Can’t Win Me Back

The maid who entered was Holly Lockstein, the best friend of the late Nina when they were working at Seaview Manor. Now that Lauren had moved home, Holly volunteered to attend to her.

"Why aren't you resting yet? It's late," Lauren addressed Holly gently.

"Ms. Lauren..." Eyes flickering, Holly finally said after some hesitation, "Mr. Landon has stood at the Seaview Manor entrance for more than two hours. I learned about this when I heard Mr. Durham talking about it with the others."

Lauren's pupils wavered. She felt as if someone had stabbed her in the chest and twisted the blade.

"Mr. Durham and the others kept it a secret because they didn't want to wake Mr. Javier. Even if Mr. Javier is asleep, it'll be trouble if Rory learns about it." Holly looked worried.

Lauren turned her back to Holly and switched on her phone. The phone vibrated nonstop as a barrage of notifications of incoming calls flooded her screen. Landon had called her many times, but he only texted her once, writing, "Darling, I miss you."

Her tears fell onto the screen. His affectionate text had opened her wounds again. She thought she'd gotten used to losing him. Even if she hadn't, she thought she'd at least be calm at the mention of him.

All her efforts to numb herself had gone down the drain because of Landon's text.

"Ms. Lauren, just sneak out to meet with him." Holly felt sorry when she saw Lauren crying.

Lauren hung her head low and hunched her back.

Holly insisted, "You'll regret it if you don't."

"I can't change anything even if I meet with him."

"You should meet him if you cherish your relationship with him. I think it's cruel to break up with Mr. Landon without giving him closure," Holly persuaded Lauren. "Even if you have to bid goodbye to him, you should wrap up the relationship nicely. Do it with the grace of a Beckett."

Landon stood tall in the chilly winds, not once looking away from Seaview Manor.

He occasionally let out a cough, and his stomach hurt, but none of it mattered as his soul had already separated from his body.

"Mr. Landon, take your medicine." Angelina fetched him some pills and a thermal mug.

He lowered his eyes and stared at the pills in his palm. Then, he slowly curled his fingers. When he unfurled his fists, the pills had been crushed into powder, scattering into the winds.

"What's the point of living?" He smirked.

"Mr. Landon, stop messing around!" Feeling angry and bitter, Angelina croaked, "Life is not just about romantic love. You have much to live for—you have a loyal friend like Mr. Beckett, and you'll take over the family business that Mr. Harper Senior had worked hard to build!

"Madam Lauren would feel bad if she learned that you were neglecting your health over a heartbreak. You claimed that you loved her, and you didn't want her to suffer, but isn't the worst suffering—" novelbin

She caught herself at the right time and pressed her lips.

"Are you trying to say that I was the person who inflicted the greatest harm and suffering on Lauren?" Landon threw his head back from laughing. "You're right, though. She wouldn't have suffered this much if it hadn't been for me."

"Mr. Landon, look!" Jordan suddenly yelled in excitement.

Landon looked up with vacant eyes, but his heart immediately raced.

A shuttle bus drove in their direction in the middle of the night. Landon immediately recognized Lauren demurely sitting in the back of the vehicle.