Chapter 277

Tuff left the Kingsley house and headed straight for the hospital. Kayla didn’t have many friends in Norava, so if she wasn’t at home, she was definitely at the hospital with her mother. However, when Tuff got to the hospital, Kayla was nowhere to be found.

“Gloria, where’s Kayla?” Tuff asked, anxiety churning in his chest.

‘Oh no, Kayla’s mad! She ran off. She doesn’t want me anymore!’ Tuff’s mind went blank with fear.

“Kayla took Landen out for a late-night snack. Why weren’t you with them?” Gloria asked in surprise.

Tuff didn’t want to make his sick mother-in-law worry, so he made up an excuse and hurried off to find them. Kayla’s phone was off, and he couldn’t get through to Landen’s smartwatch either.

The later it got, the more scared Tuff became. He drove his car through every single street in downtown Norava, but there was still no sign of them. Out of options, he turned to Amelia for help.

“Amy, Kayla’s mad and didn’t come home. I can’t find her…”

“Oh? You need to find her? I don’t know anyone who can help with that, but my husband’s home. Want me to give him the phone?” Amelia asked.

“No, no, no! I’ll keep looking,” Tuff said, his voice shaky.

Tuff knew that if Landon found out Kayla was upset, he would definitely come after him. Guess I’ll just have to look for her myself, Tuff thought with a sigh, feeling a bit helpless.

Time passed slowly. Before he knew it, it was 11:00 p.m., and Tuff was about to lose his mind. If nothing worked, he might have to pull some strings. Just as he was about to take drastic action, he saw two figures – one tall, one short – turn the corner ahead. It was Kayla, the very person who had nearly driven him to tears with worry.

“Kayla!” Tuff called out as he jumped out of his car and sprinted toward her.

Kayla stopped and looked at the man running to her through the dark, frowning slightly.

“Mommy, is Tuff crying?” Landen asked.

“I don’t know,” Kayla replied. She also thought Tuff’s voice sounded a little strange.

But Tuff never cried. He was the kind of guy who bled and not wept. So, Kayla thought they must have been imagining it.

“Kayla, I finally found you!” Tuff practically threw himself at Kayla, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Landen, clever beyond his years, chuckled and sat on the steps of a nearby shop, not interrupting.

“Kayla, I was wrong! I already warned Joyce. She left out some words on her post and made you misunderstand…” Tuff rambled on nervously, barely pausing for breath. His voice was trembling.

Kayla suddenly understood that he thought she had left in anger.

“Idiot,” Kayla couldn’t help laughing.

“If I’m an idiot, so are you! Do you really believe everything people say? Why not ask me first?” Tuff grumbled, sounding genuinely hurt.

Kayla laughed even harder. “I didn’t believe it.”

“Then why disappear?” Tuff asked, still sounding a bit hurt.

“I was just having a late-night snack with Landen,” Kayla replied.

“I don’t buy it! I looked everywhere for you two. Does it really take that long to get a snack?” Tuff said, his voice rising in frustration.

Still shaken, he held Kayla’s hand tightly, as if afraid she would slip away again.

“Landen, show him,” Kayla said, a playful glint in her eyes.

“Okay.” Landen held up a takeout box and said with a smile, “Tuff, Mommy and I really were just out for a late-night snack. It was so good, we actually went back to grab some for you.”

“Wait, what?” Tuff blinked, completely caught off guard.

“You have no idea, Tuff. The BBQ place is always packed! We were stuck in line forever,” Landen said.

Kayla added, “The first time, we waited for an hour. Then we went back to get takeaway and waited another hour.”

Tuff thought about it and realized that it did add up to a few hours when Kayla was gone. He was both relieved and touched, his heart swelling with emotion. “Kayla, thank you for thinking of me.”

“Come on, let’s go home,” Kayla said with a helpless smile.

Tuff held Kayla in one arm and carried Landen in the other, grinning from ear to ear.

“You look so silly right now,” Kayla couldn’t help but tease him.

Tuff said, “As long as you don’t leave me, I don’t care how silly I look.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Kayla rolled her eyes. “You and Landen sit in the back and eat. I’ll drive.”

“Okay.” Tuff handed over the car keys.

As soon as they opened the takeout box, the mouthwatering aroma of barbecue filled the car.

Tuff’s stomach rumbled loudly.

“Tuff, didn’t you have dinner?” Landen asked.

“Nope.” Tuff picked up a grited sausage and took a big bite.

He was so busy looking for Kayla that he didn’t even have time for dinner or even a sip of water. Those few hours had felt like an eternity to him. Tuff swore to himself that he would never make Kayla angry again.

“Poor Tuff, you look very hungry. Eat more,” Landen said.

“Landen, you’re the best! I love you!” Tuff replied, his tone overflowing with warmth.

The two of them shared their delicious snack, occasionally showering each other with cheesy affection. With one hand on the steering wheel, Kayla grinned sweetly, her smile practically glowing in the dim light.

She thought, ‘Honestly, with a husband like this, what else could I possibly wish for?’

Tuff was happily munching away, feeling totally content. When he glanced out the window, he suddenly realized they weren’t heading back to the Kingsley family’s house.

“Kayla, are you sure you’re not going the wrong way?” Tuff asked, a bit confused.

Kayla replied, “How could I possibly take the wrong route to our home?”

“Wait, you mean… we’re going back to our home?” Tuff asked incredulously.

“Where else?” Kayla said, her smile growing wider.

Tuff was both overjoyed and a little anxious. He was so happy that Kayla was finally willing to come home, but at the same time, he couldn’t help worrying because his mother was still in Norava.

“No one is ever taking over my home again. I don’t care if they’re obvious or sneaky. From now on, nobody’s setting foot in my house,” Kayla declared, her tone fierce and unwavering.

“Absolutely!” Tuff finally relaxed and smiled.

He’d already taken Amelia’s advice and banned Joyce from visiting.

Meanwhile, back at the Kingsley family’s house, Amelia waited until Kimsey was sound asleep before she finally took a shower and put on a face mask. She kept glancing at her phone. It was almost midnight, and Landon still hadn’t come home. She had no idea whether the trip had gone smoothly.

“Amy.” Just as she set her phone down, Landon pushed the door open and walked in.

Amelia quickly stood up, her eyes scanning him from head to toe. Once she was sure he wasn’t hurt, she finally relaxed and asked, “How did it go?”

“Marvin just wouldn’t say a word, no matter what I did. So, I bought Lucia out instead,” Landon said, rubbing his temples, as he slumped into the rocking chair in exhaustion.

The chair creaked in a steady rhythm. Amelia brought over a warm towel to wipe his face and handed him a drink and some fruit.

“Honey, you really don’t have to fuss over me,” Landon said, pressing down on her hand. “I came back this late and made you worry.”

“Maybe a little. But it’s fine now. Nothing’s going to happen here. Norava is your turf,” Amelia replied, giving him a gentle smile.

When it came to her mother-in-law’s situation, there wasn’t much she could do. The only thing she could offer was her full support.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” Landon said.

He reached up and gently stroked her face. All these years, he’d survived life-and-death situations and even had his heart shattered by his grandmother and uncle. But he never thought his own family could be so cold-hearted. It’s not that the Gellar family didn’t care about Lucia, but when their own interests were on the line, they chose to abandon her. When Lucia found out, she broke down completely and was crying her eyes out in the room. Landon decided to push her a little more the next day, and she would probably give in eventually. If he found the person who created the charm poison, he’d have a way to get the poison out of his mother’s body.

“You should get some sleep,” Amelia said softly, not pressing him with any more questions–she just wanted him to rest.

Landon looked completely worn out. Getting stabbed in the back by his aunt’s side of the family had crushed him. But at that moment, what he needed most was a good night’s rest.

“Honey, I love you, babe,” Landon whispered, pulling Amelia into his arms.