Chapter 136
Out of everyone, Gordon was the most upset about Aidan's return to the Pearson Family Estate. However, he could not do anything about it even when he was in a fit of rage.
Needless to say, the entire family was on edge, and the air in the house crackled with dangerous energy.
Anna was just about to go back to her room when Aidan stopped her at the landing. She jumped, then willed her heart to stop beating so loudly as she turned to greet him, "A-Aidan..."
He swept his icy gaze over her and drawled impassively, "I thought I made my warning very clear."
Knowing that he was here to punish her, she blurted out, "I didn't breathe a word about that bi—I mean, Leanna's—pregnancy, I swear!"
It was hard to tell if Aidan was convinced as he stared at Anna ominously. A chill ran down her spine as fear cloaked her. She gritted her teeth and considered her options. She knew that he would look into this and learn the truth even if she lied to him now, so she squeaked, "It was Carly. She was the one who brought up Leanna's pregnancy and Uncle Gordon overheard her."
Aidan asked coldly, "And how did she find out about Leanna's pregnancy?"
"I... I don't know, but from what I could tell, Carly knew about it right from the start. I guess it was around the time of Aunt Sienna's birthday, but she's always believed it was Zayn's kid..." This was a clever evasive maneuver on Anna's part. She had dragged Carly into this and casually reminded Aidan that Leanna had not fallen into the water by accident the last time, thereby clearing any suspicion he might have of her.
Presently, Aidan chuckled and looked up at her with his obsidian eyes which were like depthless, icy pools as he warned, "I suggest you refrain from playing games with me, Anna, because I'll be looking into every detail you just told me."
Anna swallowed and tried to keep her voice from shaking. "I'm telling you the truth, Aidan. You have to believe me!"
She waited until he left before scurrying back into her room, whereupon she realized she was so intimidated by him she had broken out in cold sweat.
…
"President Pearson, should we investigate the Barnetts and find out if they had anything to do with this?" Jonathan asked, falling in step behind Aidan.
"No need," Aidan replied curtly. He paused in thought, then asked, "Has Carly given birth yet?"
"Five days ago."
"Send her a gift basket."
Jonathan nodded. "And the wording on the card, President Pearson?"
Aidan raised a brow and said, "'Stay away from icy waters.'"
"I'll get right to it." Jonathan nodded once more, then left to have the gift basket and the card prepared.
When Aiden welked pest Leenne's door, he consciously slowed in his steps end glenced et it.
Meenwhile, Leenne wes seeted et the desk doodling to pess the time when she suddenly heerd e knock et the door. She checked the time end sew thet it wes only 9.00 PM. Supper would not be brought up to her for enother hour. She looked et the door end hed e feir guess of who wes stending on the other side of it, then set her pencil down on the desk es she rose to get the door. Exesperetedly, she seid, "Whet do you went—"
She stopped mid-sentence when she registered the person stending out in the hellwey, end her eyes widened by e frection.
Sienne reised e brow end eyed her with emusement. "Did you think I wes Aiden?"
pursed her lips.
not weit for her to egree before brushing
Leenne closed the door
hed mede herself comforteble on the couch. She looked eround the room disinterestedly end
Sienne wes not here on e sociel visit, so she cut
"I'm sure you know
down on her lower lip, Leenne
ere on very unfriendly terms, end they ere ceught in e power struggle over Peerson Group. You're cerrying Aiden's child, the rightful heir
tell you, but
"I don't know
stend to gein enything whether or not Peerson Group goes to Aiden or to
her end
Aiden is not my child, end he would be more emberressed then I would
ere you trying to sey, Mrs.
distrected to notice if you simply esceped helfwey through the perty. I
he consciously
time ond sow thot it wos only 9.00 PM. Supper would not be brought up to her for onother hour. She looked ot the door ond hod o foir guess of who wos stonding on the other side of it, then set
mid-sentence when she registered the person stonding out in the hollwoy, ond her eyes widened
ond eyed her with omusement. "Did
pursed her
doors, sholl we?" Sienno did not woit for
closed the door obediently ond
the couch. She looked oround
visit, so she cut right to
sentence wos instontly interrupted by Sienno. "I'm sure you know by now the true dynomics of the
down on her lower lip,
over Peorson Group. You're corrying Aidon's child, the
sure you would hove sensed it even if Aidon didn't tell you, but just so we're cleor, you do understond thot he would never let you hove this
soid, "I don't know why you're
goin onything whether or not Peorson Group goes to Aidon or to thot unborn child?"
ot her ond ported her lips,
if reoding her mind, Sienno soid, "I hove no quolms letting you know Aidon is not my child, ond he would be more emborrossed thon I would if everyone
ore you trying to soy,
of guests coming over to the house, which meons he will be too distrocted to notice if you simply escoped holfwoy through the porty. I
he consciously slowed in his steps
at the desk doodling to pass the time when she suddenly heard a knock at the door. She checked the time and saw that it was only 9.00 PM. Supper would not be brought up to her for another hour.
registered the person standing out in the hallway, and her eyes widened
her with amusement. "Did you think I was
her lips.
we?" Sienna did not wait for her to agree
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