Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
That night, Landon didn’t return to the villa, a routine Leila had grown accustomed to.
The next morning, however, she was greeted by an unexpected commotion. Coming down the stairs, she found a crowd of people in white uniforms and chef’s hats filling the living room.
Landon stood by the doorway, one hand casually in his pocket while he focused on his phone. As soon as he noticed Leila, he looked up and stated firmly, “These nutritionists and chefs are here for you. Since you’re undernourished, you need to start taking better care of yourself.”
Stunned, Leila recalled the previous day’s conversation. A guest had mentioned hiring nutritionists for his daughter, and now Landon had done the same for her. Was this his way of showing care?
The thought flickered briefly before she dismissed it. Landon probably just thought her slender frame was embarrassing. Perhaps he preferred fuller figures, like Sarah’s.
Leila nodded at Landon.
“From now on, they’ll handle your three meals a day. Make sure you eat at home-no more takeout,” Landon added, his tone leaving no room for debate.
His words seemed to carry an unspoken reference to the takeout Gregory had brought her recently.
Even though the takeout came from a high-end private kitchen near the studio, Leila chose not to argue. She remained silent.
She hesitated but then cautiously asked if she could take her meals to the studio, explaining that her restoration work was important, and returning home for lunch every day would be impractical.
Landon’s response was firm. “Food is best when it’s freshly cooked. Is your work really more important than eating properly?”
Leila quickly shook her head, agreeing to come home for lunch. She understood that Landon didn’t approve of her working outside the house, and she didn’t want to push the issue.
“Just let the nutritionist know your preferences,” Landon said before walking away.
Leila hurried to the dining table. When Landon wasn’t around, she pulled out her phone and texted Gregory, asking if she could cut her workday to half so she could manage lunch at home.
Gregory replied promptly, “Sure, you can come in whenever you’re free.”
Leila sighed with relief, but before she could respond, another message from Gregory appeared on her screen. “Does your husband make you eat all your meals at home? Is he controlling everything? Have you ever considered getting a divorce? I can recommend a good lawyer if you need one.”
Leila’s hands trembled as she read the message. Gregory’s directness caught her off guard, leaving her speechless. She knew she had to delete the message before Landon saw it.
But as soon as she hit delete, Landon’s voice came from behind her.
“Who are you texting?” he asked.
Leila frantically locked her phone screen. She turned to Landon, a hint of guilt in her expression as she gestured that she was simply requesting time off from the studio.
“You told me it wasn’t a job, right? So why do you need to ask for leave?” Landon scoffed.
Leila clarified that it was technically an apprenticeship, but she still had to follow protocols.
“And since it’s just an apprenticeship, how’s the workload? How much will Hayden chip in for the half-million repair bill from Stella?” Landon pressed further.
Once again, Leila found herself at a loss for words. She hadn’t brought up the topic with Hayden yet. Despite her eagerness to earn, she knew that twenty million wasn’t going to materialize overnight. Hayden had been good to her. Even if the entire fifty thousand for Stella’s repair went to the studio, with nothing for herself, it was acceptable.
After all, her success at Jerome’s birthday celebration had already boosted her reputation, and she was optimistic about securing more restoration projects in the near future.
Luckily, Landon didn’t push the issue. He gave Leila one last intense look before turning and walking away.
For the first time, Leila had kept a secret from Landon. She watched him leave, her heart pounding.
After breakfast, Leila hurried to the studio, knowing she needed to be back by noon and only had the morning to spend there.
She left behind the azure-glazed porcelain Jerome had gifted her, realizing she needed to gather more information before starting its restoration.
As noon approached, Leila prepared to leave, but two girls from the studio approached her, suggesting they dine together. Leila explained she needed to return home to eat, but the girls hesitated and asked, “Could we come over to your place?”
Leila considered the offer. Landon had been home more often lately, but his visits were brief, and he hadn’t restricted her from having guests-only from going out herself.
Plus, one of the girls had defended Leila when she first arrived at the studio, so Leila felt comfortable accepting their invitation.
That afternoon, the two girls visited, bringing small gifts. It was the first time Leila had hosted guests in her home, aside from Linsey.
The girls stayed until after dinner, and fortunately, Landon returned later than usual. He spoke little, merely asking about her meals before heading upstairs.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.
The butler answered the door and soon escorted in one of the girls who had visited earlier. “Miss Wilson thinks she may have lost an earring here and wants to search for it,” he explained.
Yvette Wilson, who hadn’t previously interacted much with Leila, seemed out of place as she explained her missing earring.
Leila nodded at the butler and suggested he ask Yvette where she thought the earring might have fallen, offering to help with the search.
“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll look for it myself. It probably fell while we were watching a movie this afternoon,” Yvette replied.
The home theater, where they had watched the movie, was next to the stairs on the first floor. Leila asked the butler to escort Yvette there.
From a distance, Leila overheard Yvette whispering something to the butler before he left, leaving Yvette alone in the home theater.
Suspecting Yvette might need assistance, Leila was about to check on her when she noticed Yvette quietly exiting the theater, her behavior suspicious.
Leila wondered if Yvette had been mistaken about where she lost the earring. But before she could inquire, she saw Yvette heading upstairs, unbuttoning her shirt and revealing part of her chest.
In that moment, Leila realized Yvette’s true intentions. No one had gone upstairs that afternoon, so it was impossible for Yvette to have lost her earring there.
Clearly, Yvette hadn’t lost an earring. She was using it as an excuse to find Landon, with entirely different motives in mind.
Leila felt compelled to intervene, knowing that as Landon’s wife, she should prevent the chaos unfolding before her very eyes. Yet, inexplicably, her feet refused to move.
Beyond Sarah, whispers about Landon’s indiscretions had circulated within their social circle. Leila wondered whether those women had attempted to entice Landon in similar ways.
She lingered in the shadows at the base of the staircase, ears tuned to the sounds drifting down from above. Landon could have been showering or possibly in his study.
As time passed, Leila stood alert, half-expecting to catch a hint of suggestive noise. After all, Landon and Sarah had flaunted their disregard for her presence before, and now, with another woman visiting Landon, it seemed unlikely he’d consider her feelings.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the house, followed by a woman’s scream and a hurried apology. “I’m sorry! I’m so terribly sorry, Mr. Kensington. I… I entered the wrong room…”
The disturbance roused the butler and other servants. As the butler approached, he spotted Leila by the stairs and gasped in surprise. “Madam?”
Looking upward, Leila caught Landon’s stern gaze from the landing above. His expression was stormy, tinged with evident anger.
On the floor sat Yvette, clutching her shoulders as she wept and trembled.
“Did you orchestrate this?” Landon demanded, fixing his eyes on Leila.
Leila swiftly shook her head, denying any involvement in the debacle. The butler stepped in to clarify, “Sir, Miss Wilson is an acquaintance of your wife. Miss Wilson visited earlier today and returned just now, claiming she had left an earring behind…”
“In my study?” Landon cut off the butler mid-sentence.
“No, I… I entered the wrong room…” Yvette stammered.
“Your wife and her companions never went upstairs all afternoon,” the butler clarified.
“Are you here to steal documents?” Landon’s suspicion was evident as his eyes narrowed at Yvette.
Yvette’s fear escalated, and she shook her head vigorously. “No! No! I… I’m not…”
“Call the police. She’s attempting to steal the Kensington Group’s confidential documents,” Landon instructed the butler without any hint of patience.
“I’m not! I truly am not!” Yvette cried out in desperation, turning to Leila for help. “Leila! I was only trying to get close to Mr. Kensington, not to steal anything…”
Overwhelmed by anxiety, Yvette confessed the truth. The thought of being accused of stealing documents from the Kensington Group terrified her, and she feared imprisonment.