Love's Change of Heart

Meanwhile, at Lux Magazine, the workers in charge of sending the jewelry to the charity dinner had just left when Queenie stepped out of the shadows as she made a call. "They're just about to head over."

"Got it," a man's voice uttered from the other end of the line.

"Remember what I told you. You have to deal with this before they bring it into the jewelry display area. Otherwise, it's more likely for you to get caught," Queenie reminded him.

The line was silent for a while after that. "Are you sure you want to do this, Queenie?" the man uttered. His words seemed to have triggered a switch in her. "Do you think I want to do this?" she scoffed sarcastically. "I put in all my effort in The Emerging Designer Competition three years ago, yet I only got second place. How could that be? I should've been the one who won the trip to Paris, yet in the end, it seemed like I just got something that she threw out like trash." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm just trying to get rid of a passerby blocking my way. What's wrong with that? She has to disappear for my dreams and hopes to come true. I don't want to continue being looked down upon by others. You're going to help me, aren't you, Ron?"

"I'll bear all the responsibilities if anyone ever finds out about this, Queenie. I won't get you involved," he replied.

"Just do as I say, and you're not going to get caught," she reminded him before ending the call. Then, she tightened her fists before turning around and leaving. I will ensure that Leanna leaves the design industry once and for all!

…

Louis poured a glass of milk for Leanna in the café. "How did you find the time to come over?" he asked as he sat opposite her. She held the glass with both hands and took a sip of the milk before responding. "I'm on break today, so I don't have much to do."

"Zoe told me that you're going for a charity dinner tonight," Louis uttered after a short pause. Leanna was speechless. I can't believe Zoe already told Louis about this event. "Well, something came up, so I'm not going anymore," she said with a rather stiff smile.

"Is it because Aidan's going? Do you want to avoid him?" he asked.

"What are you talking about? It's not related to him; I just…" Leanna didn't know how to explain things to him, so she changed the topic. When she realized how all the girls were gazing over at their table, she quickly commented on them. "There're so many girls here who fancy you. Aren't you interested in any of them?" she asked.

"I've no plans to date anymore," he replied flatly.

"Why not? You're at the perfect age to be in a relationship. It'd be a shame not to date someone," she said.

"Why didn't you date anyone when you were my age, then?" he asked. She was speechless once more. This guy is really straightforward. She finally found an answer after a while. "Well, I was busy working and studying back then, and… Even though I didn't date anyone, I had a crush. That felt pretty nice too."

"He ended up getting engaged to someone else, and you guys didn't get together in the end. What's so nice about that?" Louis muttered. Leanna was wise enough to keep her mouth shut this time—she simply focused on drinking her milk. Finally, after a few minutes, it was Louis who spoke again. "Do you… want to look for that guy now?"

Leanna didn't get who he was referring to at first. "What guy?"

"The guy in that picture," he replied after some hesitation. "Louis…" she muttered. He looked away and leaned back in his seat after that. "You don't have to worry about how I feel. I don't mind, you know? After all, as you said, at least we have the same mother. I don't care who my father is—it's all the same to me." Jethro was dead, after all.

Leanna let out a soft laugh. "I'm not doing it for your sake, Louis. It's just that… this world is too big, and we might not be able to find him. Even if we managed to locate him… What if he's no longer alive? Or what if he's married to a new family? What's the purpose of me finding him, right?"

"If I were you, I'd want to look for him regardless of whether he has a new family. Then, I would want to ask him why he abandoned us. Even if it means that I'll have to ask him in front of his tombstone, I'll still do it if it gives me an answer," Louis replied in a serious tone. After that, Leanna lowered her head without saying anything.

After all, she didn't want to look into this thing because she was afraid of what she would find. She was scared that the answer she had found wasn't what she wanted. When Louis saw her keeping quiet, he spoke up again. "This is just what I think. I just wanted to tell you not to worry about me. I'm not a child anymore," he said.

"I got it. I'll think about it," she replied with a smile. Louis was about to say something else, but the café was getting too packed, and there were too many people ordering drinks, so the owner had to call him to help. "I have to work now," Louis said as he got to his feet.

"Alright. Go on. I should probably leave soon, too," she replied. After Louis left, Leanna finished her milk before looking out the window. The sky had already turned dark by then. She was about to head out when a girl walked over to her. The girl had been nudged by her friend to approach Leanna. "Excuse me. Are you Louis' girlfriend?" the girl asked in a whisper.

Leanna spread her lips into a smile. "No."

"Then, who are—"

"I'm his sister. I'm 25," Leanna replied.