Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Saniya’s heart sank, despair clawing at her insides. Leila shot an icy glance at Saniya, a flare of anger crossing her face as she let out a sharp, disdainful snort.
Landon understood instantly, his gaze darkening with a dangerous intensity as he glowered at Saniya. “You’re asking for trouble.”
Edgar sensed the tension, stepped forward, and grabbed Saniya’s arm. “Mr. Kensington, what do you want us to do with her?”
Landon didn’t even look at her. “Throw her into the sea.”
A scream tore from Saniya’s throat. “You can’t kill me! Many people are watching us, and it’s against the law!”
Landon’s laugh was dark and humorless. “Who said anything about killing? Besides, who here has the nerve to wrongly accuse me and my family?”
Landon swept his gaze over the room, each person feeling the weight of his stare. Everyone who had planned to write stories slandering Sophie suddenly fell silent at once.
The director, in particular, looked like all the blood had drained from his face. He had bet on the wrong horse this time and was utterly doomed, his fate sealed beyond hope.
Leila leaned toward Landon and whispered, “Keep her for now. I have more questions to ask her.”
Landon nodded, his eyes softening as they met Leila’s. He looked like a tame lion, his tone gentle. “As you wish.”
Saniya was escorted away, while the director and the reporters were ushered out, their exit swift and decisive.
At that moment, the door to the operating room swung open, and a doctor stepped out. “Are the patient’s family members here?”
Debbie moved forward quickly, her face etched with worry. “We’re her friends. She doesn’t have any family.”
The doctor smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. The patient is in stable condition.”
A sigh of relief swept through Debbie and Leila. After discussing their options, they agreed to take turns at the hospital to care for Elaine.
Meanwhile, Sophie would go home with Landon. However, Sophie wasn’t content and insisted on staying with Leila instead.
Landon sighed in mock grievance. “It seems neither of you like me. You both don’t want to stick around with me.”
Leila laughed, shaking her head. “You might want to give Sophie extra comfort and ease her nerves. She’s simply shy, but she’ll come around eventually. Why don’t you head home and get some rest? I’ll have more questions for you when I return.”
“Okay.” Landon gave a nod. He leaned in and brushed a kiss against her forehead before departing.
Leila blushed, whispering, “Sophie’s still here.”
Landon chuckled. “She’ll find out someday.”
Sophie’s tears stopped, her curiosity piqued by their interaction. Did this mean Landon was going to be her new dad? He’d called her his daughter. Could it be true?
Sophie suddenly realized she had accepted everything surprisingly easily. She liked Landon quite a bit. Somehow, Landon made her feel safe, a warmth she hadn’t felt before, and she felt a strange comfort just being near him.
As night fell, Elaine came around. Her throat was dry and raw, her head pounding like a drum.
Leila quickly moved to Elaine’s side, helping her sit up, and offering a glass of warm water.
The warm water soothed Elaine’s parched throat, easing the burn.
Flashes of feverish nightmares crossed Elaine’s mind, the sensation of cold sweat on her skin. But now, she felt clean, her body wrapped in fresh hospital clothes. Someone had been taking care of her.
For so long, since her parents had died, Elaine had learned to fend for herself, to shoulder and take care of her sister. Even when she was hurt or ill during filming, she would grit her teeth and manage on her own. It was the first time someone else had taken care of her. The warmth of that realization spread through Elaine’s chest like a balm, her eyes misting with tears.
“Thank you, Leila,” Elaine whispered, her voice barely audible, heavy with emotion.
Leila made Elaine more comfortable by adjusting her backrest.
“Thank you so much. If it hadn’t been for your quick reaction, Sophie would have been in real danger. She’s still so young. The doctor mentioned how lucky it was that an adult was involved. For a child or an elderly person, the same dose could have been deadly.”
Leila’s voice trembled, and her eyes filled with tears as she spoke. She looked at Elaine with deep appreciation.
Elaine, processing the gravity of the situation, let out a sigh of relief. “I’m relieved it was me then.”
Elaine stared at the ceiling, her face etched with a reflective sadness.
“To be honest, selflessness isn’t usually my first instinct. At that moment, I wasn’t even sure what went through my mind. Now that I think about it, I do have some regrets. Why did I nearly throw my life away for someone who isn’t even family? Yet, if faced with the same choice, I’d do it all over again. Sophie reminds me so much of my younger sister. She was beautiful, brilliant, and always so composed, even as a young girl. If our parents had been around, I’m sure she would have had a wonderful future. Unfortunately…” Elaine paused, her eyes brimming with tears she held back.
Leila reached for Elaine’s hand firmly. “I originally gave you the necklace as part of a plan to get close to you.
But now, I truly appreciate what you’ve done. You have my deepest gratitude. From now on, consider me at your service. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”
Elaine stared at Leila, confusion etched across her face. “Why are you deliberately getting close to me?” Leila’s smile waned, replaced by a somber expression as she chose to reveal the truth. “It’s concerning your sister. There’s an aspect of my life you’re unaware of. My cousin is Ewing, the head of the Nixon family.”
Shock washed over Elaine, quickly clouded by a surge of anger.
“I had taken you for a decent person. I didn’t think you’d advocate for such a vile man. Leila, that doesn’t seem like something you would do. If you promise never to bring up Ewing in front of me again, I’ll act like this never happened.”
Leila shook her head gently, her tone sincere. “I’m not in his corner. The situation between him and your sister is theirs to resolve. It’s not my place to pass judgment. But listen, I’m here to assist you. Honestly, my only wish is to help you find your sister.”
Elaine regarded Leila with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. “How on earth did you find out she’s missing?” Leila sidestepped the query. “We should save that conversation for later.
You’ve just woken up and need to recuperate. Tonight, Debbie and I will ensure you’re taken care of. Don’t fret. You’re in safe hands.”
Elaine, drained, chose not to delve deeper and rolled over to sleep.
Outside the room, Leila quietly made a call to Ewing.
“I talked with Saniya. She knows where to find Evita Webster, but she’s laid out some conditions. If we don’t comply, she won’t divulge anything.”
Ewing appeared even more worn on the other end of the phone. “I got it wrong about Elaine. I assumed she was covering for her sister. I never imagined Evita would be kidnapped. This is on me. Had I not invited her out that evening, she wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Leila’s heart went out to him. “Ewing, try to rest. We’ll sort everything out.”
Ewing nodded, managing a weary smile. “I know. But…” His voice trailed off, his expression growing more strained.
“I regret dragging you into this. If you hadn’t joined the show, you wouldn’t be facing these issues now. I can’t help but shiver with regret when I think about what could have happened to Sophie.”
Leila felt a residual fear as well, but thankfully, that scenario hadn’t unfolded, and Sophie was safe. “Ewing, it’s alright. Sophie wouldn’t want to see you like this. You handle the Nixon family. I’ll track down Evita,” she assured him.
“Elaine had saved Sophie’s life, and because of that, I felt obligated to accommodate any request from Saniya. I was determined to ensure Elaine’s sister was returned safely.”.
Elaine required several days in the hospital to fully recover from her ordeal. Throughout her stay, her interactions with Leila grew noticeably more distant and cold.
Debbie, feeling both confused and concerned by the change in Elaine’s demeanor, pulled Leila aside to discuss it privately.
Leila offered a reassuring smile and brushed off her concerns. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.”
Meanwhile, words spread rapidly about Saniya’s role in Elaine’s hospitalization.
Despite efforts to stop the live stream quickly, enough people had witnessed Saniya’s actions with the mushroom.
Several made videos of Saniya springing up and stepping back after touching the mushroom, replaying the moment again and again.
The sarcastic caption stated, “How can you blame me? It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t know the mushroom was toxic, yet I touched it deliberately. I touched it and moved away quickly, utterly ignoring the safety of a child.”
It also came to light that Saniya had tried to pin the blame on Sophie.
Calls for Saniya to be banned grew louder. This was no longer just about a flawed character. Her behavior was outright spiteful.
Leila conveyed every detail to Saniya without omission. In the gloomy confines of a poorly lit room, Saniya, her hair unkempt and face grimy, raised her eyes.
Landon had never instructed anyone to harm Saniya. They simply withheld her meals.