Chapter 278
The rocking chair couldn’t bear the weight of both of them and stopped moving.
“I love you too, babe,” Amelia said tenderly, leaning down to hug him.
They just held each other like that, doing nothing and needing nothing else. Just feeling each other’s presence was enough to make everything else fade away. Amelia knew Landon must have been exhausted and heartbroken to need comfort like this.
After holding each other for what felt like forever, Amelia sensed Landon had finally calmed down. So, she got up and said, “This rocking chair’s about to collapse. Let’s go to bed.”
“Okay,” Landon replied softly.
He went to the bathroom for a quick shower before getting into bed. Amelia was already half-asleep, drowsily watching him.
As soon as Landon lay down, she instinctively snuggled into his arms and whispered, “Lucia will give in. This will all be over soon. Get some rest.”
“Hmm.” Landon nodded.
Sure enough, the next day, Aaron brought good news. “Mr. Kingsley, Lucia has given in. She’s willing to tell us who created the charm poison.”
“Who is it?” Landon asked.
“She hasn’t said yet. She insists on telling you in person,” Aaron replied.
“Alright. I’m coming over now,” Landon said.
Amelia had just finished making breakfast when she saw Landon hurrying down the stairs. She quickly stopped him and said, “You’re not going anywhere until you finish your breakfast.”
“Honey…” Landon started.
“I made this breakfast myself,” Amelia said.
Landon raised an eyebrow, pinched her cheek, and gave her a big kiss. “Yes, honey. Whatever you say!”
Now that the enemy had finally shown a weakness, Landon was in a great mood. He told Amelia everything that had happened at the Gellar family’s place the night before.
Amelia shook her head in disbelief. “They’re so ruthless, even to their own sister. They’ll do anything for their own gain!”
“Actually, even if they use Jeffrey to get half the shares, all they’ll end up with is just money,” Landon said. "Marvin was incapable of running the Kingsley Group, and there was no way he would hand over his control."
For the sake of money, he just stood by and watched Lucia fall into prostitution, standing on the street and getting humiliated by different men.
Someone as selfish as Marvin didn’t see family as family, but Shelby should’ve known better. She was a woman too. Amelia didn’t understand how she could let her daughter suffer like that.
“Honey, did Lucia really…” Amelia hesitated, not sure if she should finish her question.
Landon looked up with a faint smile. “What? Are you feeling sorry for her?”
“A little, I guess. There are plenty of ways you could’ve dealt with her, but you chose this one…” Amelia’s voice faded away and left the rest unsaid.
Landon was an upright man. Even with his uncle’s family, he didn’t go too far. He just made sure they were sent far away. He wouldn’t do something that cruel to a woman.
“It was all fake,” Landon said. “I have a family now. I can’t let something like this come out in the future and have people pointing fingers at my son, saying his father abused women.”
Amelia let out a soft laugh, finally feeling at ease. She always knew her dear husband was a man of principle and would never cross the line.
“Want to come with me later?” Landon asked.
Amelia shook her head. “No, I’ll go to the hospital to be with my mom.”
“Alright, I’ll try to get home early,” Landon said.
“Hmm.” Amelia nodded.
After finishing his talk with Amelia, Landon didn’t feel rushed anymore. He took his time eating breakfast with her, played with his son for a while, and then finally went to see Lucia.
In the dark room, Lucia lay on the ground in tears. She looked completely drained, like her spirit had been sucked out. She must’ve broken down multiple times the previous night. Landon opened the door, flooding the dark room with sunlight.
Lucia slowly lifted her head and looked at the man standing tall in the golden sunlight, looking almost godlike. She burst into tears again. “Landon, I’ll tell you everything. Please, don’t scare me anymore…”
“Let’s talk outside,” Landon said.
He had her brought out and gave her food and water. Lucia looked at the bright sunlight and the abundant meal in front of her. It all felt unreal, like she had been transported to another world.
“Eat first, then talk,” Landon said, rapping his knuckles on the table.
That single ordinary sound startled Lucia, making her flinch. She was just like a frightened animal, jumpy at the slightest noise.
“I don’t know what kind of deal those people had with Marvin. I only overheard that person’s name…” Lucia mumbled while clutching a piece of bread.
Is she lying, or is she just that scared? Landon wondered. She’s squeezing that bread like her life depends on it.
Landon waited patiently.
Lucia whispered, “That person… is Monica Montgomery…”
Landon and Aaron both looked shocked, their faces changing instantly.
Monica? It was actually her? Landon thought in disbelief.
“Miss Young, lying won’t do you any good,” Aaron said sternly.
Lucia was startled and dropped the bread. The tears she’d just managed to stop poured down again.
“I swear I heard right. It really was Monica,” Lucia sobbed. “Look at me now, do you think I’d dare lie to you? Go check. You’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
Landon narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them as his fingers kept tapping the table in a steady, almost intimidating rhythm. Lucia sobbed and trembled but didn’t take her words back.
Maybe she really is telling the truth, Landon thought to himself.
After the Kington Gang was wiped out, the Montgomery family had fled. Later, the two elders of the Kyle family were killed. No one heard from the Montgomery family again. Landon never believed the Montgomery family had given up, but there was no way they would recover anytime soon. He never imagined they could be connected to what was happening at home.
“Aaron!” Landon called out.
“Mr. Kingsley, I’ll look into it right away!” Aaron replied.
Lucia breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Landon with extreme humility, forcing a flattering smile through her tear-stained face. “Yes, yes! Please investigate. Everything I said was true!”
Landon stood up and turned to leave.
Lucia quickly asked, “Landon, how much longer are you going to keep me locked up?”
“Until the poison in my mother’s system is cleared,” Landon said.
Lucia collapsed to the floor and started crying again. There was nothing she could do but cry.
Ever since her mother and brother had abandoned her, she’d been like a lone boat adrift on the open sea, helpless against the crashing waves, never knowing when she might be swallowed up for good.
At the hospital, Joyce stood outside Gloria’s room, her face dark with frustration. After Tuff forbade her from going to his home, she wasn’t even allowed into Gloria’s room anymore, even though she was the high-paid specialist hired by the hospital.
“Miss Lambert.” Kayla’s cold voice rang out.
Joyce took a deep breath, putting on a professional smile as she turned around. “Miss Kingsley…”
Kayla suddenly raised her hand and struck Joyce hard across the face. It was during rounds, and people were walking all over. But Kayla ignored that and slapped Joyce in public.
Joyce held her face, stunned for a moment before her eyes filled with tears. Her voice trembled as she said, “Miss Kingsley, what are you doing?”
“That slap is to teach you to address me properly,” Kayla said coldly. “Call me wrong again, and I’ll slap you every single time.”
“How could you? This is a hospital!” Joyce deliberately raised her voice, trying to make a scene. She wanted to let Tuff know what an awful shrew Kayla could be.
The next second, Kayla landed another slap again. Both of Joyce’s cheeks were swollen now, and the imprint of Kayla’s hand was perfectly symmetrical.
Joyce was in pain. “You…”
“Didn’t you pour water on yourself and say it was me? I’m not going to take the blame. Think of this slap as me returning that cup of water to you,” Kayla said calmly, and her presence was overwhelming. To any bystander, it was like a domineering queen dealing with a manipulative wench.
Joyce trembled with anger but still tried to maintain her innocent image. “Mrs. Prescott, you’re going too far!”