Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Leila gritted her teeth, her words full of threat.
Lacey burst into laughter, completely unfazed by Leila’s threats. “My, my, you have quite the imagination. Who said I’m holding Landon prisoner or controlling him? Perhaps he’s with me because he wants to be. Perhaps he has no desire to see you or return to you,” she taunted.
“Impossible,” Leila retorted instinctively. Then, a realization dawned on Leila. Her eyes reddened, and a tremor ran through her body. “Landon… He’s alive, isn’t he?” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Lacey smirked, relishing Leila’s distress. “Stop pretending, Leila. Everyone knows you’d be happy if something terrible happened to him. In fact, you probably wish he were dead.”
“Stop spewing nonsense!” Leila snapped, stepping forward and grabbing Lacey’s arm. “Tell me where he is! Let him go! Ensure his safety, and I’ll give you anything you desire.”
“Fine,” Lacey sneered. “Then hand over the Kensington Group.”
Leila scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding, right?”
Leila felt the Kensington Group wasn’t really hers to give. It belonged to Landon. She planned to return it to him as soon as he came back. If Lacey had asked for the Nixon Group or anything else for that matter, Leila would have agreed without hesitation.
“Pick something else!” Leila growled through clenched teeth.
Lacey’s laughter was sharp and mocking. “I told you what I want, and you’re not willing to give it up. After all, you went to a lot of trouble to get your hands on the Kensington Group, didn’t you?”
Leila’s patience snapped. She gave Lacey a withering look. “Where the hell did you get that idea? You’ve got quite the imagination, don’t you?”
Lacey leaned in, her voice a low hiss in Leila’s ear. “Fine. I don’t want your money, your power, or your fame. Give me your three kids, and I’ll give Landon back.”
Lacey’s words crossed Leila’s line. Leila’s eyes narrowed, her vision blurring with rage. “Dream on!” she spat.
Lacey smirked, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Aren’t you tough on your kids? Why not let me take care of them? They’d be much better off with me,” she taunted.
Leila saw red. She raised her hand to strike Lacey. Just then, a deep voice cut through the tension.
“Stop it.”
Leila froze, her hand hovering in midair. Her entire body went rigid. Her heart hammered in her chest. She lowered her hand, releasing Lacey’s arm.
Slowly, she turned around, her eyes wide with disbelief. The man standing in front of her was Landon, the man who had haunted her dreams for years. Even after all this time, Landon looked almost the same. He was still incredibly handsome with an aloof demeanor. But now, he seemed more mature. Years of power and authority radiated from him. Just one look into his dark eyes was enough to make anyone nervous.
Tears welled up in Leila’s eyes. “Landon?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Is it really you? Or am I dreaming again?”
But Landon didn’t seem happy to see Leila. His face was expressionless, his eyes cold. Leila felt flustered-Landon had never seen her like this before.
“Landon,” she said, her voice filled with unease. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes red. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”
Landon’s heart ached at the sight of Leila’s tear-stained face, her brow furrowed in worry. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white in a bid to keep his inner turmoil in check.
Landon stepped forward. Each step sent a jolt of anticipation through Leila. Her eyes lit up. Overjoyed, she rushed toward him. But just as she was about to reach for him, Landon looked down, subtly avoiding her touch, and walked past her as if she were a stranger.
Leila stared in disbelief, frozen in place. She didn’t move until Landon walked past her. She turned her head stiffly and saw Landon standing beside Lacey. Lacey’s face, which had been tense a moment before, relaxed into a smug grin. Lacey twirled around, showing off her dress to Landon.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“You look beautiful,” Landon replied.
Overwhelmed, Leila nearly lost her balance, her heart filled with sorrow and bitterness. What was going on? Did Landon and Lacey know each other? And not only did they know each other, but Lacey was showing him a wedding dress. Were they together? But that couldn’t be. How could Landon be with someone else?
Leila wanted to rush over and demand answers, but her feet felt like lead. She didn’t have the courage to pose the itching question. She dreaded learning the true nature of their relationship, as it would plunge her into a deeper sadness. She was reluctant to face the prospect that all those years she had waited for him had been for nothing.
Tears streamed down Leila’s face. She had never cried in public before. This was the first time she had ever let anyone see her cry this bitterly. She felt completely drained.
Lacey saw how upset Leila was and felt a surge of satisfaction. “She looks pretty upset,” she whispered to Landon. “Are you sure about keeping this up?”
Though his resolve wavered, Landon didn’t turn back to look at Leila.
“She’s just putting on a show. I don’t believe her,” Landon said, his voice tinged with doubt.
Lacey noticed something was off about Landon’s demeanor, and her smugness diminished significantly. She bit her lip, saying nothing. The three of them stood there in silence, the tension thick between them. Only then did Lacey realize she had underestimated Leila. If it were her, she would have stormed off by now. But Leila just stood there, staring at Landon, who was struggling to keep up his act.
Lacey could tell Landon still harbored feelings toward Leila, despite his earlier aloof performance. He wouldn’t be avoiding Leila if he truly didn’t love her anymore. Landon’s hands were shaking slightly, striving to fight back his urge to embrace Leila.
Lacey took Landon’s hand. “I think we’ve done enough shopping for today. I didn’t see anything I liked anyway. Let’s come back another day,” she said.
Landon mumbled a quick response and strode out of the bridal shop, Lacey trailing behind him. He brushed past Leila without so much as a glance, as if she were a stranger.
Leila’s heart sank as she listened to his retreating footsteps. All hope drained from her, leaving her feeling lost and adrift. So, her persistence all these years had been a joke all along.
Oblivious to the curious stares of the other customers, Leila sank to the floor, burying her face in her hands.
Meanwhile, once out of the bridal shop, Landon abruptly pulled his hand away from Lacey’s.
“Look, thanks for trying to help back there. But it wasn’t necessary.”
“I can manage,” Landon said, his voice tight.
Lacey stared at her empty hand, a flicker of hurt crossing her face. “Landon, you can’t deny you still have feelings for Leila. Hadn’t we talked before and reached an agreement not to let her deceive us anymore?”
Landon scoffed, his voice laced with ice. “We? I never talked about such things with you. This is between Leila and me. Stay out of it.”
Over the years, Lacey had been one of the few people Landon trusted. Yet, never before had he spoken to her with such coldness and disdain. Lacey’s heart ached, but she refused to give up. “Landon, what’s going on? Is this about Leila?” she called after him.
Landon ignored her, practically running toward his car. He jumped in, slammed the door shut, and sped away, leaving Lacey standing on the curb. Lacey watched him go, her body trembling with a mixture of anger and fear. The thought of Landon reconciling with Leila filled her with dread.
Lacey stomped her foot, frustrated. Was Landon just a lovesick fool? Before returning from abroad, he’d vowed to take back everything Leila and Clayton had stolen from him, stressing he would not fall for Leila’s tricks again. And yet, here he was, falling apart at the mere sight of Leila’s tears. If this continued, they’d be back together in no time.
Determined to confront Leila, Lacey rushed back to the bridal shop. Leila happened to walk out, lost in thought. Lacey plastered a smug smile on her face and caught up with Leila.
“Well, you saw it with your own eyes today. I’m going to marry Landon.”
“I am your god sister, and I hope you’ll give us your blessing. I know you two were once an item, but you never actually remarried, did you? So technically, I didn’t steal your man.”
Leila stopped in her tracks and turned to face Lacey, her expression unreadable. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but her gaze was fierce and unwavering. Lacey met Leila’s eyes and felt a surprising pang of unease.
A harsh laugh escaped Leila’s lips, the sound jarring in the quiet surroundings. “So, all this drama these past few days was just to tell me that you’re with Landon now? The more you try to convince me, the less worried I become. After all, if he truly loved you, you wouldn’t need to prove anything to me.”
Leila’s words pierced through Lacey’s facade, striking a nerve. “What do you know?” Lacey retorted, her voice rising in anger. “He just doesn’t want anything to do with you. You’re shameless! I’m just trying to prevent you from pestering him! It has little to do with how much he loves me!”
Leila simply nodded. “Whatever you say, Lacey. I couldn’t care less.” With that, Leila turned and walked away, leaving Lacey reeling from the encounter.
Lacey’s earlier outburst had attracted the attention of passersby, who now stared at her with a mix of curiosity and amusement. Lacey felt a wave of shame wash over her. What had she become? This wasn’t like her at all.
Once inside the car, tears welled up in Leila’s eyes, her calm facade finally crumbling. Even when being mocked and mistreated by Sarah in the past, Leila had never felt this defeated. This time, however, the pain cut deeper. Perhaps Landon truly stopped loving her. Lacey might have changed, but Leila had to admit that Lacey had some merits. With her medical expertise, Lacey likely had saved Landon.
The life-saving favor was the only plausible reason Leila could think of for Landon’s lack of visits all these years, despite still being alive. Leila’s hands tightened around the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. But she couldn’t bring herself to drive.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. It was Edgar.
Once the call connected, Edgar’s voice boomed, filled with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. “Miss Nixon, you need to get to the Kensington Group right now. Something big has happened. Hurry!”
Leila had a rough idea of what it might be about. “I understand,” she replied calmly.
Leila soon arrived at the Kensington Group. Just as she had expected, Landon was already there. It seemed he and Lacey had just returned. If that hadn’t been the case, Landon would have already made his presence felt at the Kensington Group.
Leila could tell Edgar aimed to surprise her with Landon’s presence, oblivious to their crossed paths moments earlier. Employees around them exchanged glances, a mix of anticipation and uncertainty in their eyes as they watched Leila enter.
Leila’s gaze shifted toward the illuminated lounge ahead, and she turned to her assistant. “Gather all of the official Kensington Group seals,” she instructed. Some things had been left unresolved for far too long, and it was time to return them to their rightful owner.
Meanwhile, inside the lounge, Edgar studied Landon, feeling a hint of strangeness. While Edgar recognized this strikingly handsome man as Landon, Landon’s aloof demeanor, instead of any display of delight, struck him as odd. Landon’s expression darkened, his eyes clouded with something close to disapproval.