Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
The booming music in the main hall of the bar only added to Leila’s dizziness and growing irritation.
As the tipsy and gorgeous Leila stumbled forward, several men saw an opportunity and moved closer with less-than-noble intentions. However, they underestimated her.
As one tried to make his move, Leila’s hand met his cheek with a forceful slap.
“Hey, you!” the man snapped, visibly angered. “Watch it! Do you even know who I am? I’m not someone you want to mess with.”
Leila, steadying herself, smirked and replied icily, “Oh, really? Then prove it. Just try something, and see if you get slapped again.”
“Fine! You asked for it!” he snarled, his anger peaking as he reached out to grab Leila.
Leila seized her chance to bite him and quickly melted into the crowd. She hadn’t gotten far when a wave of dizziness washed over her.
Uncertain of where to go, Leila wandered aimlessly. The dense crowd hindered her pursuer’s progress. Yet, her moment of hesitation allowed him to close in.
Feeling footsteps right behind her, Leila’s panic surged. She grabbed the clothes of a nearby stranger, her voice urgent. “Please, help me.”
Landon, taken aback by the sudden intrusion, had an impulse to shrug her off. But the fear in her eyes, the slight tremble of her form, held him back. A tear dropped onto his hand. She was definitely crying.
Something stirred in Landon’s chest. Strangely, he felt no urge to pull away. “Miss?” he inquired gently, a frown creasing his brow. “Have you mistaken me for someone?”
Leila spun around, pointing at the approaching man. “He tried to assault me. Could you call the cops?” Landon’s gaze hardened as he assessed the man.
The man, realizing he was cornered, took a step forward with a defensive lie. “Don’t listen to her. She’s my girlfriend. We’re just having an argument.”
“Really?” Landon’s tone was skeptical. His lips twisted into a sneer as he declared, “It’s quite simple. I’m going to call the police this instant. If she truly is your girlfriend, then I’ll offer you an apology. However, if she isn’t, you might find yourself behind bars for a bit.”
The man’s expression shifted to one of panic.
In a menacing tone, he retorted, “Do you have any idea who I am? I’m employed by the Morgans, the wealthiest family in the area.”
“Cross them, and you’ll deeply regret it.” As the man’s threat hung in the air, Landon’s expression chilled further. He replied indifferently, “Fine, talk to them about me then. Just make sure you remember to use my name, Landon Kensington. I’ll be waiting right here.”
The man faltered, his confidence waning as he took in Landon’s composed stance, realizing that Landon was not without his own powerful connections. With a bitter glance at Leila, he stormed away, muttering curses under his breath.
Leila, shaken, whispered the name, “Landon Kensington?” Landon, overhearing Leila, turned with a curious tilt of his head and asked, “Miss, is there something you need?”
Leila looked up, her eyes widening as she recognized Landon’s familiar face. Was she dreaming? She only saw him in her dreams these years.
Landon observed the tears brimming in her eyes and felt an unusual pang in his chest, a heavy thudding he hadn’t experienced in ages. There was something oddly familiar about her. The urge to flee surged within him, yet he stayed, rooted by the fear of causing her any distress.
“Landon,” Leila finally managed to say. Her hands trembled as she reached out to touch his face. The familiarity of his skin under her fingertips was undeniable. It was indeed him. The scar on his face, though faded, confirmed his identity without detracting from his distinguished, handsome look. After a long search, she had finally found him.
Eager to embrace Landon, Leila moved closer, but Landon regained his composure and stopped her with a hand. “Miss, you’re mistaken. I don’t know you,” he declared.
Leila froze, her eyes wide with shock. “What did you just say?” she asked, unable to hide her disbelief.
Landon furrowed his brow, finding no recollection of Leila in his mind, though having this familiarity with her. “I truly don’t know you,” he said firmly.
Reluctantly, Leila withdrew her hand, her heart refusing to accept what her ears had heard. Landon’s face bore no trace of jest, only genuine puzzlement and unfamiliarity. But why didn’t he remember her?
Leila didn’t give up. “Even though you deny knowing me, what about our children? We have Sophie, Calvin, and Chloe. Where have you been all these years with Chloe?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.
Landon’s gaze was void of any feeling. “I don’t know any of the people you’re mentioning. I think you’ve had too much to drink. Are you sure you’re okay? Did you come here by yourself? Should I call someone for you?” Even Landon found himself unusually patient. Why was he tolerating this much from someone who appeared to be a stranger? He hadn’t been like this in the past.
Leila’s response was a shake of her head, her cheeks wet with tears. “Landon, why can’t you remember me? Do you have any idea how long I’ve been searching for you? I thought I’d never see you again for the rest of my life.”
Leila’s voice broke with each word, and she clung to Landon, sobbing uncontrollably.
Landon, caught off guard, reacted instinctively. He rubbed her back gently, an attempt to offer some solace. Suddenly, a familiar face in the crowd caught Landon’s eye. His expression hardened, and he gently but firmly pushed Leila away.
“Listen!” Landon’s voice was sharp, his eyes icy. “I’ll say this only once. I don’t know you. You’ve mistaken me for someone else. Understand?”
His words snapped Leila back to reality. She raised her head, her vision blurred, and gazed at Landon.
His face was familiar, yet there was something oddly disconcerting about him. His eyes, most of all, held a foreignness. Never had Landon looked at her with such a detached expression before.
Landon paid Leila no mind. He turned and melded into the crowd. However, he couldn’t help but cast anxious glances back at Leila a few times before finally distancing himself.
Landon didn’t venture far, though. He lingered nearby, watching Leila from a distance. He figured they had never met. Yet, he found himself involuntarily showing consistent gentleness toward her, which he struggled to figure out.
Quickly, Landon concocted a justification for his concern. Maybe it was because he had seen her once at the hospital, struggling alone with her daughter.
That memory might have stirred memories of himself and Elma, sparking his empathy. The rationale seemed thin, even to him, but it was all he could muster to explain his sympathy.
Just then, two people approached and helped Leila to her feet.
Once Landon was sure the two people were Leila’s friends, he turned and walked away. A moment later, his phone rang.
“Mr. Kensington? It’s Wayne, the one chatting with you online. Sorry, I was held back just now. I’m at the entrance now, but I don’t see you. Where are you?”
Landon scanned the crowd and spotted a face he knew and loathed. He quickly made up an excuse. “Sorry, something came up. Gotta run. Let’s reschedule.” Wayne didn’t argue, though he was bummed.
Landon hung up to find Cara stop right in front of him, fuming.
“Who was that woman?” Cara demanded. “And why were you practically drooling over her?”
Landon scowled. “That’s none of your business.”
“The hell it isn’t!” Cara shouted, her voice cutting through the music. People nearby started staring.
Landon’s blood was boiling. He’d been raised to never hit a woman, but if he hadn’t been, he would’ve tossed Cara out on her ass a long time ago.
“You’re the father of our child!” Cara cried, her voice a mix of desperation and anger. “We’re a couple!”
Landon gritted his teeth. “I have looked into my past. I’m not married. I even found my family. I’m going back to them in a week. You’d better stop lying to me. Who am I? What the hell is going on between us? Don’t make me find out on my own.”
Cara cowered under Landon’s menacing stare, fear and despair washing over her. She knew this day might come, but damn, not this soon.
She thought she could tie Landon down with the whole family charade. She’d weaved a perfect little fantasy for him, hoping he’d fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. But ever since he woke up, he’d been nothing but cold and distant.
Even after she told him time and again that she was his wife, he still treated her like dirt.
Cara refused to accept it. She’d always assumed it was just a matter of time. Give it a few years, and he’d come around. Even if he was a goddamn brick wall, she’d make him fall in love with her.
After being kidnapped by the Perry family, Cara had spent a hellish period for years. She’d practically given up on life until Landon showed up.
At that time, he had risked his own neck to save her. It was like a light had switched on inside her. She was sure Landon felt something for her.
Or why else would he risk everything to save her? But what she’d seen today blew her plan to pieces. She’d followed Landon, and there he was, hugging another woman.
She couldn’t just sit around and wait anymore.
Cara hadn’t gotten a good look at the woman’s face. Landon’s face remained stoic, his expression unreadable.
But Cara wasn’t blind. She could see the tenderness in Landon’s eyes when he looked at that woman, something she had never experienced amid their interaction.
A surge of jealousy washed over Cara, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She glared daggers at Landon, her voice dripping with venom. “Fine!” she spat. “Go ahead and leave. I won’t stop you.
But Elma stays with me forever. You might not want to see me ever again, but Elma is just a child and needs someone to care for her, to be there when she’s sick.
I doubt you, as her father, could be so cruel as to ignore her completely.” Cara’s threat hung heavy in the air.
Landon’s temper flared. He raised his hand, the urge to strike her burning in his veins. But he hesitated. He couldn’t bring himself to hit her. Instead, he lunged forward, his hand closing tightly around her throat. “Cara!” Landon growled, his voice low and menacing. “Don’t push it.”