Home / Romance / The Devil's Game / Chapter 24 - Visit to Mr. Landon

Share

Chapter 24 - Visit to Mr. Landon

Author: Tabitha
last update Last Updated: 2024-12-11 23:22:28

Ayra hesitated for a long moment before entering the office building. 

The air felt heavier, the weight of the last few days pressing down on her shoulders. Her nerves acting up while she did her damnedest to calm herself. 

She adjusted her blond wig, tugged her scarf tighter around her neck, and smoothed her borrowed coat. 

Her mother’s letter had led her here, but doubt gnawed at her. Would Mr. Landor even remember her mother? Would he even be willing to help her?

“Hi,” Ayra greeted, keeping her voice carefully polite. “I need to speak with Mr. Landor. It is urgent.”

The young woman behind the desk barely glanced up at her, engrossed as she was in a book as she asked; “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but it’s about a more... personal matter. Please, do tell him it’s from an old friend,” Ayra replied, leaning forward slightly.

The receptionist frowned, but perhaps there was something in Ayra’s tone that convinced her to pick up the phone and phone the man's office. 

After a brief conversation over the phone, she nodded toward the hallway. “Second door on the left, miss. He said he’ll see you.”

...

Minutes later, Ayra walked into the room, her heart thundering. Mr. Landor sat behind a desk cluttered with papers, a balding man in his sixties with sharp, observant eyes.

He gave her a quick glance, his demeanor guarded and slightly hostile.

“And who are you, if you don't mind?” he asked, folding his hands before him and offering her a seat. 

Restless and unable to settle, Ayra choose instead to stand as she didn't feel like sitting. “My name is Ayra. I believe you knew my mother.”

His brows furrowed in apparent confusion and he shook his head with an exasperated sigh. “I’ve had many clients over the years, dear girl. You will need to be more specific, I am afraid.”

“Her name was Marissa,” Ayra provided carefully. “Marissa Russo.”

"Who?" He queried, genuinely confused. "I doubt I knew her."

"What about Marissa Ashford?" Ayra asked, looking at him intently. Ashford was her mother's maiden name. "Does that ring a bell?"

The color drained from his face. He leaned back in his chair, his hands gripping the armrests of his seat tightly.

“Marissa, huh,” he murmured, as if testing the name. “I haven’t heard that name in... years, it seems.”

“It’s urgent, Mr. Landor,” Ayra said. “She left me a letter saying I should come to you if I ever needed help getting out of Scosch. Well, I... I need it now.”

Landor’s eyes darted toward the door. He adjusted his glasses nervously and took a minute to clear his throat. 

“I think you’ve made a mistake, Miss Ashford. I can’t help you.”

Ayra felt a surge of frustration. “You haven’t even heard what I need. At least let me - ”

“Miss,” he interrupted, his voice firm now, “I don’t get involved in... situations like... this anymore. I’m sorry for your trouble, but I think you should leave.”

Ayra hesitated. She needed him to believe her. 

With a trembling hand, she reached up and pulled off her blond wig, letting her dark brown hair spill over her shoulders in waves. 

Then she removed the blue contacts, revealing her natural hazel eyes.

Landor’s jaw tightened and he swallowed tensely, his face going pale. “Good Lord... You really are her daughter.”

“Yes,” Ayra said, seizing on his reaction. “My mother trusted you, and she wouldn’t have sent me here unless she knew you could help me. Please, Mr. Landor.”

The man sighed and said: "You called her Merissa Russo before?"

"Yes," Ayra replied. "She married my father - Ferdinand Russo."

He stood abruptly, pacing behind his desk. “On that case, you really do not understand one with what you’re asking. Helping you could cost me everything.”

"What?" Ayra asked.

Landor rounded on her.

"You know people are looking high and low for you, right?"

"Well, yes, that's why I - "

"It is settled then! I can't help you!"

Ayra stepped closer. “What are you so afraid of? I just need -”

“YOU need to listen!” Landor snapped, his voice low, forceful. 

“Do you have ANY idea who’s looking for you? The Director is not a man to cross. If Lucian finds out I so much as spoke to you...”

The name sent a chill through Ayra. She knew Lucian was powerful, but hearing Landor’s fear made the fear of him people had in the city seem more than unnerving. 

“I understand the risk,” she said, trying to calm him down and perhaps play the sympathy card. “But I have nowhere else to go.”

Landor shook his head, his hands trembling as he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. 

"I always knew that deal with Marissa was going to bite me in the behind one day," he muttered. 

“You don’t understand the kind of man he is. Lucian controls more than you realize. He has people everywhere. Even this office isn’t safe from his reach. Even fleeing from Scosch is hardly enough.”

Ayra clenched her fists, frustration from dashed hope mounting. “So, you’re just going to turn me away? My mother trusted you!”

“That was a long time ago,” Landor said quietly. “Things have changed.”

“Maybe for you,” Ayra retorted, her frustration boiling over, “but not for me. My life is falling apart. I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be used, or hunted, or -” 

She broke off, her voice cracking as, suddenly, she found herself breaking down inside emotionally. 

“You were her... Friend. You must have some way to help me. Please.”

Landor’s expression softened for a moment, but the fear and determination returned just as quickly. “I’m sorry, Miss Russo. I can’t.”

“Can’t, or won’t?” Ayra demanded, stepping closer.

He met her gaze, guilt flickering in his eyes. “Both.”

Ayra’s chest tightened. She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but she could see the truth written all over his face. Landor wasn’t just unwilling - he was terrified.

Ayra stepped back, her hands trembling as she sought to hold herself.

Landor looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

“I’ll find another way,” Ayra said, forcing steel into her voice. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and left the office, her heart pounding. 

She had hoped this meeting would give her a way out she desperately needed, but it had only served to make the noose around her neck feel all the more tighter. 

As the door closed behind her, Landor slumped into his chair, running a hand over his face. 

“Marissa,” he whispered, his voice thick with regret. “What in the world have you gotten such a little girl into?”

For a moment, he considered going after Ayra and helping her despite the risks. But then the thought of Lucian loomed over him, and he stayed seated, paralyzed by fear.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Related chapters

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 25 - Lucian's Uncertainties

    Ayra’s heart pounded in her chest as she walked briskly down the street, the cold wind biting at her face. The encounter with Mr. Landor had left her both frustrated and disappointed. She clutched her coat tighter around herself, her thoughts spiraling.Seeing the veritable lockdown the city was in just to find her, she felt Lucian's determination not to let her slip through his fingers.She had a sinking feeling that her original idea to first lay low and then slip away would not work. Her mother had led her here, but the man she had pinned her hopes on was unwilling to help. Her disguise itched against her scalp, yet she didn’t dare to remove it just yet. She kept her head down, blending into the crowd as best she could, each step toward her car feeling heavier than the last.Every passing figure seemed to glance her way. Every shadow stretched just a little too far for comfort; the hustle and bustle of the street should have been reassuring, but it felt suffocating instead. She

    Last Updated : 2024-12-12
  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 26 - Sudden Danger

    An uneasy sensation prickled at the back of her neck. An unsettling, creeping awareness that she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder and her breath caught. A man in a dark jacket leaned casually against a lamppost, his face partially obscured by a baseball cap. He looked away when her eyes met his.Ayra’s stomach churned. She tried to tell herself it was paranoia. A side effect of the stress and the high stakes. It didn't work. As she turned another corner, she noticed someone else. Another man, this one in a hoodie, lingering by a newsstand. His gaze followed her for just a moment too long before he pretended to look at a newspaper.Her heart began to race. She quickened her pace, the heels of her boots clicking sharply against the pavement. Her legs carried her toward the parking lot almost on autopilot and as she neared her car, her instincts screamed at her to stop and look. Four men stood by the entrance to the lot, their postures too casual, their eyes too ale

    Last Updated : 2024-12-14
  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 27 - Way Out

    Grabbing the rungs, she hauled herself up, her palms stinging against the cold, rusty metal.The men reached the base just as she scrambled onto the roof. “Keep going!” she heard one shout, his boots thudding against the ladder as he climbed.Ayra rolled over the edge of the roof just as bullets whizzed past her face and thudded into the chimney beside her. They were shooting at her, and now fear was truly solidifying in her belly. The rooftop offered a temporary reprieve, but it wasn’t enough. Ayra scanned her surroundings, her chest heaving. Another building loomed nearby, its rooftop within jumping distance - if she was lucky.Needless to say, Ayra did not feel lucky. Without giving herself time to second-guess, she sprinted and leapt. For a heart-stopping moment, she was weightless, suspended in the air. Then her feet hit solid ground, the impact jarring her knees.The men weren’t far behind. She could hear their voices, their footsteps, the scrape of their boots on the gravel

    Last Updated : 2024-12-15
  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 28 - A Frantic Chase

    “Who the hell are these people?!” Ayra yelled, her voice raw with unfiltered panic. Lucian didn’t answer immediately, his focus on the cars chasing them. When he finally spoke, his words were clipped. "Funnily enough, I also want to know.” Her hands curled into fists. “They were after me before you showed up! Why?” Lucian glanced at her, his eyes dark, angry. But she felt he wasn't angry at her - at least not right now. “Why don’t you tell me?” The SUV pulled onto a highway, the speedometer climbing as the driver tried to put distance between them and their pursuers. Lucian’s jaw was tight, his knuckles white as he gripped his weapon.The SUV weaved through the traffic at an alarming pace, the hum of the engine growing louder as it accelerated further. Lucian leaned forward, his jaw clenched and his eyes scanning the road ahead. Ayra sat frozen in the backseat, gripping the edge of her seat tightly, the adrenaline coursing through her leaving her both terrified and acutely a

    Last Updated : 2024-12-16
  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 29 - A Gas Station

    When they got away from the road, Lucian put Ayra on her feet. The dense foliage offered some respite from the open road, but Ayra’s lungs burned as she struggled to keep up with Lucian’s long strides. He slowed only slightly, his hand gripping her wrist to ensure she didn’t fall behind.After what felt like eternity they emerged onto a narrow dirt road. Ayra doubled over, gasping for breath, but Lucian didn’t let her rest for long.“We've arrived,” he said, pointing to a dilapidated gas station a short distance away. Its flickering neon sign cast an eerie glow over the otherwise desolate area.Ayra followed him silently, her legs trembling with exhaustion. He was all but carrying her once more, honestly. The gas station was quiet, fluorescent lights overhead casting a harsh glare over the aisles of dusty merchandise. Lucian led her toward the back, keeping a careful eye on the door.“You can sit,” he said, gesturing to a worn-out bench near the restrooms.Ayra sank onto the bench a

    Last Updated : 2024-12-16
  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 30 - More than a Gas Station

    "Believe it or not, I don’t want to see you hurt," he said quietly. His words hit Ayra harder than she expected, leaving her momentarily speechless. She wanted to argue, to push him away, to remind him that he was the reason she was running in the first place. But the words wouldn’t come. Not when his touch was so careful. His voice so steady, and his actions so at odds, with the image of him she’d built in her head. With the literal monster she had pegged him for. Confused, she remained silent for the remainder of the treatment."All done," Lucian said, sitting back on his heels as he finished wrapping her arm in a neat bandage.Ayra glanced down at his work, then back at him. "Thank you," she mumbled. Then wanted to hit herself upside the head. Why mumble the thanks?!Lucian simply nodded, standing to return the first-aid kit to its place. Ayra watched him move, her mind racing with emotions she couldn’t quite name. She hated that she felt grateful to him. She hated the way his k

    Last Updated : 2024-12-18
  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 31 - Who He Is

    It seemed that, finally, she had a moment of peace. It was ironic, actually. She had never felt safe these past few days. Not at the cabin, where the thought of her father finding her occupied her nights and a faint anxiety that her hideout had been found suffusing her days. Yet to find peace with Lucian of all people. What a joke. The moment of peace didn’t last long. A soft knock on the door startled her, but before she could respond, Lucian pushed it open. He leaned casually against the doorframe, holding a deck of cards she’d noticed earlier in the living room. He had changed as well, now wearing a plain white t-shirt that clung to his lean frame and a pair of dark gray sweatpants that looked oddly casual on him. Lucian's hair was damp, suggesting he had showered as well, and the sharp demeanor he usually exuded seemed to have softened.“Didn’t think you’d wait for permission?” Ayra said dryly, eyeing him.Lucian gave a soft smile, holding up the cards and shaking them. “Th

    Last Updated : 2024-12-18
  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 32 - Thoughts of Isa

    Lucian left Ayra’s room with his hands tucked in his pockets and let the door click shut behind him. He leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, exhaling a long, shuddering breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. Relief coursed through him like a drug. He took a deep breath, and his shoulders sagged as if he had been holding himself upright through sheer willpower for days. Which he had been, in a way. The relief coursing through him was almost palpable. He had finally found her - or at least, someone he was now convinced was Isa.There was no one thing that convinced him, and perhaps he had rushed to a conclusion, but heaven knows he believed it with all his heart. His lips quirked upward in a rare, unguarded smile - small, almost imperceptible, but simply happy. He ran a hand through his dark hair, pushing it back as his thoughts raced. Every moment they’d just shared replayed in his mind like a precious memory he wanted to hoard.Ayra was so much like Isa it wasn't e

    Last Updated : 2024-12-20

Latest chapter

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 62 - Playing with Fire

    The message came just before dinner.Leon: Had a great time chatting today. Wouldn’t mind another round—this time, somewhere quieter?Ayra sat back on the plush sofa of her sitting room, twirling the phone in her fingers. She had been expecting him to reach out. Encouraging it, even. Yet, staring at the message, she hesitated. The line between playing a game and getting caught in it was dangerously thin.But Lucian had yet to react to anything she’d done. Not the staff replacement, not the disorder she’d caused in the estate, not even her blatant attempts to provoke him. He remained distant, untouchable, as though she didn’t even exist. It burned.Maybe this would be the thing to get under his skin.She typed her response carefully.Ayra: I wouldn’t mind that. Where do you suggest?His reply came within moments.Leon: I know a private lounge near the East District. Great wine, even better company.She smiled faintly. He was charming, smooth. Just enough to make this easier.Ayra: Send

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 61 - Another Phase

    The afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the city as Ayra stepped out of the car, the sleek black vehicle blending seamlessly with the polished luxury of the district. The streets here were lined with designer boutiques, private lounges, and high-end cafés—places that oozed exclusivity, where only the elite could afford to linger. It was the kind of setting she had been raised in for the later part of her life, yet now, standing before one of the finest cafés in the city, she felt strangely like an outsider.The café, Bellaria, was known for its privacy and refinement. It wasn’t a place for loud conversation or rushed meetings; here, the rich came to drink imported coffee, discuss business, and subtly flaunt their power. It was exactly the kind of place Lucian would be seen in.That was part of the reason she had come.Ayra pushed open the glass door, a small bell chiming above her head. Inside, the space was decorated in dark wood and gold, the air rich with the scent of roasted co

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 60 - A Thorn in His Side

    Nico stepped into Lucian’s office, the weight of his report pressing down on him. The room was dimly lit, the glow of the evening cityscape filtering through the large windows behind the man seated at the desk. Lucian didn’t look up immediately, his attention fixed on the documents before him, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood.“Speak,” Lucian said, his voice low, controlled.Nico took a slow breath before delivering the news. “It’s about Ayra.”Lucian’s fingers stilled. He finally looked up, his expression unreadable. “What did she do now?”“She’s replaced the staff.”Silence.Lucian leaned back in his chair, studying Nico with an eerie calm. “Come again?”Nico’s jaw tightened. “She fired the entire estate staff. Threw them out and replaced them with her own people. None of the original staff are left. Worse, they refuse to return.”Lucian’s gaze snapped up. “Refuse?”Nico hesitated, then nodded. “They’re scared, boss.”Lucian scoffed, leaning back in his cha

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 59 - Come to Talk

    By the time the dust settled, the house was eerily quiet.The last of the protesting staff had been escorted off the premises, their voices still ringing in Ayra’s ears.The replacement staff stood awkwardly near the foyer, waiting for orders. But Ayra had none to give.She should have felt victorious.She had made her statement. She had taken control.But all she felt was exhaustion.The butler was the only one who hadn’t been forcibly removed. He still stood by the staircase, arms clasped behind his back. Unlike the others, he hadn’t fought. He hadn’t shouted.And that made him all the more annoying.Ayra met his gaze, a strange tension hanging between them.“You’re still here,” she observed.“I am,” he replied.“I told you to leave.”“You told them to leave,” he said with an insipid little look on his eye. “But you did not fire me.”Ayra exhaled through her nose. “Do you really think Lucian would let me? Would he be happy if I did so?”The butler smiled slightly, but it was devoid o

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 58 - Use of Force

    To be fair, Ayra hated this.Hated how cruel and bothersome she had to be.But if Lucian refused to acknowledge her, then she had to force his attention. No matter how ugly it got.....When Ayra stepped into the grand foyer, the staff had already gathered. There were more of them than she had realized—over a dozen pairs of wary eyes turned toward her as she entered.She could feel their resentment like a thick fog in the air.She took her place on the marble staircase, gripping the banister tightly before speaking. “You all had a day to leave,” she began, her voice cold. “And yet, you’re still here.”The butler took a step forward, his face unreadable. “As we have stated, madam, we serve the master of the house. Not you.”Ayra let out a quiet breath. She had expected this.“Fine,” she said smoothly. “If you won’t leave willingly, then I’ll make you.”At her cue, the front doors swung open.A group of people stepped inside, dressed in crisp serving uniforms, their expressions neutral.

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 57 - What it Means to Escalate 

    Ayra sat at the breakfast table, untouched tea growing cold before her. The silence in the house had become suffocating. No matter what she did, no matter how much she tried to stir the waters, Lucian remained utterly indifferent. He ignored her tantrums, her disruptions, her passive-aggressive antics. He had locked her in this gilded cage and simply left her to rot, acting as if she didn’t exist.Fine.She set her cup down with deliberate care and rose to her feet. Without hesitation, she strode out of the dining room, her silk robe flowing behind her. The butler was walking past.“Stop,” she commanded.The butler paused, turning to her with polite detachment. “Madam?”Ayra folded her arms across her chest, lifting her chin slightly. “I want you to inform the staff that they are all fired.”The butler’s expression didn’t shift, but his silence stretched for a moment too long.“They have until the end of the day to pack their things and leave,” she continued. “I don’t want to see a si

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 55 - Call to Chaos

    Two days later Ayra lay sprawled on the plush velvet chaise lounge in her room, her fingers drumming impatiently on the armrest. The air in the house had grown heavier over the past two weeks. The polished floors gleamed, the scent of fresh flowers filled the halls, and every detail of the house was maintained to perfection—yet it felt like a lifeless shell. The staff worked diligently, moving about as if on eggshells around her, but no matter what Ayra did, they remained unwavering. Frustrated and angry, yes, but unwavering. Perhaps Lucian paid them more to put up with her antics. She wasn’t going to be ignored. If Lucian refused to engage, if the staff refused to react, then she would create a situation that could not be brushed aside.There came in Pedro.He was one of the few people from her mother’s past that Ayra had ever met. He was an old acquaintance, someone who she'd known since she was little. He wasn’t exactly a friend, but he had been there, lingering in the backgroun

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 54 - A Plan in motion

    This became a pattern for a brief while.Lunch? Too cold.Dinner? Not what she wanted anymore.Snacks? She changed her mind after they were made.She sent dishes back multiple times a day, forcing the kitchen staff to remake meals repeatedly before she would eat just enough to keep them from outright rebelling.Within days, the tension in the household thickened. The butler was visibly on edge, the chef was snapping at the assistants, and the maids were whispering amongst themselves in frustration.By the fifth day, the head butler had had enough.Ayra was lounging in the parlor, flipping through a book she had no intention of reading, when he approached. His posture was stiff, his jaw tight—yet he remained respectful.“Madam, forgive my boldness, but may I ask if something is troubling you?”Ayra looked up, feigning innocence. “Troubling me? Not at all.”The butler’s eyes twitched ever so slightly. “Then may I ask why the staff has had to remake your breakfast four times this morning?

  • The Devil's Game   Chapter 53 - The Art of Inconvenience 

    It started with breakfast.The chef prepared the usual—a beautifully plated meal of toast, eggs, and fruit, presented with meticulous care. But as soon as the plate was placed in front of her, Ayra wrinkled her nose.“This isn’t what I wanted,” she said casually, pushing the plate away.The maid hesitated. “Madam, this is what you requested yesterday.”“Did I?” Ayra tilted her head, frowning. “I don’t remember. But I’m not in the mood for this today. Make me something else.”The staff exchanged glances, but after a slight hesitation, the maid nodded. “Of course.”Twenty minutes later, a fresh plate of food was brought to her. She picked at it, took a single bite, and sighed. “This is too salty. Can you make it again?”The chef’s patience visibly thinned, but they couldn’t refuse her. She was Lucian’s wife, after all, and despite the slight disregard they had for her, their orders had been to serve her and make her comfortable.But Ayra was just getting started. Breakfast the next day

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status