Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Abruptly, a clatter erupted from the doorway. The sound of something being clumsily handled, followed by sharp rebukes, filled the air. A drunkard’s curses sliced through the tension, harsh and slurred.
Landon’s brow creased in annoyance.
Edgar was quick to react, stepping forward with resolve. “Mr. Kensington, I’ll handle this disturbance,” he assured firmly.
Landon turned to the man, a chilly smirk playing on his lips. “So, you think finding her first is a threat to me? We’ll see whether you find her before I do.”
The man caught Landon’s icy stare, his courage faltering. He stuttered, unable to meet Landon’s steely gaze.
At the door, Edgar’s voice rang through the chaos with disbelief. “Miss Nixon, what are you doing here?”
Landon’s threatening demeanor dropped as he rushed to the door, urgency replacing his earlier composure. He arrived to see Leila standing lost amid the commotion, Edgar already intervening with the drunken troublemaker.
A waiter stood by, hastily explaining the recent events to anyone who would listen.
Moments earlier, the waiter had clutched his tray tightly. However, in a sudden movement, Leila headed for the room’s entrance. Their paths collided. The tray tilted dramatically, sending a glass of wine crashing to the floor, drenching the drunkard’s clothes.
Apologies flew from the waiter’s lips to both Leila and the soaked drunkard, his words quick and filled with regret. He believed the confrontation had ended.
Yet, the drunkard persisted, unyielding. Without troubling the waiter, perhaps due to Leila’s delicate face, he demanded she apologize and insisted she kneel to clean his trousers.
Leila, however, stood her ground, unyielding.
The drunkard’s insults escalated, his language growing more vile as time passed. Had Edgar not intervened in time, the drunkard might have forcibly taken Leila to his private room.
Landon’s expression hardened, sharp enough to cut through steel as he watched the drunkard, his fury barely contained.
Amidst the commotion, the man from earlier seized the moment to escape.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” Landon’s voice was fraught with concern as he held Leila’s hand, scanning her for injuries. Finding no visible harm brought him slight relief.
Oblivious to the situation’s gravity, the drunkard questioned irritably, “Who are you? Do you know her? Good, because she ruined my outfit. She has to pay for it. My trousers are bespoke and cost at least thirty thousand. Pay up now, or I will have her join me for a drink.”
Leila, previously stoic, stepped subtly closer to Landon. Having spent time together recently, Landon had grown attuned to the nuances of Leila’s expressions, even those minimally displayed.
Landon’s demeanor abruptly chilled further. He remained silent but shot Edgar a meaningful look.
Edgar caught on quickly, signaling the security to handle the drunkard.
The drunkard’s bravado faltered, his curses a thin veil over his growing panic. His protests were loud enough for passersby and occupants of neighboring rooms to hear. Yet, no one intervened. Most recognized the significance of the mask Landon wore and chose not to provoke his ire.
Eventually, after several dousing of cold water, the drunkard finally came to his senses.
The drunkard recognized Landon, and his voice shook as he spoke. “This is my first visit here, and I’m unfamiliar with the etiquette. I had no idea she was your woman. Please, let me show my remorse.”
With that, the drunkard repeatedly slapped his own face. His gaze shifted to Leila, who still wore a look of discontent.
His smile was frosty as he addressed the trembling drunkard, “Don’t you know whom you should apologize to?”
The drunkard quickly caught on, turning his obsequious grin toward Leila. “Miss, I was foolish not to recognize the company you keep. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the oversight.”
The disparity in the drunkard’s demeanor toward Landon and Leila was stark.
Edgar, unable to contain his disdain, interjected sharply, “If you’re apologizing, then acknowledge what you did wrong.”
The drunkard looked bewildered. “I’m new here. I truly didn’t know this gentleman. I’m unfamiliar with everything.”
Edgar, driven by indignation, delivered a stern kick to the drunkard. “You spared the waiter but blamed her. Would you have harassed her if she were any less connected? Is that your belief?”
The drunkard retorted, “No decent woman would come to a place like this! Those who come here are no good. They’re here to lure men. This woman is merely fortunate to have caught this gentleman’s attention.”
Landon rose, a mocking sneer on his lips, as he took Leila’s hand and approached the drunkard. “Look carefully and understand this.
She is neither a trinket nor my woman, as you put it. Her name is Leila Nixon. If you’re intrigued by her, go ahead and look her up. With her capabilities, she could end you effortlessly.”
The drunkard fumbled with his phone, hastily typing Leila’s name into a search. His complexion drained of color as he read the contents of the screen.
Landon continued, “She actually owns this establishment. You claim women here are no good; what does that say about you? I don’t want to see you in this place again. Leave now.”
However, Landon had no intention of letting the drunkard depart without a further lesson.
Seating himself on the sofa with Leila, Landon took her hand reassuringly. “Watch how I handle this troublemaker for you.”
Leila averted her gaze, her voice low and weary as she spoke for the first time that day. “I want to go home, Landon.”
At her words, Landon’s expression softened, a warm smile replacing the frost in his eyes. “Alright, let’s head home.”
Once Leila was safely in the car, Landon delayed their departure. He summoned Edgar.
His expression stern, Landon questioned Edgar, “What happened? I instructed your team to monitor her closely and to escort her wherever she went. So why was she unattended? Why did she end up here?”
Edgar was equally perplexed. The personnel assigned to follow Leila were experienced. Such lapses were uncommon. Considering Leila’s significance to Landon, the oversight was especially troubling.
After a moment of reflection, Edgar’s countenance grew grim as a particular individual came to mind. Though Edgar remained silent, his troubled expression spoke volumes to Landon.
“Take me back immediately. And summon the family doctor as soon as you get there,” Landon instructed.
After making sure that Leila was fine, Landon asked the servant to take her to rest. Once Leila was settled, Landon headed to his study. Lenny was kneeling in the middle of the room.
Lenny’s face was a mess; he still looked defiant.
Edgar sighed inwardly. Lenny was taken in by the real Lando. Despite his young age, Lenny was loyal and competent. Landon had always let Lenny’s mistakes slide with a verbal reprimand, resorting to physical punishment. But this time, Lenny had crossed the line. Landon ordered his men to teach Lenny a lesson.
Despite Lenny’s swollen face, he wasn’t seriously hurt. Landon stood there silently, his handsome face a mask of cold fury. It was enough to make anyone shiver. Lenny couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. He felt wronged. He’d done everything for Landon. Why couldn’t Landon see that?
Lenny couldn’t resist the urge to speak his mind.
“I just don’t get it. Leila’s nothing but trouble! Instead of offering you any help, she had been unwittingly set up and drugged. Just how much longer do you intend to come to her aid and help her solve problems? You haven’t even been paying attention to Miss lately. Do you have any idea what she’s been going through because of you?”
Landon walked over to Lenny, his voice low and menacing. “You keep talking about ‘Miss.’ What are you really doing this for, me or her? I’ve made my decision. You’re out. From now on, you can follow your ‘Miss’ wherever you want, but you’re no longer my problem. Let me make one thing clear: if you cross me again, there won’t be any second chances.”
Lenny clenched his jaw, anger and hurt battling within him.
“Did Leila tell you I took her to the bar? That’s bullshit! I can’t stand her, but I wasn’t trying to cause problems for you. She was the one hounding about you, and I just let her go. I didn’t give a damn. I wasn’t the one who brought her there.”
Edgar clenched his fists. God, he wanted to punch Lenny right in the face.
“You might not have dragged her there yourself,” he growled, “but you told her where to go and didn’t even send someone to watch her back! What if something happened to her? Plus, she’s barely recovered. How the hell was she supposed to find her way there? She could barely string a sentence together.”
“Bullshit!” Lenny snapped back. “I’ve been taking good care of her since she got back. The drug might’ve messed with her head, but she can talk just fine. How else would I know she was looking for Landon, huh?” Lenny scoffed. “She acts like she can’t hear anyone but Landon. It’s all an act. It pisses me off, her faking it like that.”
Landon and Edgar exchanged surprised glances.
“Wait. You’re saying she can think for herself now?” Edgar interrupted.
“Damn right she can!” Lenny practically shouted. “She’s not back to normal, still a bit foggy, but she’s not a zombie anymore like she was a few days ago.”
Landon had heard enough. He turned on his heel and strode out of the study.
Edgar started to follow but then stopped, turning back to the defiant Lenny. “I’m telling you the truth. It was me who figured out you were behind this. Leila was almost bullied at that bar. If we hadn’t found her…” He trailed off, shaking his head.
Taking a deep breath, Edgar continued, “You’ve worked for Landon for years. Haven’t you figured out he doesn’t give a damn about Miss? He’s just keeping his promise to Mr. Lando. If you really care about Miss, stop pushing her on him. On the way back, I asked Leila why she came. She didn’t say a word. I thought she couldn’t speak.”
Lenny listened, dazed, and then sighed. A hint of frustration and sadness crept into his voice. “Edgar, I don’t want to leave Landon’s side,” he pleaded. “I want to stay with him. He’s quite something. I can learn so much from him.”