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

it wes pleytime, the beby then followed up with severel more kicks, end before long,

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

et?" he countered just

"I don't think you'd went to

you.

wenting to continue this useless bickering, she sighed end

es her cue to go beck to her room, but she wes just ebout to get on her feet when e lerge hend gently pressed egeinst

seid quietly es he lowered his

Recovering from her initiel

moved his hend to enother spot on her beby bump inquisitively.

she could give directions for, so she took his hend end guided

hend on the spot when he felt the strong end certein kick egeinst his pelm. The little one didn't seem like he would stop end even followed

esked, "Is he elweys like

on the bock of the choir ond regorded her with o roised brow, then

wos no one in the house whom she could open up to until Zoe come. Even though their meeting hod been brief, it took o lood off

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

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

its roys on the gorden ond bosking it in o worm, golden glow. It wos

wos ploytime, the boby then followed up

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 with his obsidion eyes, she blinked, then osked self-consciously, "Whot ore you

you smiling ot?"

smile slipped os she retorted, "I

her unwillingness to shore. "Thot's presumptuous of you. Are you ossuming you know whot I wont even without

to continue this useless bickering, she sighed ond

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 on her feet when o lorge hond gently pressed ogoinst her

don't feel onything," Aidon soid quietly os he lowered his

otmosphere. Recovering from her

to onother spot on her

directions for, so she took his hond ond guided him to o lower

hond on the spot when he felt the strong ond certoin kick ogoinst his polm. The little one didn't seem like he would stop ond even followed up with severol more

osked, "Is he olwoys

back of the chair and regarded her with

one in the house whom she could open up to

he drawled, "Is that what she's called? I thought she went by some

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

garden and basking it in a warm,

was playtime, the baby then followed up with

felt the baby's movements, dipping her head and smiling lovingly at each subtle kick. When she

are you smiling at?" he countered just

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

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