Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Silence enveloped Landon for a lingering moment after Leo’s report. Landon inhaled deeply, his eyes reopening with a trace of resignation, and inquired in a subdued tone, “Is he alright?”
Leo understood immediately who Landon was referring to, and his response was a subdued shake of his head.
“The doctor’s assessment is bleak. Even if he pulls through, there’s a real risk he might still be trapped in a vegetative state.”
Landon’s frail hands gripped the bed’s railing, knuckles white and veins taut, as if they might burst.
Landon’s whole body seemed to tremble-not with weakness, but with barely contained fury. His voice cut through the air like a blade, cold and deliberate.
“Edgar knows the depth of his transgressions. He knows the reckoning that’s coming.”
Landon paused, his grip tightening further.
“Convey my message-no matter what, we must keep him alive. I need him conscious-aware-so he can face what he’s done. To steal Leila and Elma from me, under my very nose… He dared to play with fire. I’ll ensure he lives to regret it.”
Leo knew Landon didn’t truly intend to punish Edgar and suddenly felt a wave of sadness for him.
Landon, a man who had achieved so much, now stood in a house of cards, the people closest to him slipping away one by one. Leila had been his anchor in a stormy sea. She and Elma had offered him a glimpse of hope-a future that didn’t revolve around schemes and betrayal. Landon and Leila were on the verge of reconciliation. Plans had been made, a life abroad envisioned once Elma’s treatment was complete. A peaceful horizon had seemed within reach. But now, everything had unraveled in an instant. It had been so close.
Leo wrestled with his emotions, unable to put into words the feelings curling inside him.
Just then, Landon’s voice broke the heavy silence.
“Leo, do you think Leila belongs to Clayton?”
The question left Leo momentarily at a loss for words. In the past, he would have rushed to defend Leila without hesitation. But now? The truth hung in the air like an oppressive fog-undeniable and suffocating. Moreover, Landon’s question wasn’t a demand for clarity. He had already thought that way. He simply sought Leo’s denial, a reason to bury his suspicions and deceive himself.
Unable to endure the sight of Landon’s dejected state, Leo replied bitterly, “Mr. Kensington, now isn’t the time for this. What matters most is your health. Rest now. I’ll handle the next steps.”
Landon gave the faintest nod, his eyes distant.
As Leo left the ward, the door clicked shut behind him.
Leo didn’t see the tear that slipped down Landon’s gaunt cheek, tracing the contours of his pain.
Landon turned his gaze to the window, where darkness stretched endlessly, mirroring the void within him. His pale face, etched with grief, looked as fragile as porcelain on the verge of shattering. Bloodshot eyes stared into the night, unseeing, lost in memories that now felt like cruel illusions.
He whispered a name, so soft that it seemed to dissolve into the air.
“Leila…”
The single word broke him.
It was the first time, since the death of Roderick, that Landon had felt pain this visceral, this consuming. The kind of pain that didn’t just linger-it carved itself into the heart.
Landon forced a smile, though it barely masked the venom lacing his words.
“Leila, if you really wanted me gone this badly, you could’ve just said so. No elaborate schemes were necessary. A simple word from you would have sufficed.”
Landon, the master manipulator who had always prided himself on his ability to read and control others, was now at the mercy of Leila, someone he failed to decipher. For the first time, he felt powerless, and the realization cut him deeply. She had unraveled him in ways he hadn’t thought possible.
When Leila first schemed against him, he had resisted the truth of his lingering feelings toward her despite everything and maintained a shred of his rationality.
But now, all pretense had crumbled. Landon no longer denied it-he still loved Leila.
Instead of retreating, Landon found himself spiraling deeper. He had given up the fight against his own obsession. He didn’t care that Leila was reckless, malicious, and even cruel. He didn’t care that she had tried to kill him. He only cared that she was his.
His resolve hardened. He would recover. He would reclaim everything he had lost. And when he did, Leila would be his once more-not fleetingly, but entirely. She wouldn’t leave again, not for anyone or anything. Love and hate might war between them, but she would remain by his side, bound to him forever.
The bitter smile lingering on Landon’s lips twisted into something darker, a grin laced with pleasure and madness. Darkness loomed behind his eyes as he leaned into the thought, feeding the fire that burned within. Landon’s expression was a cold mask that betrayed nothing as he called for a nurse. His voice was like ice, devoid of inflection.
“Bring Lacey to me right now.”
The words sent a chill down the room, and when the nurse relayed the message to Lacey, her stomach sank.
Lacey had thought she would need to invest some effort to see Landon after her recovery. She didn’t expect Landon to ask to see her. The fact that he had asked for her was rarely a good sign.
As the nurse wheeled Lacey toward his ward, dread gripped her tighter with each turn of the wheels. The closer she got, the more her mind raced through the possibilities. Had he discovered everything? No-Landon wouldn’t be waiting so calmly if he had. He wasn’t one to waste time. If he knew the full extent of her betrayal, Leo would have already dragged her into the depths of his retribution. Was this about Clayton, perhaps?
Lacey replayed every move she had made, searching for cracks, missteps, or clues he might have unearthed.
Landon’s dark eyes bore into Lacey like knives. He said nothing. He only watched her, the silence stretching around her like a tightening noose. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Landon broke the silence.
“Lacey, you still have feelings for me, don’t you?”
Lacey’s carefully crafted walls buckled for a moment, as his words knocked the air from her lungs. Her mouth opened instinctively, but the answer stumbled out in fragments. She stammered, her voice trembling as her mind raced to recalibrate.
“Mr. Kensington, I do have feelings for you, but only because… Because you kept me close. You trusted me, trained me, and treated my sister and me with kindness. How could anyone not feel that way?”
She hesitated, her tone turning cautious.
“But I swore to you, I promised-I wouldn’t let those feelings grow. If you don’t believe me, if you don’t trust me… You can send me away. Anywhere. Another country, if that’s what you want.”.
Lacey’s suggestion hung in the air, bait wrapped in feigned surrender. If Landon agreed, it would be her chance to escape. She would be far beyond his reach-and beyond Clayton’s-before either of them realized what she had done behind their backs. Besides, Landon and Leila’s seemingly unshakable bond now stood fractured. Even though she hadn’t won Landon’s heart yet, knowing that further misunderstandings brewed between Landon and Leila was enough. All she needed was Landon’s permission to leave. One word from him, and she’d be gone.
Landon’s laugh shattered the tension in the room, but it wasn’t a laugh of amusement. His expression twisted into something almost sinister, and the sound sent a fresh wave of fear coursing through Lacey’s veins.
“Why are you afraid?” Landon asked, his voice disturbingly calm.
“I’m not going to kill you. As you said, it’s only natural to feel the way you do.” He leaned forward slightly, his tone turning razor-edged.
“I just wanted to give you an opportunity. Let’s see if you can seize it.”
Relief washed over Lacey as she realized he hadn’t discovered her betrayal. Quickly, she masked her true feelings and adopted a tone of devotion, her voice earnest as she said, “Mr. Kensington, just say it. I’ll do anything for you.”
Landon nodded, but what came next left her breathless.
“Marry me,” Landon said, his voice unnervingly calm, as if he were discussing the weather.
“Do you want to become my wife? The choice is yours. You have three days to decide. If you’re not interested, I won’t force you and will proceed with sending you away from Avalon as planned.”
The words hit Lacey like a thunderclap. Her eyes widened, her mind struggling to process what he’d just said. Had she misheard him? A proposal? From Landon?
She opened her mouth, but the words emerged in pieces.
“Mr. Kensington… Are you-do you need a doctor? Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”
“I’m perfectly aware of what I’ve said,” he replied icily.
“If you question me again, I’ll assume your answer is no and act accordingly.”
Lacey’s head spun, her thoughts a chaotic whirl. Was this real? Could it even be possible? Landon Kensington, the man she had schemed against, the man she had both feared and longed for, was offering her the role of his wife?
Her heart raced, but not with joy. She had dreamed of this moment-of holding the coveted title-but not like this. She knew Landon had no love for her. This wasn’t affection-it was a calculated move. Perhaps another scheme cloaked in the guise of a proposal.
Despite her reservations, Lacey set aside her doubts, having gotten exactly what she wanted. She gave Landon a quick nod, her eyes glistening with emotion, as if on the verge of tears.
“Mr. Kensington, I’m willing to marry you. This has been a dream of mine for the longest time. I can’t tell you why you’ve chosen me, but I’m confident I’ll excel as your wife.”
Having achieved his goal, Landon chose not to waste any more time with Lacey. He gestured dismissively with his hand.
“Leave now.”
Lacey nodded and complied.
