Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Even as Brysen walked away, she kept glancing over her shoulder, her reluctance to leave Leila as clear as the nervous fidgeting of her hands. Leila stood there, watching Brysen go. A wave of unease crept over her, the weight of Brysen’s warning lingering in her mind.
Leila considered following Brysen, but before she could take a single step, the sharp buzz of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She glanced down at the screen. It was Landon calling.
Her first instinct was to reject the call, but then she had second thoughts. After all, Landon rarely called unless there was trouble brewing. Her finger hovered over the screen as she thought it through.
Leila stared at the screen as she thought it through. If Landon was reaching out now, it had to be important.
After a brief pause, Leila exhaled sharply and accepted the call.
“What do you want?” Her voice was sharp, carrying an icy edge that could cut through steel.
Landon got straight to the point. His tone was as blunt as ever.
“Relax. I’m calling to talk about the custody of the kids.” He let the words hang in the air for a second before adding, “I’ve decided to fight for them. You know as well as I do that you can’t win this battle.”
Leila’s grip on her phone tightened. Her pulse quickened, and she struggled to keep her voice steady.
“What’s your endgame, Landon?” she demanded, her tone brittle with tension.
“You’re about to marry Lacey. Or did you forget that? Are you worried you won’t be able to have kids of your own?”
Landon chuckled, the sound laced with mockery.
“Why does it sound like you’re upset about me marrying Lacey? Jealous, maybe?”
Leila’s jaw clenched, and a sharp laugh escaped her lips.
“Jealous? Don’t flatter yourself. Who you marry is none of my business, and it never will be.”.
Landon’s lips curled into a small, knowing smile. No matter what she said, he was convinced her anger was a mask for something deeper. He pushed forward, his tone casual yet calculated.
“Look, I don’t want to drag this into the courtroom. It’s a headache for both of us. And I know how stubborn you are. You’d burn everything down before you let me take the kids.”
Leila’s eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with scorn.
“You’re absolutely right. So why bother? Is making me miserable the only thing that keeps you entertained these days?”
Landon wasn’t fazed by Leila’s sharp retort. He leaned back in his chair, glancing through the car window at Elma, whose fiery glare could’ve melted glass. She was locked in his car, stewing in her own fury, but he was in no rush to deal with her.
“I know exactly what you’re up to,” Landon said, his tone almost playful.
“You’re trying to get the kids out of my reach while you still can. Clever move, but you’re too late.”
Landon ended the call without waiting for a reply, the abruptness leaving a hollow echo in Leila’s ears.
Leila’s breath caught in her throat as realization struck. Blood drained from her face, leaving her pale as a sheet. She spun on her heels and rushed to find the doctor, her voice urgent and unsteady.
“Please look after Brysen for me. Something’s come up, and I need to leave right away. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The doctor’s expression shifted to concern, but his tone remained calm and professional.
“Don’t worry, Miss Nixon. We’ll make sure Brysen is safe and comfortable.”
His assurance offered a brief moment of relief. Leila nodded, her chest rising and falling as she fought to steady herself. She turned to leave, her steps hurried, but before she could take more than a few strides, the air behind her erupted with a deafening roar.
The ground beneath her trembled violently, the shockwave knocking her off balance. Flames burst into the sky like a monstrous hand reaching out, and the sheer intensity of the explosion rattled her bones. Leila’s knees gave out, and she crumpled to the floor, the heat and chaos pressing down on her like an invisible weight. Her heart pounded wildly as her mind raced to piece together what had just happened.
Leila turned around, her breath hitching as her gaze locked onto the inferno consuming the building. It was the building Brysen had entered moments ago with the caregivers to retrieve her medication.
The place quickly descended into chaos. Phones buzzed with frantic calls, panicked cries filled the air, and people scattered, some running for their lives, others desperately trying to extinguish the raging flames. Leila stood frozen, her face draining of color. Ignoring the sting of her scraped knee, she forced herself upright and stumbled through the frantic crowd, desperately searching for Brysen. Deep inside, a terrible certainty clawed at her. Brysen hadn’t escaped before the explosion. How could this happen? Everything had been fine a moment ago. Why had there been an explosion?
Leila’s thoughts raced, a whirlwind of confusion and terror. Her ashen face betrayed the storm inside her as her body swayed unsteadily.
Several bodyguards rushed to Leila’s side, steadying her as one spoke urgently.
“Miss Nixon, we need to get you out of here. It’s too dangerous.”
“No,” Leila choked out, shaking her head vehemently. Tears blurred her vision as they streamed down her cheeks. Her voice cracked with despair.
Leila fought against the bodyguard’s grip, struggling toward the burning building.
“I can’t leave Brysen! She is still inside! She was taking her medication. We have to save her! Please, hurry and get someone or anyone to help her!”
However, no one dared to step inside. They weren’t trained professionals, and the fire inside was blazing out of control.
The explosion had sealed its fate, and no one who entered would survive.
Leila thought about Brysen’s despair and pain and could no longer hold back her emotions. Sobbing uncontrollably, she collapsed to the floor, her cries piercing the smoky air.
“Brysen!” she wailed, her voice raw with anguish.
Soon, the firefighters arrived, and a glimmer of hope sparked in Leila’s eyes. But just as they prepared to enter, another deafening explosion rocked the building.
Leila’s face grew even paler as Brysen’s earlier smile suddenly flashed through her mind. Brysen must have been eagerly looking forward to leaving this place. Brysen was so close to recovering, ready to go home with Leila to see Sophie, Calvin, and Elma. But the accident struck so suddenly, catching everyone off guard.
“Brysen,” Leila whispered, her voice barely audible. Then, the world tilted, and she slumped unconscious.
Meanwhile, a sleek Maybach remained parked near the school gate. Inside, Elma sat with her arms crossed, her little face scrunched in anger. She refused to look at Landon, her silence louder than any outburst.
“Elma,” Landon said softly, his tone laced with resignation.
“Don’t be mad, okay? I’m not trying to take you away from your mom. I just want to talk to her.”
Landon didn’t dare push too hard. He’d chosen Elma because she was the most attached to him out of the three children, hoping she wouldn’t resist too much. Yet, it seemed he’d underestimated her resolve.
Elma huffed, her voice trembling with defiance, “There’s nothing to talk about! You didn’t even ask me if I wanted to come. I want to stay with my mom. I hate you!”
The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over as she began to cry.
Her adorable face and eyes, so strikingly similar to Leila’s, made Landon’s chest tighten with guilt. He nearly gave in, but in the end, he steeled himself.
He averted his gaze, making no effort to comfort Elma. Instead, he stepped out of the car, stood by the door, and lit a cigarette.
Leo glanced at Elma, sobbing her heart out inside the car. With a worried tone, he asked, “Mr. Kensington, are you sure this is okay?” Landon almost couldn’t bear it. His left hand curled into a tight fist as he struggled to contain his emotions.
“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t have done this either,” he said, giving Leo a bitter smile.
“Do you think I’m being selfish?”
Leo was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. Landon wasn’t being selfish. Landon was simply consumed by his overwhelming desire to be with Leila. Even if it seemed impossible for them to get back together, Landon was determined to find a way to keep Leila close. Landon had changed, no longer the same person he once was.
Inside the car, Elma’s cries grew louder, her breath catching as she started to cough uncontrollably.
Landon’s resolve wavered. Unable to bear it, he opened the car door. Elma stopped crying and hesitantly glanced at Landon. At first, her tears had been genuine, but now she was partly pretending.
Elma didn’t hate Landon. She simply didn’t want to leave her mother. She knew her absence would devastate Leila, and that thought alone fueled her resistance.
She couldn’t bear to see her mom upset. As Landon opened the car door to let her out, Elma’s eyes grew wary.
Elma stepped out cautiously and suspiciously stared at Landon, her eyes red and swollen like a little rabbit’s.
“Are you really letting me go?” she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Landon avoided her gaze, his tone gruff.