Love's Change of Heart

Chapter 780 Isn't This Self-Inflicted?

Meanwhile, at the Crossley Residence, Jonathan handed some documents to Aidan while reporting, "President Pearson, Keaton just called and informed us that someone from the Pearson Family has arrived today."

Aidan did not even bother to raise his head. "I'm not interested." This marked the third time the Pearsons had sent someone to the Residence since his return from Jamesdon. Jonathan hesitated for a moment before continuing, "The person mentioned that Old Master Pearson's health is deteriorating, and he wishes to see you one last time."

Aidan paused flipping through the documents upon hearing this and locked eyes with Jonathan. "So? Will seeing me miraculously restore his health?"

Jonathan knew that Aidan's retort was not directed at him, yet he still felt a tinge of sheepish awkwardness for even bothering him with this matter.

Yet, just as Jonathan was about to leave the room, he heard Aidan give an unexpected order, "Bring the person in."

Jonathan was taken aback by the sudden command, and it took him several seconds to grasp Aidan's intentions. He nodded in response. "Alright."

Ten minutes later, a middle-aged man was escorted into the room. As soon as he laid eyes on Aidan, he began speaking in a pleading voice, "Young Master Aidan..."

Aidan instantly recognized the man. He was one of Gordon's frequent companions, but he had not been seen in many years. It now became apparent that Gordon had left behind a contingency plan.

Nevertheless, Aidan's expression remained unchanged. "No need for formalities. Get straight to the point."

Thud.

The middle-aged man immediately dropped to his knees upon hearing Aidan's words. There were even tears streaming down his cheeks as he implored, "Young Master Aidan, please save Old Master Pearson. He is being imprisoned in the Pearson Family Estate, enduring a fate worse than death!"

"Then, you should have given him a swift and merciful end instead of coming to me."

The middle-aged man sobbed, begging, "I understand he has committed many wrongs against you in the past, but he is still your father. Can you bear to witness him suffer in such agony?"

Aidan replied coldly, "Yes, it's called karma."

"But... but..."

"Enough of the nonsense. Tell me something I want to know."

The man glanced around, hesitating for a moment. Nonetheless, he understood that Aidan had not sought him out solely because of Old Master Pearson. The only logical explanation for Aidan's interest was that he wanted information that he had not yet acquired. After he pondered for some time, he finally said, "I... I once witnessed Mr. Crossley, or more precisely, Leroy, in the backyard of the Pearson Family Estate. He was having a conversation with Young Master Justin about an event that took place

twenty years ago."

Aidan met the man's gaze calmly, showing no signs of emotional disturbance. The man continued saying under immense pressure, "Twenty years ago, the Crossleys went through a major upheaval, and Leroy's success was made possible because Old Master Pearson provided him with assistance."

During that period, the Crossleys were in the public eye, and Lloyd and his wife became the talk of the entire city.

Old Master Pearson's ambitions extended beyond Highside, and he sought to expand his influence elsewhere. Consequently, the Crossley family became an obstacle in his plans. During a social gathering, he had a brief encounter with Leroy and immediately sensed the cunningness and jealousy concealed beneath Leroy's usual demeanor. They did not even need to discuss how to proceed with their scheme; their understanding of each other's character led to tacit cooperation.

Unfortunately, no matter how one analyzed the situation, this incident had a tremendous impact. That was why Old Master Pearson chose not to reveal himself and instead relied on other forces to assist Leroy in executing their plan.

It was perhaps during this time that the retribution began. Old Master Pearson was entirely consumed by the upheaval, unaware of the forces emerging from Jamesdon. As a result, numerous factions converged in Highside, creating a highly chaotic situation.

In the midst of this chaos, Justin became a pawn in the scheme and suffered a car accident. Alas, perhaps out of guilt, Old Master Pearson refrained from investigating the matter, fearing that it would expose his actions during that period.

The Zielinski Family still wielded significant power twenty years ago, and if they had discovered Old Master Pearson's covert involvement with Leroy, it would have spelled doom for the entire Pearson Family. Therefore, he could only treat the incident as an accident and brought Aidan back to the Pearsons. This way, Sienna could direct all her animosity toward Aidan, diverting the Zielinski Family's attention from Justin's accident.

Years later, Leroy successfully replaced Lloyd. Meanwhile, Old Master Pearson lacked the energy and desire to unearth the past due to Justin's car accident and Aidan being increasingly uncontrollable. Furthermore, the Crossley Group was not progressing as rapidly under Leroy as it had under Lloyd. Consequently, Leroy could no longer impede Aidan's path.

Aidan immersed himself in his thoughts, and when he finally glanced up through his lashes, a coldness flickered in his dark eyes. "It appears that he has committed quite a few despicable acts."

"Young Master Aidan, please understand that everything Old Master Pearson did was for the Pearsons' sake. Moreover, even without his involvement, Lloyd would have eventually met his demise at Leroy's hands, given the nature of the Crossley brothers. Old Master Pearson cannot be solely blamed for this matter."

Aidan remained silent, and the man understood that Aidan wanted to know more than what he had said. He clenched his teeth and pressed on, "Young Master Justin should have been aware of all this a long time ago—the truth about his car accident and the Woodleys. He knew far more than we anticipated. That's why he treated Old Master Pearson the way he did." Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"Isn't that self-inflicted?" Aidan scoffed, turning to Jonathan. "Escort him out."

"Young Master Aidan!" the middle-aged man exclaimed upon hearing the order. "Even if Old Master

Pearson was at fault, he never intended to harm your child. He always wanted to groom that child as the future heir of the Pearson Family! But some individuals placed their hatred on such a young child, your very own son! Are you truly willing to let it go like this?"

Aidan fixed his cold gaze on the man. It even felt as if the temperature in the entire office dropped several degrees instantaneously. Jonathan's expression shifted subtly, and he urged the man, "Don't make claims without evidence."

"I have evidence! I have evidence!" the man cried out desperately. "When Young Master Justin took the Old Master to Vinland for treatment, they encountered a female doctor. The Old Master overheard them discussing… saying…"

"What did they say?" Aidan interrupted coldly.

"They said the upgraded nutritional injections should have a positive effect. I swear this statement is absolutely true; the Old Master overheard it himself. He also heard the woman asking Young Master Justin if he wanted to keep the remaining injections, but he declined. In the end, she discarded the injections, but Old Master risked his life to retrieve the bottle and kept it with him."

The man continued, his voice filled with urgency, "Young Master Aidan, the bottle is still with the Old Master. If you rescue him, you can obtain this crucial piece of evidence! Once that happens, Young Master Justin will be unable to deny it any longer. Moreover, you can seize this opportunity to regain control of Pearson Group. Old Master Pearson will undoubtedly stand by your side!"

Aidan's expression turned icy cold, and his jaw tightened, but he remained silent throughout the exchange.

The middle-aged man continued to shout, but Jonathan stepped in and pulled him away. From a distance, the man's voice carried on, "Young Master Aidan, you have to consider this carefully. Even if you harbor resentment towards Old Master Pearson, you cannot let this matter slide. That's your son we're talking about! You have to reclaim what rightfully belongs to you!"