Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Calvin felt a surge of frustration but was momentarily at a loss for words. He gathered himself and said, “I’ll get the proof.” Then, Calvin hurried away.
Landon gazed at Calvin’s retreating figure, his gaze wavering briefly before he exhaled a subdued sigh.
That same evening, Lacey presented Elma with yet another bowl of what was said to be medicine.
After consuming it, there was a noticeable improvement in Elma’s condition, her demeanor turning noticeably livelier.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the servants, yet Calvin alone harbored suspicions. Without this medicine, Elma would succumb to profound slumber, an effect mirroring poison more than any treatment.
Landon had demanded proof, and Calvin’s resolve to uncover what Lacey was up to had solidified.
With a sly smirk, Calvin intercepted Lacey’s path, his deliberate nudge making her stagger slightly. Her phone jostled in her grip as she gasped and tried to regain her balance.
Lacey fixed him with a piercing glare, her teeth clenched.
“What are you doing?”
Calvin feigned innocence with a blink.
“Oh, my apologies-I didn’t see you there. It wasn’t intentional.”
Lacey wasn’t convinced. Clumsiness was not a trait Calvin was known for. His actions seemed more like a deliberate provocation.
Landon’s earlier demeanor toward Calvin had stirred doubts in Lacey, and she realized she couldn’t afford to lose her temper with Calvin now.
Lacey mustered a forced smile and lowered herself slightly, her gaze sharp and somewhat menacing as she addressed Calvin.
“Accidents do occur. Please just be more vigilant in the future. However, since you’ve sent my phone flying, perhaps you could assist me in locating it?”
Calvin’s response came with a shake of his head.
“I wish I could help, Lacey, but my dad urgently needs me. He’s concerned about Elma’s worsening condition and is seeking a second medical opinion. He wants me to discuss it with my mom.”
Despite the pang of unease and dread that shot through her, Lacey kept her face serene.
“There’s no need to play games with me. As I’ve assured you before, harming Elma is the last thing on my mind.”
To her surprise, Calvin’s lips twisted into an enigmatic smile..
“Is that so? Well, let’s hope you’re being sincere.”
Calvin added, his voice laced with quiet intensity, “Don’t try anything. I’m keeping my eyes on you. My dad might be deceived by your performance, but I’m here to make sure you don’t hurt my sister.”
Lacey, feeling a chill from Calvin’s piercing gaze, averted her eyes and quickly fabricated a reason to step away.
His gaze sharpening, Calvin caught the flicker of panic in Lacey’s eyes, which only deepened his suspicions about her.
Lacey turned the place upside down, searching endlessly for her phone, yet it stayed stubbornly out of sight. With no other option, she reluctantly sought the assistance of the servants since she needed to reach Cody immediately.
Unbeknownst to her, the phone was securely in Calvin’s grip. He had secretly installed a surveillance application on it-a clever little tool he’d crafted for his amusement.
This app was designed to remain concealed. If anyone stumbled upon it, a simple tap would only display what appeared to be a harmless, mundane application. Even attempting to uninstall it wouldn’t rid the device of the application. It would merely remove the icon from view. Were Lacey to stumble upon the app, she’d probably brush it off as a pointless piece of software she’d unknowingly downloaded. Though Calvin knew this ruse would likely not fool Landon, it would work perfectly well on Lacey.
After downloading the app, Calvin stealthily placed the phone in a shadowy corner of the room.
A vigilant servant soon stumbled upon it and handed it back to Lacey.
However, Lacey was preoccupied with her backup phone, hurriedly reaching out to Cody and barely glancing at her returned phone. Her fingers danced anxiously across the keyboard as she fired off a message to Cody, her nerves frayed.
“What on earth did you give me, Cody? Why is Elma exhibiting such bizarre behavior after taking it? Can’t you see the trouble you’ve thrown us into?”
As Lacey pondered, her fear sharpened, infusing her words with a tone of accusation.
Cody’s response was frustratingly indifferent.
“What’s the fuss about? You’re an experienced doctor. Just claim medications you prescribe must be taken with religious precision, and the fault lies in Elma’s negligence, which provoked the side effects, not yours.”
Lacey’s fury mounted.
“But there’s no such medicine whose missed dose leads to drowsiness as a side effect. If Landon detects any discrepancies, we are doomed. And let’s not forget, it was your hand that passed me this ticking bomb. If things go south, I’m dragging you down with me.”
Cody seemed amused by her fierce declaration.
“Chill down. No need for theatrics. I admit, this complication was unforeseen, but wringing our hands won’t help now. We have two choices: keep administering the medicine to Elma, or cease and watch her slip into a week-long slumber, which will certainly draw Landon’s scrutiny, a scenario dooming us.”
“Thus, the optimal strategy is to ensure Elma consistently consumes her medication. Surely, managing that shouldn’t be beyond your capabilities, Lacey. It’s simply about reminding a forgetful child to take her medication, isn’t it?”
Lacey chuckled, a note of frustration seeping through her tone.
“It’s not complicated, especially now that Landon is backing me. Yet, things have unexpectedly turned sour. That little rascal, Calvin, has made an appearance. He’s adamant about visiting his sister. Due to his sudden intrusion, Elma missed her medication today. Who knows what kind of chaos he’ll unleash next? It’s thoroughly aggravating.”
Cody perked up at the mention of Calvin.
“You’re talking about Landon’s only son?”
“Yes,” Lacey answered, her tone dripping with exasperation.
“He’s an absolute nuisance. Is there any way we can simply make him disappear?”
“Settle down,” Cody replied, attempting to soothe her.
“He is Landon’s son, after all. My hands are tied. Eliminating threats like a frail Elma is already pushing my boundaries. We must advance cautiously. One misstep and we risk everything.”
Disappointed by Cody’s unhelpful response, Lacey’s frustration mounted. She abruptly ended the call, her patience drained. Cody, left with the silence of the ended call, smirked and muttered under his breath, “Fool.”
The butler beside Cody, intrigued by the conversation, cautiously asked, “Mr. Hopkins, the condition that mysterious person had set forth was that none of those three kids of Landon’s are to be spared. You clearly have the means to act. Isn’t this an opportune moment?”
Cody shook his head, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“It’s not that simple,” he said.
“Landon’s been through a lot over the years. But do you really think he’s someone you can easily mess with? If this mysterious person who came to me was so capable, why wouldn’t they just eliminate Landon’s three kids themselves? Why bother finding me? They’re just looking for someone to take the fall.”
“Then why…” the butler started to say, but hesitated.
The butler wanted to know why Cody had agreed to it, and not only agreed but also handed the medicine to Lacey. If Elma kept taking that medicine for another two weeks, even the best doctors wouldn’t be able to save her.
Cody chuckled.
“You don’t understand. I have my own plans. I still have Lacey, after all. Landon might not be interested in her now, but she’s the only woman who can get close to him. Now that Leila and Landon are finished and Lacey is with him every day, I’m sure he’ll fall for Lacey eventually. Once they’re together, I’ll control the Kensington family through Lacey. And if that doesn’t work, there’s always Calvin.”
The butler understood immediately and looked at Cody with admiration.
“You always think things through. I understand what you’re getting at.”
Meanwhile, Leila, Brysen, and Sophie had arrived in Halsland. They had planned to have a relaxing vacation.
But after only two days, Brysen, who didn’t speak or use sign language because of her trauma, insisted on taking Leila to an old neighborhood.
Leila looked around the unfamiliar neighborhood, confused. She tried to communicate with Brysen.
“Brysen, why did you bring me here? Is there someone you want to see?”
Brysen didn’t answer but wouldn’t let Leila leave.