Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
After returning to her room, Leila made a video call to her three children.
Elma, now the most talkative, engaged in an animated conversation with Leila.
During the call, Elma’s mood suddenly changed to one of discontent.
‘Mom, I’m not happy,’ Elma said.
Concerned, Leila asked, ‘What’s wrong, are you feeling bad?’
Elma, visibly upset, shook her head in frustration.
Sophie, next to Elma, clarified, ‘Elma’s class has an event this week that requires family participation.
Calvin and I will be attending. We knew you were busy, so Elma didn’t mention it to you.
She had intended to invite Mr. Morgan, but he wasn’t available. That’s why she’s upset.
Sophie added, ‘It’s okay, she’ll feel better once we comfort her.’
Elma, resting her chin on her hands, commented, ‘Mommy, you’re busy.’
‘Clayton is busy too.
Everyone seems to be too busy.’.
Leila experienced mixed emotions. She felt proud but melancholy, as Elma was so thoughtful and hadn’t troubled her with more worries. She was surprised that Clayton wasn’t at home recuperating as expected. If Clayton had planned a special trip, he would normally have told her.
Leila asked, ‘Elma, did Clayton mention where he was going?’
Elma replied, shaking her head, ‘I don’t know. He just said he’d be back when you got back.’
This made Leila uncomfortable, but she didn’t dwell on it, assuming Clayton must have urgent business to attend to. Looking at Elma through the phone, full of affection, Leila said, ‘The next time something like this happens, please let me know. Don’t doubt or assume it will bother me.’
Sophie agreed, adding, ‘Absolutely, it won’t bother us at all.’
Elma smiled brightly, no longer looking sad, and even blew Leila a kiss. ‘Mommy, I love you more than anyone!’ Elma’s loving gesture immediately warmed Leila’s heart.
After the call, Leila texted Clayton, confused by her absence. ‘Elma said you were out. Didn’t you have a follow-up appointment at the hospital? What’s going on?’
Normally, Clayton was quick to respond, but this time there was silence. Leila decided not to give the lack of response any more thought and went back to her chores.
The day of the livestream arrived. Thanks to extensive promotion, it attracted around three thousand viewers from the start. Although the audience did not reach the expected numbers, Leila was satisfied with the response.
As Brysen had predicted, the comments were a mixture of high praise for Leila’s generosity and criticism questioning her motives.
Some viewers commented sceptically: ‘Is this just an act? Who does she think she is, a celebrity?’ ‘She’s definitely pretty and comes from a wealthy family. Maybe she’s just trying to gain more popularity.’
A concerned comment said, ‘I really hope her efforts are sincere, for the sake of the children.’
‘You’re dreaming if you think he’s here for more than just fame. Once the livestream is over, he’ll take the money and leave, giving nothing to those in need.’ ‘Is it simply an exploitation of these people’s hardship for his own gain? Absolutely disgusting.’
As the negative comments mounted on the livestream, some clearly came from detractors hired by competing companies. Sentiment in the comments section of the livestream began to wane. New viewers began to question Leila’s authenticity. However, this scepticism led more viewers to sympathise with impoverished children, prompting many to donate directly through the official website to ensure that funds did not reach Leila.
Despite the criticism, Leila found satisfaction in these gestures of support. She chose to ignore the negativity online and focused on interacting with the children through various activities. She did not feel the need to justify herself. The more he tried to explain, the more he seemed to be unnecessarily defending himself.
While some viewers doubted Leila, others recognised the genuineness of the children’s joy in her company. Leila took the opportunity to interact authentically with the children.
As the day progressed, the negative comments diminished. After several games with the children, an exhausted Leila went to fetch water when she unexpectedly bumped into someone dressed as a cleaner.
Their sudden encounter caused Leila to inadvertently drop the cleaner’s tools. Realising her mistake, Leila quickly apologised. ‘I’m sorry. Are you okay?’
‘No problem,’ the cleaner replied, his voice unexpectedly clear and pleasant.
At the sound of his voice, Leila slowly looked up and met a pair of dark, familiar eyes. Immediately, she recognised him.
‘Landon?’ she exclaimed, her heart beating rapidly.
This was no illusion or dream. Despite his covered face, Leila was sure it was Landon, the one she had been waiting to see.
However, Landon only shot her a quick glance before taking her hand quickly. He coughed slightly, looking away to hide his emotions, and spoke calmly.
‘Miss, you’re wrong. I’m not who you think I am.’
But her trembling hands subtly contradicted her words.
‘Yes, you are Landon,’ Leila stated firmly, her eyes filling with tears, her voice trembling. ‘Don’t take me for a fool, I never mistook you for anyone else. Landon, what are you doing here, where have you been? Please come with me.’
As Leila spoke, she reached out and took Landon’s hand.
At that moment, Landon’s resolve faded. He wanted to stay with her, against all odds.
But just then, a group rushed up, trying to catch Landon. Seizing the moment, Landon unclasped his hand and ran forward.
The group immediately gave chase, causing instant chaos.
The children, unaccustomed to such scenes, were terrified, and some began to cry.
Leila felt the urge to chase after them, but the sound of the children crying made her reconsider. She stopped and stood there.
The crowd was thick. She knew she could not leave. Her absence could endanger the children. Leila quickly took control, calming the children and restoring order. However, she couldn’t get Landon out of her mind, especially with the strange group that had chased him.
Finding an opportunity, Leila called Brysen, urging her to organize a search party and, if necessary, contact the authorities to ensure Landon’s safety.
‘Mr. Kensington?’ replied Brysen, confused. ‘Miss Nixon, are you sure, Mr. Kensington hasn’t been gone for a long time?’
‘No,’ Leila replied firmly, without hesitation. ‘I’m sure it was him. It was definitely him.’
Leila’s tone softened as she pleaded, ‘Brysen, you must believe me. He’s still alive. It was him, can you help me find him, please?’
Touched by Leila’s plea, Brysen couldn’t say no. She agreed and quickly mobilised a group to search for Landon, her thoughts scrambled.
Brysen realised that the men chasing Landon were Clayton’s men. Leila hadn’t noticed because she didn’t know Clayton was there too.
Feeling surprised by the unexpected presence of Clayton’s men, Brysen quickened his pace, worried about the implications.
Landon was soon cornered by Clayton’s men. They had strategically surrounded the area to ensure his capture.
Trapped on the edge of a cliff, blocked by three cars and surrounded by bodyguards, Landon found himself with no escape.
When Clayton stepped out of the car, Landon confronted him and laughed coldly, lowering his mask to reveal his stoic, handsome features.
Clayton looked directly into Landon’s face. He didn’t look the least bit surprised. Instead, a faint smile crossed his lips as he greeted Landon with the ease of an old friend.
‘Mr. Kensington, it’s been a while. I never imagined we’d meet again like this.’
Landon’s expression hardened as he quickly began to put the pieces together.
‘You’ve arranged these people beforehand,’ he said, his voice strained. ‘You knew I’d come here.’
Clayton raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed..
‘Mr. Kensington, you’re still as perceptive as ever in figuring it out so quickly.’
A surge of anger surged through Landon before fading into helplessness. He had maintained his pride for so many years, but here he was, backed into a corner. Despair and confusion washed over him for a moment, but he quickly hid them.