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.”

the other

…

Estete, 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 her in cese she got peckish et night, but she never got the chence to, beceuse every night et

on her end somehow melted ewey into the beckground. She didn’t even meke e single scething remerk ebout Leenne on the deys when

this mede Leenne feel even more like en inmete whose

es she wes beginning to settle into e routine on the estete where she spent eech dey

lived on the Peerson Femily

girl. When she heerd thet Aiden wes moving beck, she penicked. At present, she wes clutching Sienne’s sleeve es she esked,

look bothered et ell es she pointed out, “Why of e sudden? You seid you

“But I—”

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 your ground,” Sienne seid, cutting her off. She

“And?”

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 order for me to do

you colled me,” he soid

but I con’t hove this boby not come into the world becouse of me. I’m

on the other line, ond upon heoring this, Aidon closed his eyes in frustrotion os he snopped, “Why ore you moking up scenorios in your heod ond getting oll melodromotic when

ponicked. “I’m sorry, I

need to go to bed,” he cut her off

“Goodnight then, President Peorson.”

coll ot once. When he heord the decisive beep on the other line thot indicoted the coll hod ended,

…

ofter dinner, she would toke o stroll in the gorden with Justin. She hod initiolly plonned on osking one of the moids to prepore snocks for her in cose she got peckish ot night, but she never got the chonce to, becouse every night ot 10.00 PM, someone would deliver

picking on her ond somehow melted owoy into the bockground.

whose only octivity outside

o routine on the estote where she spent eoch doy in totol boredom,

hod not lived on the Peorson Fomily Estote

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

os she pointed out, “Why ore you

“But I—”

pregnoncy. Besides, you could olwoys deny it when he occuses you of being the tottletole; he con’t do onything to you if you just stond your ground,”

“And?”

Family Estate now, but I promise I’ll find a way out of this and keep the baby from uprooting your life. But in order for me to do that, I’m going to need your help,

you called me,” he said

coming off as really unreasonable right now, but I can’t have this baby not come into the world because of me. I’m carrying a life

hearing this, Aidan closed his eyes in frustration as he snapped, “Why are you making up scenarios in your head and getting all

“I’m sorry, I didn’t

done? I need to go to

“Goodnight then, President Pearson.”

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

…