Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Dean rose, his face set in a stern mask, ready to exit.
But as Dean walked past Leila, he paused abruptly. “I get it. You’re trying to shift all the blame onto me now. Did my brother put you up to this? I wasn’t even considering the Hayes’ involvement until you brought it up. But now you’ve given me something to think about. Why should their problems be my concern?”
With a derisive snort, Dean stormed out.
As Melinda passed Leila, she nudged her aside forcefully, causing Leila to nearly lose her balance.
Overwhelmed by the situation, Leila was consumed with regret, wondering what had transpired. Was Dean truly not responsible? Then who was behind it all? Could it be Landon? Had Landon intentionally sent her to confront Dean, only to see her caught in this predicament?
“Dean!” A male voice halted their departure.
Landon appeared in the doorway, tall and imposing, his expression unreadably calm.
Dean, visibly angered by the interruption, laughed bitterly and pointed accusingly at Landon. “You and your wife set this up, didn’t you? Just because our grandpa left you in charge doesn’t mean you can push me around. Forget about it!” Dean accused, his tone sharp and resentful.
Landon responded with a slight smile, his demeanor calm. “Why all the hostility? I anticipated some confusion, so I came back just to sort things out.”
“Alright, then. I’ll listen. But you two better make things clear,” Dean retorted, settling back into his seat, his anger barely contained.
Melinda, less than thrilled at Landon’s arrival, quickly grabbed the child from the servant’s arms. “The little one doesn’t seem happy here. I’ll take her home so she won’t interrupt your talk.”
With those words, Melinda turned to leave, her movements brisk as she exited the scene.
As Melinda made to leave, Landon gestured, and instantly, a few bodyguards blocked her path. With a smug smirk, he said, “Hey, why the hurry? It’s been a while since I’ve seen my little niece. Stay a bit and let me spend some time with her.”
Visibly flustered, Melinda faltered. “She’s crying, it’s not a good time.”
Before Melinda could finish her sentence, the bodyguards closed in, compelling her to go back with the child, her discomfort evident.
Melinda knew Landon all too well. Unpredictable and often extreme in his actions, he could be quite dangerous when angered.
Leila, observing the unfolding scene, felt no relief at Landon’s intervention. Instead, she was filled with sadness and irritation. She assumed she was being manipulated like a pawn in their games.
As Leila attempted to exit, Landon swiftly grabbed her wrist, halting her movement.
Leila struggled to free herself, but Landon’s grip was too firm. Fiercely, she glared at Landon, her expression filled with defiance.
Yet, in her small frame and with tears brimming in her eyes, she resembled more an upset kitten than a threatening force.
Seeing her like this made it difficult for Landon to maintain his harsh demeanor. His gaze momentarily softened, though his voice stayed resolute. “If you truly want to help the Hayes family, you need to stay.”
Unable to muster a counterargument, Leila felt a sinking realization that her options were limited.
Leila gritted her teeth and, with visible reluctance, moved back into the chamber, selecting a seat as far from Landon as possible.
Dean, visibly agitated and rubbing his temples, demanded clarity. “Landon, you better start explaining what’s going on today. I know you wield a lot of power, but that doesn’t give you free rein to do as you please.”
Despite the tension, Landon appeared unusually at ease, a rare smile playing across his face as he turned to face Dean. He calmly poured a cup of wine and offered it to Dean.
“That’s an interesting thing to say, considering we’re family. Blood is thicker than water, after all. Who would bully their flesh and blood?” Landon’s comment carried a hint of irony, his smile faint but unmistakable.
Dean coughed lightly, feeling a mix of embarrassment and irritation. He felt Landon was mocking him subtly.
Reflecting on their childhood and teenage years, it was true that Dean had often set traps for Landon when the adults weren’t watching.
In their kind of family, the sentimental idea of brotherly love was more of a fairytale than reality.
If there was anyone to blame, Dean thought, it was that Landon had always been too clever for his own good, even as a kid. So clever, in fact, that it sometimes scared Dean.
As Landon matured, his formidable intellect and competence became increasingly apparent, casting a larger shadow over Dean.
Initially, Dean had attempted to fulfill the role of a supportive older brother.
However, as Landon’s capabilities became more evident, fear crept into Dean.
Shirley, their mother, had instilled a ruthless, competitive mindset in her sons, emphasizing that theirs was a world where only the strongest survived.
In the Kensington family, the stakes were high. There was room for only one winner, one heir to take it all.
The family wealth was not to be divided. It was winner-takes-all, fostering a cutthroat environment that turned sibling against sibling.
As the years passed, Dean’s view of Landon became increasingly fraught with complexity and tension.
The familial bond they once shared was eroded by endless schemes and traps, each ploy stripping away any remnants of brotherly affection.
Landon, for his part, adapted to each of Dean’s maneuvers, becoming shrewder and more ruthless in response.
Reflecting on their history, a sense of regret gnawed at Dean. He felt he should have been even more relentless in his childhood tactics. He imagined crippling Landon, rendering him as disabled as Leila.
In Dean’s harsh calculation, even if Landon had remained free, talented, and skilled, his physical condition would have made it impossible for him to take control of the Kensington family empire.
Dean shot Landon a menacing look, his voice frosty. “What do you mean by that?”
Landon lifted an eyebrow, his tone deceptively casual. “Nothing much. We’ve always had a good relationship, haven’t we? I just don’t like seeing you get into trouble.”
Landon placed a sarcastic emphasis on “good relationship.”
Before Dean could retort, Landon pressed on. “So, I’m here to give you a friendly warning. The Hayes family isn’t like the others. If you decide to mess with them, you’d better be sure you can take them down completely. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for a world of trouble.”
The sarcasm dripping from Landon’s words was not lost on Dean, who flushed with anger. “Landon! What are you talking about? I already told you, I had no idea about this. Maybe it was a mistake by someone under me. I never meant to cross the Hayes family.”
After Dean finished speaking, he shot Landon a wary glance. “Let me guess. You’re stirring up trouble with the Hayes family using my name and planning to throw me under the bus, right?”
Landon couldn’t help but burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Even Edgar, standing behind Landon, had a hard time suppressing his chuckles.
Landon’s reaction only infuriated Dean further, his gaze turning icy and hostile. He despised feeling this way more than anything. Was Landon really taunting him, suggesting he wasn’t smart?
As Dean’s anger reached a boiling point, Landon finally stopped smiling and exhaled a heavy sigh. “Why are you so quick to suspect me? If I were really behind something, do you think you’d still be standing here?”
Dean clamped his mouth shut, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, at a loss for words. Perhaps Landon had a valid point. What was Landon trying to say?
Landon tapped his fingers one by one on the table, as if tapping on Dean’s heart.
“Listen, you’ve been deceived by those closest to you. Instead of constantly doubting me, maybe consider if someone right beside you has crossed a line.” As Landon spoke, his eyes locked intently on Melinda, conveying a depth of meaning in his gaze.
Melinda, unnerved, trembled noticeably, her eyes widening in alarm and nearly causing her to drop the child in her arms.
Initially, Dean missed the subtext in Landon’s words. However, realization struck him like lightning. Turning to Melinda, his face darkened with barely controlled rage, and he hissed, “Idiot! What have you done?”
Melinda, defiant and unwilling to confess, shot back, “What are you suggesting? Just because he insinuates something, you suspect me? I’ve been with you for years, raising your child and caring for your mother. I’ve held up my end. Plus, I know nothing of business. Why point fingers at me?”
Her words broke off as tears began to flow. In her distress, she noticed Leila.
A sudden accusation sharpened her voice as she pointed at Leila. “Or perhaps it’s Leila who’s meddling. She feels wronged and believes the Kensington family owes her something. Recently, she’s been cozying up to the Hayes family. She must be trying to sow discord. This was our problem to begin with!”
Dean’s expression darkened, his gaze shifting between Leila and Melinda.
Abruptly, Leila experienced a sharp pain in her thigh and instinctively bowed her head.
Then, Melinda’s little girl, previously cradled in Melinda’s arms, had scampered to the floor. In her tiny grasp was a sharp object, which she was now stabbing into Leila’s thigh.
Shockingly, the sweet-faced little girl hurled insults. “Stupid mute, little slut.”