Hiding in the Devil's Bed (by Malea Cox) novel Chapter 68

Chapter 68

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 discharge 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

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Chapter 68

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.

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