Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“No,” Landon answered, his tone unwavering. “Even if I live out my entire life and end up on my deathbed, I’ll never forget what I had shared with Leila.”
His words hit Lacey hard. She took a few steps back, sadness nearly overwhelming her. Landon seemed unfazed by her reaction.
“You might not understand now, but when you fall in love, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.”
Lacey fought to keep her emotions in check and forced a smile, though her face had paled. She hastily shifted the conversation.
“Mr. Kensington, I wanted to see you because there’s something important I need to tell you. Today, Cody’s people found me and took me to see him.”
Lacey wasn’t trying to keep this from Landon. If he ever wanted to, he could easily learn of her whereabouts, though he had never done so. Still, she held onto a faint hope that he might care, even a little.
Landon’s only response was a nonchalant “Hmm.”
Lacey’s hands balled into fists. That was it? That was all he had to say? How could he be so indifferent?
Lacey swallowed her frustration and asked, “Mr. Kensington, aren’t you concerned that Cody might do something to me?”
Landon shot her a look. “He won’t do anything to you. He doesn’t dare. Besides, whatever he does to you doesn’t hold sway over me.”
Lacey’s heart sank as she recalled Cody’s threats. Sadness weighed on her. If it were Leila in her place, she knew Landon would care.
Taking a deep breath, Lacey continued, “You’re right. Cody didn’t harm me. He just wants me to come back to him and offer medical treatment. I thought it was an important matter. After all, Cody isn’t someone to cross these days. I worried he might retaliate if I refused. That’s why I came to talk to you.”
Once again, Landon’s response was a simple, flat, “Hmm.” He figured it was only natural for Lacey to feel flustered under the circumstances.
Lacey took a moment and then added, “Regarding this, I wanted to ask your opinion, Mr. Kensington. If you don’t want me to…”
Landon interrupted. “Don’t concern yourself with me. You worked for him before, didn’t you? If the pay’s worthwhile, I won’t stand in your way. But if you go, I won’t let you handle any confidential matters. You should give it some thought.”
Lacey grasped the implications of Landon’s words, her face paling slightly.
She wanted to respond, but a sense of helplessness weighed her down. Landon closed his eyes, his voice weary. “I need some rest. If there’s nothing else, please leave.”
Shaking her head, Lacey replied, “I won’t go to Cody. I made my choice to be with you back then, and I’m not going to betray that decision. Others might let you down, but I won’t.”
Lacey hoped her loyalty would mean something to him. But Landon merely gave a slight nod. It was as though her loyalty meant nothing to him.
Lacey’s chest tightened, her sorrow almost overwhelming. She bit her lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape. Moving with purpose, she poured herself a drink and then one for Landon.
“Mr. Kensington,” she began, forcing a smile. “I’m grateful for all you’ve done for me over the years. Once Jeanette returns, I’ll take her home. I won’t trouble you anymore.”
Hearing this, Landon appeared genuinely relieved. Lacey’s decision to leave spared him from any further complications. He nodded, lifting his glass as he addressed Leo, “If Miss Payne is leaving, see that she receives some money. She’s put in hard work all these years.”
Leo agreed without hesitation. Landon took a sip from his glass, and a wave of discomfort washed through him. Gesturing toward the door, he signaled for both Leo and Lacey to leave.
Lacey, however, lingered. “I’ll stay a bit longer. If you start feeling unwell from drinking, I can get you something to help.”
Landon wasn’t in the mood to talk to Lacey, so he simply gave a nod, allowing her to stay. Leo, ever wary of Lacey’s presence, stood behind. Landon poured himself drink after drink, letting the hours slip by. Perhaps he’d had too much. His vision began to blur, his head felt light, and his breathing became shallow. Yet, out of habit, he kept drinking.
Leo observed Landon with growing concern. Finally, he stepped forward and said, “Mr. Kensington, that’s enough for today. You shouldn’t keep drinking like this.”
Landon knew Leo was right. But an inexplicable restlessness gnawed at him. He pushed Leo’s hand away with more force than necessary. “Leave me alone.”
Lacey’s eyes flickered as she noticed Landon’s unsteady behavior. She moved forward, offering her support. “Let me help you, Mr. Kensington. I’ll get you back safely.”
To her surprise, Landon refused her approach. “Stay back. I don’t want anyone to touch me.”
With that, Landon staggered to his feet, swaying as he tried to walk out. Lacey instinctively took a step to follow Landon.
But Leo reached out, stopping her. “Lacey.” He looked at her intently, his expression unreadable. “Did you put something in Mr. Kensington’ drink?”
A chill ran through Lacey as her heart skipped a beat. She shook her head quickly. “No, I didn’t.”
At Lacey’s words, Leo narrowed his eyes, suspicion flashing across his face. Leo had known Landon for years and was well aware of his habits. Landon hardly ever drank at events or banquets. Sure, Landon would turn to a drink or two when something weighed on him, but never enough to end up this far gone. Yet here he was, visibly intoxicated. Furthermore, Lacey knew a bit about medicine, and coincidentally, Landon’s condition had seemed unusual ever since she arrived. Leo couldn’t shake the feeling that Lacey might have a hand in Landon’s condition.
Lacey watched Landon’s staggering figure fade from view, a pang of anxiety settling in her chest. She clenched her jaw, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Leo. “If you don’t trust me, take Mr. Kensington to the hospital yourself. If I’m to blame, hold me accountable.”
Leo scoffed at this. Either Lacey was genuinely innocent, or she was confident whatever she’d done couldn’t be traced. He fixed her with a pointed look, his tone biting. “Fine. But let me warn you, Lacey. Don’t start thinking you can pull anything here.”
Lacey didn’t bother arguing. Her mind revolved around Landon, and urgency sharpened her tone. “Leo, are you an idiot? Landon’s missing! And here you are, getting in my way instead of looking for him.”
Leo’s expression remained calm. “Relax. This is Landon’s bar. Nothing’s going to happen to him here. He needs some time alone. Let’s wait.”
Lacey bit her lip, frustration gnawing at her. Waiting wasn’t an option. She had to find Landon, and fast.
Meanwhile, Landon had been wandering for a while. Anytime someone approached, an intense wave of aversion rolled over him, almost instinctual. He recoiled from everyone, a mixture of discomfort and fever simmering within, as if he craved the presence of someone specific yet couldn’t bear anyone else near him.
Eventually, Landon stumbled into an empty private room and sank onto the sofa, massaging his temples in a futile attempt to settle the disarray in his mind. His body, however, refused to cooperate. The alcohol seemed to amplify his emotions. The buried feelings of longing and resentment swirled up, relentless and raw, clawing at his sanity.
Landon slouched back on the sofa with a heavy sigh, his composure barely holding while tension rippled through him. On the surface, he looked calm, but the faint bulge of veins along his arms hinted at tension simmering just beneath, as if he were a breath away from unraveling.
Leila returned to the private room after seeing her clients off, surprised to find someone sprawled on the sofa. At first, she assumed someone had entered the wrong room. She approached cautiously, her voice gentle. “Hello? Are you in the wrong room?” As Leila noticed the person didn’t move a muscle and remained still, she stepped closer with a frown, finally recognizing him.
It was Landon seated on the sofa. Her expression shifted to one of guarded concern as she shook his shoulder. “Landon? What are you doing here?”
Landon remained silent, his face flushed. Noticing his reaction, Leila sighed, suspecting he’d had too much to drink. She shook him again, more firmly. “Where’s your team? Why are you here alone? Should I call Lacey?” Landon still didn’t respond.
Seeing him like this stirred a deep worry in Leila. She turned and took out her phone to make a call, missing the sight of him shifting on the sofa. Just as Leila was about to dial, Landon’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. She gasped, startled. Then, Landon pulled her down onto the sofa.
“You…” Before she could finish, Landon’s hand covered her mouth, pinning her beneath him. Leila struggled to break free, but his legs quickly pinned hers, rendering her immobile. Leila tried to speak, but with Landon’s hand pressed firmly over her mouth, her words came out as little more than muffled whispers.
Her eyes widened as her heartbeat quickened. What was he doing? Why was he behaving like this?
Landon’s head dropped to Leila’s shoulder, his expression hidden from her view. Landon sighed softly, the faint scent of alcohol reaching Leila. Only then did Leila realize he’d been drinking.
Holding Leila, Landon felt comforted, as if he were clinging to a dream that soothed him. But the deeper he sank into these feelings, the more they seemed to tear him apart.
And then, in the dim quiet, images of Leila and Clayton together flashed through his mind, a memory that brought his heartbreak roaring back to life. Why? How could she have fallen for someone else? What drove her to want him dead? Did she truly hate him that much?
Landon could withstand a lot, but Leila’s betrayal was something he couldn’t bear.
“Why?” Landon murmured against her ear, his voice thick with hurt. “Why did you do this to me?”
His voice was heavy with anguish, each word laced with pain, piercing Leila’s heart. As he seemed in a daze, Leila finally managed to move his hand from her lips. Her voice came out cold, yet tinged with resignation.
“Landon, you’re mistaken. I’m not Lacey. I’m Leila.”
Landon’s earlier words confused Leila. What was he accusing her of? She hadn’t betrayed him or done anything wrong to him. The one closest to him and most capable of hurting him was Lacey.
She hadn’t anticipated Landon to be so deeply shaken by Lacey, hurt by another woman in this way. The thought struck Leila like a sharp pang of sadness.
She tried to push him away. “Let go, Landon. I’ll help you contact Lacey. And for the record, I want nothing more to do with either of you.”
But Landon seemed deaf to her words. Instead of letting go, his grip tightened, as if he were desperate to hold her close and keep her from slipping away.
In a desperate bid, Leila bit down on his wrist, forcing him to release her with a pained grunt. Freed, she got up quickly, failing to notice the dangerous glint in his eyes.
She had only taken a few steps when Landon caught her arm again. This time, he gripped both her wrists with one hand, his fingers locking around them. His other hand tilted her chin up, his breath ragged, his eyes dark with something unreadable.
Leila’s heart skipped a beat.
“Landon, have you completely lost your mind?”
In response to Leila, Landon’s kiss was intense, almost consuming, as if he wanted to steal the very air from her lungs. It was relentless.