His Real Wedded Bride

Chapter 1404 A Long Silence

Leila was astounded by Sheryl's statement. Though she was determined to deny everything that Sheryl

accused her of, she hadn't expected that Sheryl reserved some evidence. Sheryl's tone sounded so

determined that Leila couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. Leila was so overcome with panic and

pressure that she collapsed onto the ground.

'Has she known all along that I was behind Shirley's kidnapping? But, how could she pretend that she

knew nothing? I nearly strangled her to death! Was that all part of her show?' Leila questioned herself

still in a state of bewilderment.

The thought of it all sent a cold shiver down Leila's spine even though she was still in denial and only

half accepted the truth. Leila suddenly realized that Sheryl was even more adept at tricks and plots

than she was. She had endured much suffering for so long and was even willing to put her life on the

line to play it out. Leila wondered why Sheryl chose this moment to inform and threaten her.

'This woman is terrifying! I can't allow Charles to know the evidence, ' Leila thought still in a state of

panic.

As long as the evidence wouldn't come into Charles' ears, then no matter how much Charles doubted

Leila, she could keep a feigned face of innocence. Then Charles couldn't do anything to her, and she

could remain at Dream Garden.

However, Leila couldn't afford to take the risk of Charles finding out about the evidence against her. If

he knew that Leila even had attempted to kill his wife, then what would he do to punish Leila for it?

'What would he think of me? A wicked woman? An unsavory seductress who has only one purpose

and that is to ruin his happy family?

Then how would he punish me? Show me indifference? Reprimand me to my face? Or even worse, put

me in prison?' Countless miserable pictures of her demise flashed before her eyes.

Her mind was in complete and utter chaos. Her head felt like it was in a vise and about to explode. No

matter how hard she tried to calm herself to stop thinking about it all, it was of no use. He brain was

rambling out of control.

It was terrible enough for Leila to cope with the fact that her love wasn't reciprocated by the man she

loved so dearly, and the thought of Charles detesting her for what she did was like rubbing salt in an

open wound. Leila couldn't bear the thought of Charles hating her. If that happened, it would cast a

heavy shadow in her life as an eternal nightmare.

'No, that won't happen! Because I won't allow it to happen! There must be a way out, ' Leila thought

with determination. Her face creased into a deep frown as she seriously considered the feasibility of

giving Shirley back. If Sheryl meant every word that she had said, then it would be best if Leila

cooperated and brought her daughter back. As long as Leila brought Sheryl's daughter back to her,

then Sheryl promised to forgive her for the failed murder attempt on her life and Charles would never

learn that it was Leila who was behind it all.

'However, if I hand over Shirley, that will be a confession to Sheryl that I am a part of her daughter's

kidnapping. Then Charles would know that I am the mastermind behind it all. No...I can just hand

Shirley over but deny any involvement. I can say that I know nothing!'

Although the silence only lasted a minute to Sheryl, it was an eternity. She was ready to kill her. Just

like Leila, her mind was in absolute turmoil. Sheryl was so tense that she felt like she was about to

jump out of her skin. The tension in the air was so thick, and Sheryl could hear the sound of her

heartbeat pounding. She held her breath while waiting to see whether Leila would take the bait, and her

hands began to tremble with the anticipation. If Leila saw through the trap and denied anything to do

with Shirley's kidnapping, then Sheryl would have no other tactic to use against her.

Both of their minds were struggling during the silence. Sheryl's hands became clammy, and beads of

sweat began to form on her forehead. 'What shall I do if Leila doesn't believe what I said? After all, I'm

threatening her, without any hard evidence.'

That night when Leila attempted to kill her by strangling her, Sheryl had been caught by surprise. She

only had seconds to react, and there was no time to get any proof.

Sheryl had no choice but to try and bluff Leila into returning her daughter to her as soon as possible.

She had to give it a try even risking that such a bold act could raise Leila's awareness or anger her and

put herself into harm's way again.

Sheryl anxiously waited for Leila's response. She even held her breath to erase any possible noise. As

a result, every second seemed to lengthen, leaving her even more uneasy.

Finally, Leila's dull voice rang out from the phone.

"Sheryl, I really have no idea where Shirley is hidden. I'll reach out to all of my contacts to find her. I

promise you that Shirley will be brought home safely. In exchange, you have to keep the evidence

away from Charles. He can't know anything about it!"

"I'm not interested in whether you know where Shirley is or not. All I want is Shirley back home! That's

all I care about! As to whom you're going to turn to for help and how you are about to carry out your

promise. I don't care! As long as you bring her home, I'll give all the credit to you. And about what you

did to me, I'm willing to let it stay in the past. I assure you that Charles will never know what you did.

You'll still be allowed to stay at Dream Garden."

Leila's willingness to cooperate with her brought a great consolation to Sheryl's heart. She took a deep

breath, her eyes reflecting lights of hope.

Sheryl had been waiting for Shirley's return for such a long time. Now she had hope and felt settled,

looking forward to enjoying the reunion of their family.

In those few minutes, Leila had thought long and hard about her decision. Though she showed her

willingness to cooperate with Sheryl, there was still a shadow of doubt that she couldn't shake off.

'What if Sheryl changed her mind once Shirley got back? I have to be careful!' Leila questioned in her

heart.

Sheryl had already shown her what she was capable of and that she was far wiser than her. Leila

wondered whether her words were still worthy of her trust.

She grimaced, as she felt a sharp pain struck her heart. Leila felt like she was being haunted by bad

karma.

However, it seemed that she had no other options except to believe her for the time being. She felt

vulnerable and nervous.

To try and improve her mood, she closed her eyes and brought herself to her senses. Leila then pulled

out her cell phone and dialed a number.

"Benjamin, how's Shirley doing? Is she okay?"

"Shirley? She can't be better! Are you going to send her back?" Benjamin asked with excitement and

hope in his voice.

How could he not be hopeful? To take good care of Shirley these past few days, he had to act like a

parent to her. Though Benjamin tried his best to hide Shirley in his house and make her feel at home,

Shirley didn't enjoy living in her "new home" at all. She was sad and gloomy all the time. Benjamin had

had enough of the repeated dead-end conversations he tried to have with her. He had a daughter the

same age as Shirley and couldn't help but feel sympathy for Shirley's unfortunate situation. Benjamin

could imagine how much Shirley needed her parents after suffering through a kidnapping and being

away from them in a strange environment. So he couldn't wait to send her back home as soon as

possible when he saw her sad little face and teary eyes.

Every time Benjamin asked her why she was so depressed, her answer would always be the same.

"Uncle Ben," she would say. "You said that you're a friend of my parents. When are you going to send

me home so I can see my mom and dad?"

However, he didn't know how to comfort Shirley as he had to listen to Leila's orders.

All that he could do was be patient and make sure he prepared three meals for her every day. Even

though he took extra care to make the food delicious, Shirley didn't seem to have an appetite for it,

which concerned Benjamin a lot.

He suspected that the poor girl had been traumatized by the whole kidnapping ordeal. This way of

living had not only put a significant strain on Shirley but also on Benjamin.

While he happened to be working out how many days Shirley had spent in his home, the phone

suddenly rang. When he answered and heard that it was Leila on the line, he was happy at the

prospect of finally letting poor Shirley return to her normal life with her family. Moreover, he also thought

of the money that would make him wealthy, which Leila promised to pay for his involvement.

'Thank God! I'm so glad to be relieved of this burden!' Benjamin exclaimed, in his heart.

"Benjamin, you know me so well! Yes, I have decided to send her back. In any case, I need to remind

you. When you do this, you need to be very discreet and let no one know about it," Leila warned.

Benjamin was confused by her request of being discreet. He couldn't help but think, 'This is strange. I

haven't had any deal like this. Why does Leila want me to return Shirley secretly? That sounds like we

are behaving like thieves.'

Despite his questioning of Leila's method, he decided to do as she asked. As long as he got Shirley

back to Dream Garden, he would receive a sizeable commission from Leila. So Benjamin was eager to

finish it all.

"Okay, Leila, give me the instructions on how you want Shirley returned to her home. And I'll do exactly

as you say," Benjamin blurted in agreement. His straightforward response gave Leila much relief. She

couldn't help but think, 'Benjamin is reliable. I was so afraid that I might find another Jim! If that

happened, I don't know what I would do!'