Chapter 28 – An Unbreakable Vow with the Heartless Tycoon

She’s wearing a royal blue outfit styled like pajamas. The pills Charles gave her are in the pocket, and she knows she’ll be in huge trouble if they’re found.

“Are you too ashamed to hand over the pills?” Leonie glances proudly at Leilani and stares meaningfully at the pocket of her pajama top.

“What if there aren’t any pills?” Leilani bluffs.

“No pills? I saw you put them in the pocket of your pajama top. If there aren’t any pills, I’ll apologize to you,” Leonie says confidently, “Mrs. Bamford, please ask the maids to frisk her. The pills must be in her pocket.”

“You want to have me frisked like a common criminal? If I don’t have any pills, how can a simple apology possibly be enough?”

“What else do you want?”

“I want you to post an apology on Facebook, and I want you to explain what really happened the night you fell down the stairs. I want you to tell everyone that I had nothing to do with ruining your dress and that I certainly didn’t push you down the stairs. Still, want to frisk me?”

Leonie hesitates for a moment, “You want me to lie on Facebook?”

“You know best whether it’s a lie or not; you know best what really happened that night,” Leilani says.

Not long ago, Leonie blamed the fall on her and even posted to Facebook about Leilani’s alleged attack. Though people were afraid to talk openly about Leonie’s post, they privately said that Leilani was a scheming and conniving woman who must have won Waylen through her trickery. Mrs. Florence Bamford was especially incensed by the rumors and used them to fuel her hatred of Leilani. Leilani’s family suffered social ostracism and forbade Leilani from returning home.

“If you don’t agree to my terms, I won’t agree to be frisked,” Leilani says, “After all how can you ask someone with the Bamford name to accept being frisked so casually?”

Leilani’s clothes are still soaking, and the wind makes her shiver. “It’s windy outside, and I’m cold,” she says, “If you won’t agree to my terms I’d like to go inside.”

“Mrs. Bamford, look at her rudeness. She wants to leave without making things clear for Mr. Bamford and Waylen. She’s really showing her disrespect.”

Leilani casts a cold look at Leonie and turns to walk toward the house. Suddenly a warm hand seizes her wrist. She raises her eyes and meets Waylen’s gaze, “Oh, does my husband want to frisk me personally?”

Once upon a time, Leonie could blame Leilani for anything she fancied, and Waylen remained unconcerned. He turned a blind eye and let his grandmother punish her at will. One time, Mrs. Bamford ordered the maids to lock Leilani in a dark room without food for three whole days.

Leilani wonders if she’ll be locked in a small dark room again. The sudden memory of her time in the room chills her, and she begins to feel terrified as if she’s actually back in the room. Even though she has suffered significant memory loss, her time in the darkroom was far too traumatizing to ever forget.

She takes Waylen’s fingers off her wrist. She expects retaliation but feels sudden warmth as he dr.a.p.es a coat around her shoulders. She inhales deeply—the wool smells like Waylen and vanilla.

“Careful Leilani, you still haven’t recovered from your sickness,” he turns to Leonie, “An outsider has no right to judge our private family matters.”

He looks at Leilani with a sudden depth and gently takes her chin in his hands, “You just said you’re happily married, but how can you prove it?”

Although Leilani detests him with every fiber of her being, she can’t deny that she’s captivated by him.

“Is he trying to help me again?” she wonders, “How odd!”

Then she realizes he’s just trying to prove a point to his grandfather. Still, it’ll be easy to pretend she’s happily married. Leilani places her hand over his, c.o.c.ks her eyebrows, raises herself on her tiptoes, and kisses him on the lips. Waylen freezes caught off guard.

Leonie stares at Waylen and Leilani in disbelief. Unconsciously, she clenches her hands into fists and grits her teeth.

The servants gasp. “Mrs. Bamford is kissing Mr. Bamford in public!” they think, “How strange that Mr. Bamford doesn’t push her away—everyone knows he’s repulsed by her! Ahh, he’s so generous, he’s trying to avoid wounding her pride in public! Wait—is he actually kissing her back?” They make meaningful eye contact with each other.

Leilani intended to give Waylen a superficial kiss. After recovering from his initial shock, Waylen deepens the kiss. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his as if he wants to pull her inside his body. Unconsciously, she puts her arms around his neck. Waylen’s coat falls from her shoulders, gently fanning the leaves on the ground.

They kiss soulfully as if no one else is present. The air around them seems charged.

“That’s enough,” Francis Bamford says, “Don’t make a fool of yourself in public. Go back to your room.”

Francis Bamford is a conservative man. He is blushing and standing with his back to the couple, his arms folded across his chest.

“Wait!” Leonie clutches her skirt tightly, “I agree to Leilani’s terms.”

Leonie looks at Leilani with a stubborn expression, “If you’re willing to be frisked and if they’re not birth control pills, I will apologize to you on Facebook and explain what happened on the stairs.”

Leilani leans into Waylen’s body, her arms still hanging from his neck, and looks at Leonie with an enchanting smile, “Sorry, I’m not interested in that anymore.”

Leonie blushes with anger and gnashes her teeth, “Why, do you feel guilty?”

Leilani shrugs, “I don’t know why you’re so determined to make this a big deal. I said I have no interest.”

“You are definitely afraid of being found out!” Leonie seethes.

“Whatever you want to think,” Leilani replies.

Leilani let go of Waylen and turns around to go back to the house as if she’s completely unconcerned. Waylen seizes her arm again. She looks at the hand on her arm and doubtfully locks eyes with Waylen.

She tried to bluff her way out of the search by making a bet with Leonie. She didn’t think Leonie would ever agree to her terms, but if anyone really frisks her she’s at a huge disadvantage. After all, the pills are in her pocket.

“Let her frisk you,” Waylen commands.

Leilani frowns with displeasure and stares at Waylen without speaking. She still feels unsteady from the kiss.

“What if I say no?” she challenges, “Are you determined to frisk me anyway?”

As she speaks, she tries to pull her arm away, but Waylen intensifies the strength of his grasp as if he’s afraid she’ll run away.

“Yes,” he answers.

Leilani freezes.

“He’s kicked me when I’m down too many times,” she thinks, “How stupid of me to believe that he would actually help me this time. Even stupider to let myself enjoy the kiss.”

His word hits her like ice, chilling her to the bone. Leonie, by contrast, is emboldened by Waylen’s decision. She trots forward and dips her hand into Leilani’s pocket without waiting for her consent.

With Waylen’s support, Leonie doesn’t need Leilani’s consent. She has full confidence she’ll find the pills—she saw Leilani put them in her pocket. She’s eager to humiliate Leilani and take revenge.

Leonie feels the warmth of Leilani’s skin through her pocket. The smooth silk of the pajamas is wet and cold against her fingers, but Leonie doesn’t feel the hard bump of the pill bottle. She looks at the pocket; it’s lying flat against Leilani’s body, but the pills should be causing a visible lump. Leonie is confused and checks again, but she finds nothing.

“How is this possible? I clearly saw Leilani put the pills in this pocket,” Leonie thinks, “Did I see wrong?”

Determined, Leonie reaches for the other pocket but finds nothing; she’s starting to feel fl.u.s.tered.

“That’s impossible!” she exclaims, “I saw her take the pills!”

Leilani quietly exhales with relief. She has no idea where the pills might have gone. She looks at the man who is still holding her hand tightly, but his face reveals nothing.

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