Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Panic erupted, and people scrambled to escape the hotel lobby.
But Leila and Sophie remained rooted to the spot. Sophie’s curiosity outweighed her fear. “Mom, those tattoos aren’t devils. They’re unicorns.”
Unicorns were symbols of prosperity and good luck in Avalon. How had tattoos of unicorns become associated with evil and these menacing gangsters?
Leila recalled seeing similar tattoos on the thugs who had stolen her purse earlier. At the time, she hadn’t given it much thought. She never imagined it was actually the symbol of that dangerous gang. This meant there was a good chance that the gang’s leader, or at least some of its top members, were Avalonian.
Suddenly, Leila remembered Rola, the girl with Avalonian lineage. It all made sense now why Rola had acted so arrogantly.
Lost in her thoughts, Leila was startled by a sweet, musical voice coming from behind her.
“Excuse me,” the voice said. “Could you please let me…”
Leila turned to find a woman in a flowing white dress standing behind her. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a strikingly beautiful face. Her eyes, sharp and intelligent like a cat’s, sparkled with an inner light.
Without thinking, Leila stepped to the side, creating a path for the woman.
The woman offered Leila a small smile, a silent greeting, before continuing forward, seemingly unfazed by the chaotic scene unfolding before her. Leila was stunned. She felt a strong urge to stop the woman from entering the building.
But much to Leila’s surprise, the group of thugs who had been wreaking havoc suddenly froze in their tracks.
The most intimidating man in the group even bowed his head respectfully toward the woman. “We’ve destroyed everything in this place just like you asked. But the person we’re looking for still refuses to come out.”
The woman let out a soft laugh, but her innocent-looking face held a hint of cruelty. “That’s easy to fix,” she said. “If he won’t show himself, just start hurting the people here. If someone dies, he’ll definitely come out then, won’t he?”
Hearing this, the manager and the staff who were kneeling nearby began to weep and plead for their lives. The woman frowned, her voice still sweet and gentle as she said, “It’s far too noisy in here.”
In an instant, the staff member who had been crying the loudest stiffened and collapsed to the floor, his eyes wide with fear, his pupils dilated.
Fear gripped Leila’s heart. She fought to stay composed, her arms wrapped tightly around a trembling Sophie. “Sophie, we need to leave. Now.”
Before they could move, the woman’s voice rang out again, sharp and chilling. “So, he won’t come out, huh? Fine. Isn’t there a woman named Leila with him? I heard she took one of her kids and left the hotel earlier. But there are still two more kids up there. Bring them to me.”
Leila’s eyes widened in horror. She couldn’t believe they were after her and her children. She had assumed the commotion was confined to the lobby. The hotel had excellent security, after all. The upper floors were occupied by wealthy guests. Her bodyguards were stationed upstairs as well. She had believed that as long as Elma and Calvin remained in their room, they would be safe. She had even asked Sophie to warn Calvin and Elma. But she never imagined these people would actually go after them.
Leila knew her bodyguards were outnumbered and wouldn’t stand a chance against the gang members. It was obvious that these gang members were used to a life of violence. They lived day-to-day, never knowing if they would survive. They were like ruthless demons with an unquenchable thirst for blood.
As expected, one of the gang members spoke up. “There are a bunch of bodyguards upstairs. Should we make our move?”
The woman scoffed. “Yeah, go ahead,” she said. “I only want him. I don’t care about the others. It doesn’t matter if they live or die. I just want to force him to come out.”
The woman spoke about murder as if she were discussing the weather. Her nonchalant attitude made everyone’s blood run cold.
“Got it.” A creepy, bloodthirsty grin spread across the man’s face.
Leila’s heart pounded in her chest. She watched in terror as the man led the other gang members up the stairs. She was completely panicked. She knew she couldn’t just sit there and wait for them to attack.
Leila told Sophie over and over again to stay where she was. Then, she turned and ran into the hotel without looking back.
“Are you here to see Clayton?” Leila asked.
This simple question instantly piqued the woman’s interest.
The group of men who were about to head upstairs stopped in their tracks.
The man leading the group noticed Leila standing alone and decided to give her a hard time. “Well, hello there, gorgeous. What’s a pretty lady like you doing here all alone? Haven’t you noticed what’s going on?”
As the man approached, Leila caught a whiff of blood in the air. Fear gripped her, but she fought to keep her cool. “I know exactly what’s going on,” she replied calmly. “That’s why I’m here.”
The man roughly grabbed Leila’s wrist. “Oh, you’re here on purpose, are you? Looking for trouble, maybe? Come with me. I’ll show you what happens to nosy girls.”
“Get your hands off her!” the woman yelled. She kicked the man hard in the shin..
The man winced in pain but quickly plastered a fake smile on his face. “I think this woman is up to no good. I’m afraid she might hurt you.”
The woman scoffed. “I know exactly what you’re trying to pull. Move aside. I’m keeping her.”
The man glanced at Leila, a flicker of regret in his eyes. But he didn’t dare disobey the woman, so he reluctantly let go of Leila’s hand.
“What do you want us to do now?” the man asked. “Should we still go upstairs?”
The woman shook her head and turned to Leila, a chilling smile spreading across her lips. “No need. I’ve found who I’m looking for. You all can leave.”
At the woman’s words, Leila felt a wave of relief wash over her. For now, Elma and Calvin were safe.
The woman motioned for Leila to join her on the only sofa that hadn’t been damaged in the chaos. The hall was a mess, but the woman didn’t seem to mind. She crossed her legs elegantly and took a sip of coffee, as if she had all the time in the world. She was polite to Leila, but her politeness only made Leila nervous.
Leila had met all kinds of people in her life, and she knew better than to trust someone just because of a polite facade.
Just as Leila suspected, the woman’s next words revealed her cruel nature. “You’re Leila, aren’t you? So, tell me about your relationship with Clayton. Where is he? I should warn you, I detest liars and have plenty of ways of making them tell the truth. Surely, you don’t want to experience my methods.”
After this, the woman propped her chin with her hands, smiling at Leila.
Leila didn’t let her nerves show. “I don’t know where Clayton is. And I think you’ve got the wrong idea about my relationship with him. We’re just friends. He’s a young, good-looking guy, and I’m a mother of three. He’s not interested in me. Besides, I have a husband.”
The woman’s face changed, and she suddenly burst into laughter. Her laughter was sharp and unpleasant. “Hey, don’t rush to distance yourself from him. The more you try to convince me, the more I think something is going on between you two.”
Leila looked the woman straight in the eye. “There’s nothing between him and me. Do you understand?”
The woman stared hard at Leila, searching for any signs of deception. Finally, she snorted and leaned back. “Fine. Then tell me where Clayton is.”
Leila shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said.
Alarmed by the dangerous glint in the woman’s eyes, Leila quickly added, “But if you explain why you need to see him and what you plan to do, I can help you contact him. Please understand that he is a cautious man. He won’t agree to meet without a good reason.”
The woman nodded, seemingly finding Leila’s words sensible. “Clayton once messed with my men. I confronted him before, but he never properly apologized. But now, I don’t care about an apology anymore. I’ve taken a liking to him.”
The woman spoke with an air of confidence, her eyes gleaming with determination. She seemed utterly convinced she could win Clayton over.
Leila’s mind flashed back to her stolen handbag and how Clayton had helped her retrieve it. So, that was how he had messed with the gang. But how could these gangsters act with such blatant disregard for the law?
The woman grew impatient when she saw Leila’s frown and silence. “Why are you just sitting there? You promised to contact him for me. If you don’t call him right now, I’ll take matters into my own hands.”
No sooner had the words left the woman’s mouth than her men closed in on Leila, forming a menacing circle around her.
A wave of fear washed over Leila. She could practically feel their murderous intent. Her voice trembled slightly. “I’ll call him right now. But I can’t guarantee he’ll come.”
Nodding, the woman leaned back.
Under the woman’s watchful eyes, Leila dialed Clayton.
Seemingly unaware of the drama unfolding at the hotel, Clayton sounded a bit tired from his own matters. “Leila, what’s going on?” he asked, his voice tinged with gentleness.
The woman’s expression shifted slightly at the warmth of Clayton’s tone when addressing Leila. However, she quickly masked her reaction with a playful smile.
Leila cleared her throat. “Mr. Morgan, a woman wants to speak with you. I think you might know her. She is involved with those who stole my bag earlier.”
A moment of silence hung in the air as Clayton processed the information. His voice swiftly took on an edge of urgency. “Did they force you to make this call?”
Leila replied, “No, they didn’t.”
Just then, the woman abruptly grabbed the phone from Leila’s hand and brought it to her ear. “Clayton, it’s Freya Acosta,” she purred. “We’ve met before, remember? Why are you avoiding me? You’ve even blocked my number! You’re breaking my heart.”
Clayton’s voice hardened. “If you have an issue with me, Freya, then deal with me directly,” he stated coldly. “Leave Leila out of this. I’ll face the consequences of my own actions. And let me remind you that I have considerable influence here, and Leila is a member of the Nixon family. I suggest you think carefully before you do anything recklessly.”