The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 121
At the Langley Estate.
Dante sat in his study, idly rotating two smooth meditation balls in his hand, his coffee growing cold beside him.
It suddenly occurred to him that Callahan hadn’t been back to the estate to visit him since the blind date a few days ago. Was the boy afraid to come back because of what happened?
Dante looked up at the butler, his tone displeased. “Has Callahan not been back for several days?”
The butler replied respectfully, “He hasn’t returned since he left the restaurant that day.”
Dante sat up straight, his voice filled with complaint. “Didn’t he say he had an emergency? It’s been days, and not even a phone call?”
The butler hesitated before whispering, “I heard from Lennox… the Young Master flew directly to Zamora right after.”
“Zamora?”
Ms. Cheney was still waiting for an explanation, and he just flew out of the country? Without even telling him? That brat!
Dante slammed his hand on the table in anger, the balls nearly flying out of his grip. “That rascal! Not only did he stand the girl up, but he also ran off abroad without a word?”
His mustache twitched with rage as he grabbed his phone, pulled up Leilani’s contact, and
sent several voice notes.
“My dear, I’m apologizing to you on behalf of Callahan! I only found out today that the brat left the country right after standing you up.”
“Last time, you even called me specifically to make excuses for him.”
“I didn’t realize back then that it was his fault, and I misunderstood you.” •
“That brat is out of line. Don’t worry, when he gets back, I’ll break his legs!”
A string of voice messages, each over thirty seconds long, flew across the chat. Leilani was surprised to see the barrage of notifications, thinking Dante had an emergency.
After listening, she realized this was the first time she’d heard that Callahan had flown abroad immediately that night.
Thinking of how urgent Callahan had looked after receiving the call that day, whatever happened must have been truly important to him. Honestly, Callahan couldn’t be blamed. It was just bad luck for both of them that day. Neither made it.
18:53
So, Leilani felt she needed to explain things clearly to Dante. She quickly composed her thoughts and replied. Her voice was gentle.
“Mr. Langley, please don’t be angry. It’s my fault. I failed to get there on time. I never expected to get into a car accident on the way and be taken to the police station to give a statement for three hours.”
“He waited for me at the restaurant for three hours and didn’t leave until he received an urgent call. And he wasn’t even angry that I stood him up. It’s just a pity I didn’t get to apologize to him in person.”
Leilani hadn’t intended to mention the police station, but explaining a three-hour delay required the truth. Otherwise, with Dante’s protective nature, it might cause a misunderstanding between grandfather and grandson.
Hearing this, Dante felt even worse. He quickly sent comforting messages.
“Why didn’t you say so sooner? You had to give a statement? How badly were you hurt?”
“My dear, why do you keep everything from me? Do you consider me a stranger?”
When Leilani had explained briefly before, Dante thought it was a minor fender bender. It wasn’t until today that he realized she had ended up at the police station.
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Olivia Harris
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.