Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Leila took her designated seat, arranged by Gregory, and slipped on a pair of gloves.
“I’ll start the timer for twenty minutes,” Gregory announced with a smirk. He placed the timer next to him and pressed the start button without waiting for Leila to be fully ready.
“Hey, don’t we usually take time to observe the fragments before starting the timer for these tests?” a petite girl with bangs murmured from the corner, trying to advocate for Leila. However, Gregory ignored her completely, dismissing the comment.
Unperturbed by the lack of time to study the fragments, Leila picked up the tweezers and began working on the vase, showing no sign of rushing.
“Humph, you young ones today think you know everything. Just wait and see!” Hayden activated the text-to-speech function after typing out his thoughts on his phone, clearly irritated by Gregory’s attitude.
“Hey, want to make a bet? I’m telling you, she won’t make it. Bet you didn’t know she hasn’t made a public appearance since she got married. Word is, she’s done for!” Gregory brazenly remarked, his voice low enough to seem private, but still loud enough for Leila to overhear.
As if that wasn’t enough, Gregory continued, “Her husband’s cheating on her. And how does she react? She’s too scared to confront him, just hides away at home. Do you really think she has what it takes to be a restorer? She’s going to embarrass us all!”
Leila’s fingers froze. So, this was how the outside world saw her-not as Landon’s devoted wife, but as a has-been. Things hadn’t always been this way. How had she allowed herself to become like this?
“I’m not interested in gossip. If Leila’s got the skills, she has a place as a restorer in this studio!” Hayden furiously typed his reply on his phone, making his stance crystal clear.
Leila regained her composure, determined not to let their harsh words affect her. She quickly located the first fragment she needed and began her restoration work.
The room fell silent, and all chatter ceased. Every eye in the studio was now glued to Leila’s hands as she worked with steady precision.
Leila’s fingers were long, slender, and delicate-a sight to behold even when idle. Now, as she wielded black tweezers to manipulate the fragments of a red vase, the vivid contrast highlighted the stunning beauty of her hands.
Initially, everyone was captivated by the vase Leila was meticulously piecing together. However, their attention soon drifted to her elegant hands. These gazes didn’t disturb Leila in the slightest. Though slightly nervous at first, her passion for restoring artifacts quickly enveloped her, shielding her from the outside world.
The task was akin to solving a complex jigsaw puzzle but far more intricate. Leila’s methodical approach to picking up each shard, sorting them effortlessly into categories, was remarkable.
Her speed and precision left the onlookers, including Gregory-who had been skeptical at first-utterly amazed. His initial disbelief soon morphed into open admiration as Leila progressed.
When the timer signaled twenty minutes, Leila had already reconstructed half of the vase. The sections she completed-the base and the framework-began to outline the vase’s original form. It seemed highly possible she might finish the entire restoration in under another twenty minutes.
“How did you manage to do that?” Gregory couldn’t contain his astonishment.
Standing up, Leila offered him a warm smile and explained using sign language that having the photo for reference made the task simpler. Unlike working with real artifacts, where one didn’t have a reference and had to carefully deduce the original design before starting, this task was easier.
After Leila finished her explanation, the room fell into an even deeper silence. The other apprentices realized how much they had struggled despite having the same advantage-a photo. Their progress paled compared to Leila’s. But for her, the task was a piece of cake.
“Now you all witness her skills firsthand!” Hayden eagerly commented on his phone before showing the screen to the other apprentices, radiating pride.
Beaming with admiration, Hayden continued using his text-to-speech function, “The puzzles she solved as a kid were far tougher than this! I told you she was talented! You just didn’t believe me. Gregory, wasn’t there a bet you mentioned? And now?”
Gregory’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. He was relieved he hadn’t made any specific wagers earlier, which would have been truly humiliating.
Nevertheless, Gregory wasn’t one to hold grudges. He bowed respectfully to Leila and apologized. His apology was silent but sincere, conveyed through sign language.
Leila, visibly taken aback, quickly reassured him that she didn’t mind.
This marked the first time someone had formally apologized after doubting Leila. Usually, even after proving herself, no one would apologize-they justified their initial skepticism and assumed it was only right for her to demonstrate her competence.
“Alright, let’s give a warm welcome to Leila in our studio!” Hayden’s phone articulated his messages.
Everyone applauded Leila, except for a girl in the corner, who surreptitiously snapped a photo of Leila and sent it to a group chat with her friends. “Look who we have here!” she typed.
“For now, we all have restoration tasks,” Gregory explained as he led Leila to her new spot, “but Hayden mentioned he won’t assign you any just yet. He wants you to get settled in first.”
It was a seat by the window on the second floor, offering a view of blossoming peach trees and the clear blue lake. The setting was sure to lift her spirits.
Leila gestured that she might not be able to come here every single day.
“That’s perfectly fine. We don’t keep strict hours here. Come when there’s work or whenever you feel up to it,” Gregory reassured her. He then added her to the studio’s group chat. “If you need anything, just drop a message here. We’re all here to help.”
Leila beamed at him with gratitude, signing her thanks.
Settling into her seat, Leila straightened things around her before reaching out to test different tools, getting a feel for each.
Suddenly, the ring of the doorbell echoed from the first floor.
Gregory, quick to respond, went to answer it. As Leila toyed with the tools, a distinctly familiar female voice drifted up from below. “I have an item that needs restoring. I heard there’s a new restorer on board. Could you let her handle it for me?”
This voice belonged to the unpleasant woman who had accompanied Sarah that day.
Leila later learned that she was Stella Hayes, the youngest daughter of the prestigious Hayes family.
Now, Stella had turned up at Hayden’s studio, explicitly requesting Leila’s services. Clearly, word of Leila’s presence had spread, and Stella was undoubtedly here to stir up some trouble.
Concerned about Stella causing problems and inadvertently putting Hayden in a tough spot, Leila rushed downstairs.
There, Stella stood, as imposing and disdainful as ever, clad in a garishly bright red dress, clutching a paper bag, and surveying her surroundings with a haughty air.
Spotting Leila descending the stairs, Stella’s face twisted into a dramatic grimace. “So, it’s really you! Fine, take this and fix it. I’ll pay half a million!”
After saying that, Stella tossed the paper bag on the table, the distinct rustling of its contents reverberating through the room.
“Leila has just joined our studio. She’s an apprentice and isn’t ready to handle jobs yet,” Gregory said solemnly, his expression stern. Having seen through Stella’s intentions, he was clearly displeased.
“Why? Doesn’t your studio boast that it can repair anything? So why refuse my job? What are you scared of? Worried you’ll mess it up and tarnish your reputation?” Stella taunted.
“If you want it fixed, then leave the item here and don’t worry about who will handle it,” Gregory retorted, his brow furrowing.
But Stella was undeterred and raised her voice further. “I insist that Leila does it. If she won’t, it just shows your studio can’t cut it. I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re too frightened to accept the challenge. Make your choice!”
It was evident that Stella had come to stir up trouble, and Leila knew that even if she left Hayden’s studio right away, it would make no difference.
Taking a step forward, Leila gestured her willingness to handle the work and asked if Stella could unwrap the paper bag to let her see what lay inside.
“What did she just say?” Stella, unable to understand sign language, asked rudely.
“She said she can fix it and wants to know if you can open the paper bag to show her what’s within,” Gregory explained, shooting a concerned look at Leila before facing Stella again.
“Well, you’re certainly bold!” Stella sneered, swiftly opening the paper bag to extract a box emblazoned with the Rowan logo.
“Is this supposed to be an antique?” Gregory’s brow furrowed instantly.
“And why not?” Unfazed, Stella lifted the lid of the box, revealing a heap of turquoise shards, almost unidentifiable.
“These were a pair of bracelets, the very first products Rowan made when they started up a hundred and ten years ago! They’re more than a century old. Don’t they count as antiques?” Stella asserted with a sense of justification.
Hayden’s studio had encountered such luxury antiques previously, though they were trickier to restore than a vase that came with a visual guide.
Leila moved closer and carefully inspected the broken pieces.
“Five hundred thousand!” Stella took out a bank card and declared with a haughty air, “I can pay the entire sum upfront. After all, your studio’s reputation precedes it. I’m not concerned about you absconding with the money.”
Gregory furrowed his brow and glanced at Leila, his gaze inquiring if she was up for the task.
Leila nodded affirmatively. She then signed to Gregory, telling him that she was confident in the repair, while pointing out that Stella had a hidden agenda, necessitating caution to avoid tarnishing the studio’s reputation.
Gregory reassured Leila that he and the others would handle the rest, allowing her to focus solely on the repair, as the studio had dealt with difficult clients before.
“What’s with all the gesturing? Can you handle the job or not?” Stella demanded impatiently.
“We’ll take the job,” Gregory responded icily, fixing his gaze on Stella. “Leila will handle the repair personally. No one else will be involved. You’re welcome to either record the entire procedure or remain here to observe.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Stella retorted with a sly grin. “I trust the credibility of your studio. If you insist on no outside help, I’ll take your word for it. No need to record anything.”
