Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Leila exhaled deeply before finally answering the call. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice icy.
There was a brief silence before Landon finally spoke. “Leila, I’ve arrived. I understand you don’t want to see me, but I can’t help but worry about you. I’ll stay close by, watching over you and Sophie while maintaining a low profile.”
Leila inhaled deeply before responding, “Landon, you need to understand that all you’re doing is creating more problems for me with this.”
The line fell silent again.
Leila drifted into a haze, her mind wandering far away. Suddenly, memories flooded back of the early days of her marriage to Landon.
Back then, Leila felt insecure and clung to Landon constantly, pouring all her heart into their relationship. She even spent an entire day at the Kensington Group, wailing for him.
Uncertain of Landon’s whereabouts and refraining from bothering anyone, she remained quietly in the background. Moreover, she feared it might give the staff a reason to mock Landon for having such a naive wife, desperate for his attention. Yet her presence was still noticed.
The following day, Leila was stopped at the entrance of the Kensington Group office building. Landon had told her similar words back then.
“Leila, all you’re doing is creating more problems for me with this.” Leila recalled how she felt at that moment. The sun warmed her skin, but her heart was cold. She maintained a smile, though it barely masked the tears she struggled to hold back. She never imagined she’d one day speak such cold words.
Landon must have recalled it too. He said, “I’m sorry, Leila. I didn’t really mean what I said back then. I feared that someone in the company might mistreat you. I was so buried in work and anxious that I couldn’t protect you as I should.”
“Just let bygones be bygones,” Leila cut him off. “I saw Miss Watts’ determination that day. Clearly, she is set on being with you. Our relationship is over, and I shouldn’t stand in the way of what you two might have.”
Landon felt a lump form in his throat. He gripped his phone tightly and asked, “Do you honestly believe that Anna and I are meant to be together?”
Leila didn’t answer. Her gaze drifted to the heavy rain pouring outside her window. The rain persisted, weaving a dense, entangled thread that blurred everything. She was done being caught in the tangled web with Landon.
Suppressing her emotions, Leila finally added, “Landon, although your reputation may be tarnished, there’s no denying that you’re exceptional. Anna is undoubtedly remarkable. She knows your past, perhaps even better than I do.
You both understand each other well. Her influence could help you turn things around in the future. You two are a perfect match. Don’t be so stubborn; if you let her slip away, you might regret it.”
Landon didn’t say a word before abruptly hanging up the call with a sharp click. Leila sighed and stared at the blank phone screen, lost in thought for quite a long time. After a while, the screen dimmed and went dark. Sophie dashed over and shook Leila, snapping her back to reality.
“Mommy, I dreamt about my daddy,” Sophie mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
Hearing this, Leila’s heart softened, and she smiled. She lifted Sophie into her arms. Sophie’s hair was tousled from sleep, her cheeks flushed, making her look irresistibly adorable.
“And what did you and your daddy do in your dream?” Leila asked gently.
Sophie shook her head, a frown of concentration forming. “I don’t remember. I can’t even remember what my daddy looks like. I only remember saying how much he missed us and loved us. He promised he’d return soon to see us. When is he coming to see us?”
Leila was at a loss for words and struggled to find an answer as she gazed into Sophie’s eager, hopeful eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, she crafted a comforting excuse.
“He will visit us soon. He’s caught up with work and can’t come over now. But if you miss him, he’ll surely feel it in his heart.”
Sophie’s spirits lifted immediately. Clapping her hands, she exclaimed, “That’s wonderful! My daddy knows I miss him.”
Leila smiled at Sophie’s joy, but beneath that smile lay a deep-seated worry. Years ago, when Sophie was younger, Leila hid the truth from her, fearing it might damage her self-esteem or leave lasting scars. But now, as time passed, Leila was trapped in a web of her own lies, with no idea of how to reveal the truth to her daughter.
Leila hoped that with time, Sophie would grow up and slowly forget about her father, making the truth less painful to confront. Lost in thought, Leila was brought back to her senses when Sophie wrapped her little arms around her neck and planted a kiss on her cheek.
With a beaming smile, Sophie asked, “Mommy, can you share more stories about you and my daddy? I want to listen to them.”
“Of course,” Leila affectionately replied, playfully pinching Sophie’s cheek as she scooped her up and walked off to the side with Sophie in her arms.
Meanwhile, Landon instructed Edgar to take Jenny to one of his villas. Landon then instructed Edgar to keep their visit discreet.
Jenny’s eyes widened with newfound glee as she took in the luxurious three-story villa. Although her family background wasn’t humble, it was nothing compared to this. Over the years, Jenny had focused on securing a stable and affluent future. Despite her recent charitable activities, she had accumulated considerable wealth.
In reality, the children and elderly she cared for were all eventually relocated to a welfare home. She had struck a deal with the staff at the welfare home.
She provided financial support to the welfare home in exchange for the care of those individuals. However, she had little interest and was hardly concerned about how the welfare home managed their care.
Moreover, Jenny garnered substantial earnings through We-Media, and the company still owed her compensation. Yep, the cost of housing in Halstead was prohibitively high.
She lacked the means to afford a villa of such grandeur. And this villa was located right in the heart of downtown.
While feigning sleep in the car, Jenny overheard Edgar’s call to Landon. Their conversation revolved around managing certain assets. They also discussed upcoming parties and banquets, hinting that Landon frequented such high-profile events.
This revelation fueled Jenny’s interest in Landon even more. Landon gestured toward a room on the first floor. “These are all guest rooms. Choose one, but you’re only permitted to stay for tonight. I expect you to be gone before I come downstairs tomorrow morning.”
Landon’s frosty demeanor left Jenny’s disappointment evident as she curled her lips slightly. “I understand.”
Landon gave a nod before heading upstairs.
Jenny, determined not to rest, explored the villa. Despite its modest size, it was staffed with servants. After a moment of contemplation, Jenny casually approached a servant and inquired, “Excuse me, could you tell me where the kitchen is?”
Jenny made her way to the kitchen and set up her livestream. “Hello, dear fans. I’m here for a special treat this afternoon. I was so upset that I couldn’t eat properly. Now, I’m preparing a meal, not only for myself but also for the person who came to my rescue.”
The comments flooded in, brimming with concern. A few viewers began asking her questions. But Jenny chose to ignore them, maintaining her focus. It wasn’t long before someone picked up on the detail.
“Jenny, where are you? This place looks luxurious.”
Being The Heroine Of
Jenny had been waiting for quite some time, but finally, she caught sight of what she had been eager to see. She smiled and blushed with shyness. “This is the place where the man who rescued me lives. If he hadn’t helped me, I don’t know what would have happened today.”
Someone commented, “Did those bullies from that company do something to you again? What exactly did they do to you?”
“You must have been through a lot. You slapped your meal, right? That’s really tough.”
“Why can’t people be kinder? Despite all the good Jenny does, she still faces bullying. It’s just unfair.”
The fans seemed to have forgotten the incident at the restaurant earlier. Yet, some voiced their skepticism.
“Wasn’t it all a big misunderstanding back then? Didn’t Jenny instigate her fans to attack the company online?”
“Exactly. If she’s really a victim, why not show the surveillance footage? The other party invited her to review it, but she ended the live stream hastily, probably out of guilt.”
“Jenny’s followers act almost like they lack brains.”
However, these voices were soon overwhelmed by Jenny’s loyal defenders. The conversation quickly shifted as everyone grew curious about the owner of this villa. Eager to move the discussion along, someone said, “Jenny, come on, tell us what happened this afternoon.”
Jenny put on a show of reluctance. “I really didn’t want to bring it up, but since you all insist, I’ll share. Just please, keep it between us; I wouldn’t want to bring trouble to my rescuer.”
With that, Jenny began to embellish the events of the afternoon. While the truth was that she had no intention to hail a taxi, she twisted the story and claimed Leila forbade her from catching one.
Jenny didn’t stop there. She used suggestive language to describe her interactions with Landon, painting it with pink bubbles while the truth spoke otherwise. She omitted the fact that Landon’s car stopped solely because she had feigned unconsciousness in front of it.
She spun a tale, claiming that Landon had seen her drenched in the rain, felt pity for her, and had his driver stop to offer her a ride. Once he learned of her predicament, he took her home and offered to keep her safe for the night.
As Jenny finished the tale she had spun, her cheeks began to flush. Her fans cheered her on, just as she had hoped. “No way! This must be love at first sight! I’ll just indulge in their romantic story.”
“The guy was driving a Maybach, so he’s got to be loaded. Rich and enigmatic, he’s straight out of a novel. How could someone like that just randomly rescue someone? He must have fallen for Jenny.”
Reading these comments, Jenny couldn’t help but smile. Their reaction was just as she had predicted.
“Am I the only one dying to know what he looks like? Jenny, can you get him to take off his mask?”
“Ah, the mystery! I can’t see him.”
“Jenny means something special to him. I bet he’d remove the mask for her.”
Jenny’s cheeks turned a rosy shade as she hesitated. “Forget it. I don’t think it’s a good idea. Maybe he and I should start off as friends.”
The next morning, Leila planned to pick up Sophie herself. As Leila bustled around the kitchen, Sophie dashed over, clutching an iPad. “Mommy, look! Landon’s on TV.”