Chapter 249
Posted on August 01, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Kayla walked back into the house, guilt gnawing at her as she remembered how Poppy had taken her place and done those terrible things. โ€œMom, Ameliaโ€ฆโ€

โ€œKayla, youโ€™re back,โ€ Amelia said, waddling over with her big belly.

Amelia looked fine, and neither Landon nor Tuff showed any signs of injury. That meant their plan had worked!

โ€œYou mustโ€™ve felt terrible, thinking it was me hurting you,โ€ Kayla asked.

โ€œNot really. I realized pretty early on that she was just a stand-in,โ€ Amelia replied with a smile.

Kayla was stunned. โ€œBut Poppy looks so much like meโ€ฆโ€

โ€œNo matter how much she looks like you, there are always little differences,โ€ Amelia gave a small, secretive smile. โ€œI just didnโ€™t tell Momโ€”I was afraid sheโ€™d accidentally give it away.โ€

Gloria glared at her, pretending to be angry. โ€œAmelia! Why do you keep everything from me?โ€

โ€œI was just afraid you wouldnโ€™t be able to keep up the act, Mom,โ€ Amelia said bluntly.

โ€œHmph!โ€ Gloria pulled her daughter into a warm hug. โ€˜Everyone in the family is so amazing, except for me, their useless mom.โ€™

โ€œWeโ€™re finally all together again,โ€ Gloria said softly.

โ€œYeah,โ€ Kayla let out a heartfelt sigh.

Thank goodness for her clever brother and sister-in-law. If it werenโ€™t for them, the Kingsley family would never have survived this ordeal.

โ€œNothing bad will happen from now on, right?โ€ Gloria asked, still a little worried.

โ€œNo. Aiden will bring Landen back,โ€ Kayla replied.

Amelia looked surprised and turned to Landon. โ€œYou guys let him go?โ€

โ€œHeโ€™s genuinely devoted to Kayla. We finished todayโ€™s mission so quicklyโ€”half the credit goes to him,โ€ Landon said.

โ€œSo the Kington Gang wonโ€™t be coming after us for revenge anymore, right?โ€ Amelia asked.

โ€œNo, I donโ€™t think so,โ€ Kayla replied with a smile. โ€œHonestly, Aiden isnโ€™t really ambitiousโ€”heโ€™s just a little starved for affection.โ€

Landon pressed his lips together.

โ€˜That guyโ€™s been after my Honey for way longer than just a day or two,โ€™ he thought sourly.

โ€œThatโ€™s great!โ€ Amelia exclaimed.

โ€˜Finally, I can really let my guard down,โ€™ she thought, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. โ€˜Now that weโ€™ve made it through all the tough times, itโ€™s nothing but smooth sailing ahead!โ€™

That night, the whole family celebrated together.

Tuff, who had played a big part in everything, was invited to stay and join in the fun.

As they drank and laughed, Tuffโ€™s eyes kept drifting to Kayla.

Gloria noticed and leaned in to whisper to Amelia, โ€œAmelia, do you think thereโ€™s something going on between them?โ€

โ€œYeah,โ€ Amelia replied with a small smile. โ€œMom, what do you think of him as a potential son-in-law?โ€

โ€œIโ€™m satisfied! More than satisfied!โ€ Gloria said, her face lighting up.

Nobody wanted Kayla to find a good man again more than she did.

โ€œKaylaโ€™s still dealing with her headaches, so she probably wonโ€™t accept him anytime soon,โ€ Amelia said quietly. โ€œBut we can start preparing her engagement gifts in advance.โ€

Gloriaโ€™s brow furrowed again as she thought about Kaylaโ€™s headaches.

โ€œMom, weโ€™ll definitely find a way to cure it, so donโ€™t worry,โ€ Amelia reassured her. โ€œWhat doesnโ€™t kill you makes you strongerโ€”Kaylaโ€™s luck is still waiting for her out there!โ€

โ€œYeah,โ€ Gloria replied.

Gloria forced herself to take a deep breath and tried to put her mind at ease.

โ€˜We canโ€™t spend every day worrying about things that havenโ€™t even happened yet,โ€™ she told herself.

Not far from Kingsley Manor, Giovanna and Daniel stood side by side, looking out into the distance.

After a long silence, Giovanna flashed the scalpel in her hand and said, โ€œIโ€™ve gone over both of their medical records. We can take the chips out, but the odds are fifty-fifty.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s pretty riskyโ€ฆโ€ Daniel muttered, his palms starting to sweat.

Even someone as decisive as him didnโ€™t know what choice to make now.

Trying to treat them is a huge risk, but if we do nothing, itโ€™s basically just waiting for death.

โ€œMaybe we should try reaching out to Aiden again. The chips came from his familyโ€”maybe he can give us some pointers?โ€ Giovanna mused.

Daniel thought she was being unrealistic. โ€œThat guyโ€™s genuinely in love with Kayla. If he had a way to fix this, he wouldโ€™ve told us already.โ€

โ€œOr maybe heโ€™s just clueless?โ€

Giovanna let out a soft laugh. โ€œCome on, letโ€™s go to Dreicean.โ€

A few days later, Landen arrived at Kingsley Manor with a team of bodyguards in tow.

โ€œMommyโ€ฆโ€ As soon as he saw Kayla, he rushed straight into her arms, clinging to her and bursting into tears.

He was just a little kidโ€”he didnโ€™t really understand what had happened. All he knew was that something huge had happened at home, and heโ€™d almost lost his mom.

Kayla crouched down and pulled him into her arms. โ€œLandenโ€ฆโ€

โ€œMommy, I was so scared. I thought youโ€™d never come backโ€ฆ sob sob,โ€ Landen whimpered, tears streaming down his face.

โ€œOh, sweetheart, that will never happen. Mommy loves you so much, Landen!โ€ Kayla said, her voice thick with emotion.

โ€œGrandpa said you didnโ€™t want me anymoreโ€ฆโ€ Landen sniffled.

โ€œHow could that ever be true? Mommy loves you the most, Landen,โ€ Kayla said, her heart twisting with pain as she hugged him tightly.

What mother doesnโ€™t love her child? Kayla just wanted to go back to her own mom, but she didnโ€™t have the strength to fight against Yin Shan, so she had no choice but to leave Landen behind for a while.

โ€œMommyโ€ฆโ€ Landen whispered, his voice barely audible.

โ€œCome on, letโ€™s meet your grandma and uncle,โ€ Kayla said, gently guiding him over to the rest of the family.

Landenโ€™s eyes widened in surprise. โ€œGloria is my grandma?โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s right! This is your uncle, Landon, and your aunt, Amelia,โ€ Kayla said, introducing them.

โ€œLanden, welcome home,โ€ Landon and Amelia said, each offering him a gift.

Landon and Amelia had both prepared gifts for him.

Landen was already familiar with everyone, so he wasnโ€™t shy at all. But he couldnโ€™t quite figure it outโ€”if Landon was his uncle here, then who was the uncle back in Dreicean?

โ€œDreicean is still your home, and your uncle will always be your uncle,โ€ Kayla explained with a gentle smile.

โ€œSo now I have even more people who love me?โ€ Landen asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

โ€œThatโ€™s right!โ€ Kayla replied with a warm smile.

Gloria scooped Landen up into her arms, hugging him tight and calling him her sweet grandson again and again.

Only now was their family truly whole again.

โ€œDidnโ€™t your uncle come to bring you here himself?โ€ Kayla asked.

Landen said, โ€œAiden has so much work to doโ€”heโ€™s so busy he doesnโ€™t even have time to sleep.โ€

โ€œOh.โ€

Kayla felt a little uneasy.

It seemed like Aiden had really taken over the Kington Gang.

Old powers die hardโ€”some things just refuse to disappear.

The Kington Gang and the Flying Tiger Sect, one from the underworld and one from the light, will always be on opposite sides.

Aiden wouldnโ€™t give up the power heโ€™d gained, and Landon wouldnโ€™t leave the Flying Tiger Sect.

Even if things are calm now, sooner or later theyโ€™ll end up at each otherโ€™s throats.

โ€˜Am I really going to have to watch my two brothers become enemies?โ€™ Kayla thought, her heart sinking.

Her head started throbbing again from overthinking, so Kayla had to let it go for now.

โ€˜If only I wasnโ€™t sick. If I could just stay well, maybe Aiden might actually rein himself in for me,โ€™ she thought.

And if that were the case, maybe Landonโ€™s Tiger Gate wouldnโ€™t keep putting on the pressure eitherโ€ฆ

But sadly, she only had six months left to liveโ€ฆ

What Kayla didnโ€™t know was that Landon and Tuff had been searching high and low for a cure for her.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, four months had passed.

Ameliaโ€™s belly was getting hugeโ€”she was just about ready to pop.

During that time, Landon hadnโ€™t left Norava even once.

After everything theyโ€™d been through, he was finally able to savor the peace and quiet of a normal life.

Every day, aside from work, Landon just hung out with his Honey, his mom, and his nephewโ€”enjoying the simple moments together.

Finally, the wait was overโ€”the baby was about to be born, and the whole family was over the moon with excitement.

โ€œHoney, donโ€™t be nervous. Iโ€™ve got the best doctors lined up for you. Iโ€™m right here with you, so donโ€™t worryโ€ฆโ€ Landon said, his voice full of concern.

โ€œHoney, does it hurt? Donโ€™t worry, Iโ€™m here,โ€ Landon said, his voice trembling a little.

Landon was rambling on and onโ€”anyone with eyes could see that the mom-to-be was totally calm, but the new dad was a nervous wreck.

Amelia pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. โ€œIโ€™m not scared, really.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s what I like to hear! Iโ€™m right here with you,โ€ Landon said, rubbing his hands together anxiously, eager to follow her into the delivery room.

Kayla grabbed his arm. โ€œYou canโ€™t go in.โ€

โ€œWhy not? The doctors all said I could be there for the delivery,โ€ Landon protested, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants.

Maybe heโ€™d just had too much water todayโ€”his palms just wouldnโ€™t stop sweating.

โ€œWe donโ€™t agree!โ€ the family chimed in together.

All three women chimed in at once.

With how nervous Landon was, if he went in, who knows if heโ€™d be the one comforting them or the other way around? If he ended up traumatized, theyโ€™d have to help him recover!

Better to just keep him out!


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