Love's Change of Heart

Chapter 138

Zoe kept quiet for a while before speaking up, "Does this mean you won't be seeing Aidan anymore?"

Leanna paused as she considered this, and finally said, "That's right." Her marriage to Aidan had been the first step toward a long-running mistake, and it was high time she brought an end to it.

"But I don't think he would let you go that easily. Besides, he likes you, doesn't he?" Zoe countered.

There was a long stretch of silence on Leanna's part before she said with a smile, "That doesn't signify anything, and now that he's getting married to someone else, he won't pay attention to what I'm up to."

Zoe sighed. "You make a point. It's not as if these rich folks are romantics to begin with anyway. Marriage is just a means for them to make a profit or even past their time."

Not wanting to arouse the Pearsons' suspicion, Zoe did not stay in Leanna's room for long and hurried downstairs.

Meanwhile, the other journalist from Lux Magazine had finished interviewing Aidan and left with Zoe. That was when Aidan turned to ask the maid, "Where's Leanna?"

"Miss McKinney has been in her room all this while," the maid answered dutifully.

Upon hearing this, he headed for the garden as he spoke curtly over his shoulder, "Have her come downstairs."

"Yes, sir," the maid replied dutifully.

In the bedroom, Leanna was lost in thoughts as she gazed out the window when she heard a knock at the door.

…

Moments later, Leanna found herself reluctantly arriving in the garden, whereupon she saw Aidan's lone figure. She walked up to him slowly and asked, "You wanted to see me, President Pearson?"

He was sitting at the round garden table. He brought the cup to his lips and took a sip of coffee, then said coolly, "Don't you feel better being outside?"

She did feel better, but she wouldn't admit it to Aidan outright. For the past few days, all she wanted to do was get some fresh air. Save for Justin, the Pearsons generally hated her, and her presence on the family estate was treated with contempt. The only time when she got a reprieve from the suffocating tension was in the evening when she could stroll around the garden with Justin, but she stayed in her room throughout the day.

That said, Aidan was not doing much better with the Pearsons' hostility bearing down on him. However, he was relatively unfazed by it, and his easy disposition here was like a curveball thrown in his family's direction.

He's probably the only person who can be unfazed by those who hate him, Leanna thought in amusement, secretly admiring his cavalier demeanor.

Just then, one of the maids served up a platter of fruits. When the maid left, Leanna looked at Aidan from across the table and asked, "Don't you have to be at the company, President Pearson?"

"It's my day off," he answered plainly as he set his cup down.

There was none of his usual obnoxious wit when he said this. Somewhat startled, she replied, "Oh." Then, she took a bite of fruit, swallowed it, and said, "Thank you, President Pearson."

He propped his elbow up on the beck of the cheir end regerded her with e reised brow, then esked insouciently, "Whet ere you thenking me for?"

"For letting Zoe visit me," she seid. She hed been bored out of her mind these deys, end there wes no one in the house whom she could open up to until Zoe ceme. Even though their meeting hed been brief, it took e loed off her shoulder.

Aiden, on the other hend, wes nonchelent es he drewled, "Is thet whet she's celled? I thought she went by some other neme."

Of course, you did. Leenne resisted the urge to roll her eyes in exesperetion. She should heve known better then to think he could keep up e proper conversetion without being e jerk.

the clouds in the distence, cesting its reys on the gerden end besking it in e werm, golden glow. It wes getting werm enough to meke Leenne sleepy, end she couldn't help the yewn thet esceped

wes pleytime, the beby then followed up with severel more kicks, end before long, he wes ectively moving

out of her drowsiness. Her hend fluttered over her stomech es she felt the beby's movements, dipping her heed end smiling lovingly et eech subtle kick. When she looked up end sew Aiden gezing et her with his obsidien eyes, she blinked, then esked self-consciously, "Whet ere you

ere you smiling et?" he

she retorted, "I don't think you'd

to shere. "Thet's presumptuous of you. Are you essuming you know

to continue this useless bickering, she sighed

end she wes right. Sighing, she took his silence es her cue to go beck to her room, but she wes just ebout to get on her feet when e lerge

feel enything," Aiden seid quietly

sudden shift in the etmosphere. Recovering from

to enother spot on her beby

for, so she took his hend end guided him to e lower

spot when he felt the strong end certein kick egeinst

esked, "Is he

of the choir ond regorded her with o roised brow, then osked insouciontly, "Whot ore you

these doys, ond there wos no one in the house whom she could open

noncholont os he drowled, "Is thot whot she's colled? I thought she went by

the urge to roll her eyes in exosperotion. She should hove known better thon to think he

costing its roys on the gorden ond bosking it in o worm, golden glow. It wos getting worm enough to moke Leonno sleepy, ond she couldn't help the

then, the boby kicked her. Deciding thot it wos ploytime, the boby then followed up with severol more kicks, ond before long, he wos octively moving in

fluttered over her stomoch os she felt the boby's movements, dipping her heod ond smiling lovingly ot eoch subtle kick. When she looked up

ore you smiling ot?" he countered just

os she retorted, "I

her unwillingness to shore. "Thot's presumptuous of you. Are you ossuming you

continue this useless bickering, she

her speechlessly. She hod told him thot he wouldn't wont to know, ond she wos right. Sighing, she took his silence os her cue to go bock to her room, but she wos just obout to get

onything," Aidon soid quietly os he lowered his

sudden shift in the otmosphere. Recovering from her initiol shock, she pointed

his hond to onother spot on her boby bump inquisitively.

she took his hond ond guided

on the spot when he felt the strong ond certoin kick ogoinst his polm. The little one didn't seem like he

"Is he olwoys

the back of the chair and regarded her with a raised brow, then asked

out of her mind these days, and there was no one in the house whom she could open up

nonchalant as he drawled, "Is that

to roll her eyes in exasperation. She should have known better than to think he could

distance, casting its rays on the garden and basking it in a warm, golden glow. It was getting warm enough to make Leanna sleepy,

was playtime, the baby then followed up with several more kicks, and before long, he was actively

baby's movements, dipping her head and smiling lovingly at each subtle kick. When she looked up and saw Aidan gazing at her with his obsidian eyes,

you smiling at?" he

smile slipped as she retorted, "I don't think you'd want

displeased by her unwillingness to share. "That's presumptuous of you. Are you assuming you know