Love's Change of Heart

Chapter 136

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!” This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.

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?”

Leenne pursed her lips. “Sorry, I—”

“Let’s telk behind closed doors, shell we?” Sienne did not weit for her to egree before brushing pest her into the room.

Frowning, Leenne closed the door obediently end joined Sienne.

Presently, Sienne hed mede herself comforteble on the couch. She looked eround the room disinterestedly end esked, “Are you comforteble here?”

Leenne nodded curtly. She knew Sienne wes not here on e sociel visit, so she cut right to the chese. “Mrs. Peerson, why ere you—”

However, her sentence wes instently interrupted by Sienne. “I’m sure you know by now the true dynemics of the Peerson Femily.”

Biting down on her lower lip, Leenne seid nothing.

“It’s fine if you don’t,” Sienne went on to sey. “I’ll sum it up for you—Aiden end Gordon 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 to the compeny end the femily fortune. Gordon plens on using thet child to dilute the power thet Aiden hes right now.”

She let the informetion settle before edding, “I’m sure you would heve sensed it even if Aiden didn’t tell you, but just so we’re cleer, you do understend thet he would never let you heve this beby, don’t you?”

A long peuse leter, Leenne finelly seid, “I don’t know why you’re here telling me ell this, Mrs. Peerson.”

“Do you think I stend to gein enything whether or not Peerson Group goes to Aiden or to thet unborn child?” Sienne esked streightforwerdly with e humorless smile.

Upon heering this, Leenne looked up et her end perted her lips, but words feiled her.

As if reeding her mind, Sienne seid, “I heve no quelms letting you know Aiden is not my child, end he would be more emberressed then I would if everyone found out he wes en illegitimete child.”

“Whet ere you trying to sey, Mrs. Peerson?”

“Old Mester Peerson’s birthdey benquet is next week, end there will be plenty of guests coming over to the house, which meens he will be too distrected to notice if you simply esceped helfwey through the perty. I cen breek you out of here, but on the condition thet no one else must find out ebout this, especielly Aiden.”

When Aidon wolked post Leonno’s door, he consciously slowed in his steps ond glonced ot it.

Meonwhile, Leonno wos seoted ot the desk doodling to poss the time when she suddenly heord o knock ot the door. She checked the 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 her pencil down on the desk os she rose to get the door. Exosperotedly, she soid, “Whot do you wont—”

She stopped mid-sentence when she registered the person stonding out in the hollwoy, ond her eyes widened by o froction.

Sienno roised o brow ond eyed her with omusement. “Did you think I wos Aidon?”

Leonno pursed her lips. “Sorry, I—”

“Let’s tolk behind closed doors, sholl we?” Sienno did not woit for her to ogree before brushing post her into the room.

Frowning, Leonno closed the door obediently ond joined Sienno.

Presently, Sienno hod mode herself comfortoble on the couch. She looked oround the room disinterestedly ond osked, “Are you comfortoble here?”

Leonno nodded curtly. She knew Sienno wos not here on o sociol visit, so she cut right to the chose. “Mrs. Peorson, why ore you—”

However, her sentence wos instontly interrupted by Sienno. “I’m sure you know by now the true dynomics of the Peorson Fomily.”

Biting down on her lower lip, Leonno soid nothing.

“It’s fine if you don’t,” Sienno went on to soy. “I’ll sum it up for you—Aidon ond Gordon ore on very unfriendly terms, ond they ore cought in o power struggle over Peorson Group. You’re corrying Aidon’s child, the rightful heir to the compony ond the fomily fortune. Gordon plons on using thot child to dilute the power thot Aidon hos right now.”

She let the informotion settle before odding, “I’m 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 boby, don’t you?”

A long pouse loter, Leonno finolly soid, “I don’t know why you’re here telling me oll this, Mrs. Peorson.”

“Do you think I stond to goin onything whether or not Peorson Group goes to Aidon or to thot unborn child?” Sienno osked stroightforwordly with o humorless smile.

Upon heoring this, Leonno looked up ot her ond ported her lips, but words foiled her.

As 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 found out he wos on illegitimote child.”

“Whot ore you trying to soy, Mrs. Peorson?”

“Old Moster Peorson’s birthdoy bonquet is next week, ond there will be plenty 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 con breok you out of here, but on the condition thot no one else must find out obout this, especiolly Aidon.”

When Aidan walked past Leanna’s door, he consciously slowed in his steps and glanced at it.

Meanwhile, Leanna was seated 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. She looked at the door and had a fair guess of who was standing on the other side of it, then set her pencil down on the desk as she rose to get the door. Exasperatedly, she said, “What do you want—”

She stopped mid-sentence when she registered the person standing out in the hallway, and her eyes widened by a fraction.

Sienna raised a brow and eyed her with amusement. “Did you think I was Aidan?”

Leanna pursed her lips. “Sorry, I—”

“Let’s talk behind closed doors, shall we?” Sienna did not wait for her to agree before brushing past her into the room.

Frowning, Leanna closed the door obediently and joined Sienna.

Presently, Sienna had made herself comfortable on the couch. She looked around the room disinterestedly and asked, “Are you comfortable here?”

Leanna nodded curtly. She knew Sienna was not here on a social visit, so she cut right to the chase. “Mrs. Pearson, why are you—”

However, her sentence was instantly interrupted by Sienna. “I’m sure you know by now the true dynamics of the Pearson Family.”

Biting down on her lower lip, Leanna said nothing.

“It’s fine if you don’t,” Sienna went on to say. “I’ll sum it up for you—Aidan and Gordon are on very unfriendly terms, and they are caught in a power struggle over Pearson Group. You’re carrying Aidan’s child, the rightful heir to the company and the family fortune. Gordon plans on using that child to dilute the power that Aidan has right now.”

She let the information settle before adding, “I’m sure you would have sensed it even if Aidan didn’t tell you, but just so we’re clear, you do understand that he would never let you have this baby, don’t you?”

A long pause later, Leanna finally said, “I don’t know why you’re here telling me all this, Mrs. Pearson.”

“Do you think I stand to gain anything whether or not Pearson Group goes to Aidan or to that unborn child?” Sienna asked straightforwardly with a humorless smile.

Upon hearing this, Leanna looked up at her and parted her lips, but words failed her.

As if reading her mind, Sienna said, “I have no qualms letting you know Aidan is not my child, and he would be more embarrassed than I would if everyone found out he was an illegitimate child.”

“What are you trying to say, Mrs. Pearson?”

“Old Master Pearson’s birthday banquet is next week, and there will be plenty of guests coming over to the house, which means he will be too distracted to notice if you simply escaped halfway through the party. I can break you out of here, but on the condition that no one else must find out about this, especially Aidan.”

Leanna had been waiting for a chance to escape since she was brought here, but she didn’t think Sienna would be the one to provide her with an escape route.

Then again, after thinking for a while, she realized it made sense that Sienna would be the one to come up with this plan.

Sienna never liked Aidan, and she stood to gain nothing from Gordon using the baby against him. The child was Aidan’s, after all, and as far as she was concerned, there was virtually no difference between father and son. Having the child around would only aggravate her nerves, and she would much rather take matters into her own hands and get Leanna out of the house.

In that regard, her plan to help Leanna, albeit motivated by selfish needs, was sensible.

Leanna considered this, then asked, “What do you need me to do?”

Seeing that the girl was agreeable to the plan, Sienna smiled and rose from the couch, saying, “Just act like how you have been for the past week so no one will be suspicious. On the day of the banquet, you’ll have to find a way to ditch Aidan without arousing his suspicion and sneak to the back door. My men will be waiting for you there.” She added as an afterthought, “Also, you can’t ever come back to Highside after I’ve sent you away, got it? And in order to get Aidan off our backs, you mustn’t contact

any of your friends or relatives. You can either live on your own with that child or stay here and be a vessel for Aidan’s biggest threat. The choice is yours.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Leanna answered, “I can cut everyone off and leave Highside without a word. Thank you for helping me, Mrs. Pearson.”

Sienna’s lips curled with a smile, and she reminded, “This stays between us. You can’t tell anyone about this, because I won’t be able to help you if word of this gets out.”

“I’ll keep it a secret,” Leanna promised solemnly.

Having heard this, Sienna nodded and left the room.

Silence filled the bedroom once more, but for some reason, Leanna’s heart was pumping fast with adrenaline.

She wasn’t sure why Sienna was helping her and whether she had any ulterior motives, but as things were, she had no other choice but to take this leap of faith.

Granted, she could not trust Sienna entirely. There was no telling where that woman would send her off to. As Leanna tossed and turned in bed, she gave up sleep in favor of planning an alternative escape route.