Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
But there was one thing Landon couldn’t quite understand. Why would Cara orchestrate something to trap him here? Wasn’t she eager to keep him as far away from other women as possible?
Noticing Landon’s contemplative expression, Leila spoke softly, offering her own theory. “Maybe she didn’t realize you were here last night.”
Landon pondered this for a moment, his face clouding over. It was the only explanation that made sense. If Cara had known he was here, she would have used tricks and issued threats just to keep him away from the hospital, especially because of Leila’s presence.
Landon was momentarily speechless, a mix of emotions swirling within him.
Leila fixed her gaze on the elevator ceiling, commenting, “Well, Mr. Kensington, still think I was being nosy by uttering those words last night?”
Cara was practically unhinged, disregarding both legal and moral restrictions. She was capable of anything just to achieve her desired results. Even though Leila never provoked her, she still targeted Leila, driven by the imaginary threats she felt from Leila’s presence.
Having never won Landon’s heart, Cara never looked inward to understand the true cause of pushing Landon away. Instead, she wrongly blamed Leila for every argument she had with him.
Leila felt trapped. The Morgan family had saved her life, and that debt tied her hands. If it weren’t for that debt, she would have confronted Cara directly, made her pay, and wouldn’t have tried to avoid her so much. Landon’s jaw hardened with resolve. “I’ve made up my mind. Once we’re out of here, I’m going to…”
Before he could finish his sentence, chaos erupted outside the elevator.
Footsteps pounded toward them, followed by Cara’s shrill, hysterical voice. “What? Landon’s in there too? What the hell is going on? Somebody better explain this!”
Cara hurled a string of curses as she lashed out, slapping and hitting anyone in her path. The sharp sound of slaps echoed repeatedly through the hallway.
Leila glared at the elevator doors, a sneer curling her lip. Cara wasn’t even bothering to pretend anymore.
Cara kept pushing and pushing, and Leila was done with playing nice.
Outside, Cara was screaming demands to have the elevator doors opened.
It didn’t take long. Within ten minutes, the elevator was fixed, confirming Leila’s suspicions. The elevator mishap had been orchestrated by Cara.
Just as the elevator doors slid open, Leila dramatically clutched her forehead, feigning a dizzy spell.
Landon instinctively reached out to steady her. “Are you alright?” he asked, a worried frown creasing his brow.
Leila leaned into Landon, relishing the sight of Cara’s face morphing from shock to fury. Her spirits soared.
Leila suppressed a triumphant smirk, resisting the urge to provoke Cara further, and straightened up, removing Landon’s arms from around her. “I’m fine,” she announced.
Landon realized Leila was deliberately using him to provoke Cara. He found Leila’s little act rather entertaining.
“Miss Morgan.” Leila met Cara’s furious gaze head-on as she strode toward her. “I am still alive and breathing. I didn’t even catch a cold. It’s not exactly freezing in here with two people, is it?”
Cara’s voice dripped with venom as she clenched her fists. “I knew it! You’re a manipulative bitch, trying to sink your claws into every man you meet! You’re utterly shameless!”
Leila let out a chilling laugh, her hand covering her mouth but her eyes icy cold. Leaning closer, she whispered, “I used to tolerate you for Clayton’s sake. But now that you’ve tried to kill me, I have to fight back.”
Fear flickered in Cara’s eyes, but she remained defiant. “You brought this upon yourself! You kept throwing yourself at Landon, flaunting yourself in front of him. I felt threatened, so I had to get rid of you. You deserved it!”
Leila clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “You’re married to him, and you even have a child together. Your relationship should be rock solid. I can’t understand why you’d feel threatened by an ex like me. Unless…”
Leila’s eyes narrowed. “Unless you used some underhanded tactics to snag him, and now you’re terrified he’ll dump you?”
“Shut up!” Cara shrieked.
Leila’s words hit their mark, shattering Cara’s composure.
Cara shoved Leila hard, her hand raised to strike.
But Landon reacted swiftly, catching Cara’s wrist before she could make contact.
Cara glared at Landon, her eyes a mixture of shock, betrayal, and fury. She spat, “Landon! Don’t tell me you’re falling for this woman! She’s…”
Cara abruptly stopped mid-sentence, a new thought seeming to occur to her. She continued to eye Leila with suspicion.
Leila had had enough. All she cared about now was seeing her kids. She shot Cara a look of contempt and turned to leave.
Cara wanted to make things difficult for Leila, but Landon couldn’t tolerate Cara’s antics anymore. He had an idea of how to get rid of her, but first, he needed to regain control of the situation. “Enough, Cara,” Landon said firmly. His voice softened slightly. “Can you stop this? You trapped me in that elevator all night to get to her, and I haven’t even said a word about it.”
Cara’s eyes darted around. “I wasn’t behind the elevator mishap,” she lied.
Landon saw right through her. “Then how did you find out about the elevator mishap so quickly? And that I was stuck in it? You came here because you knew I was at the hospital, didn’t you?” Cara was speechless, caught in her own lie.
Landon sighed and gently took her hand. “I’m tired of fighting with you, Cara,” he said wearily. “Let’s just let the past be the past. I want to focus on the present. Just let it go. Let’s forget about last night, okay?”
Cara’s heart fluttered with hope. Although it seemed like Landon was defending Leila, that was beside the point. Landon had just hinted at moving on and having a future together, marking the first time he had made such a declaration. Could this be the turning point she had been waiting for? Overcome with emotion, Cara squeezed his hand, a surge of optimism coursing through her.
“Landon,” Cara whispered his name, her voice quivering, her gaze filled with yearning.
Landon, masking his repulsion with a warm smile, leaned in and murmured into Cara’s ear, “I’ve reserved a table for us tomorrow night. Let’s leave Elma at home. We need to talk, just the two of us.”
A flush of excitement colored Cara’s cheeks as she nodded vigorously. It felt as though the life she had always envisioned was finally within her grasp. She had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now, it was unfolding before her.
Despite lingering doubts about Landon and Leila’s encounter in the elevator the previous night, Cara brushed them aside. Securing Landon’s affection was all that mattered now. She could handle Leila later.
Meanwhile, Leila walked back into the ward, her thoughts swirling in disarray.
Elma was getting better. Her fever had subsided.
Upon arriving, Leila immediately requested the nurse to move Calvin to a different ward. She knew if Cara saw Calvin and Elma together, trouble would follow.
In the midst of her tasks, Leila’s eyes fell on Elma, who sat isolated on her hospital bed, a picture of sorrow.
Overcome with pity, Leila approached and softly patted Elma on the head. “Your dad had a bit of an incident yesterday, but he’s downstairs now. Your mom’s here too, and they’ll both be up to see you soon.”
Elma hesitated and then took Leila’s hand in hers. “I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. Please, don’t hold it against me.”
Leila felt the warmth of Elma’s touch and was slow to release it. With a gentle smile, she replied, “It’s okay. I’m not upset. Just try not to be burdened by concerns. The doctor mentioned you need plenty of rest. If you’re feeling off, make sure to tell your parents, okay?”
Elma nodded, a silent promise to heed the advice.
At that moment, Calvin’s belongings were being gathered and moved out.
Leila leaned in for a comforting hug, her presence a soothing balm for Elma.
The scent of Leila’s fragrance lingered, making Elma reluctant to let go.
Letting Elma go, Leila headed for the door and unexpectedly met Landon and Cara.
Leila’s eyes locked with Landon’s for a fleeting second, sparking an unspoken tension.
Leila averted her gaze, feigning indifference.
Calvin, catching sight of Cara, was instantly reminded of his past suffering. He quickly ducked behind Leila, his eyes wide with apprehension.
Cara, however, displayed none of her earlier fury.
Leila raised an eyebrow. Likely charmed by Landon, Cara seemed content now, even with a hint of smugness.
Noticing Calvin’s attempt to avoid her, Cara let out a scornful laugh and taunted, “Like mother, like son, huh? Your mom chases after what’s not hers, and you? Sneaking around, trying to take what isn’t yours. You’re all worthless.”
Landon’s fist clenched at his side as a spark of anger lit his eyes, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason for his fury.
Leila, composed and deliberate in her response, countered, “You know very well that I’m not after someone else’s partner. As for the accusation that my son has stolen your belongings, I’ve already taken it upon myself to notify the authorities for an investigation. The Morgan family is well-equipped with surveillance, isn’t it? Theft and child abuse are separate matters. Miss Morgan, you might want to reflect on the possibility that if the child abuse allegations are confirmed, you may no longer be deemed fit to care for Elma.”
“You!” Cara spat out, visibly rattled. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Elma, who had become her primary means of manipulating Landon.