“Why did Leilani say that she didn’t like Michelle before?” Waylen wonders, “But now she’s pleading for her life. How odd!”
“In the end, I didn’t go through her legs or get near to her crotch. Moreover, she’s received her retribution now,” Leilani says.
Leilani has already shamed Michelle. She’d feel terrible if the woman ended up dead.
“Yes, you’re right,” Michelle says, “I deserve the utmost shame. I spread my legs and then I fell, exposing myself to everyone. That is retribution enough, I assure you.”
Leilani turns to Michelle who looks abjectly miserable. She knows it’s shameful for her to even mention her public nudity. Waylen frowns. His expression is cold and distant and unreadable. He continues to point the gun at Michelle’s head.
“I’m hungry, and it seems she understands what she’s done wrong,” Leilani says, Shall we have lunch now?”
She wants to change the topic and recall Waylen from his murderous rage. All she wants is for him to spare Michelle’s life. She doesn’t care about stealthy accusations or Michelle’s rude words; she doesn’t even want to make Michelle apologize anymore.
Knowing that no one can change Waylen’s mind once he’s made a decision, she calmly places her palm over the muzzle of the gun.
“Manager Michelle, be quick and arrange the lunch,” she says.
Michelle continues to choke and cry. She looks at Waylen fearfully, waiting for his permission. Even though Leilani has helped her, she doesn’t dare to leave without Waylen’s approval.
Robert Tinder is in a cold sweat. Robert has served Mr. Bamford for many years, and he knows him very well; when Mr. Bamford is angry, he will crush everyone and everything in his path.
“I can’t believe Mrs. Bamford blocked the gun with her hand. Isn’t she scared of being shot?” he thinks.
“Go then,” Waylen says angrily.
He put-puts the safety on the gun and tosses it to Robert.
Michelle staggers to her feet and hurriedly runs away to the hotel, losing one of her shoes in the process. The terrified waiters follow in Michelle’s steps. The sounds of crying and screaming gradually disappear. Only the quiet m.o.a.ning of the bodyguards in the grass remains.
More than a dozen people search carefully for the ring, but it can’t be found. Waylen takes Leilani’s hand in his and stares at her without moving. His eyes are blank.
“Do you know why I let her go?” he suddenly asks Leilani.
“Because my palm was blocking your gun?” Leilani answers peacefully.
“Because in your eyes, it wasn’t such a big deal. You didn’t seem to be as furious as I felt,” Waylen said.
Leilani nodded her agreement; she’s not narrow-minded.
“In my opinion, anyone who intends to hurt my wife should be killed. And I want to be the one to do it,” he says roughly.
The breeze blows again and Leilani looks up at him with confusion.
“Suddenly people can’t hurt his wife?” she thinks, “Well, nominally, I’m his wife. And he’s the one who always wants to hurt me most.’
From across the lawn, a bodyguard shouts, “We found it.”
Leilani turns to the guard, eager to retrieve her ring. Waylen glances at Robert, and Robert takes the ring to disinfect it. Waylen is picky about things that have been on the ground or touched by others.
“Why are you so nervous about this ring?” he asks Leilani, examining it, “The jewelry that the Bamford’s give you every year is ten times nicer than this.”
Leilani didn’t think that he would pay attention to the ring. He’s so jealous and possessive, she knows he’d be furious if she mentioned that Charles Meyer gave her the ring.
“My mother gave me the ring,” she says, “It has sentimental value.”
Waylen takes the sanitized ring and holds it in front of his eyes, observing the color of the light through the gem.
“A rare green diamond, I see,” he says, “You used it to stab me in the heart that day?”
“It’s just an ordinary ring, modified for self-defense,” Leilani shrugs.
She wants to get her ring back, but Waylen continues to hold it. She places her hand on his, and he slides the ring onto her index finger. He plays with her other, unadorned fingers, gently.
“I want you to start wearing your wedding ring,” Waylen says peacefully and decisively.
“Wear my wedding ring?” Leilani thinks, “I don’t even know what my wedding ring looks like.
Robert coughs discreetly and whispers to Waylen, “Mr. Bamford, when you were first married, you didn’t wear wedding rings.”
“Who asked you?” Waylen says rudely and coldly.
A bald man about forty years old is running across the lawn and shouting, “Mr. Bamford!” His flesh shakes as he runs. The bodyguards stop him before he can get too close to Lance.
“Mr. Bamford, I’m the director of the Zuri Hotel,” he pants, “My name is Gates. I know my staff has made some mistakes, but I humbly beg you to forgive them.”
Gate uses his handkerchief to mop sweat from his forehead. Waylen scowls and looks at Gates, angered that the bald man has destroyed the gentle moment with Leilani. Waylen opens his palm and Robert puts a tablet in his hands.
“Purchase the controlling share of Zuri Hotel in the next two days,” Waylen taps the screen and checks the stock prices of the Zuri Hotel as he speaks, “Then transfer it all to Mrs. Bamford.”
Robert nods instinctively. Then suddenly, he raises his head and says in a broken voice, “Mr. Bamford, Zuri Hotel belongs—”
“What’s the problem?” Waylen asks impatiently.
“Zuri Hotel belongs to the Summers.”
“So what?” Waylen asks.
Robert is so anxious that he’s sweating again. The Summers family has two daughters, and everyone knows that the Zuri Hotel is reserved for Diana. Diana is currently traveling abroad to study hotel management.
“Mr. Bamford—” Gates is horrified.
He wanted to apologize in the name of the hotel, but somehow he’s bungled the apology and found that Waylen intends to purchase the hotel. He’s afraid of making more mistakes, so he stops speaking.
“Transfer it to me?” Leilani twists the ring on her finger, “Why?”
Waylen tosses the tablet back to Robert, “I know how you feel about Michelle. Now it’s your hotel. You can do whatever you want to do.”
He transfers ownership of the hotel as naturally as if he was deciding what to wear. Leilani stares at him. She knows she should refuse the hotel, but Nanny’s face appears in her mind. If the hotel belongs to her, Nanny’s medical bills will be easy to pay—regardless of what happens with the divorce.
Months ago, when Leilani fell herself into the sea at the banquet, Waylen assumed she was pretending to kill herself to attract his attention. Outrage by the media attention, the Bamford cut her allowance. It became incredibly difficult to pay for Nanny’s unending medical bills.
“Don’t be too touched,” Waylen says, “It’s your reward for cooperating for the physical examination this afternoon.”
Waylen feigns arrogance and sneers at Leilani before walking toward the hotel. She knows that he’s not a kind man, and he doesn’t give gifts without an ulterior motive. After coercing her into going to the appointment, he is going to bribe her. Having no other choice, she follows him into the hotel.
The atrium is filled with the scent of flowers, and several small magpies eat on the ground. Upon hearing the footsteps, the small magpies flutter their wings and fly to the nearest perch.
Everything has been rearranged in the restaurant. The tables and chairs are no longer overturned and a fresh, white tablecloth embroidered with flowers flutters in the wind. A new bottle of wine sits beside a decanter.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply