Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Puzzled, Landon entered the building and was greeted by a faint crying sound. He quickly identified it as belonging to Sophie and, feeling a pang of anxiety, hastened toward the source. Approaching the door, Landon’s heart sank as the scene before him came into view.
Sophie was seated, sobbing quietly, while a familiar figure loomed over her. It was none other than Anna! Despite her gentle smile, Anna’s eyes betrayed chilling indifference.
“Come now. You’ve broken my things. Surely, you can muster an apology?” Anna’s voice was smooth, yet it earned an unmistakable edge. “Isn’t that basic logic?”
Lifting her tear-streaked face, Sophie retorted with defiance, “You’re lying! I didn’t break anything. You hit me first! It’s you who should be apologizing, not me!”
Anna’s smile waned, replaced by a slowly encroaching aura of menace, though she remained outwardly calm. Lenny chimed in, “Miss, let her go. She’s just a child. She knows nothing.”
Anna snapped, “Oh, come on! She may be a child, but I cannot stand her face.”
Landon rushed over and scooped up the weeping Sophie. He gave Anna a stern look and questioned, “What are you doing here?”
Anna’s expression shifted quickly to one of innocence and sweetness, yet her words chilled the room. “I couldn’t find you, so I had to make an effort. Landon, why did you lie to me? You and Leila were married and even had a child. Why keep that a secret?”
Faced with Anna’s accusatory tone, Landon’s brow furrowed. “I’m not hiding anything. It’s none of your business. Yes, Leila and I were together, and we have a child. Even though we’re divorced, they remain my priority. You’ve been a nuisance to me, which I might overlook for the sake of your brother. Just stay away from them now, got it?”
Tears sprang to Anna’s eyes. Sophie, hearing Landon call himself her father, began to squirm in his arms. “You’re a liar! Don’t talk nonsense! My dad loves my mom. He would never leave her. My dad’s overseas, not here! You’re just lying!”
Landon, filled with regret and confusion, hadn’t intended to reveal so much to Sophie. His temper had slipped during the heated exchange with Anna. Concerned for Sophie’s well-being, Landon reluctantly set her down. To his dismay, Sophie dashed out, tears streaming down her face.
Landon hurried to catch up with Sophie when he saw her. But Anna seized Landon’s wrist before he could sprint away. No one could explain how Anna had suddenly become so strong. Her grip was ironclad, and she refused to let Landon go.
Luckily, Edgar and Lenny noticed the commotion and rushed outside. “Anna!” Landon’s patience was wearing thin, and he wrenched his arm free with a powerful shake. His resolve remained unshaken as he put every ounce of strength into shaking off her hold.
Unable to maintain her balance, Anna fell to the ground. Tears streamed down her face in a flood of emotion. She looked up at Landon, her eyes shimmering with sorrow, her expression a delicate blend of fragility and beauty. Yet, despite her vulnerable gaze, Landon’s eyes remained cold and indifferent.
Anna’s lips curved into a sudden, bittersweet smile, though the tears continued to flow freely. “You promised my brother that you would marry me and stay with me. I heard it myself. Why won’t you admit it now? Is it because of that woman? How could you break your promise, Landon?”
Anna’s eyes lost their shine. She stared blankly at Landon’s back as he stormed away, still in a daze. Her phone buzzed suddenly, jolting her back to reality. It was a message from her doctor. “Miss, your condition has worsened. I strongly advise you to return for treatment immediately. If this continues, the situation will spiral beyond control.”
Anna barely glanced at the phone. Her eyes slowly darkened and grew vicious.
Landon dashed outside, but Edgar, Lenny, and Sophie were nowhere in sight. Just as Landon was about to call Edgar, a sudden, jarring sound pierced the air. It was the screech of tires skidding on asphalt, mingled with the panicked scream of a little girl and the chaotic cries of those around.
Landon’s heart raced in shock.
Meanwhile, Leila was lost in thoughts about her cooperation with Clayton when a call from the hospital jolted her. The news hit Leila like a ton of bricks, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.
She barely registered how she got to the hospital. Her legs felt like jelly, and she nearly crumpled to the ground as she stumbled out of the car.
The red light in the operating room cast a haunting glow, intensifying Leila’s desperation. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she lunged at Landon, grabbing his collar with a fierce grip. “Landon!” Leila cried out, her voice raw with desperation and anguish.
“She is your own flesh and blood. Don’t you care at all? I know you don’t love me. You came back only out of a sense of obligation. Sophie and I won’t stand in the way of your new life. Why are you doing this? You don’t deserve to be her father!”
Landon’s lips moved soundlessly as his face lost all color, his eyes hollow and lifeless.
Overwhelmed by her own emotions, Leila cried until she nearly collapsed. Edgar, who had just arrived, swiftly pulled Leila to the side and explained. The truth was that Landon had been wronged.
Landon had been trapped by Anna, believing that everything would be fine as long as Edgar and Lenny were on Sophie’s trail. But Landon hadn’t anticipated the extent of Anna’s madness.
Edgar knelt before Leila, his face etched with guilt. He slapped himself several times and, with a voice trembling with remorse, said, “Miss Nixon, I’m to blame. I failed to protect your daughter properly. Mr. Kensington is not at fault.”
As Edgar recounted the events, his voice quivered with sorrow and regret. Edgar and Lenny raced after Sophie and soon found her. As Edgar managed to coax her, Landon hadn’t made an appearance. Just then, Lenny said he feared Landon might do something drastic to Anna, potentially making the situation irreversible, and urged Edgar to take a look.
Edgar knew Lenny well. While Lenny always followed Anna’s directives, he wasn’t a bad person. Still, Edgar agreed to leave. However, he didn’t anticipate what would unfold after he had taken just a few steps.
Consumed by guilt, Lenny told Edgar that Anna had asked him to take Sophie away. The idea was to scare Leila for a few days, hoping she would leave Landon.
But Lenny hadn’t foreseen that, soon after Edgar departed, Anna’s goons would spring into action to subdue Lenny. And as if that wasn’t enough, they even shoved Sophie into the path of an oncoming car, putting her life in imminent danger.
Leila felt too drained to cry when she heard that. She lifted her eyes and looked at Landon. He silently knelt outside the operating room.
The man who had always carried himself with pride now bowed his head, his once-strong posture hunched and defeated. His typically arrogant demeanor seemed shattered.
Leila had never seen Landon so overcome with despair. At that moment, the doctor walked out of the operating room.
With a somber tone, the doctor explained that Sophie had lost too much blood and urgently needed a transfusion. Landon immediately offered to donate his blood. Their blood types matched, but the amount required was a lot.
Landon remained stoic, enduring the process in silence. When he emerged, his face was ashen, drained of all color. It wasn’t until Landon heard the news from the emergency room that Sophie was safe now that a genuine smile finally graced Landon’s face.
“Thank God!” Landon exclaimed, his eyes reddened with relief. He turned abruptly and staggered, dropping to his knees before Leila.
As Leila looked at him, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Landon bowed his head, his voice trembling with sorrow. “You are right, Leila. I don’t deserve to be Sophie’s father. If it weren’t for me, Anna wouldn’t have targeted you. I promise I won’t come near you again.”
Tears brimmed in Leila’s eyes, unable to hold back the flood of emotions. After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice strained. “How do you plan to punish Anna? I need her locked up.”
Landon remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Leila’s lips curled into a sneer. “Why are you soft-hearted? It’s clear now that your words weren’t as sincere as you made them out to be. Fine. Just remember what you promised. From this moment on, stay away from us-I don’t want to see your face again.” With that, Leila spun on her heel and walked away, though she stumbled as she did.
Edgar helped Landon to his feet, a wave of sympathy washing over him. “Mr. Kensington, why don’t you just tell Miss Nixon the truth? Miss Watts’ actions stem from the trauma she suffered on the battlefield. She is mentally ill, and because of that, the law won’t hold her accountable. It’s not that you don’t want to see her punished; you simply can’t put her in jail.”
Landon’s gaze remained fixed on Leila’s retreating figure, a deep, unspoken love etched in his eyes. He forced a smile, though it barely masked his inner turmoil.
“I had no intention of letting Anna off the hook so easily. But first, I need to get her out of the country. Don’t underestimate the lengths a mother will go for her child. I’ll take care of this; Leila doesn’t need to get her hands dirty.”
Thankfully, Sophie was out of danger after the operation. The doctor reassured everyone, stating that her limbs were intact and that, with proper care, she would not suffer any lasting effects.
Despite the frightening appearance of Sophie’s injuries, they weren’t as severe as they might have seemed. Her timely arrival at the hospital had made all the difference. Since Sophie was still a child, her recovery was swift.
However, Sophie’s tender age made her more susceptible to psychological trauma. Leila needed to be especially vigilant about Sophie’s mental well-being.
Leila stayed by Sophie’s side for three straight days, anxiously waiting for her to wake up from the postoperative coma. For the past three days, Leila had only managed to get less than five hours of sleep, only succumbing to sleep when she couldn’t keep her eyes open.
Sophie finally stirred awake on the fourth day.
With her lips cracked and dry, she weakly called out for her mother. Leila’s heart ached as she looked at her beloved daughter, surrounded by medical instruments and tubes. The sight was heart-wrenching.
Leila was acutely aware that Landon hadn’t left. He always came while she was asleep or found a spot where she couldn’t see him. He might have thought he was well hidden, but her instincts were sharp, picking up on the faintest trace of his presence. She chose not to mention it as long as he stayed out of her direct line of sight.
Ruth and Tilda arrived at the hospital shortly after. Their faces flushed with tears as they took in the sight of Sophie’s frail condition. Leila stood up abruptly, feeling a wave of dizziness that nearly caused her to fall.
When Ruth saw Leila’s exhausted expression, she quickly stepped in to offer support. “Miss Nixon, you look so worn out. Please grab some rest. Your daughter needs you. The competition is about to start. You don’t need to come with me. I can handle it on my own.”
Leila took a moment to regain her composure. She rubbed her tired eyes and suddenly felt the weight of time. Her energy levels were nowhere near what they had been in her teens or early twenties. After days of sleepless nights, the fatigue was unmistakable.
With a heavy sigh, Leila expressed her concern, “Jenny is bound to stir up trouble. I’m really worried about you going there alone.”
Ruth offered a reassuring smile and patted Leila on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ve learned so much from you. How can I stay in the Turner Group if I can’t handle it?”
Leila reluctantly agreed when she saw Ruth’s determination. She provided Ruth with additional instructions before allowing her to leave.
But amidst all this, they brought Leila some good news: Tilda had managed to slip into the nursing home associated with Jenny. Jenny’s father had never been particularly caring, and Jenny herself was no different. Jenny had only seen Tilda a handful of times in her life, and that was back when she was just a child.
With Jenny’s memories of Tilda’s face long faded, Tilda found it easy to infiltrate the nursing home unnoticed. After some inquiries, Tilda discovered Tyrone’s whereabouts. He was indeed staying with Jenny, but for some reason, he wasn’t living with the other elderly residents.
Tilda didn’t just uncover this; she also gathered substantial evidence of abuse occurring in the nursing home. Tilda and Ruth cared deeply for Leila, and their concern brought a flicker of warmth to her otherwise heavy heart.
Soon, the competition commenced. Despite being occupied with caring for Sophie in the hospital, Leila remained keenly attentive to the unfolding competition. Fortunately, the competition was broadcast live, allowing Leila to follow the action closely.
As expected, Ruth clinched first place in the opening round. Jenny, of course, was not pleased with the result. However, when Ruth mentioned she was Hayden’s student, Jenny was left speechless, unable to argue further.
Ruth continued her winning streak, quickly pulling ahead of Jenny in points. Leila sensed Jenny wouldn’t sit idle for long. Sure enough, the night Ruth secured another victory, Jenny posted a photo on social media.