Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Leila forced a smile at Shirley.
“Have you forgiven me, Leila?” Shirley asked, seeking some form of closure.
Leila faced Shirley but didn’t nod. Forgiveness was beyond her reach.
Shirley had once forced Leila to kneel and scrub the floor, cruelly stepping on Leila’s hand while “accidentally” walking past. When Leila cried out in pain, Shirley twisted the truth, claiming Leila had cursed her and commanded the maid to strike her.
In those moments of despair, Leila wondered how Roderick would react if he witnessed such cruelty. She could not bring herself to forgive Shirley for such actions.
“Leila, have you forgiven me?” Shirley repeated her question, noticing Leila’s silence.
Shirley grasped Leila’s hand, yet Leila remained motionless. She neither nodded nor shook her head.
“That is enough,” Landon finally said, stepping in and pulling Leila to his side.
“Landon, I know I was wrong. I’ve apologized to Leila, but she…” Shirley still tried to justify herself.
“Let’s just go eat,” Landon interrupted, shutting down Shirley’s attempts without pressuring Leila to forgive her.
Landon led the way to the dining room, his expression stern, with Leila close beside him.
“Alright, let’s eat,” Dean chimed in, sensing the tension. He motioned for Melinda to help Shirley, as they all moved toward the dining area.
Left alone, Sarah remained still, watching their retreat, her nails pressed deep into her palms.
The meal passed in silence, but by the afternoon, the house buzzed with arriving guests. Despite her dismay, Shirley forced a cheerful facade. Positioned in the living room, she greeted each visitor with a bright smile.
However, Shirley’s expression darkened whenever she caught sight of Leila nearby, her eyes flashing with barely suppressed fury. So many had come just for Leila!
Only days earlier, as responses for her birthday banquet poured in, Shirley had assumed they were coming for her, or perhaps for Landon or Dean. Yet, to her surprise, some had come solely for Leila.
“Mr. Collins, what a surprise to see you here! You rarely make it back from overseas!” Dean warmly welcomed a prominent international client, prompting Shirley to rush over and join the greeting.
Donovan Collins offered a gift but ignored Shirley, heading directly to Leila instead.
Accompanied by a sign language interpreter, Donovan beamed at Leila. “Leila, who would’ve thought Hayden’s studio housed such a young prodigy? I’ve wanted your expertise on some antique restorations but never found the right moment. When I heard you’d be here, I made it a point to return, hoping to enlist your help. Would that be possible?”
Leila responded with a bashful smile, signaling her eager consent through gestures.
“Donovan said he came for Leila?” Shirley turned to Melinda, her voice tight with incredulity. Another guest was here for Leila! It was too much to bear. She longed to just drive Leila away!
“Shirley, please don’t be upset. Today, you’re the star…”
Melinda struggled to smile, attempting to calm Shirley.
“I’m supposed to be the one garnering attention, but she stole my thunder!” Shirley’s face contorted with fury and jealousy.
“Shirley, let me handle this.” Just then, Sarah approached with a smile, her expression sly.
“Sarah, do you have a strategy?” Shirley’s face brightened instantly.
“It might require some cooperation from you,” Sarah replied, already plotting her next move. She winked at Shirley before weaving through the guests.
Whispering with a select few, Sarah directed someone to approach Landon.
“Mr. Kensington, I’d like to discuss a matter of cooperation.”
A guest approached Landon, who stood beside Leila. Holding a glass of champagne, Landon seemed relatively relaxed for the occasion.
At the mention of business, Landon politely deflected, “Today is my mother’s birthday celebration. Let’s steer clear of work.”
“Mr. Kensington, is there ever a time you’re not working?” The guest looked surprised. “I’m referring to the Golden Bridge project. Aren’t you interested?”
Landon paused, setting down his champagne glass. “Mr. Leach, you’re aware of our keen interest in this project, right?”
“Yeah, I know the Kensington Group has been facing challenges with this one,” Keith Leach replied, flashing a meaningful smile at Landon. “Mr. Kensington, would you like to know why?”
“Why?” Landon’s interest piqued.
With the Kensington Group’s clout, both locally and nationally, usually no one could even come close to challenging him on projects. Yet, this one had been a real thorn. Despite proposals, they faced consistent rejection, hinting at deeper, unseen challenges.
“Because Mayor Fowler has a soft spot for entrepreneurs whose spouses share a certain image… and your wife’s situation…” Keith glanced discreetly at Leila and then back at Landon, his tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
Landon frowned at the revelation. “Mr. Fowler plays favorites? Why haven’t I heard about this?”
“Mr. Fowler is new in town and eager to establish his mark. Honestly, he specifically tasked me to fill you in,” Keith’s justification seemed plausible, as such practices were typical in the business world, leaving little room for doubt.
“So, Mr. Leach, any words of wisdom for me?” Landon’s tone shifted to one of seeking advice.
“As long as you make your position clear, that’s sufficient,” Keith said with a smile.
“What position?” Landon asked.
“Mr. Fowler believes you and Miss Miller make a good match. After all, the Miller family is also invested in this project,” Keith elaborated.
Landon prompted, “Take today for instance…”
Keith lowered his voice further. “You could publicly indicate that you and your wife have a strained relationship and show some affection toward Miss Miller.”
Having said this, Keith took a step back.
“What do you say, Mr. Kensington?” Keith posed, his tone confident. “Isn’t it really simple? This deal is worth billions. Such a straightforward approach to clinch it, frankly, it almost feels too easy, doesn’t it?”
But Landon’s demeanor turned stoic, his gaze steady on Keith. “How can I be sure you’re telling the truth?”
“I get your doubts. Well, how about this? If you follow through and Mr. Fowler still denies the project to the Kensington Group, you can deal with me however you want. I certainly wouldn’t dare to trick you. You’d probably skin me alive, wouldn’t you?”
Keith chuckled, leaning in again with a grin. “What do you think, Mr. Kensington?”
Landon held Keith’s gaze for a moment and then glanced over to where Sarah was engaged in conversation with someone else. Sarah sensed Landon’s gaze and pivoted.
Just then, Shirley approached and positioned herself next to Sarah, waving at Landon. “I was hoping Landon could introduce me to Mr. Juarez.”
Louis Juarez, who was talking to Sarah, turned to look at Landon.
Landon knew it would be inappropriate to ignore them. He walked over, and Sarah linked her arm with his. Shirley smiled approvingly, creating the appearance of a contented family unit.
Watching from a distance, Leila felt like a complete outsider. Landon had brought her along, forced Shirley to make amends, and even pretended to be affectionate in front of his family, which was more than enough for her, as she had never been treated properly around his family.
Leila quietly withdrew, planning to leave. Before, watching Landon and Sarah being affectionate had stabbed at her heart. Now, she didn’t feel like lingering for the display or being affected by them. She seemed to have moved on.
Just as Leila was preparing to leave, she heard Landon’s voice call out her name from behind, “Leila.”
Landon left Sarah’s side and walked over to Leila.
“Mr. Kensington, you…” Keith hurriedly interjected, “This isn’t enough! You need to show that your relationship with your wife is strained in this scenario! You should completely disregard her and go to Sarah!”
This time, Keith raised his voice, his words reaching Leila’s ears clearly.
Many jumped to the assumption that Leila couldn’t speak or hear properly and therefore raised their voices when addressing her. In truth, Leila’s hearing was sharp, and she caught most of what Keith had whispered to Landon moments ago. Now, seeing Keith pressuring Landon like this, she understood what she had to do. She didn’t want to jeopardize Landon’s career.
Leila turned toward the exit, but before she could leave, someone grabbed her wrist.
Landon was the one who seized Leila’s wrist. His brow furrowed as he stared at her with evident displeasure, his irritation stemming merely from her attempt to leave.