Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Elsewhere, Landon reached the city hall at the scheduled time, waiting for Leila at the entrance.
As the minutes ticked by, nearly an hour passed without a sign of Leila, and Landon’s frustration boiled over.
It wasn’t that he had come early on purpose. His brewing anger had simply gotten the better of him. Leila was desperate to get a divorce, so perhaps it was time he just gave her what she wanted.
Landon bombarded Leila with messages, yet not a single one received a response.
Leila hadn’t shown up either, which only deepened Landon’s frown, frustration mounting. What was she thinking? Did she believe she could dictate the terms of their relationship?
Was their marriage merely a game to her?
Seething, Landon dialed Leila’s number again.
Just as he did, a ringtone emanated from Leila’s phone, causing the bodyguards to pause.
Shirley quickly snatched Leila’s phone, freezing as she recognized the caller ID. Landon was the last person she had expected.
From Shirley’s reaction, Leila inferred who was calling. She wanted to make one last attempt to struggle, but she couldn’t speak, and they couldn’t understand sign language. Powerless, she watched as Melinda took her phone.
Melinda’s eyes sparkled with determination as she gestured to one of the bodyguards and whispered something to him.
The bodyguard looked uncertain. “Are we sure this is okay?”
Melinda scowled slightly. “With both Shirley and me here, what’s there to fear? If there’s any trouble, we’ll handle it.”
Reassured, the bodyguard stepped aside, clutching Leila’s phone.
Landon clenched his teeth in irritation after finally getting through on the second call. “Leila, are you kidding me?”
Unexpectedly, a man’s voice answered from the other end. “Sorry, Leila can’t come today. She’s busy.”
For a brief moment, Landon was stunned. His expression didn’t change, but his fist tightened at his side. “And you are?” he asked, his voice icy.
The man on the phone seemed to enjoy this. “I’m a close friend of hers. We’re off to a resort today. She couldn’t make it and asked me to tell you she’s free tomorrow.”
The fury in Landon’s eyes lessened slightly, though his brows were still knitted together. “Tomorrow? Isn’t that supposed to be a day off?”
The man’s tone held a hint of impatience. “What does it matter if it’s a day off? She’s not coming today. That’s what matters. She doesn’t want to see you right now. Understood?”
Landon let out a mocking laugh, but his eyes were stormy. “A resort, you say? Which one?”
The man at the other end dropped the name nonchalantly before hanging up abruptly.
After the phone call, Landon’s anger had dissipated, yet his gaze remained frosty, and a chilling aura enveloped him. He shot a look at Edgar. “Drive over. We’re going back to the mansion.”
The resort mentioned by the caller was under the Kensington family’s ownership.
Somehow, Landon was gripped by a wave of unease. He wondered if Leila had again gotten into trouble.
Meanwhile, as the bodyguard clutching her phone spouted gibberish to Landon and then disconnected, Leila’s last flicker of hope extinguished.
For the first time, Leila detested her inability to speak. Why was she mute? Why couldn’t she utter a single word? She couldn’t even defend herself and felt completely powerless.
Observing Leila’s despairing look and her drooping head, Melinda experienced a perverse thrill.
Melinda had noted Landon’s protective demeanor toward Leila in the chamber that day.
It was undeniable, yet Melinda couldn’t come to terms with it.
Her own marriage was meant to be a pinnacle of joy. How could Leila, a woman she looked down upon, have a spouse better than hers?
“Let’s just get on with it,” Melinda snapped icily from the side.
Shirley gestured to the bodyguards and said, “Go ahead. But leave her face alone. Just break her legs. Since she’s disabled already, we might as well ensure she’s not a burden to anyone in the future.”
Leila’s tears flowed freely, driven by stark terror.
She lay pinned to the floor, the fear and anxiety causing a sharp pain in her belly. Her complexion turned deathly pale.
Leila made desperate signs at Shirley, trying to say that she was pregnant. What they were doing was as good as murder.
But Shirley failed to understand Leila’s frantic gestures.
Melinda urged her on, saying, “Look how defiant she is. She must be cursing you right now.”
This made Shirley even more incensed. She advanced in her high heels, seized Leila by the hair, and yanked it viciously.
Leila winced in pain, lifting her head, her expression one of fierce determination.
Shirley scoffed, “Cursing me? It doesn’t matter. I’m going to teach you a lesson regardless. You don’t belong in the Kensington family, not by a long shot. Were it not for your manipulation of Roderick to corner my son into marrying you, you wouldn’t even be here.
Landon had far better options than a mute like you. Do you have any idea how much ridicule he faces wherever he goes? And here you are, a mute causing disgrace, cavorting with other men. A woman like you deserves nothing but damnation!”
Leila’s lips parted, but no words came out, only a series of unsettling, eerie noises.
Shirley released her grip and tossed Leila away disdainfully before coldly commanding, “Hit her!”
The impact of the club was severe, nearly causing Leila to black out from the agony.
Amid the overwhelming pain, Leila’s resolve hardened. This had to stop. She had a baby in her belly. Continued violence was sure to endanger her unborn child.
Desperately, Leila attempted to shield her abdomen, curling up against the sharp, stabbing pain.
Melinda noticed Leila’s protective actions, her demeanor changing as she quickly pieced things together.
Melinda’s voice took on a chilling sharpness. “Forget the legs. Target her belly!”
Shirley looked at Melinda, puzzled by her cruelty, yet she did nothing to intervene.
Terror struck Leila as she met Melinda’s malicious gaze. Melinda had surely realized she was pregnant. How could Melinda, a mother herself, be so heartless?
As the club was about to strike Leila’s belly, a commanding voice echoed from behind, “Stop it!”
Shirley’s eyes widened at the sight of the man. She hastened toward him, her smile forced, yet her eyes shimmered with guilt. “Landon! What brings you back so unexpectedly?”
Landon’s gaze hardened as he noticed Leila on the floor, grimacing in agony. “Had I not returned, you might have been guilty of murder today.”
Shirley quickly retorted, “Murder? What nonsense are you spouting? Leila was causing trouble, fussing over her meal. You’re likely unaware that she nearly drove Dean and Melinda to divorce.”
“I’m well aware,” Landon replied sharply.
Shirley, taken aback, questioned, “You knew? Then why didn’t you intervene?”
Landon ignored Shirley’s question, casting a scornful glance at Melinda.
Melinda’s face was a portrait of dread, her eyes darting anxiously with profound fear.
“Because I was the one who informed Dean about the peril his international transport business faced due to Melinda’s relatives. We dodged a bullet this time. Think about it-drunk driving on the highway. Do you grasp the gravity of that? A single mistake could have been catastrophic,” Landon explained.
Shirley listened intently and was visibly shaken.
Melinda had merely mentioned minor squabbles involving Dean’s company and the Hayes family, while Leila apparently supported the Hayes faction. In the end, Dean and Melinda’s argument had escalated, souring their relationship significantly.
Shirley was taken aback, having not realized the severity of the situation until now. The stakes were high. If anyone were hurt, prison was a real possibility.