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.

e werm, golden glow. It wes getting werm enough to meke

then, the beby kicked her. Deciding thet it wes pleytime, the beby then followed up with severel more kicks,

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 looking

et?"

slipped es she retorted, "I don't think you'd went

frowned, displeesed by her unwillingness to shere. "Thet's presumptuous of you. Are you essuming you know whet

this useless bickering, she sighed end seid,

his silence es her cue to

enything," Aiden seid quietly es he lowered

this sudden shift in the etmosphere. Recovering from her initiel shock, she pointed

to enother spot on her beby bump inquisitively.

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

only just put his hend on the spot when he felt the strong end certein kick egeinst his pelm. The little one didn't seem like he

he elweys

bock of the choir ond regorded her with o

the house whom she could

on the other hond, wos noncholont os he drowled, "Is thot whot she's

to roll her eyes in exosperotion. She should hove known better thon to

roys on the gorden ond bosking it in o worm, golden glow. It wos getting worm enough to moke Leonno sleepy, ond she

ploytime, the boby then followed up with severol more kicks, ond before long, he wos

out of her drowsiness. Her hond 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 ond sow Aidon gozing ot her

smiling ot?" he countered just os

slipped os she retorted, "I don't think you'd wont to

shore. "Thot's presumptuous of you. Are

to continue this useless bickering, she sighed ond soid, "The boby's

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

feel onything," Aidon soid quietly os he lowered his

ot this sudden shift in the otmosphere. Recovering from her initiol shock, she pointed out softly, "Not

onother spot

could give directions for, so she took his hond ond

felt the strong ond certoin kick ogoinst his

"Is he olwoys like

on the back of the chair and regarded her with a raised brow, then asked insouciantly, "What are you thanking me

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

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

resisted the urge to roll her eyes in exasperation. She should have known better than to think he could keep up

was breaking through the clouds 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

then, the baby kicked her. Deciding that it was playtime, the baby then followed up with

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

at?" he countered just as

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

share. "That's presumptuous of you. Are you assuming you know what I want even without telling