Chapter 68

“You should thank me for opening your eyes to reality, Gloria,” Henry said with a smug expression on his face.

Gloria couldn’t bear to look at the photos. The pain in her heart felt like a gaping wound. She had truly treated Amelia like her own daughter, never dwelling on the past. But now, it seemed Amelia had betrayed that trust.

“Get Amelia down here,” Henry barked. The two security guards who had been restraining Lanny immediately released him and rushed upstairs.

“Mrs. Gloria,” the butler exclaimed in alarm.

It suddenly hit Gloria that no one could know about Landon starting to wake up. “Stop right there,” she snapped. “You’re not going anywhere near Landon.”

“Relax, Gloria. I’m just here to deal with Amelia. I won’t touch Landon,” Henry said, a calculating glint in his eyes. ‘Besides,’ he thought, ‘he’s practically a vegetable. How would he know what’s happening around him?’

Ever since Landon was discharged from the hospital, Gloria had cut off Henry’s visitation rights completely. As time passed, Henry grew increasingly anxious. He needed to see Landon’s condition with his own eyes to put his mind at ease.

“This is my house,” Gloria shouted, her voice rising in anger. Seeing that she couldn’t stop the two bodyguards, she rushed upstairs while frantically dialing Amelia’s number. Landon’s current condition was crucial. No one could see him using his phone.

The phone kept ringing, but no one answered. Amelia was in the shower, and the phone sat on the nightstand to Landon’s right, just out of reach of his left hand. He could only watch it ring, catching a glimpse of the caller ID: [Mom].

Since Debra was dead and Melissa was in prison, it had to be Gloria calling.

‘She usually just comes up to knock on my door. It’s only a flight of stairs. Why would she call instead?’ Landon thought, warning bells ringing in his mind.

Then, he heard unfamiliar footsteps in the hallway outside. Sharp, measured steps–the kind that came from professional training.

‘Damn it…’ Landon immediately closed his eyes and lay perfectly still.

The next second, the door swung open from the outside. Gloria’s anxious voice cut through the air. “How dare you? You’re all fired–by the authority of Kingsley Group.”

“Really, Gloria?” Henry let out a contemptuous laugh as he strode into the room. “Are you planning to kick me out of the Kingsley family too?”

Landon remained motionless on the bed, his expression unchanged.

Gloria’s frustration mounted as her attempts to stop them proved futile. Hearing water running in the bathroom, she snapped at the security guards, “Get out. Now.”

Having accomplished what he came for, Henry waved his hand dismissively at the guards. He paced back and forth beside Landon’s bed before abruptly taking a seat.

The mattress springs groaned in protest as his heavy frame sank into the bed.

“Get off there. You’re heavy as a house,” Gloria snapped. “You’ll break Landon’s bed.”

“Gloria, was that really necessary?” Henry stood up awkwardly, all too aware of his weight issues.

“Look, we can’t just let Landon lie here indefinitely,” Henry said, fidgeting with the heavy gold ring on his finger. Behind his concerned facade, his mind was working on darker calculations.

With numerous cases of coma patients waking up–especially now that Amelia was pregnant–Henry couldn’t risk waiting. The sooner he could get rid of Landon, the better.

“The hospital can’t help him.” Gloria glared at Henry. “You’ve seen him now. You can leave.”

“You haven’t dealt with Amelia yet.” Henry’s eyes drifted toward the bathroom, where the sound of running water caught his attention.

‘Such a sweet, pretty little thing. What I wouldn’t give to…’ Henry’s thoughts wandered as he licked his lips, finally tearing his gaze away. ‘No rush. Tonight, I’ll get what I want.’

From his bed, Landon felt a chill run through him. He desperately wanted to know what was happening. ‘Why do they need to deal with Amelia?’ he wondered. But trapped in his vegetative state, all he could do was wait and endure.

“Henry, how I handle Amy is my business. Just go.” Gloria’s voice was tight with anxiety. She was so terrified of Henry discovering Landon’s recovery that she’d nearly forgotten about Amelia’s affair with Lanny.

“Mom has given me authority to handle the Amelia situation on behalf of the Kingsley family,” Henry stated.

Gloria’s head was spinning. “Donna’s been dragged into this?”

“This concerns the Kingsley family’s bloodline. She has every right to know and manage the situation,” Henry replied firmly.

Gloria’s face went pale. She knew there was no getting rid of Henry now. The longer he stayed, the greater the risk of Landon’s secret coming to light.

From their conversation, Landon figured out what was happening. Henry was trying to make something out of Amelia’s pregnancy. ‘Trying to paint me as the cuckolded? Not without my say-so,’ he thought with a sneer.

“Henry, why don’t you wait downstairs? I’ll bring Amy down shortly,” Gloria said, trying to keep her composure.

Henry could have waited downstairs, but his eyes kept darting to the bathroom door. He couldn’t help imagining how beautiful Amelia would look fresh from her shower, and he wanted to stick around to see.

“Henry,” Gloria snapped, disgusted by his obvious leering. “Amy’s in the shower. Don’t tell me you’re planning to hang around here just to catch her coming out?”

Embarrassed at being called out on his lecherous thoughts, Henry’s face reddened. He finally took the hint and left.

Gloria let out a sigh before turning to Landon. “Don’t worry about a thing, sweetheart. I’ve got everything under control. You just rest. I’ll be back to check on you later.” Then, she called out toward the bathroom, “Amy, honey, come downstairs later. I have something to discuss with you.”

“Okay, Gloria,” Amelia called back cheerfully, completely unaware that Henry had just set something terrible in motion.

As the door closed, silence fell over the room. Landon slowly opened his eyes, an icy coldness glinting in them. His chest rose and fell heavily as anger threatened to boil over.

He knew Henry was likely trying to stir up trouble with Amelia’s pregnancy. Thankfully, Amelia had been too timid to sleep with him and she didn’t get pregnant. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain the whole thing.

Amelia stepped out of the bathroom in her bathrobe, humming a cheerful tune.

Her singing snapped Landon out of his rage. ‘How can you be in the mood to sing right now?’ he said sharply in his mind.

“Just in a good mood today,” Amelia replied, sliding open the closet door to look for clothes. ‘What a pain!’ she thought with a sigh. ‘Gloria wants me to get all dressed up just to go downstairs, and then I’ll have to change again when I come back up.’

‘You won’t be smiling for long. We’ve got trouble,’ Landon said grimly.

“What? What’s wrong?” Amelia asked, her smile fading.

Henry’s here with his people. He’s spreading rumors that you’ve been unfaithful and the baby isn’t mine. They want you gone, Landon spoke.

Amelia’s eyes widened, her smile fading as the corner of her eye twitched. With a dejected look, she asked, “What are we going to do now?”

‘You tell me,’ Landon countered. ‘I can’t exactly show my face in this.’

Amelia frowned, frustrated, “The simplest solution would be to just tell them I’m not pregnant. But if we do that, your mother won’t let us off.”

‘It’s better than having you accused of cheating,’ Landon said. He was also anxious. Last time, Gloria had drugged Amelia. This time, he worried Gloria might target him directly. But protecting Amelia was his priority.