"I have something for you, Lord Hughes."

The voice belonged to one of Lord Franklin's friends. Leoandro turned, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the man.

From his pocket, the fellow produced a maroon velvet box, then placed it carefully in the centre of the table.

He opened it, revealing a pendant: a polished oval of gold, inside which lay a piece of green jade delicately carved into flowers, encircled by luminous pearls.

"Sorry, man, but I don’t want to gamble any more. I’m tired, and I’d rather have some rest," Leonardo muttered, gesturing in dismissal before striding hurriedly towards the door.

But the man’s voice chased after him.

"No!… no gambling, sir. Why don’t you make a deal instead?"

His words stumbled out uncertainly, almost as if he were praying from within that Leo might agree.

The man had a rough, unpolished look about him, and had it not been among the noblemen, he could easily have been mistaken for a thief.

Hope lit his eyes when Leo turned slowly back towards him.

"A deal?… What kind of deal?"
Leoandro’s suspicion sharpened his tone, though curiosity made him reclaim his chair and settle into it.

He wondered what else this fool might have hidden up his sleeves.

"Why don’t you return the money we lost… in exchange for this pendant?"

At last, the man revealed his true intent. He wanted his money back—if only it were possible—and at the same time was determined to rid himself of the pendant.

A bargain of desperation; he might save his pocket and sell the trinket all at once.

Leoandro’s cold laugh cut across the room. "Are you mad? Who would waste fifty gold coins on a pendant? Do you take me for a fool—or is it you who’s trying to rob me?" He made as if to rise and leave again, though within himself, he almost wished the fellow would beg harder… perhaps even drag the others into pleading too.

"Please, my lord, this is no ordinary jade," the man persisted, desperation seeping into his voice.

"It was given to me by a traveller from China during one of my journeys. He claimed it belonged to the Qing Dynasty, that it held magic—that it brings luck and guards against evil. He said it blesses its bearer with the power to find loved ones, no matter how or why they were lost."

The man poured out every scrap of knowledge he possessed about the stone, while the remaining four companions looked on as though the exchange were some unexpected entertainment.

Leoandro chuckled drily. "That Chinese fellow merely made a fool of you." He waved his hand impatiently, unwilling to part with fifty gold coins so easily.

The man leaned forward pitifully now. "Perhaps you’re right, Lord Hughes. The man gave me only the stone, but I asked a craftsman to turn it into this pendant. My lord, you never lack coin, whereas the rest of us… the money we lost was all we had left to see the journey through. You could afford this indulgence, but for us, it is misery. Who else could I possibly offer it to, if not you? It would look fine on your wife, my lord… please, have mercy." His voice cracked as he bowed his head, reduced to near-begging.

Leoandro rolled his eyes, hiding how the sight stirred a guilty pang within him. He wanted them desperate—it made the exchange sweeter. Still, sighing heavily, he relented.

"Fine. A deal then. But only because I pity you."

He tossed the coin purse across the room. The man caught it with nimble hands, relief flashing across his face. Leoandro, without another word, slipped the velvet box into his pocket.

POW!

The next moment, his fist drove hard into the man’s jaw, knocking him to the floor. A streak of blood dribbled at once from the corner of the fellow’s mouth. Staggered by the sudden blow, he gazed up wide-eyed at the furious lord.

"Never speak of my wife again, you filthy wretch," Leoandro growled, pointing a finger in warning before turning sharply on his heel. Fear swallowed the man’s features as he watched the formidable figure retreat.

Later that evening, in his chamber, Leonardo sat alone behind his desk, the pendant turning restlessly between his hands.

He studied it intently, for the truth was he had fancied it the moment he first laid eyes on it. Yet his pride—his wicked delight—had demanded they beg until he was satisfied. Their faces at last, twisted in shock and fear, filled him with a cruel kind of satisfaction.

He knew they had lured him there hoping to make a mockery of him, but instead he had turned the tables. It pleased him to no end to see their expressions collapse under his command.

For the first time in too long, he felt he had found his voice. And the courage that surged in him—he owed it all to one person alone: his wife, Elizabeth.

Her memory tugged him downward into the depths of the past.

Leoandro and Elizabeth first met when they were only eight years old. At that time, Leo was a timid boy, his small soul burdened with the guilt of his brother’s death.

She, on the other hand, had only recently moved from the countryside, newly arrived in London and bright-eyed to its novelties.

Their first meeting was during a grand ball hosted at the Hughes estate. Elizabeth had entered with her parents but quickly found herself overwhelmed, restless amid the splendour and chatter.

With the innocent daring of a child, she slipped away to explore the property.

She wandered through the gardens, the dining hall, the kitchen, and finally climbed to the second floor, where a long, lavish hallway bore four opposing chamber doors. Curious, she tried each—three were locked, but the fourth gave way beneath her small hand.

The room was dim, shutters fastened to keep out the day, as though darkness itself had been shut inside.

There, in a corner, a boy sat hunched upon the floor, his forehead pressed into his knees, his eyes dull and emptied of life.

He sensed her presence instantly and burst out with fury. "How dare you? How can you enter someone’s chamber without permission?" His voice was sharp, but the indignation only deepened her smile.

With a gentle confidence, she strode to the window and flung the curtains wide open.

Golden light cascaded across the room, driving away the gloom. It no longer looked like a tomb but a place that breathed.

"If sunlight needs no permission to enter this room, then why should I?" she answered lightly, her grin brimming with mischief.

Leoandro found himself silenced, struck dumb by her words. Almost reluctantly, he shuffled towards the window, peering out at the bright garden below.

It had been many days since he had let his eyes see more than the shut corners of his grief.

The garden was alive—ebullient with flowers bowing in sunlight, birds weaving their songs, and butterflies painting the air with colour.

"Whatever chains you hold inside," Elizabeth said softly beside him, "you must let them go. Everything happens for a reason. You cannot change the past—but you can choose to live. Each day is a new beginning. Don’t waste it."

Her words were like water on fire, soothing the ache that gnawed at him.

He turned to look at her properly: auburn hair falling in wavy tresses, eyes the green of spring leaves, a heart-shaped face where a sweet smile rested. She had lost her front two teeth, and the sight made him chuckle through the heaviness he carried.

Without a word, he darted to his bedside and pulled out a small cage. At the window, he opened its little door, and two birds fluttered free, bursting skyward with wild joy.

As they fled the cage, it felt as though he, too, had been unshackled—the suffocating guilt at last beginning to fray.

His heart grew lighter, and for the first time, he breathed with ease. Elizabeth’s presence, her words, had worked a magic no prayer or scolding ever had.

🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚

AUTHOR CORNER

So what you think about pendant??

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Have any idea why Leo is so reserved and distant from everyone??

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