the window with all her strength.
“Leila, I can’t leave you!” Linsey’s voice cracked with emotion. “I’ll come back for you, I swear. Just hang on!”
With Leila’s help, Linsey reached the small window and pushed it open, the rush of air feeding the flames behind them. As Linsey climbed through, she turned back, but the smoke had already swallowed Leila from view.
Leila collapsed, coughing and gasping for air. She fumbled for her phone and pressed the emergency lock button five times, triggering an SOS. Her emergency contact was likely Landon, but would he answer?
As the flames closed in, Leila curled into a corner, overwhelmed by the smoke. Time felt agonizingly slow, each second an eternity. Suddenly, through the suffocating haze, a figure appeared, cutting through the fire and smoke. Strong arms lifted her, carrying her through the deluge of water from the fire hoses.
The fire trucks had arrived, and the blaze was being brought under control. Linsey rushed toward Leila, tears streaming down her face.
“Leila! Are you okay? Please, open your eyes!”
Leila slowly blinked away the smoke, her vision clearing enough to see Landon’s face, filled with concern and relief. He had come for her. In the chaos, his presence felt like a dream.
As Leila struggled to sit up, coughing, she realized she was mostly unharmed. The spot where she had hidden had provided some protection from the worst of the smoke. She signed her thanks to Landon, her heart warm with gratitude.
Linsey clutched her hand, her voice thick with emotion. “I was so scared. That fire… it was awful.”
Suddenly, Sarah’s voice pierced through the aftermath, and Leila instinctively pulled back from Landon, stepping away as Sarah approached. Observing Leila’s reaction, Landon’s brow furrowed with concern.
The fear that had gripped Landon’s heart when he learned of the fire was still fresh. He had rushed to the scene, desperate to save her. Now, seeing Leila distance herself despite his efforts, a pang of hurt flickered in his eyes.
Suppressing his emotions, Landon turned to Sarah, his voice cold. “Those thugs… They worked for Stella, didn’t they? Did you have any part in this?”
“What? Landon, what are you saying? How could this be?” Sarah blinked, her voice trembling with shock. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to comprehend his accusation. “Landon, I had no idea those men were sent by Stella. Why would you think I’m involved? How could you suspect me?”
“Isn’t your relationship with Stella supposed to be good? At the club, didn’t you two gang up on Leila? Can you honestly deny that?” Linsey interjected sharply, her voice filled with accusation.
Linsey, just as confused as she was furious, couldn’t understand how Landon had connected the dots so quickly. If Stella was behind this attack, it was beyond vile. Stella had tried to humiliate Leila before but failed miserably at Jerome’s birthday banquet. Was this revenge for that embarrassment?
“Stella has no reason to target Leila unless you pushed her into it!” Linsey continued, glaring at Sarah.
Sarah’s eyes darted between Landon and Linsey. “She embarrassed herself at the banquet! And we’re not even close! It’s all just surface-level. I was teasing Leila that day at the club, but I didn’t mean any harm!” Sarah protested, her voice shaking as she looked pleadingly at Landon, avoiding Linsey’s eyes.
Landon regarded Sarah for a long moment before turning his attention to Leila. “What do you think?”
Leila shook her head, indicating that she didn’t believe Sarah had been involved. Even if Sarah had claimed innocence, Leila knew that voicing her doubts wouldn’t change Landon’s mind. If he truly suspected Sarah, he would act. But it seemed Landon was merely looking for a way to close the matter without causing more trouble. Sarah would likely face no consequences. Meanwhile, Linsey’s bookstore was in ruins, and there was no sign of anyone stepping up to take responsibility for the damage.
“Forget it, as long as you’re okay,” Linsey sighed, rolling her eyes at Sarah before moving closer to Leila. “Let’s go to the hospital and get you checked out. You need an X-ray to make sure your lungs are alright.”
“Yes, we should do that,” Sarah added, though her words lacked sincerity.
“I’ll drive you,” Landon said, ignoring Leila’s attempts to protest as he scooped her up and carried her to the car.
Sarah stood there in disbelief, watching helplessly as Landon left her behind once again, this time to tend to Leila. It was a bitter scene that left her feeling abandoned.
Moments later, Ethan arrived, breathless and wide-eyed as he took in the destruction of the bookstore. “What happened here? Linsey, are you okay?” he asked, rushing to his sister’s side. But when he saw Landon holding Leila, his expression darkened, and he hurried toward them.
Landon cut him off with a cold stare. “Go deal with your sister’s enemies and figure out who torched her store!” he commanded, leaving Ethan to handle the investigation while he took Leila to the hospital.
After a thorough check-up, it was confirmed that Leila had no serious injuries. By the time they returned home, it was already late.
Troubled by the day’s events, Leila gestured to Landon, asking if there had been any updates on the culprits.
“They’re being interrogated. It looks like it’s connected to Stella,” Landon replied flatly, his attention focused on his phone, his voice devoid of emotion.
A wave of guilt crashed over Leila. Once again, her presence had brought trouble to Linsey.
“You shouldn’t go to Linsey’s anymore,” Landon suddenly said. “It’s too dangerous.”
Leila’s eyes widened. She gestured quickly, making it clear that Linsey wasn’t to blame. It was her own fault that so much trouble had been invited into their lives.
“Linsey can’t protect you,” Landon added coldly. “She’s of no use.”
Tears welled up in Leila’s eyes. Was that all Landon saw in people-whether they were useful or not? Linsey had almost been hurt because of her, and her bookstore was destroyed. Yet, Landon dismissed her friend as worthless.
For the first time, Leila pushed back. Her hands moved with more intensity than usual, signing angrily. She made it clear that Landon had no right to dictate her friendships, and she blamed herself for the mess, not Linsey. She didn’t need protection from her friend-she needed to fix the problems she had caused.
After expressing her feelings, Leila turned away and stormed upstairs, slamming the door to her bedroom behind her. Leaning against the door, her thoughts swirled in exhaustion. She half-expected Landon to follow, to force the door open in anger.
But the house remained silent.
Sliding down to the floor, Leila felt utterly drained..
As Leila stormed upstairs, her anger palpable, Landon stood in the hallway, his brow furrowed in deep thought. He felt the urge to follow her but resisted, knowing that any confrontation now would only escalate the situation. Instead, he pulled out his phone and dialed Sarah. Leila had insisted that neither Stella nor Sarah were to blame, but Landon couldn’t shake the lingering doubts her words had left.
The phone rang, and Sarah picked up quickly. Before she could speak, Landon got straight to the point. “Do you know anything about the fire at Linsey’s bookstore tonight?”
There was a brief pause on the other end as Sarah absorbed the question. It was clear she hadn’t expected such an accusation.
“Landon, that’s unfair!” Sarah finally responded, her voice tinged with disbelief and hurt. “What has Leila told you? Why would you think I had anything to do with this? I’ve accepted my place by your side. What would I gain from harming her? It wouldn’t change anything for me.”
Her voice grew more desperate as she continued. “In a world with laws, I’d be in jail for something like this! Killing Leila would only complicate things for me. Why would I bring that kind of trouble into my life?”
Landon remained silent for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. “I’m not accusing you. I just want to know if Stella mentioned anything suspicious to you.”
“Stella?” Sarah’s tone shifted, now a mix of confusion and concern. “Are you saying she was behind this? Did the police find something? Landon, if she was involved, I swear I didn’t know. I would have stopped her if I had! I’d never let things get that dangerous, especially over something as trivial as embarrassment.”
“Just tell me if she ever said anything to you that might explain this,” Landon pressed, his voice calm but firm.
“Absolutely not! I didn’t know she was capable of something like this,” Sarah insisted, her voice sincere. “Yes, I’m jealous of Leila, but not enough to wish harm on her. I’m not even close to Stella. If she did all this because of what happened at her grandfather’s birthday, that’s terrifying. I don’t understand her at all.”
“Alright, I believe you,” Landon said evenly, before ending the call.
But Landon wasn’t done investigating. He immediately dialed his assistant. “Look into Stella’s schedule from the time Leila started at Hayden’s studio. And find out where she got that bracelet Leila repaired. I want a full report.”
Landon suspected this entire situation might have been orchestrated from the start, with Leila unknowingly caught in the middle. Rubbing his temples, he glanced up at the closed bedroom door and decided not to follow her upstairs.
The next morning, Leila came downstairs wearing a brightly colored outfit, a stark contrast to her usual muted attire. It was as if she had decided to step out from the shadows she had been living in.
The butler, startled by the sudden change, asked, “Madam, are you feeling particularly cheerful today?”
Leila smiled, gesturing to ask what was on the menu for breakfast.
“A full spread of your favorites,” the butler replied, still adjusting to her transformation as he pulled out a chair for her.
After finishing her meal, Leila made it clear she intended to head to the studio for the entire day. She asked the butler to have her lunch delivered to the studio, even offering to take leftovers from breakfast if it was too much trouble.
The butler hesitated. Landon had recently requested that Leila take all her meals at home, and she had complied-until now. “Madam, if Mr. Kensington finds out you’re not here for lunch, he might be upset.”
Leila signed curtly, stating that if Landon got upset, so be it. She had made her decision.
Without waiting for the butler’s approval, she turned and walked toward the door, her determination unmistakable. She had finally reached her breaking point. Landon’s controlling nature, his lack of trust-it had all become too much. The fire had brought clarity. She didn’t value Landon’s protection; she valued her freedom.
As she left the house, the butler stood frozen, conflicted. Ultimately, he decided to inform Landon of her defiance.
When Leila arrived at the studio, she expected her lunch to arrive at noon. What she didn’t expect was for Landon himself to show up with it.