Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
While she could have taken the opportunity to examine Clayton’s recent dealings with the Morgan Group label, confronting the suspicions that plagued her, she found herself reluctant to employ such an approach.
Quickly, Leila handed the seal back to Clayton, hiding her confusion behind feigned indignation.
‘If you insist on this, I’ll be angry with you.
After all the years we’ve known each other, I refuse to investigate you like that.’
Finally, a faint smile appeared on Clayton’s pale face.
His eyes sparkled, a sparkle glimmering in his gaze as he studied Leila’s expression.
‘Leila, do you trust me?’ he whispered.
Internally conflicted, Leila only managed to let out a quiet sigh.
At that moment, Clayton tensed, clutching his chest as a sharp pain hit him.
Leila reacted immediately, reaching out to press the button that would summon the doctor.
But Clayton stopped her with a gesture, his voice tense but calm.
‘It’s just a sharp pain.
I can handle it.’
As memories of her grievous injury flooded her mind, Leila’s heart softened.
A spark of determination shone in her eyes, and after taking a deep breath, she fixed her gaze on Clayton, her words filled with quiet determination.
‘Clayton, you are more than just a friend to me.
You are a cornerstone in my life.
There was a time when I harboured doubts about you, and for that I owe you an apology.
I have come to understand that your intentions were always pure and that you would never betray my trust.
From now on, I will put aside all my doubts.’
Clayton was moved by Leila’s sincere expression, but the overriding emotion was unease at what he had orchestrated all this time.
Carefully, he hid those feelings from her.
Was he just a friend in her eyes? The thought disappointed him a little.
However, he consoled himself with the thought that their relationship was evolving and that patience, in time, would dispel all uncertainties.
Clayton offered a soft smile and replied:
‘Leila, your words mean the world to me.
Thank you.’
The Kensington Group was no stranger to the spotlight, always capturing the public’s curiosity.
The Leila incident, with Clayton’s timely rescue, occurred near the Kensington Group, causing the event to spread like wildfire, especially on the day Clayton was released.
A group of reporters had gathered at the entrance, eager to get details.
Leila didn’t know who had alerted the reporters.
Their attention seemed strangely focused not on Clayton’s recovery, but on the nature of his feelings for Leila, especially how he had heroically protected her during the attack.
Knowing that reporters were on the prowl, Leila devised a discreet exit for Clayton, making sure he could leave without being seen by the anxious crowd.
He refrained from engaging in such absurd discussions.
However, many interpreted her silence as confirmation of rumours about her relationship with Clayton..
This topic became a hot trend online.
‘You have to give Leila credit.
She really has a knack for this.
Even after Landon’s departure, she’s handling the Kensington Group effortlessly.
And now, she’s linked up with someone in the Morgan family.’
‘Exactly.
The value of the assets under his control is simply staggering.’
‘How can she be so lucky? Wasn’t she previously considered just a silent figure? It’s quite a turn of events.’
‘You’re missing the point.
Her silence in the past earned her sympathy.
Despite having three children, her youthful looks don’t fade.
That’s what captivates men.’
Leila’s name skyrocketed in popularity online, accompanied by the term ‘impressive skills’. However, these ‘skills’ were cynically attributed not to her professional achievements, but to her supposed dependence on influential men.
Some even launched training programmes under her name, aimed at teaching eager but unskilled women.
They had earned a reputation as the ‘gold-digger camps’, a term both derisive and infamous.
Leila’s reputation suffered from these rumours.
However, she remained stoic.
Having weathered many storms, she was undeterred as long as these whispers did not affect her professional life.
In a world full of diverse personalities, it was unrealistic to expect universal admiration.
Was he really expected to silence every dissenting voice?
Clayton, concerned about those undermining Leila’s reputation, secretly ordered the public relations team to intervene.
It wasn’t long before the tide of negative opinion towards Leila began to recede.
People who maliciously used her reputation to organise fraudulent classes ended up behind bars, thanks to Clayton’s decisive intervention.
Along with these measures, he distributed a series of strict legal notices.
This move sparked debate online, leading many to conclude that challenging Leila could be a serious mistake.
Lacey found out about all this, with a multitude of emotions stirring inside her.
She was envious of Leila’s apparent good fortune, of having someone to protect her, but at the same time she pitied her.
Under the misleading information, Lacey felt that Leila’s success depended largely on the support of influential men, which, in her eyes, was a sorry state of affairs.