The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 338

“It’s useless to say all this to me now. I can’t make decisions for Yvonne. If you have concerns, you should discuss them with her.”

Having said what needed to be said, Leilani had no desire to stay with Milford any longer. She stood up, looking down at him. “But rest assured, Yvonne is safe with me. At least safer than she would be with the

Sherwoods.”

‘As for Tamara…” The corners of her lips curled into a cold arc. “You can tell her that if she dares to touch Yvonne again, I will make her regret being born.”

Milford shuddered. He had never seen Leilani like this-her eyes sharp as <nives, looking as if she could tear someone apart.

Milford’s hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white. His throat felt blocked; words swirled on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t speak

:hem.

He wanted to tell Leilani that Tamara was already under the family’s control. Even if Yvonne came back, Tamara couldn’t hurt her now.

But he couldn’t say that. His father’s attitude was clear: Tamara couldn’t be touched yet, at least not publicly. The Sherwood family was facing nternal and external troubles. His father seemed to be planning something, and Tamara… might be a key part of it. If he rashly revealed hat Tamara was under house arrest, and word got out, it could disrupt his father’s plans.

But if he didn’t explain, Leilani would continue to think the Sherwoods were incompetent, unable to handle a murderer.

Milford’s chest felt tight. Finally, he whispered, “Leilani, I… I can’t explain everything to you, but if Yvonne comes home, I promise to protect her with everything I have.”

Leilani laughed coldly. “With everything you have?”

Her eyes were full of ridicule. “Milford, you couldn’t even get justice for Yvonne regarding her fall years ago. Why should I believe you can protect her now? The Sherwoods can’t even handle one Tamara. You let her roam free, let her strut around at the wedding! And now you tell me you’ll do ‘everything you have’?”

She scoffed, her tone icy. “Does your ‘everything’ mean letting Yvonne go back to face the woman who tried to kill her?”

Milford was rendered speechless, a heavy stone crushing his chest, suffocating him with pain. In the end, he hung his head in defeat, his voice hoarse. All he could offer was a pale apology.

“…I’m sorry.”

Outside, in the curtain of rain, a black Maybach slowly drove down the street. In the back seat, Callahan was reviewing documents, his long fingers turning a page of a contract, his expression cold. He had clearly just come from the office.

Suddenly, Richard, the driver, made a sound of surprise and instinctively slowed down, alerting Callahan. “Mr. Langley, isn’t that Ms. Sloan?”

Callahan’s fingers paused. He looked up. Through the rain, inside the street-side cafe, Leilani sat opposite Milford. They seemed to be talking, the atmosphere heavy.

Remembering the attitude of the Sherwood and Sloan families toward _eilani at the wedding… Callahan’s eyes darkened instantly, the temperature around him dropping several degrees. Why was Milford ooking for Leilani instead of dealing with Tamara?

Callahan hadn’t forgotten that these two used to be engaged.

‘Stop the car.” He ordered Richard to pull over.

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