Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Landon narrowed his eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, he changed the subject.
“Let’s eat.”
Landon and Calvin walked to the dining room, where dinner was already served on the table.
Landon glanced around and asked a nearby servant, “Where’s Elma? Why isn’t she here? Is she not feeling well?”
“She’s napping,” the servant replied.
“She mentioned she wasn’t hungry and felt really tired.”
“Napping?” Landon frowned and checked the time.
“When did she go to sleep?”
“About three hours ago,” the servant answered.
It was normal for kids to sleep a lot, but Elma had been asleep far too long. Besides, she rarely napped in the afternoon.
Landon instantly felt something was off. He rushed to check on Elma, but as he reached the door of her room, he ran into Lacey.
Lacey glanced at Calvin provocatively before speaking.
“Mr. Kensington, I can explain why Elma’s so sleepy. It’s because she needs to take the medication I prescribed three times a day, without fail. Elma’s condition is fragile. Skipping even one dose can leave her uncomfortable. You might want to ask Calvin why he stopped her from taking the medicine I prescribed.”
“Really?” Landon asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. He turned to Calvin, confusion written all over his face.
Calvin clenched his jaw.
“I didn’t trust her medication. I asked a doctor to check it. She got angry and smashed it before we could examine the medicine.”
Lacey remained composed as she explained, “That’s true, and I know I shouldn’t have destroyed the medicine. However, you provoked me first. As a doctor, why would I ever harm my patient? Calvin, you were so convinced my medicine was faulty that you even had a doctor examine the leftovers. Did you find anything wrong with it?”
Calvin was rendered speechless. This was what puzzled him: there was nothing wrong with the medicine.
Lacey fought to suppress a laugh, her face adopting a feigned expression of grievance.
“So, you didn’t trust me. That’s why Elma missed her medicine. You say you’re here to protect her, yet you keep meddling with my treatment. Don’t you want Elma to get better? Or are you hoping her condition remains the same, so she can’t compete with you for your father’s attention?”
Calvin’s face flushed with anger.
“That’s absurd! Elma’s my sister. She’s everything to me. Why would I want her not to get well? How dare you make such assumptions about me?”
Lacey shot back with a sneer, “Then who gave you the right to judge me?”
Calvin didn’t hide his contempt for Lacey.
“Because you’re not a good person. If you were, you wouldn’t keep provoking us. A vicious woman like you is unfit to become my stepmother.”
Calvin had exposed Lacey’s true motives, and though she was rattled, she quickly masked her unease, forcing tears to flow.
“Mr. Kensington, I never intended any harm. I’m only trying to help you with Elma’s situation. I’ve been doing everything I can for Elma’s recovery. I can’t understand why Calvin keeps accusing me.”
Landon’s voice cut through the tension.
“Enough!”
Then, Landon turned his head and fixed Calvin with a stern look.
“Apologize!”
Calvin’s eyes shot wide with disbelief.
“You expect me to apologize to her?”
“Yes!” Landon’s expression hardened.
“A man must be bigger than his doubts. If you’re suspicious, seek proof. You can’t just let your feelings dictate accusations. You’ve already looked into it and found nothing. You slandered her. Now, apologize.”
Lacey stood just behind Landon, a smug smile playing on her lips as she shot a triumphant glance at Calvin.
Fury blazed in Calvin’s eyes as he took a few steps back, his lips curling into a sneer.
“Fine. So, you’d rather take her side than believe your own son? If that’s how it is, I’ll never call you Dad. Even if you beat me to death today, I’m not apologizing.” With that, Calvin stormed out angrily, leaving Lacey watching with disdain.
Lacey had once thought Calvin was a force to be reckoned with, but now she saw his tactics as mediocre at best.
When Landon turned around, Lacey put on a pitiful expression. She pretended to speak for Calvin.
“Mr. Kensington, please don’t be so upset. Calvin’s just immature, likely spoiled by his mother. That’s why he’s acting out.”
To her surprise, Landon didn’t offer any comfort. His voice was icier than before.
“Are you done?”
Caught off guard, Lacey blinked.
“Yes.”
Landon’s tone sharpened, his voice growing even colder.
“You came here to complain. What do you want? Let me rephrase that. What kind of compensation are you looking for? Money? Name your price.”
Lacey furrowed her brow, her confusion deepening at his words. She glanced up at Landon, noticing that he wasn’t angry. Instead, his demeanor was cool and indifferent.
Before Lacey could say a word, Landon flicked his hand dismissively.
“Anyway, Calvin did slander you. If you want anything, just let the butler know. Whether it’s precious jewelry or a luxury aircraft, take your pick.”
With a final dismissive glance, Landon turned to leave.
Lacey hurried to catch up with Landon.
“Mr. Kensington, at least stay for lunch. I’ve put a lot of effort into preparing today’s meal, and it’s health-boosting. I truly believe it would be good for you.”
Landon stopped, fixing her with a stare that froze her in place.
“Focus on Elma. Don’t waste your time on me. It is pointless.” Without another word, Landon walked away, leaving Lacey standing there, puzzled and uneasy.
Lacey could tell Landon seemed genuinely angry with Calvin. But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling he was also mad at her. Was it a case of misplaced anger? It had to be. She had witnessed Calvin’s unreasonable behavior. Landon was likely embarrassed, which was why he became annoyed.
With this thought, Lacey exhaled in relief. At least she had made it through the day.
Leo hurried to catch up with Landon. Noticing the stormy expression on Landon’s face, he attempted to calm him down.
“Mr. Kensington, I agree that Calvin went too far, but his intentions were good. At his age, it’s common for kids to go through a rebellious phase. It’s very normal.”
Landon halted in his tracks, rubbing his brows to ease the tension.
“That’s not why I’m angry.”
Leo was perplexed by the words he had just heard.
“Then why are you so distressed, Mr. Kensington?” he inquired gently.