Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Anxious, Leila continuously glanced at her phone screen, yet there was still no response from Landon. Could he be tied up with something?
Just then, the elevator doors parted. Landon emerged, his arm linked with Sarah’s.
Upon spotting Leila, Landon’s face registered surprise. “Why are you here?” he asked, his tone edged with confusion.
The receptionist, taken aback by Landon’s unexpected appearance and his acquaintance with Leila, rushed over in a panic, fearing for her job. “Mr. Kensington, she claimed she was here to bring you food, but I couldn’t verify her identity, so I hesitated to let her up,” she hastily said.
“Who asked you to bring food?” Cutting off the receptionist mid-explanation, Landon directed his question sharply at Leila.
Leila started to raise her hand, intending to clarify, but then stopped herself. Noticing Sarah’s smug look, Leila pieced everything together. Sarah probably used Landon’s phone to deceive her into believing Landon wanted her to bring food, which led her to prepare his favorite meals.
Leila gestured her apology to Landon before turning to leave through the company’s main entrance.
Leila appeared fragile, her movements unsteady as she walked. Landon observed her closely, the medical records he had seen earlier flashing in his mind. She suffered from malnutrition and anemia.
“Darling, why don’t we try the food that mute prepared? You mentioned it was tasty, right?” Sarah suggested, leaning on Landon’s arm and pouting slightly.
However, before Sarah could hear Landon’s reply, he unexpectedly pulled away and moved swiftly toward Leila.
Sarah’s expression turned stormy. She recalled how Landon had brushed her off at the bar. Glaring at the receptionist nearby, she snapped, “Don’t you dare say anything!”
Rushing after Landon, Sarah followed him closely.
As Leila reached the company’s entrance, a black Mercedes pulled up to the curb.
“Leila? What are you doing here?” Ethan asked from the car, rolling down his window.
“Get in. Where do you need to go? I’ll take you,” Ethan offered, seeing her hesitation.
With the evening rush approaching and taxis scarce, Leila paused briefly before accepting Ethan’s offer and climbing into his car.
Unbeknownst to her, Landon had followed her out and witnessed her getting into Ethan’s vehicle.
Landon’s face clouded over in an instant. He marched toward the nearby Bentley Mulsanne and jerked the driver’s door open with a fierce tug.
“Landon! Wait for me!” Sarah called out just as Landon was about to hit the accelerator. She hurried over, breathless, and slid into the passenger seat.
“Landon, calm down. How about we grab dinner together?” Before Sarah could finish her plea, Landon floored it.
The car lurched forward, slamming Sarah back against her seat as she let out a scream. Landon had never pushed the car to its limits like this!
The Bentley Mulsanne darted through traffic, skillfully overtaking a black Mercedes with remarkable agility. Landon slammed on the horn aggressively.
Meanwhile, Ethan, deep in conversation with Leila, was startled by the blaring horn and caught sight of Landon. He quickly downshifted and stepped on the gas, managing to pull ahead of the Bentley Mulsanne once again. Landon wanted him to stop the car and let Leila out? Not a chance!
It never crossed Leila’s mind that Landon would chase them in his car, much less initiate a high-speed pursuit with Ethan.
The two vehicles sped furiously, tearing along at dangerous speeds. Leila clutched the passenger-side handle, her eyes wide with fear.
As they raced toward the outskirts, the roads became unfamiliar to Leila, adding to her unease about where Ethan was leading her.
But Landon was undeterred in his chase.
Everything came to a head at a deserted intersection where Landon made a sudden, sharp acceleration, maneuvering the Bentley Mulsanne to block the Mercedes, forcing Ethan to a screeching halt..
As Ethan slammed on the brakes, Leila was jolted forward before her seatbelt snapped her back into place. She gripped the handle tightly, her face drained of color.
“Sorry, Leila, I… I wasn’t thinking…” Ethan blurted out as he finally noted how frightened Leila looked.
Leila just shook her head and leaned back, looking exhausted.
Suddenly, the door of the Bentley Mulsanne swung open, and Landon exited the vehicle. Shortly after, Sarah emerged, as pale as Leila. She had neglected to fasten her seatbelt and had been tossed against the car window multiple times during the ride. Now, she was cradling her forehead, her appearance quite disheveled.
“Landon, let’s go home. Landon…” Sarah called out, trying to detain Landon as he strode toward the Mercedes.
Landon seemed to ignore Sarah entirely. He walked over to the passenger side of the Mercedes and tried to open the door, but found it locked. His frustration was visible as he pounded furiously on the window.
“Leila, don’t be scared. I won’t let him hurt you,” Ethan reassured Leila.
Leila shook her head in response.
Unable to understand sign language, Ethan watched helplessly as Leila typed out a message on her phone. “He is my husband.”
Those words seemed to sap Ethan’s resolve. He silently hit the unlock button. A moment later, a furious Landon yanked the door open and started to pull Leila out of the car.
“Landon, what are you doing?” Ethan demanded, halting Landon from pulling Leila out forcefully.
“I’m taking my wife home. What does that have to do with you?” Landon’s voice was icy, his eyes chilling, as though he was on the brink of violence.
Ethan clenched his jaw. “I’m concerned about how you might treat my sister’s friend.”
“Like you said, she’s your sister’s friend. What concern is it of yours?”
Despite Landon’s efforts to pull Leila toward his car, Ethan stood his ground.
“Let her go. I won’t move until I hear her say she wants to go with you,” Ethan declared.
Landon’s gaze shifted to Leila. Before she could speak, he scoffed. “You should be worried about yourself!”
Just then, the wail of police sirens filled the air. A squad of traffic officers arrived, encircling both vehicles.
“Speeding, reckless driving. You need to come with us.”
The officers quickly detained Ethan.
“He was speeding too! He was driving recklessly as well! Why aren’t you arresting him?” Ethan argued, but his resistance only led to him being more aggressively subdued and eventually pinned to the ground.
Leila was taken aback by Landon’s decision to call the police on Ethan. She yearned to advocate for Ethan, but Landon didn’t allow her the opportunity. He hustled Leila into the passenger seat of the Bentley Mulsanne.
After locking the door, Landon slid into the driver’s seat.
“Landon? Are you really going to leave me here? Where are we even?” Sarah was left pounding on the car window in shock. Yet, Landon just sped away, completely ignoring her.
During the drive, Leila grew increasingly nauseous. Carsickness overcame her, her head spinning and her stomach in turmoil. She barely managed to get inside the house before the overwhelming urge to rest gripped her.
The butler greeted them as they entered. “Sir, Madam, you’ve returned early. Have you had dinner?”
Leila halted, a sudden memory flashing through her mind. She had forgotten the food container in Ethan’s car.
Leila shook her head at the butler and then turned to Landon, silently asking whether he needed her to whip up something for him and whether he craved anything specific.
Landon, still seething with anger, didn’t reply. Instead, he swept her off her feet and pinned her to the sofa.
The butler promptly exited the room.
With the world swirling around her, Leila closed her eyes to ease the dizziness. To Landon, it seemed as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.
“A mere gesture from Ethan, and you left with him,” Landon said accusingly, his voice sharp. “I asked you to come home with me, and you resisted. Had I not intervened, would you actually have married Ethan?”
Shock flickered across Leila’s face as she met Landon’s gaze. Back then, she had rejected Ethan’s proposal, yet Ethan had insisted. Was Landon somehow involved in the situation?
Observing her astonishment, Landon let out a scornful laugh. “It seems you get worked up just hearing his name. Remember, Leila, you’re married to me. You are mine, forever! Don’t even entertain the thought of leaving me.”
Landon’s large hand slid under Leila’s clothes aggressively. Overwhelmed and unable to push him away, Leila turned her head and vomited as a sudden wave of sickness overtook her.