Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Their true intentions remained a mystery.
Just then, her assistant, Brysen, called out to her.
‘Miss Nixon, the arrangements for the foundation are ready. Should we go ahead with the idea of having the event at Burmoos, or would you prefer that I book the tickets for the student representatives in advance?’
Leila thought for a moment and then said, ‘Let’s not do it nationally this time. They come once a month. Even if it’s for a charitable cause, it’s pretty exhausting for the kids. Let’s organise it in the county where the school is. I want to see the environment they’re living in.’
Brysen was not surprised by Leila’s decision. That was just the way she was.
She wasn’t doing it for publicity or recognition. She really wanted to make a difference for these children.
Even if holding it in Burmoos would attract many wealthy guests, most of them would only come to network, and only a few would actually donate.
Their contributions would come to nowhere near a fraction of Leila’s own donations.
Moreover, it would make the children in the villages uncomfortable, as they had never experienced anything like it.
Brysen was still a little concerned, however.
‘While it’s great for the children, I’m a little concerned about your safety there. I mean, some of the poorer areas…’
‘I know, Brysen.’ Leila didn’t sound angry, and her tone remained gentle.
‘That’s exactly why I need to see for myself. And if we’re really worried, we can bring more bodyguards.’
Brysen knew that, once Leila made up her mind, it wouldn’t be easy to change her mind.
So Brysen didn’t insist, although he did ask her something else: ‘Should we warn Mr. Morgan? It would be safer if he came with us.’
Leila frowned, feeling a slight irritation begin to form inside her.
She shook her head and replied, ‘No. He just recovered from an injury. Attending the last party was already a limit for him. This trip is long, and it would be very difficult for him.’
‘I understand,’ Brysen said, ending the call and looking at the muted screen, feeling somewhat hesitant.
At that moment, a man hugged her from behind.
‘Brysen, what were you talking to Miss Nixon about just now? You don’t look very happy. Did she scold you?’
The man, Neal Duncan, bespectacled and with a good sense of fashion, was quite attractive, especially to an innocent girl like Brysen.
Neal had caught Brysen’s eye from the moment he joined the company.
He was a senior executive of the Morgan Group, sent by Clayton to oversee Leila’s company.
Since he was not officially part of Leila’s company, their relationship did not count as an in-office romance.
After a persistent pursuit by Neal, Brysen finally fell in love with him and they began dating.
However, they hadn’t been together long, and Brysen still hadn’t told Leila about their relationship.
He wanted to wait until things were more stable between them.
Brysen put the phone in his pocket and smiled charmingly as he took Neal’s hand.
‘How could that be? Miss Nixon has always been good to me. She wouldn’t scold me.’
Brysen had worked for Leila since she graduated and sincerely valued her kindness.
Neal’s eyes twinkled with curiosity.
‘So what were you two talking about? I thought I heard something about Mr. Morgan. Don’t worry about it. I’m just curious. I’m yours now, body and soul, so I’m not going to tell Mr. Morgan everything.’
Her sweet words made Brysen blush.
She playfully tapped him on the chest before snuggling into his arms.
‘It’s nothing serious. Just some changes in his schedule. I asked him if he wanted to let Mr. Morgan know, but he said he needed to rest and didn’t want to disturb him.’
A thoughtful frown crossed Neal’s face.
‘She didn’t want to disturb him? Aren’t she and Mr. Morgan together? And what kind of trip is this? Is it to somewhere far away?’
Feeling at ease in his arms, Brysen didn’t think much of it.
‘Together? No. Miss Nixon is not interested in Mr. Morgan. The place she’s going to is quite far away, in Yolanda. It’s for his foundation. She visits that place every month. Before, the charity was in Burmoos, but now she just goes there to check how things are going.’ He sighed lightly.
‘It’s not like Miss Nixon is trying to complicate things for us. She just wants to make sure everything is done correctly.’
Neal let out a dry laugh, trying to find the right words.
‘For you, Miss Nixon can do no wrong, can she?’
With a determined nod, Brysen replied, his voice steady and sure, ‘Yes, that’s true. I’ve got her back, no matter what. No one has the right to disrespect her.’
Neal’s expression darkened, however.
‘But what about Mr. Morgan? He has genuine feelings for Miss Nixon. Aren’t you even a little concerned about him, Brysen?’
Brysen’s eyes narrowed with distrust.
‘What are you suggesting?’
With a heavy sigh, Neal continued.
‘I should have mentioned this to you before. Mr. Morgan plans to retire and stop pursuing Ms. Nixon. All of us with ties to the Morgan group are moving. Did you know that the Morgan group owns several companies overseas?’
Brysen felt a bad hunch.
‘Are you saying you’re moving overseas? What about us?’
Concern marked Brysen’s face.
Rarely had he met someone like Neal, who lived up to all his expectations.
Brysen had thought about something serious when she first started dating Neal.
But the thought of a long-distance relationship loomed over them.
How could they plan a future together if they were worlds apart? Leila had never intended to open a branch office abroad.
Brysen giving up his career and moving abroad with Neal was not in her plans.
Neal expressed his frustration: ‘I have no choice. We heard the news a while ago. If Mr. Morgan broke up with Miss Nixon, I wouldn’t have to go back to the Morgan group, and I could stay here with you.’
Brysen’s thoughts were a whirlwind, his usual smile faded.
He shook his head, dismissing the idea.
‘That can’t happen. Miss Nixon’s heart belongs to Landon. Nothing can change that.’
Neal leaned toward her, his voice full of persuasion.
‘But Landon’s gone. You’ve all seen his body. Miss Nixon is only fooling herself by not accepting it. Don’t you see?’