Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
One day, while Leila was fishing with Ernesto, Griffin strolled up, feigning surprise. “Leila, you and that newcomer, White, seem to be hitting it off.”
Leila tossed her fishing rod aside. “Hitting it off with him? Hardly! I think he’s a fake. The exercises he gave me are useless and make my stomach hurt. When I asked him about it, he just got defensive and said I’d see results if I did them more. And the prenatal education? He’s talking to my unborn baby about the corporate culture of some company called Blue Ray! He’s not right for this job. Fire him and find someone else.”
Leila feigned anger, her acting convincing.
Griffin’s eyes narrowed, a knowing glint in them.
Ernesto spoke up, surprising Leila. “He mentioned Blue Ray? It’s a bit early for prenatal education, but it seems he knows what he’s doing.”
Ernesto gave Griffin an approving look. “Your friend was right to recommend him.”
Leila appeared more agitated. “There’s something off about him. He’s creepy. How can someone like that be good for my baby? And what is Blue Ray anyway?” Ernesto and Griffin shared a knowing look.
“Blue Ray is one of my companies,” Ernesto explained. “As for White, don’t worry about him. He’s doing his best for you. We wouldn’t have him here if he wasn’t a professional.”
Leila acted not convinced. “I don’t like him. I want him gone.”
Griffin saw Ernesto’s firmness and stepped in, his face hardening. “Leila, you’re in our territory now. You’ll do as we say. Understand?” he said, his voice low and threatening.
Leila glanced at his icy stare, her face filled with fear. She quickly went quiet.
Ernesto casually chimed in, “Hey, why are you speaking to Leila that way? You’ll frighten her.”
The coldness in Griffin’s eyes finally softened a bit. Leila might have looked worried on the outside, but deep down, she was relieved. This meant they wouldn’t be suspicious of Landon for a little while, and that was a good thing. But this situation couldn’t go on forever. In the meantime, Landon had explored almost the entire island.
Landon described it as a natural prison. The island wasn’t surrounded by Ernesto’s and Griffin’s men, but it was located far out in the ocean. Every ship that passed by belonged to the Perry family. Ernesto had even purchased a large area of the surrounding ocean.
Landon and Leila could escape the island unnoticed, but figuring out how to cross the vast sea was their biggest challenge.
Whenever they thought about this, Landon would reassure Leila with signals, promising to find a way out soon.
Leila nodded, but she couldn’t shake off her worry and replied with sign language. “There’s no need to rush. I’m five months pregnant, so we have plenty of time before the baby arrives. We’ll find an opportunity.”
However, it didn’t take long for Leila to understand how wrong she’d been.
Griffin accompanied Leila to the island’s hospital for a routine pregnancy check-up.
The doctor delivered the news to Leila that she was expecting twins.
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This revelation left Leila speechless. Under different circumstances, this would have been a joyous occasion. But in her current situation, this was far from good news. They were determined to keep her child, and they had always spoken as if there was only one. With twins on the way, if she couldn’t find a way to flee, what fate awaited the other baby?
Leila envisioned the worst possible outcome. The reality of the situation seemed too much to bear. As she tried to stand, her head swam and a wave of dizziness washed over her. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed unconscious.
Leila regained consciousness in a hospital bed, voices drifting in from outside the room.
“Are you absolutely certain about the test results?” It was Griffin’s voice.
“There’s no doubt about it. I confirmed it myself, she’s carrying a boy and a girl. Mr. Perry, why not keep both children? However, twin pregnancies come with their own set of challenges. One fetus can sometimes take nutrients from the other. In this case, I believe the girl will likely develop better, while the boy might be a bit weaker.”
Leila heard Griffin’s scornful remark. “Why bother with the baby girl? I’m only interested in the boy she’s carrying. Given this situation, we might as well induce labor to terminate the girl when Leila is about seven or eight months along.”
Shock etched across Leila’s face, her eyes widening in utter disbelief.
The doctor’s voice wavered. “Mr. Perry, that’s highly inadvisable. The twins are linked. Initiating labor for one could jeopardize both.”
Impatient, Griffin snapped, “Then let both be born! I’ve tolerated this situation long enough. Just make sure the boy survives. How hard can that be? If the boy doesn’t make it, neither will you.”
The doctor, visibly shaken, quickly said, “Please, don’t worry. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure the boy’s safety.”
Leila, soaked in a cold sweat, listened in horror. Their plans were barbaric. If they planned to induce labor when she was around seven months pregnant, that meant she and Landon were left little time to carry out their discreet escape.
Lost in her thoughts, the sound of a door creaking open startled Leila. Swiftly, she shut her eyes, feigning sleep. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps before a chilling, sticky sensation washed over her. It was as though a predator had fixed its gaze upon her. She couldn’t tell how long Griffin had been staring at her. It felt like an eternity had passed.
Just as Leila reached her limit, Griffin let out a meaningful chuckle. Then, he departed.
Only when the sound of the door closing echoed did Leila dare to slowly open her eyes. She was aware Griffin had seen through her act of feigning sleep, yet he chose not to call her out.
To Griffin, Leila’s knowledge of the truth posed no threat. Now, confined to the Perry family estate, she had to resign herself to her fate.
After leaving the hospital, Leila conveyed the gravity of the situation to Landon, yet she downplayed the severity. She said Griffin was in a rush and pressed her to give birth earlier than expected.
Leila knew Landon would be consumed by fury if she told him everything Griffin and the doctor had discussed. That would just exacerbate the situation.
Landon grasped the gravity of the situation and offered solace to Leila, promising to take care of everything so she could concentrate on her pregnancy.
Soon after, a chance presented itself.
Landon confided in Leila that the Perry family, along with affluent individuals from various nations, were involved in illegal operations. These dealings were always cloaked in secrecy.
However, there was an annual event where the wealthy and influential clients they catered to would gather. This year, the gathering was scheduled for a week from now. Escaping during this event would be their best bet. Landon’s workload increased significantly.
With dark circles under his eyes, he focused solely on devising a plan to escape with Leila as quickly as possible.
Leila realized she couldn’t leave Landon to shoulder the burden alone. During this period, she made a concerted effort to grow closer to Ernesto, hoping to ease any suspicions he harbored against her.
Leila and Landon even staged a dramatic scene. They orchestrated a plan for a so-called infiltrator to drag Leila out of the island.
The chaos drew everyone’s attention.
Despite the opportunity, Leila played her part well, choosing not to flee.
To make the acting more convincing, when the so-called infiltrator turned to attack Ernesto, Leila intervened, seizing the knife and nearly suffering from a miscarriage in the process.
The island burst into activity.
Griffin took charge, leading his men in repeated investigations. He brought Landon along for assistance.
With Leila’s pregnancy and her recent close call with the miscarriage, numerous family doctors were summoned to attend to her.
Overwhelmed by pain, Leila lay there, barely conscious and drenched in sweat, overhearing snippets of the conversation between Ernesto and Griffin from outside her room.
“Dad, something’s off this time. Our security system is state-of-the-art. How could someone have infiltrated?” Griffin voiced his suspicion.
“Not even the best security is foolproof. No more absolute statements!” Ernesto expressed his frustration. “You should reflect on your arrangements. How could such a major error have happened?”
Griffin explained, “There must be an internal issue. Otherwise, how could someone have pinpointed Leila’s location? I suspect there’s a traitor among us.” Leila winced from the pain.
Griffin was shrewd and observant. If she and Landon were to escape, they needed a plan to distract Griffin.
Ernesto narrowed his eyes, questioning Griffin’s accusation, “A traitor? Do you know who it might be?” Griffin scoffed. “Would I mention it if I weren’t sure?”
Leila’s anxiety grew. Yet, her pain was too intense to concentrate fully. Even if she and Landon were caught, there was no turning back. Boldness was their only ally. They had to take the risk, regardless of the consequences. Failure would mean no escape from their dire situation.
Leila shifted her focus, trying to ignore the pain as she cradled her belly, bending over slightly.
Leila’s wails of pain echoed within the room.
At Ernesto’s words, Ernesto’s response was a scornful chuckle, his voice slicing through the air like ice. “Surely, you’re not implying Leila orchestrated that intrusion?”
Griffin’s silence was loud, his stoic demeanor revealing more than words could.
Ernesto’s icy glare cut across the room, finally halting at Leila’s door. He made no move to alert the guards. Rather, with deliberate slowness, Ernesto lifted his cane and delivered several sharp blows to Griffin.