Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Facing Klein, Leila’s expression turned frosty, signaling her discomfort.
The servant standing next to Leila, ever vigilant and loyal to Tyrone’s directives, addressed Klein with a professional detachment, “Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Klein Nixon?”
Klein, momentarily caught off guard, quickly composed himself. “I’m here to apologize. Tyrone was right. We should have been more considerate of your feelings. We were too hasty yesterday and didn’t even bring gifts. Today, we’ve brought some.”
With a clap of his hands, two individuals appeared, carefully placing gift boxes in front of Leila.
Klein motioned toward the boxes, encouraging Leila to take a look.
Noticing Leila’s reluctance, Klein let out a sigh. “You don’t seem to like us. It’s my fault. If these gifts don’t appeal to you, I can find something else.”
His expression conveyed a mix of concern and a subtle hint of manipulation, suggesting that refusing the gifts would be almost wrongful.
Leila eyed Klein warily, contemplating a response but sensing that words might be futile.
With a reluctant air, Leila opened the boxes.
One revealed a stunningly crafted dress, and the other, an array of dazzling jewelry.
Just then, Bria, unable to contain her jealousy, chimed in with a cutting remark, “These gifts are worth at least 30 million, and that dress is tailor-made.”
Bria shot Klein a disapproving glance. “Klein, you have never given me such a wonderful gift. Why would you present something so precious to Leila right upon meeting? Is she more important to you than your own sister?”
Klein’s smile was tinged with helplessness. “You have been living with us since you were a child and have everything you need. But Leila has endured so much on her own. It’s only right that we give her the care and support she deserves.”
Bria pondered his words and found them reasonable. Her frustration began to ease.
Leila stared at the items in the box, her brow furrowing in concern. She shook her head firmly, her sign language interpreted by the servant standing next to her. “I can’t accept these. They are far too expensive. Even as a meeting gift, they’re too much. It would be best if you gave these to Bria instead. I just couldn’t accept them.”
Klein’s tone was earnest as he persisted. “I know you are shy. But please consider accepting these gifts. If you refuse, I’ll just have Ewing handle the persuasion. You know how persuasive he can be. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll go to Tyrone. His greatest wish right now is to see us getting along. I bet he wants you to accept these gifts.”
Given his insistence, Leila had no choice but to relent. She gave a slight nod.
Klein didn’t forget his purpose for today. He waved to Bria and Astrid.
Bria’s and Astrid’s faces grew stiff with unease, yet they approached with palpable reluctance.
Astrid spoke up first, her voice tinged with discomfort. “I’m really sorry about what I said yesterday. I meant no harm. Please don’t take it personally.”
Bria gave a tight-lipped nod and said, “I’m ready to move forward and get along with you from now on.”
Leila waved her hand dismissively, signaling that she had let bygones be bygones. She was desperate to get rid of them as quickly as possible. She had questions she wanted to ask Ewing.
As Leila turned to leave, Klein followed her.
Klein asked, “Leila, are you heading to see Tyrone? Will you mind me joining you? I have brought some medicine that could be helpful for his condition, and I’d like his doctor’s opinion on it. I really want him to get better.”
Leila sighed inwardly as a headache began to throb.
Leila admitted Klein had shown no animosity toward her since they met. He had been polite and kind. Despite her somewhat impatient demeanor yesterday and today, he remained calm and did not get angry. This made her feel a twinge of guilt.
Yet, despite everything, Leila couldn’t bring herself to feel a connection with Klein. She felt far more secure with Ewing for reasons she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Ewing might not shower her with flowery words as Klein did, but he consistently demonstrated his kindness through his actions.
Seeing Klein’s warm smile, Leila found it hard to refuse. With a reluctant nod, she agreed with him to join her and see Tyrone.
As soon as Tyrone’s eyes landed on Leila, his face lit up with a genuine smile. However, when his gaze shifted to Klein, who was standing just behind Leila, the joy in his expression dimmed noticeably. Despite this, he still maintained a gentle demeanor.
“Grandpa, how are you feeling now? Do you have any discomfort? I consulted with a specialist and brought you some medicine. Where is your doctor?” Klein asked, his tone tender as he gently massaged Tyrone’s shoulder.
Tyrone didn’t resist Klein’s gesture and glanced at Trent.
Understanding the silent cue, Trent quickly summoned the doctor to come over.
The doctor examined the medicine Klein had brought and nodded with approval. “This medicine is truly impressive. It’s still not officially released and only available to a select few. Mr. Klein Nixon must have gone to great lengths to acquire it.”
Klein smiled modestly. “It wasn’t much trouble. I have a friend who holds a high position there. It did cost some money, but I would do anything for my grandpa’s health.”
Everyone admired Klein’s devotion to his grandfather.
Leila felt that with Klein here, it was not convenient for her to stay, so she stood up and indicated that she had to leave first.
Leila figured she needed to find Ewing quickly and persuade him to reason with Tyrone about the possibility that she might not be related to the Nixon family by blood.
As Leila was lost in thought, Ewing unexpectedly walked into the room.
When Ewing saw Klein, his face momentarily clouded with irritation before his expression quickly returned to its usual calm.
“Ewing!” Klein greeted with an exaggerated cheerfulness.
Ewing responded with a mere nod, his demeanor cool and detached.
Ewing’s gaze shifted to Tyrone and then to Leila. Relief washed over him when he saw that Leila was unharmed. Abram and his family still valued their public image. Even if they were annoyed, they wouldn’t dare do anything to Leila in front of so many witnesses.
With a sincere smile lighting up his handsome face, Ewing carefully pulled out a medicine bottle. “Grandpa, I acquired this for you. Let the doctor take a look.”
The doctor standing nearby gasped in surprise but quickly clamped his hand over his mouth, realizing something.
Klein chimed in, “Ewing, no wonder we’re cousins. I didn’t expect you to find this medicine and present it to our grandpa as well.”
At Klein’s words, Ewing glanced at the bottle in Trent’s hand, his expression clouding slightly.
Klein continued, “Ewing, I remember having mentioned this to you before. I recall you have longstanding connections with the higher-ups at that pharmaceutical company, and their headquarters are in Avalon. Thinking you could acquire the medicine faster than me, I didn’t make a move until I noticed the lack of any actions on your part, probably distracted by your overwhelming workload. Therefore, I took action myself to acquire the medicine. Ewing, you wouldn’t think I’m trying to steal your credit, would you?”
Leila noticed Ewing’s chest rising and falling slightly. She couldn’t help but be puzzled.
Having met many people and detected a fair share of malice, Leila could usually read a situation at a glance. She recognized that Klein was setting a trap for Ewing.
But Ewing wasn’t someone who couldn’t defend himself. He was always reasonable when making a counterargument. His current silence could only mean he didn’t want to engage in an argument with Klein.
Leila struggled to make sense of it. Klein and Ewing were cousins. Why was Klein making things so difficult for Ewing? It was wearying to see family members playing games instead of being straight.
This realization only deepened Leila’s dislike for Klein.
Despite the faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, Klein maintained an air of feigned humility and helplessness. His expression was so artfully crafted that it made it nearly impossible for anyone to pin the blame on him.
At that moment, Tyrone cleared his throat a few times. “Forget it,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “Both of you care about me deeply. There is no need to argue about who came first.”
Tyrone was gently reminding them to set aside their dispute.
But Klein seemed to have not caught the subtle hint.
A silence settled over the room.
Leila was frantically brainstorming a way to steer the conversation back on track when someone unexpectedly mentioned the very thing bothering her.
“Grandpa, I heard you and Ewing are planning a welcome party for Leila,” Klein said.
Upon hearing Klein’s unexpected knowledge of the plan, everyone, including Ewing, Leila, and even Tyrone, turned their gaze toward him in surprise.
Tyrone, clearly caught off guard, questioned, “I indeed planned this, but how did you come to know?”
With a nonchalant smile, Klein explained, “Ewing shared it with me, but that’s not the point. I suppose it’s crucial we go ahead with the welcome banquet. There’s still speculation about Leila’s identity, and the banquet could firmly establish her place here. The banquet will also prevent any future mistreatment she might face outside while serving as a gesture of us making up for her.”
Tyrone considered this perspective thoughtfully, recognizing the potential benefits. He had long harbored intentions of rectifying past oversights with Leila, yet he recalled her less-than-enthusiastic response to his earlier suggestion.