Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“So, Landon suspected I might have been working with Clayton, but he still wanted to see me and talk things through? He even wanted to reconcile and start over with me.”
Leo gave a soft nod.
“Mr. Kensington always had that intention.”
When Leo first heard about Landon’s plan, he couldn’t wrap his head around it. He thought Landon had to be out of his mind. Landon had placed paramount significance on Leila, his sole love, ready to sacrifice everything for her.
Even without Leo saying it, Leila could easily imagine what had been on Landon’s mind then. Her heart twisted in pain. She bit her lower lip, staying silent as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Leo noticed her struggle and stepped forward to comfort her.
“Mrs. Kensington, we need you more than any other time. You can’t break down. While we have enough to lock…”
Lacey up, Clayton has surely erased all the traces of his involvement. He’s bound to take advantage of the confusion and make a move.”
Leila nodded in agreement with Leo. She contained her grief, and in an attempt to collect herself, she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails cut into her palms.
The sharp sting of pain yanked Leila back from the edge of despair, grounding her in the harsh reality. She fixed Leo with a determined gaze and said, “I need you to take on an important task for me. Have trusted people watch over my children. I’ll stay here. Trust me. No matter what, I will find Landon.”
Whether Landon was alive or dead, she would find him. But she kept that part to herself.
Leila also asked Leo not to tell the children what had happened. She didn’t want to burden them with concern and uncertainty.
Taking a moment to steady herself, Leila felt her composure return. Leo sighed in relief.
After giving orders, Leila cooperated with the police in their investigation.
As Lacey was escorted away by the police, moving past Leila, Leila shot Lacey a cold, steady look.
Lacey suddenly declared, “Leila, don’t think I will betray Clayton, and I will vehemently claim I don’t have any evidence against him. Just wait for him to continue causing you trouble. If you want me to testify against him, you’ll have to offer me something I desire.”
Lacey’s tone was held with a hint of complacency. She thought she’d gained the upper hand, confident in her ability to manipulate Leila. But Leila’s response was sharp and immediate.
“Oh? Stop dreaming. I’ll have you locked up in jail so fast that you won’t know what hit you. If anything happens to Landon, I’ll make sure your life is as miserable as a living hell. Even if I can’t get you the death penalty, I’ll make sure you rot in prison for the rest of your life.” Leila concluded with a cold smile.
Lacey, shocked to the core, started to struggle.
“Are you insane? I’m the only one who can testify against Clayton!”
Leila, unmoved, turned to the police.
“Please, don’t let her words sway you. She’s trying to drag others down with her nonsense. Focus on the facts.”
The police nodded, escorting Lacey away.
Lacey’s face drained of color. She had hoped to use Clayton to bargain her way out of trouble and reduce her sentence, but Leila wasn’t buying it. However, Lacey quickly composed herself. Clayton would surely find a way to get her out, wouldn’t he? If he didn’t, she’d make sure to drag him down with her.
Leo couldn’t help but ask Leila, “Mrs. Kensington, why didn’t you agree to her request? We need Lacey to testify against Clayton.”
Leila stared blankly into the distance, clinging to a fragile hope that Landon would appear out of nowhere. He would return and reassure her that he was fine. He would tell her that he was just a little injured but still alive.
However, as Leila peered over the rugged and steep cliff below, she gasped in shock. She had to face the grim reality that Landon’s survival was nearly impossible, even though he hadn’t fallen straight down. The recent rainfall and the complex terrain suggested that, even if there had been a chance for Landon to be snagged by the rocks, the jagged edges would have torn at his skin.
The more Leila pondered, the more dazed she became.
Upon hearing Leo’s voice, Leila pinched her palm to snap herself back to the present. She inhaled deeply, trying to maintain her composure.
“Even with Lacey’s testimony, it won’t change a thing. Clayton had it all planned out. Landon and I had agreed to meet here, not some remote mountain. There are surveillance cameras everywhere. Even if Lacey wasn’t caught immediately, the police would eventually link everything back to her. Clayton acted hastily and ruthlessly, but he meticulously covered his tracks, ensuring the police would not trace it to him.”
Leo balled his hands into tight fists as anger overtook him.
“He’s a monster. How could he be so cruel?”
“You are right. Why is he so cruel?” Leila murmured, repeating the question.
She felt a surge of anger and confusion. She couldn’t understand why she hadn’t seen Clayton’s true nature earlier. She was baffled by how easily she had been fooled by him.
But Leila had to admit that Clayton’s actions were beyond what she could have ever predicted. There was a time when she had truly thought of Clayton as a friend. When did he change? Wait. That was not right.
A realization dawned on Leila as she recalled certain details. Nothing had changed. Clayton had always been that vicious. She had simply been blinded by his deceit.
As these thoughts flooded her mind, tears began to well up in her eyes again. Weary to her bones, she squatted down, her eyes fixed on the vast, unforgiving cliff. Then, a sudden, irrational urge to join Landon gripped her.
Leila said sadly, “Leo, do you think Landon is cold down there? Is he suffering? I wish I could see him and apologize.”
Leo quickly shook his head.
“Mrs. Kensington, please don’t give up. There’s still no definitive word on Mr. Kensington’ fate yet. If you were to harm yourself now, what would happen to your children?”
“You are right. What about the kids?” Leila murmured, picturing the bright, cheerful faces of her three children. This helped her suppress her despairing thoughts.
“You’re right. I can’t leave them. But I can’t just stand by either.”
Leila rose to her feet, her expression hardening with determination.
Previously, following Landon’s incident, Leila hadn’t devoted her full attention to finding him, even though she had been making efforts to do so. Consequently, others had taken advantage of her divided attention to create problems for her.
Leila was determined not to let that happen again. Her children mattered immensely, and so did Landon. She couldn’t bear the thought of him suffering further, nor could she live with any more regrets.
After instructing Leo on a few tasks, Leila made her way to join the police rescue team. She was descending the mountain. Even if it turned out that Landon had indeed died, she was resolved to recover his body.
When Landon regained consciousness, he found himself in a totally strange place. The memory of his fall was still vivid in his mind. It felt like a dream. He had just reconciled with Leila, and they were ready to start over.
But it seemed fate had played a cruel joke on him. Just as he was about to embrace his newfound happiness, someone had pushed him off the cliff. The murderer was dressed exactly like Leila.
However, Landon was certain it wasn’t Leila. Clayton’s methods were still so low. Clayton wanted Landon to die believing Leila had killed him. Landon wondered about Leila’s state of mind and whether she was filled with worry.
As clarity gradually returned to Landon’s confused mind, he tried to sit up, only to be met with sharp pains throughout his body. He examined himself to find his arms and legs wrapped in casts. Had some kind people rescued him?
Landon felt a mix of confusion and thrill, yet he remained cautious. He attempted to shout for help, but his parched throat failed to produce any sound.
At that moment, the door swung open, and two caregivers entered. They skillfully changed Landon’s bandages. Their expressions didn’t change even as they saw that Landon was now awake.
Conscious, Landon listened intently to the conversation happening outside. One of the caregivers kindly offered Landon a cup of water.
As the water eased his dry throat, Landon cleared it and found he could talk normally again. He asked carefully, “Hello, may I know where I am and who saved me?”
One of the caregivers answered with respect, “Mr. and Mrs. White found you. You can thank them personally once you’re better.” Landon let out a relieved breath and then urgently asked, “Can you help me contact my wife? I can give you her phone number.”
To Landon’s surprise, the caregiver smiled and declined.
“I apologize, sir. We have a policy against using mobile phones here. It’s a strange rule, but we ask for your understanding.”
No one was allowed to use a phone. This indeed took Landon by surprise. But the world was vast and filled with oddities. Moreover, considering they had saved him, he didn’t protest too much despite his confusion. Landon opted for an alternative.
“Could you please send a message for me instead? I need to reach my wife. She must be frantic not knowing where I am. I’ll provide my details. Once you contact her, please tell her my name is Landon…”
Before Landon could finish, voices outside caught his attention.
“Why did Mr. and Mrs. White save another person?”
“Don’t question it. Mr. White mentioned it’s to gather good deeds for their grandson who passed away long ago.”
“Speaking of which, his grandson had such a tragic fate. Years ago, he invested a fortune but lost in a land competition with the Kensington family. Afterward, he faced harsh online bullying and eventually took his own life. Mr. and Mrs. White are still grieving after all these years.”