Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“If things had gone as planned, your beloved daughter would end up disabled and mute, just like your past self!” Jennifer snapped. With each word, her excitement grew, culminating in a self-satisfied cackle at the success in her imagination.
Hearing this, Leila’s gaze lifted to meet Ewing’s, her concerns for Sophie evident.
Ewing, seeing her distress, quickly tried to offer comfort. “Don’t stress, Sophie can still talk; it’s just that her throat is hurt. But the doctor believes she will recover over time. Though we were a bit late when rushing there, we managed to intervene in time. Not all the poison was forced down her throat.”
With a weary and sorrowful sigh, Leila closed her eyes.
It was then she finally grasped the meaning behind Siena’s words in the letter.
Siena said in the letter, “Leila, if you return to the Nixon family, please seek out Jennifer and relay some messages for me. Please tell Jennifer I wasn’t behind the incident back then. Moreover, I’ve been missing those times I shared with her.”
Before, Leila couldn’t comprehend such a demand. Plus, Jennifer had been terrible to her, their encounters marked with Jennifer’s sarcastic remarks. Thus, Leila did not take her mother’s request to pass the word to Jennifer seriously.
Now, as the truth came to light, everything made sense to Leila.
Siena likely had no idea that what she perceived as genuine friendship with Jennifer was, in fact, nothing more than a carefully orchestrated ruse.
Ewing’s voice, cold and steady, broke Leila’s reverie. “Leila, how should she be made to pay? Just say the word.”
Laughing heartily, Jennifer abruptly stopped and gazed at Ewing in disbelief. “Ewing Nixon!” she exclaimed, her voice sharp with incredulity. “How dare you! I’m your mother! Not stopping at siding with her instead of being supportive of me, but wanting me to suffer and face the consequences? You brat!”
Ewing merely smirked, his tone tinged with bitterness, “Did you ever once think of yourself as my mother when you schemed to have me kidnapped just to hurt Siena? I know you’ve always had someone else in your heart and felt nothing for my dad, but I never imagined you’d feel nothing for me either.”
Leila studied Ewing, noting his reddened eyes. It marked the first time she had seen this vulnerable side of him, breaking his usual restrained and calm facade.
She could understand it. The fact that the mastermind behind the kidnapping in his early years, causing him both physical and mental harm, was his mother, was hard to swallow for anyone.
At a loss for words to form a retort, Jennifer simply stared at Ewing, her eyes containing mixed feelings before she burst into tears.
Leila noticed a flicker of regret in Jennifer’s gaze, but she felt no sympathy.
Knowing those malicious ones wouldn’t truly regret their misdeeds before facing the music, Leila stood her ground on handling the situation, sticking to her principles, her resolve unwavering. “Hamlin, my demand might be a bit too much,” she said.
Hamlin, worn out by the situation and disappointed by his wife’s wrongdoings, said, “Just name your demands as what you see proper to deal with this mess. I won’t dodge my responsibility of unwittingly letting her scheme against you, your mother, and even your daughter. I’ll divorce her once this is taken care of. I desire nothing more to do with her.”
As her evil deeds were exposed with undeniable evidence, Jennifer ceased justifying her actions. Hamlin’s words only intensified her desperation, and she began to shout wildly. She cursed everyone, including Siena, who had been dead for years.
Seeing her continued defiance, Leila’s gaze turned icy, her lips curling into a chilling smirk. “If that’s the case, let her endure what Sophie endured. She’s loud. Let’s silence her for good.”
Ewing waved his hand and commanded, “Take her away. Follow Leila’s orders.”
In a sudden burst of strength, Jennifer wrenched free from her restraints. She dashed over to Ewing and clutched at his clothes.
“Ewing, I’m sorry! I was wrong. Please, don’t do this to me! I’ll change. From now on, I’ll treat you with tenderness as a mother should. I’m your mother, for crying out loud! Don’t you dare treat me with such cruelty. Please! I won’t cause any more trouble. You’ve always wanted to travel with me, right? I promise you that now.”
Without turning around, Ewing just smiled bitterly. “Mom, this is the last time I’ll call you that. Yes, I did want to travel with you, but that was my childhood wish. I thought you’d forgotten. It turns out you remembered it all along, but you just never wanted to fulfill it.”
Jennifer was choked up, wanting to explain. However, Ewing beat her to it. “You’ve never loved me, and I know it painfully well. Drop the act, could you? Hone your acting skills if you try to convince others. You want me to live a miserable life from this moment forward, but my leniency stops there. Your condition is no longer my concern.”
Saying this, Ewing mercilessly pried Jennifer’s fingers off his clothing. Lost in a daze, Jennifer was eventually escorted out by the bodyguards.
Leila had assumed Ewing would need time to process everything. Surprisingly, he regained his composure quickly and turned to her, his expression laced with concern. “Leila, be honest with me. Did you offend someone you shouldn’t have?”
The image of the mysterious man, whose face was adorned with a mask, flickered through Leila’s mind. She hesitated, shaking her head before nodding in affirmation.
“It couldn’t be counted as offending. I was framed, and the product meant for a client was tampered with. Though the client was displeased with the product, there’s a way to fix this issue. I just need to complete a task for him.”
Ewing’s gaze hardened upon hearing this. “What kind of task? You should drop out of it. I’ll have someone else handle it. From now on, keep your distance from this client. If he tries to cause you trouble, he’ll have me to deal with first.”
Leila was somewhat amused by his suggestion. “Ewing, this is the first time I’ve seen you genuinely wary of someone. Is he really that powerful?”
Rubbing his temples, Ewing let out a slight sigh. “Anyway, that guy’s not someone to mess with. Just err on the side of caution.”
Leila sensed there was more to Ewing’s words, but she wasn’t quite bothered by it. If the masked man truly bore ill will toward her, he would have leveraged his financial clout and influence directly, rather than skirting around with the inferior product issue.
Though the specifics of the masked man’s intentions eluded her, Leila knew that when dealing with such an unpredictable individual, the safest course was to play along.
Leila assured Ewing, “I know what I’m doing. As you can see, he’s not someone who’s easily fooled. Your ways of handling things might just irritate him. I’ll be returning to Avalon soon. With the Nixon family backing me, I have nothing to fear.”
The resolve in Leila’s eyes slightly eased Ewing’s concerns, but he was still intent on persuading her further. Just then, a crisp knock at the door interrupted him.
“Who is it?” Ewing asked, his tone alert as he turned toward the door.
A young man’s buoyant voice answered, “Excuse me, is Leila here? My master would like to see her.”
As Ewing was about to dismiss the visitor, Leila caught his hand, shaking her head subtly to stop him. She cleared her throat and announced, “I’m here. Your timing is perfect, and I want to express my thanks in person.”
The following moment, the door swung open. The masked man entered alongside Lenny.
“There’s no need for thanks. It’s just that your cousin seems a bit hostile to me. I would’ve been ejected if not for playing the hero,” the masked man said. His masked face hid his emotions, but a slight smile betrayed a hint of irritation and impatience.
Ewing’s expression darkened, his eyes cold. “Can’t you see the state she’s in? She needs to rest and shouldn’t be bothered.”
The masked man didn’t say anything, his gaze sharp as he looked at Leila.
Leila responded hesitantly, “Ewing, I need to speak with him for a bit. Don’t fret. Our family’s people are outside, and we’re in a hospital owned by our family. He wouldn’t dare do anything.”
Ewing eyed the masked man warily for a moment and then turned his worried gaze to Leila before finally exiting the room.
“Thank you for saving me. I owe you one. Just name it. If it’s within my ability, consider it done,” Leila’s voice was earnest.
The masked man remained silent, his gaze deep and unreadable.
Leila cleared her throat. “Or perhaps you have a particular way you’d like me to return the favor?”
The masked man seated himself with a regal air, as if the chair beneath him were a throne. “Leila, you finally get the point. As your savior, it’s only right that I dictate the terms of your repayment, wouldn’t you agree?”
A flicker of unease crossed Leila’s face. Her fingers tensed subtly. “Please, Mr. Lando, tell me what you expect.”
Mr. Lando took his time, rhythmically tapping the armrest with his fingers, making Leila wait. Ten minutes dragged by.
Leila’s palms began to sweat. She had always prided herself on her composure, yet she sensed that Mr. Lando was deliberately unsettling her, and it was working.
Just when Leila was about to break the silence, Mr. Lando finally spoke, “Are you returning to Avalon? I happen to have a business issue there. Could you help me address it? Though I plan to return myself, as you can see, I’m quite occupied. According to our arrangement, you should have delivered the restored item to me. I understand your situation, though, and am willing to grant you additional time. However, this shouldn’t suggest that I’m always patient.”
Leila frowned. “Handling business matters might not really be my strength.”
Leila was puzzled. Wasn’t it better to delegate such responsibilities to someone he trusted? Why did he approach her for this? Besides, her experience was limited to managing a few auction houses. She had never actually founded a company.
Suddenly, Mr. Lando’s smile took on a deeper meaning. “Leila, others might be oblivious, but I’m well aware of your specialized training courses. Those management classes worth millions should certainly be of some use.”
Leila’s eyes widened in alarm. Her voice tinged with excitement, she asked, “How did you come to know about that?”
She had held back some secrets for herself, not even disclosing them to Ewing or Tyrone. However, Mr. Lando knew about it, even the details.
Mr. Lando rose to his feet and approached her bedside.
“Haven’t I told you that I’m aware of everything in this world? Leila, I see your ambition and potential, but you need to be more cautious. Instead of panicking, take some time to reflect. Lucky for you, I’m not your enemy, or you wouldn’t still be here.”
Leila found herself at a loss for words. Observing Mr. Lando’s composed expression, her suspicions only deepened. She recalled Landon issuing warnings in a similar manner. Their conversational styles were strikingly alike.
As Leila gazed at Mr. Lando, she wished she could peel away his mask to uncover whether he was Landon. After a prolonged silence, she finally spoke. “If you’re willing to trust me, then I’ll give it my all.”
Mr. Lando’s response was a smile, this time genuine and warm. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. I have a request, and there will be consequences if you fail. However, I believe you’re up to the challenge.”