Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Calvin perked up immediately. “Oh, then I’ll come with you.”
“No, that won’t be necessary,” Elma interjected sharply, shaking her head. “Sophie’s company is all I need. You should stay here.”
Calvin, baffled, pressed on. “But why?”
Elma, clutching Sophie’s hand, struggled to find her words. “I just need Sophie right now.”
Sophie, feeling a mix of sympathy and slight amusement, patted Elma on the head. “It’s okay, Calvin. You should stay here. Our mom will be back any minute now. It’s best if you wait for her.”
With a reluctant nod, Calvin agreed. “Alright.”
Just as they were about to leave, Elma halted and turned back to face Calvin, leaving him and Sophie confused with her parting words. “Calvin, don’t forget, we’re leaving through the back door.”
Calvin didn’t give it much thought and simply nodded. “Okay.”
Elma turned around, her features contorted by conflicting emotions. Cara had specifically instructed her to entice both Sophie and Calvin outdoors.
Yet, Elma harbored her own agenda. She persuaded Calvin to remain indoors, leaving him with the hint that she and Sophie had slipped out the back. This information would come to mind later if he realized Sophie was missing. That was all she could manage under the circumstances.
Elma grappled with the possible future repercussions-Calvin and the others might blame or harbor resentment toward her. Dread washed over her at the thought, pulling her into a sullen state.
Noticing Elma’s sadness, Sophie tried to lift her spirits.
Lifting Elma effortlessly, Sophie suggested, “It’s quicker if I carry you. Let’s zip through our shopping so we’re back before my mom gets home. She’s planning a feast of treats and games tonight. I’ll talk to her about having you over for a sleepover. It’ll be fun!”
Elma couldn’t muster a smile. Tears were almost falling. Sophie’s kindness only intensified her guilt for pulling off the stunt Cara had requested. She condemned herself as vile. On the verge of exiting through the back, Elma’s conscience fought to voice her remorse.
However, Sophie dashed ahead, unyielding. Setting Elma down, she eagerly asked, “Which way now? If it’s a long walk, we can ask the driver for a ride.”
Elma remained mute, staring at Sophie, her expression filled with turmoil.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from behind them.
Sophie felt a sudden sense of unease and quickly spun around. There stood the bodyguards who had brought Elma.
“Why are they here?” Sophie’s expression darkened. She never trusted these men.
Sophie glanced at Elma and asked, “Did your mom send them to fetch you?”
Elma shook her head and whispered urgently, “Sophie, run.”
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Before Sophie could react, she was encircled, trapped with no escape route.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sophie turned to Elma, her face a mask of shock.
Elma, overcome with guilt, avoided Sophie’s gaze, her head bowed.
The bodyguards swiftly subdued Sophie. She fought back, but they overpowered her easily.
Elma watched, tears streaming down her face as the bodyguards forced Sophie into a car.
Elma couldn’t stop wailing. “I’m such a terrible friend. I’m so sorry, Sophie…”
Keely stood as the group’s undisputed leader. She pinched Elma’s cheek harshly. It was more a reprimand than affection. Her eyes held a dark glint as she said, “You are right. It’s all your fault. You’re nothing but trouble. Elma, when the truth comes out, Calvin and Leila will despise you. The only one you can rely on in this world is your mother.”
Elma’s hands balled into fists, her resolve battling her despair. With a swift motion, she knocked Keely’s hand aside, her expression cold. “I’ve done everything my mother asked. Isn’t it time you released Clayton?”
Keely’s smile twisted, growing more unsettling. “You want to see him, huh? Very well, I’ll free him now and take you to him.”
Meanwhile, Leila rushed home. Upon entering, she found Calvin engrossed with a gaming console, two more consoles lying nearby amidst a clutter of toys and snacks strewn across the floor and table.
Despite the chaos, a wave of relief washed over Leila. The children seemed to be getting along, enjoying themselves without any mishaps.
Sitting beside Calvin, Leila asked, “Calvin, where did Sophie and Elma go?”
Glancing up, Calvin’s face lit up with a warm, bright smile upon seeing Leila. “They headed out for some shopping and will be back shortly.”
Leila nodded but couldn’t suppress her curiosity. “How was today? Everything alright with Elma?”
Calvin paused, reflecting, then gently shook his head. “Elma’s been great, actually. We had a blast. Sophie and I were thinking about having a chat with Elma’s parents to see if she could sleep over tonight. They were fine with dropping her off, so they might agree, right?”
Calvin looked at Leila, his eyes filled with tentative hope.
With a headache pressing at her temples, Leila forced a strained smile. “I doubt that’ll work out.” Clearly, Cara had ulterior motives. Even if Elma wasn’t sent here by Cara, she was unlikely to agree to an overnight stay.
“Understood,” Calvin murmured, his shoulders slumping in resignation.
Leila recognized that Calvin’s kindness toward Elma was a balm for the ache of missing his sister, who had disappeared.
Leila caressed Calvin’s head soothingly and asked about the time Sophie and Elma had departed.
Considering the timing, Leila decided it was nearly time to prepare dinner. She suggested Calvin give Sophie a ring to discuss what they would like to eat.
However, the color drained from Calvin’s face the moment he made the call. Gripping the phone tightly, he raised alarmed eyes to Leila. “Mom, Sophie’s line isn’t going through.”
“What?” Leila’s face shifted suddenly. This was completely out of the ordinary. Why was Sophie’s phone unreachable? Leila clung to a thread of hope. “Perhaps she dashed off and left her phone behind?”
Calvin crushed that hope swiftly. “No, I saw it myself when she left with Elma. She had her phone, and the battery wasn’t drained.”
A shiver of apprehension coursed through Leila. She wasn’t easily fooled. The signs were troubling and clear. There was no doubt that Sophie and Elma were in peril.
Without hesitation, Leila stood and reached for the phone, calling the bodyguards. “We need to find Sophie and Elma, immediately,” she commanded.
Panic was evident in Calvin’s voice as he recalled Elma’s peculiar remarks. “Mom, before they left, Elma mentioned they’d slip out the back door.”
Hearing these words, Leila dashed to the back door. By the time she got there, it was too late. The back door revealed nothing but emptiness, no trace of the girls anywhere.
Leila swiftly checked the surveillance footage. The culprits hadn’t even tried to sabotage the surveillance system. They had abducted Sophie right under the cameras.
Upon reviewing the footage, Calvin recognized the culprits instantly as the bodyguards who had escorted Elma here. Leila, too, recognized them immediately, especially when Keely appeared.
In the footage, Keely was pinching Elma’s cheek, murmuring words that visibly pained Elma, yet Elma remained silent. Keely then scooped Elma up, placed her in a car, and drove away.
Leila was shocked. Without hesitation, she dialed Cara’s number. She half-expected Cara to ignore the call, but to her surprise, Cara picked up immediately, as though she had been waiting for it.
“Leila, are you enjoying the little spectacle I orchestrated?” Cara’s voice was cheerful, with an unmistakable hint of excitement.
Leila’s expression turned cold. “I never held you responsible for your past actions because your brother’s kindness left a deep impression on me, and I felt indebted to you. But you’ve crossed the line too many times. Why should my children suffer? You have every right to be angry with me, but my children are innocent.”
Cara sneered. “Oh, I initially planned to target you directly, but that became uninteresting. I wanted to see you completely broken. Who says your children are innocent, Leila? Their very existence is their fault-born of you and carrying Landon’s blood!”
Leila was overwhelmed by a profound sadness. “Regardless, I’ve resolved to keep my kids from acknowledging Landon as their father. They’ve distanced themselves from him and won’t claim his estate. They pose no threat to your plans. If you doubt me, I’m willing to make a sworn statement.”
Cara’s tone was mocking. “Oh, stop pretending. You think I’m clueless? You’ve been seeing Landon behind my back for a long time. Otherwise, why does he always sneak around just to see you? Weren’t you the one who provoked me last time? I may not have Landon, but don’t expect your life to be peaceful.”
Leila’s voice grew icy. “If you don’t release Sophie, I will be forced to act. This time, not even your brother’s favor will hold me back. If Sophie is harmed, I won’t rest until one of us is destroyed.”
Cara, unfazed and almost eager, retorted, “Fine, I’ll be waiting.” With those words, she ended the call.
Leila turned to Calvin.
Fortunately, at that moment, Calvin had successfully traced Cara’s location. Cara wasn’t with the Morgan family; instead, she was up in the mountains on the outskirts.