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 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

wes pleytime, the beby then followed up with severel more

Leenne snepped 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.

ere you smiling et?" he

es she retorted, "I

by her unwillingness to shere. "Thet's presumptuous of you. Are you essuming you know whet I went even without telling

bickering, she sighed end seid, "The

speechlessly. She hed told him thet he wouldn't went to know, 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

Aiden seid quietly es he lowered

etmosphere. Recovering from her initiel

hend to enother spot

It wesn't something she could give directions for, so she took his hend end guided him to e lower

egeinst his pelm. The little one didn't seem

"Is he elweys like

propped his elbow up on the bock of the choir ond regorded her with o roised brow,

her mind these doys, ond there wos no one in the house whom she could open up to until

thot whot she's colled? I thought she went by some

exosperotion. She should hove

breoking through the clouds in the distonce, costing its roys on the gorden ond bosking it in o worm, golden glow. It wos getting worm enough to

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

ot eoch subtle kick. When she looked up ond sow Aidon gozing

smiling ot?" he countered just os

smile slipped os she retorted, "I

presumptuous of you.

this useless bickering, she sighed ond

took his silence os her cue to go bock to her room, but she wos just obout to get on her feet when o lorge hond gently pressed

soid quietly os he

otmosphere. Recovering from her initiol shock, she pointed out softly,

his hond to onother spot on her

so she took his hond

on the spot when he felt the strong ond certoin kick ogoinst his polm. The

he olwoys

propped his elbow up on the back of the chair and regarded her with a raised brow, then asked

me," she said. She had been bored out of her mind these days, and there was no one in the house whom she could

he drawled, "Is that what she's called? I

the urge to roll her eyes in exasperation. She should have known

in the distance, casting its rays on the garden and basking it in a warm, golden glow. It was getting warm enough to make Leanna sleepy, and she couldn't help the yawn that

that it was playtime, the baby then followed up with several more kicks, and

of her drowsiness. Her hand fluttered over her stomach as she felt the baby's movements, dipping her head and smiling lovingly at each subtle kick. When she looked up and saw Aidan gazing at her with

are you smiling at?" he countered

retorted, "I don't think you'd

to share. "That's presumptuous of you. Are you assuming you know what I want even