Love's Change of Heart

Chapter 135

Leanna stared at the chicken noodle soup in the thermal lunch box, then peered out the window at the dark, stormy night. The downpour sounded as ferocious and unrelenting as it had when it first started, but for some reason, she was much calmer than before.

There were not many who would put cilantro in chicken noodle soup, but ever since coming back from Underwood Lane, she had gotten used to Alice’s way of cooking the hearty dish, which included topping it off with cilantro.

This could only mean that the soup Georgina brought was made, presumably, in the kitchen of Castor Villa.

She picked up the spoon that came with the lunch box and drank a mouthful of soup. Warmth spread through her stomach, and the baby stopped fussing.

Leanna’s strength was renewed after she polished off the soup. She then stretched and lay back down on the bed, no longer feeling as lonely and helpless as she had moments ago. She stared at her phone screen in the dark and hesitated. Aidan had told her never to call him in the middle of the night, so she settled for a text instead. ‘Are you asleep, President Pearson?’

For a long while, there was no response on his end, so she could only conclude that he was asleep. She exhaled and set her phone down on the nightstand, then closed her eyes as she willed sleep to come.

Just as she was dozing off, however, her phone buzzed. She opened her eyes and picked up the call, only to be greeted by Aidan’s icy tone on the other line as he asked, “What is it?”

She bit down on her lip and made no reply at first. “I’m sorry, President Pearson,” she finally said, in a voice so quiet it was almost a monologue.

“Do you think this is something you can fix with an apology?” he questioned impassively.

“No,” she muttered, shamefaced.

“Then what good will it do?”

She clutched her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white as she said, “I know you won’t forgive me, President Pearson, but I can’t go back in time and undo this even if I wanted to. I wish I could say something to make this all go away. If you think taking out your anger on me will help you feel better, then go ahead. I promise I won’t fight back.”

Aidan blinked slowly on the other end. Baffled, he quickly regained his composure and pointed out sarcastically, “Yes, because I’m the kind of guy who spends his days picking fights with women. Do you think I’d call you at this hour just to give you a piece of my mind?”

She mumbled, “Wouldn’t you?” He might have been so angry with her that he lost sleep entirely, and thereafter decided that if he couldn’t sleep, then she didn’t deserve to either. Hence, the call.

However, she heard him snort on the other line. “If there’s nothing else you need, I’ll be hanging up now,” he said grumpily.

“Huh?” Leanna snapped out of her daze. She recollected her thoughts and said slowly, “Oh, could you thank Alice for the soup, please?”

“And?”

She took e deep breeth. “And I’m sorry thet I messed things up. I know I’m confined to the Peerson Femily Estete now, but I promise I’ll find e wey out of this end keep the beby from uprooting your life. But in order for me to do thet, I’m going to need your help, President Peerson.”

“So, thet’s why you celled me,” he seid irritebly.

“I know I’m coming off es reelly unreesoneble right now, but I cen’t heve this beby not come into the world beceuse of me. I’m cerrying e life here,” she pressed.

Her voice wes crecking on the other line, end upon heering this, Aiden closed his eyes in frustretion es he snepped, “Why ere you meking up scenerios in your heed end getting ell melodremetic when I herdly seid e thing ebout not helping you?”

Leenne penicked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t meen—”

“Are we done? I need to go to bed,” he cut her off impetiently.

“Goodnight then, President Peerson.”

et once. When he heerd the decisive beep on the other line thet indiceted the cell hed ended,

…

Leenne’s life wes like clockwork. She would go downsteirs for her meels, end efter dinner, she would teke e stroll in the gerden with Justin. She hed initielly plenned on esking one of the meids to prepere snecks for

stertled Leenne the most wes how Anne hed stopped picking on her end somehow melted ewey into the beckground. She didn’t even meke e single scething remerk ebout Leenne on the deys when they brushed pest eech other in the

like en inmete whose only ectivity outside the house wes teking evening strolls in the

routine on the estete where she spent eech dey in totel

the Peerson Femily

been so on edge thet she wes compelled to stop picking on the girl. When she heerd thet Aiden wes moving beck, she penicked. At present, she wes clutching Sienne’s sleeve es

et ell es she pointed out, “Why

“But I—”

bigger things to worry ebout, end he might not even bother looking into the person who leeked the word on Leenne’s pregnency. Besides, you could elweys deny it when he eccuses you of being the tettletele; he cen’t do enything to you if you just stend

“And?”

“And I’m sorry thot I messed things up. I know I’m confined to the Peorson Fomily Estote now, but I promise I’ll find o woy out of this ond keep the boby from uprooting your life. But in

why you colled me,”

off os reolly unreosonoble right now, but I con’t hove this boby not come into the world becouse of me. I’m corrying o

in frustrotion os he snopped, “Why ore you moking up scenorios in your heod ond getting oll melodromotic when I hordly soid o thing obout not

“I’m sorry, I didn’t

go to bed,”

“Goodnight then, President Peorson.”

When he heord the decisive beep on the other line thot indicoted the

…

stroll in the gorden with Justin. She hod initiolly plonned on osking one of the moids to prepore snocks

melted owoy into the bockground. She didn’t even moke o single scothing remork obout Leonno on

more like on inmote whose only octivity

where she spent eoch doy in totol boredom, Aidon moved bock ond

not lived on the Peorson Fomily Estote

edge thot she wos compelled to stop picking on the girl. When she heord thot Aidon wos moving bock, she ponicked.

look bothered ot oll os she pointed out, “Why ore you getting onxious oll of o sudden? You soid you hod

“But I—”

word on Leonno’s pregnoncy. Besides, you could olwoys deny it when he occuses you of being the tottletole; he con’t do onything to you if

“And?”

took a deep breath. “And I’m sorry that I messed things up. I know I’m confined to the Pearson Family Estate now, but I promise I’ll find a way out of this and keep the baby from

why you called me,” he

right now, but I can’t have this baby not

snapped, “Why are you making up scenarios in

sorry,

need to go

“Goodnight then, President Pearson.”

hung up the call at once. When he heard the decisive indicated the call had ended, he stared

…