Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
At first, Leila hadn’t planned on purchasing anything, her goal merely to take a glimpse of the auction house’s operation while trying to figure out the natives’ preferences.
Unexpectedly, one particular item caught her eye. The host presented it as an ancient harp that had been restored and was still playable. Recently, Leila had developed a keen interest in musical instruments. With both time and money at her disposal, she decided to pursue her new passion.
The competition was sparse, so Leila seized the moment to place her bid. Her offer was substantial, deterring others from challenging it.
Just as Leila was about to win the harp, a bid from the No. 1 private room, merely two hundred thousand higher than Leila’s, came in.
Leila’s brow furrowed, sensing something was amiss. She tentatively placed a few more bids.
The No. 1 private room soon placed a bid after Leila made hers, opting for the lowest increase with two hundred thousand.
Logically speaking, such vicious competition was not allowed to exist. Yet, the staff on duty today were well aware that the occupant of the No. 1 private room was Errol’s fianc?e, and no one dared challenge this.
Leila couldn’t fathom why Errol’s fianc?e harbored such animosity toward her.
As Errol’s fianc?e bid again, Leila dropped her bidding. “Just let her be,” she muttered.
Errol’s fianc?e burst into a smug laugh at Leila’s silence, “Giving up already? Humph! I expected some excitement. I doubt she has much money. The harp is now going for merely five million, and she’s already ceased bidding.”
The butler played along, “That woman clearly doesn’t know who you are. The nerve of her to offend you! But isn’t it a waste to spend five million on this harp? You are not even interested in it.”
With a sneer curling her red lips, Errol’s fianc?e replied, “True, I have no interest in it. But I can’t stand her strutting around. She enticed Errol and dared to show up before me. I’d rather take this harp back and destroy it than let her have it. Besides, Errol is running this auction house. I get whatever I want.”
The butler glanced at his watch and cautioned, “Miss, it’s time.”
Errol’s fianc?e hesitantly rose to her feet and retrieved her phone to initiate the live stream.
A second ago, impatience had clouded her demeanor, but she swiftly replaced it with a radiant smile. Facing the camera, she greeted her audience with enthusiasm, “My dear fans! I’m currently at the largest auction house. Let’s see what unfolds at today’s auction. Taking photos here is no problem. Don’t worry.”
She continued, her voice dripping with a hint of pride, “I’m in the No. 1 private room right now. It’s really secluded here, no chance of being disturbed by anyone.”
Catching the cue from Errol’s fianc?e, the butler played along with her charade by lying, “Miss, the occupants of the No. 2 private room are quite upset that you’ve secured the harp with your higher bid. They’re actually cursing you.”
With a swift shift to an innocent expression, Errol’s fianc?e raised her voice loud enough for her audience from the live stream to hear, “But this is what an auction is all about, right? The highest bid wins. Competing for items is the norm. I haven’t accused her of foul play. Why is she insulting me?”
The butler clucked his tongue in disapproval. “Perhaps they can’t manage that large amount of money and are just jealous.”
By now, the live stream had attracted over ten thousand viewers, with comments flying in, some rooting for Errol’s fianc?e, others casting aspersions on the occupants in the No. 2 private room.
Before the host could announce that the harp went to the No. 1 private room, another bid was made.
With a look of feigned helplessness, Errol’s fianc?e sighed, “Another bid? Probably just another few hundred thousand dollars to annoy me.”
No sooner had Errol’s fianc?e spoken than a shout echoed through the auction house. “No. 2 private room continues to bid! The price has now reached twenty million dollars!”
The smile on Errol’s fianc?e’s face instantly vanished. Leila was puzzled and stared at Mr. Lando in disbelief. Yet, Mr. Lando remained composed, as if his bid was nothing substantial.
“Mr. Lando… May I know why you bid?” Leila couldn’t resist asking.
Mr. Lando leaned back, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed out the window. Hidden behind his mask, his expression was obscured, but his tone was unmistakably light.
“Is it so hard to understand? I aim to bid for what I desire. The bid from the No. 1 private room was incrementally increased by two hundred thousand, which I find tediously slow.”
Leila opened her mouth to respond but then hesitated, settling instead for a forced smile. “I simply felt the harp is hardly worth twenty million.”
Despite its antiquity, the harp showed signs of tampering, diminishing its original value significantly. But Mr. Lando merely shook his head. “The actual value doesn’t concern me. What matters is its worth to me.”
As expected, the No. 1 private room continued to bid.
Mr. Lando gestured nonchalantly, “Thirty million.”
Another bid from the No. 1 private room soon came. “Forty million!” Mr. Lando announced.
Leila savored her tea as she watched the play unfold. It wasn’t her money being spent, so she felt no concern. Meanwhile, her thoughts lingered on Mr. Lando, wondering if he was indeed the person she suspected. If that were the case, how had he accumulated such wealth? To him, spending millions seemed as trivial as water spilling over.
In the No. 1 private room, anger flushed Errol’s fianc?e’s face fiery red, while cold sweat drenched her back. “Lunatic! Nuts!” she muttered under her breath. How could a restored harp fetch forty million? It was total madness.
Fearing financial ruin, Errol’s fianc?e dared not place another bid. Even if she added another hundred thousand as she did previously, the amount was too staggeringly high, far surpassing the harp’s worth.
Reluctantly, Errol’s fianc?e withdrew from the bidding, convinced that Leila had provoked her deliberately. “Bitch!” she hissed, hurling her cup to the floor in a fit of rage.
The butler hastily shifted the camera away, preventing the live stream from capturing the fianc?e’s irate expression.
An idea struck the butler as he rubbed his chin. “Miss, that woman didn’t seem well-off. How could she afford so much money? I suspect her funds might be from dubious sources.”
Errol’s fianc?e caught the implication in the butler’s gaze, and her eyes welled up with tears as she aimed her face at the screen of the ongoing live stream. “Are you suggesting Errol funds her? That’s unthinkable. Errol has always been good to me. Despite the advances of numerous women, he remains a man of integrity.”
The butler put on a serious face as he echoed her charade. “While Mr. Payne is decent, we can’t say the same for everyone else. Miss, it’s likely he was tricked. That woman has no shame. She not only assumes the role of a mistress but also squanders your fianc?’s money. Worse, she dares to provoke you openly.”
The audience in the live stream responded to the duo’s deliberate exchange with simmering anger, clamoring for a view to see this so-called audacious mistress in question.
Inside the No. 2 private room, Leila hadn’t known she was being slandered as a mistress yet.
The harp was delivered to the No. 2 private room. Lenny cradled the carefully wrapped harp, ready to leave. Mr. Lando shot him a look.
Catching the hint, Lenny abruptly halted.
Lenny hesitated and then reluctantly placed the ancient harp before Leila as per Mr. Lando’s silent request. Caught off guard, Leila waved her hands vigorously, saying, “Mr. Lando, I can’t accept this.”
Mr. Lando glanced at the harp and responded in a nonchalant tone, “Just take it. It’s only a couple of million. No biggie.”
Leila widened her eyes in surprise. “But you paid fifty million for it. I can’t accept it, even if you insist.”
Mr. Lando observed her earnest expression and burst into laughter. “Hold on. I haven’t finished yet. Remember the business issue I wanted you to take care of for me? If it doesn’t pull in fifty million by next month, you’ll need to cover the shortfall. It’s a tough ask, but you did agree. Maybe you should reconsider whether to take this harp or not.”
Assuming Mr. Lando meant his words, Leila clenched her teeth in frustration and questioned, “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”
Mr. Lando shrugged and unapologetically replied, “It slipped my mind before. So, consider the harp my apology. You still remember you owe me a life-saving favor, right? Don’t tell me you’ve regretted having agreed to my condition.”
Leila’s almost blurted-out response was choked off by his words.
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Leila grasped the harp from the table and signaled her bodyguard to push her wheelchair out.
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Once Leila left the room, Lenny muttered under his breath, frustrated, “You splurged on her, aiming to please her, yet you masked it with your sly words. Why?”
Mr. Lando nonchalantly lifted Lenny’s collar and snapped, “Cut the crap, or you’ll be sent to Yaeloth and endure exhausting training under Edgar’s watchful eyes.” Lenny clamped his mouth shut reluctantly.
Fuming, Leila returned to her residence. Having believed in Mr. Lando’s words, her frustration was palpable. Yet, she found herself unable to do much. Were all wealthy people so manipulative? Doubts began to creep in. Perhaps Mr. Lando wasn’t Landon. Landon wouldn’t do such a thing to her, no matter the circumstances.
Back at the villa, Tyrone and Sophie were enjoying their time together, having fun in the garden. Sophie’s voice was nearly back to normal, though she still preferred silence. Yet, the duo’s happiness was evident in their beaming faces, a crystal-clear scene even from Leila’s vantage point on the balcony.
Just then, Leila’s assistant leaned in to whisper, interrupting her serene observation, “Miss, things have been carried out as you requested.” Leila nodded in acknowledgment.
Before Leila planned to return to Avalon, she had instructed her team to infiltrate the Kensington Group to gather information about its operation while discreetly looking into the Kensington family’s current dynamics. Her team’s effectiveness hadn’t disappointed her.
She reviewed the document her team had compiled. While the Kensington Group appeared stable in business, the frequency and nature of the mistakes suggested a troubling trend. In other words, the group was declining, possibly heading toward bankruptcy. Without Landon, the Kensington Group seemed formidable only in appearance, like a lion stripped of its claws and teeth, more a sacrificial lamb than a predator.
A wave of unexpected sympathy surged through Leila, reserved solely for Roderick. If he were still alive, the sight of his family’s legacy crumbling would have undoubtedly devastated him.
Her assistant inquired, “Should we take action against the Kensington Group based on the information we’ve gathered?”
Leila shook her head, her smile unwavering. “Bringing down the Kensington Group is a piece of cake, but that’s not my aim. I solely want to reclaim what rightfully belongs to me. Besides, why should I bother with ruining the Kensington Group?”