Unexpected Marriage With Mr. Leighton: Rebirth of the Villain
Chapter 154: DAMN YOU, RANON

Chapter 154: DAMN YOU, RANON

Seeing her flee, James sprang into action; he had wagered everything just to see her. He couldn’t let her leave that easily.

But he had overestimated his own ability to make her stay. Once Laurel reached her car, she locked the doors and started the engine.

Carl, heart racing, chased after her but couldn’t get inside since she had locked it.

"Mother! Mother, please! I want to go with you! Please take me with you! I don’t want to be here!"

Panic engulfed him as he banged against the car, crying and screaming.

"Mother, please! Please take me with you!" Carl’s voice was filled with anguish as he continued to plead with her.

Laurel couldn’t endure it any longer. It felt as if she were trapped, suffocated by the weight of the situation, and she simply didn’t want to be there anymore. Both he and James represented a part of her life that was a constant reminder of the pain she had been trying to escape.

As her heart raced with frustration, she stepped on the accelerator and sped away, leaving Carl and James behind. The sound of Carl’s cries pierced the air.

"Mother! Mother, please take me with you!" But despite his desperate calls, she didn’t turn back.

"Please don’t leave me here!" Carl ran after her car, his feet pounding against the pavement, his vision blurred with tears. He pushed himself to run faster until her car vanished from sight.

It was only then that he crumbled to the ground, overwhelmed by the pain of abandonment.

"I am sorry. I am sorry! Please forgive me! Please come back," Carl cried out between sobs, the hurt coursing through him bitterly.

Meanwhile, James approached Carl and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "We are going to get her back," he promised, though he felt a heavy sadness as he observed how cold Laurel had treated his son.

How could she ignore Carl like this? After all, he was just a teenager; it was not fair to be angry with him.

"We are going to get her back. I promise you," James assured Carl, but suddenly, the intense emotions boiled within Carl.

He stopped crying, stood up, and delivered a powerful punch to his father’s face. His knuckles cracked against James’s nose.

"It’s all your fault! Mother is angry with me because of you! You are the one who caused this! I hate you! I hate you and your gut! You should go back to Amelia because you deserve each other! Cheaters!" Carl screamed at the top of his lungs, unleashing his pent-up frustration and blaming James for their situation.

James felt a surge of indignation at Carl’s disrespect. He couldn’t accept that his son would raise his voice, let alone strike him.

The tumult of anger, sadness, annoyance, and regret boiled inside him; without thinking clearly, he retaliated and punched Carl back. The young man fell to the ground, blood trickling from his cut lip.

"How dare you hit your own father and blame me for everything?!" James shouted, his face flushed with fury. "You are old enough to know what’s right and what’s wrong! Don’t you dare put the blame all on me!"

In a fit of rage, he turned and began to walk away, but not before he left him his final words.

"You know better, yet you choose to act like this. And remember, it was you who said to Laurel that she was not your mother! No one told you to say that. Yes, I hurt her, but you hurt her as well."

With those words hanging heavily in the air, James walked away, leaving Carl sobbing on the ground, curled into a ball as guilt consumed him.

He couldn’t forgive himself for what he had said, and James’s reminder only deepened his anguish.

***

Hazel strolled into Ranon’s office, bringing him lunch as she often did. Her gaze fell upon a framed ultrasound picture of their baby displayed proudly on his desk. She raised her brows in surprise. "You really put it there, huh?"

Ranon said nothing, focusing on his meal, yet there was an unmistakable hint of happiness radiating from him.

"You put the picture of the ultrasound on your table. But why don’t you put up our wedding picture? Don’t you think it would be more romantic?" Hazel teased as they shared their lunch.

By now, it had become a regular routine for her to visit Ranon’s office; they enjoyed these moments together. Ranon always made sure to clear his schedule for her afternoon visits.

Settled comfortably on the sofa, Hazel indulged in her chicken drumstick, savoring every bite. "Do you want me to put our wedding picture up?" Ranon asked playfully, reaching out to wipe the sauce from her lips.

"Yes, of course! I want you to put our wedding picture on display." Just imagine if Ema came back to this office and saw it; it would really piss her off! The thought sent a thrill through her; although a bit petty, she loved the idea of stirring up drama.

"Fine," Ranon said, finishing his meal. Once she had finished hers, he leaned in and kissed her cheek, then trailed his lips down to her neck.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was up to.

"No, I am not going to do it in your office."

"I have a bed if you are so picky," Ranon quipped, playfully nibbling on her earlobe.

Hazel hated how easily she succumbed to his advances; it felt ridiculous, yet there was an undeniable excitement in sharing intimate moments with him. Their physical connection was electric, and despite her efforts to keep their interactions limited, her body longed for him more than she would admit.

"No, I don’t want to do it," she protested half-heartedly.

Ranon’s teasing continued as he placed his hand on her belly, caressing the side of her body.

"Oh, damn you, Ranon." Hazel tried to sound stern but felt the heat rise within her.