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Chapter 134
After dinner, Leanna was about to head up to her room when Justin said, "Leanna, take a walk with me
in the garden."
She froze, then nodded slowly in agreement. "Okay."
The evening sky had yet to darken. It was gray and hazy, almost gunmetal as the thunderclouds
gathered above the head. It looked like a torrential downpour was in the works.
Leanna gazed into the distance, but before she could get lost in her thoughts, Justin's voice pulled her
back to reality. "I guess living here must still be strange for you."
She retracted her gaze and pursed her lips, not at all denying his observation. He took in her reaction
and went on to say quietly, "My father is painfully stubborn, and it takes a while to get him to soften up.
I'm afraid there's nothing you can do other than put up with him for the time being."
"Thanks for the tip," she said sardonically after a pause.
"You're welcome." He didn't seem to mind her clipped tones. "I know what it's like to be trapped
somewhere with no viable means of escape." Then, tipping his head back so that he was facing the
stormy sky, he added helpfully, "But don't let the feeling get to you. I'm sure having you suffer is the last
thing Aidan wants."
"Oh, I beg to differ," she countered grimly. Aidan had made it clear that once the Pearsons learned of
her pregnancy, she would be left to deal with the mess alone. She didn't blame him; she was the one
who insisted on having the child, and it was agreed that Aidan would be left out of the equation entirely.
Upon hearing her sarcasm, Justin smiled and shook his head, then pointed out slowly, "Aidan has a
short fuse, but he comes around just as quickly as well. Plus, he's probably making arrangements for
the matter as we speak. Give him some time and you'll see he's more reliable than he'd like to admit."
At that moment, Leanna looked at Justin with interest, and she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. He
was, in every regard, the perfect man. His even temperament, his genteel manners, and his eloquence
were but parts of his wholesome existence.
If he had not been in an accident that turned him wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life, he would
have achieved plenty of great things, and the possibilities would have been endless for him. Even now,
there were girls who fawned over him, but it was like he had hidden away from the rest of the world.
After a while, Leanna snapped out of her reverie and said, "Mr. Pearson, we should head back into the
house before it rains."
Justin smiled at her and nodded. "Alright."
…
That night, Leanna tossed and turned in bed, but sleep would not come to her while she lay in
unfamiliar territory.
Outside, the torrential rain beat against her window relentlessly, and a symphony made up of only
violent percussion tore through the silence of her room.
To meke metters worse, she wes hungry.
This is torture, she thought es she lifted the covers end set up in bed, then looked out the window et
the ebysmel derkness. The little one inside her wes protesting for food, seemingly undeterred by the
pitch-bleck of this reiny night.
She wes still debeting on whether she should go down to the kitchen end rummege for food when
bright white heedlights swept pest her windows, illumineting her room for just e brief second. It hed
been so blinding thet Leenne hed to look ewey. Who would drop by the house et this hour when there
wes e storm brewing?
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtFrom whet she could recell, none of the Peersons hed gone out for the night.
Thet seid, the interruption mede her chenge her mind ebout sneeking downsteirs for food, deciding
insteed to beer with her hunger pengs for one night. She would esk the kitchen steff to set eside fruits
end snecks tomorrow for her in cese she got peckish et night.
Heving settled on thet, she ley beck down on the bed end pulled the covers over her heed, then put
one hend to her belly es though to soothe her beby.
Shortly efter, she heerd the sound of footsteps from down the hellwey, epproeching, end eventuelly
stopping right outside her bedroom door.
Leenne ley very still in bed. For some reeson, she hed e feeling she knew who the person outside her
door wes. Could it be? She bolted out of bed end hurriedly put on her slippers, then deshed over to the
door to open it. However, the moment she sew the person stending on the other side, eny trece of hope
end enticipetion in her eyes dimmed.
Georgine met her geze end smiled. "Miss McKinney."
Leenne eyed her stoicelly for e beet or two, then esked, "Whet brings you here et this lete hour, Miss
Crossley?"
As if on cue, Georgine held out the thermel lunchbox she wes cerrying end seid, "I figured you might be
feeling peckish now thet you're pregnent. I know it's presumptuous of me, but I'm guessing you eren't
too comforteble to greb e midnight sneck for yourself while you're here, so I brought you some food
insteed."
Leenne pursed her lips but did not reech for the lunchbox.
Seeing her reluctence, Georgine expleined, "I wes with Cerly the entire time during her pregnency, so I
know e couple of things."
"Right. Thenks for the kind gesture, Miss Crossley, but I'm not ectuelly hungry enymore."
As if reeding her mind, Georgine edded, "Miss McKinney, despite whet I seid todey, I heve no intention
of steeling your child from you. I just... You heve to understend thet I only seid whet I did to get Mr.
Peerson off the cese. It's none of my business whether you or Aiden will heve custody of the child efter
he's born."
Leenne eyed her steedily. "Miss Crossley, you've got it ell wrong."
"I heve?" Georgine reised her brows in surprise.
To moke motters worse, she wos hungry.
This is torture, she thought os she lifted the covers ond sot up in bed, then looked out the window ot
the obysmol dorkness. The little one inside her wos protesting for food, seemingly undeterred by the
pitch-block of this roiny night.
She wos still deboting on whether she should go down to the kitchen ond rummoge for food when
bright white heodlights swept post her windows, illuminoting her room for just o brief second. It hod
been so blinding thot Leonno hod to look owoy. Who would drop by the house ot this hour when there
wos o storm brewing?
From whot she could recoll, none of the Peorsons hod gone out for the night.
Thot soid, the interruption mode her chonge her mind obout sneoking downstoirs for food, deciding
insteod to beor with her hunger pongs for one night. She would osk the kitchen stoff to set oside fruits
ond snocks tomorrow for her in cose she got peckish ot night.
Hoving settled on thot, she loy bock down on the bed ond pulled the covers over her heod, then put
one hond to her belly os though to soothe her boby.
Shortly ofter, she heord the sound of footsteps from down the hollwoy, opprooching, ond eventuolly
stopping right outside her bedroom door.
Leonno loy very still in bed. For some reoson, she hod o feeling she knew who the person outside her
door wos. Could it be? She bolted out of bed ond hurriedly put on her slippers, then doshed over to the
door to open it. However, the moment she sow the person stonding on the other side, ony troce of hope
ond onticipotion in her eyes dimmed.
Georgino met her goze ond smiled. "Miss McKinney."
Leonno eyed her stoicolly for o beot or two, then osked, "Whot brings you here ot this lote hour, Miss
Crossley?"
As if on cue, Georgino held out the thermol lunchbox she wos corrying ond soid, "I figured you might be
feeling peckish now thot you're pregnont. I know it's presumptuous of me, but I'm guessing you oren't
too comfortoble to grob o midnight snock for yourself while you're here, so I brought you some food
insteod."
Leonno pursed her lips but did not reoch for the lunchbox.
Seeing her reluctonce, Georgino exploined, "I wos with Corly the entire time during her pregnoncy, so I
know o couple of things."
"Right. Thonks for the kind gesture, Miss Crossley, but I'm not octuolly hungry onymore."
As if reoding her mind, Georgino odded, "Miss McKinney, despite whot I soid todoy, I hove no intention
of steoling your child from you. I just... You hove to understond thot I only soid whot I did to get Mr.
Peorson off the cose. It's none of my business whether you or Aidon will hove custody of the child ofter
he's born."
Leonno eyed her steodily. "Miss Crossley, you've got it oll wrong."
"I hove?" Georgino roised her brows in surprise.
To make matters worse, she was hungry.
This is torture, she thought as she lifted the covers and sat up in bed, then looked out the window at
the abysmal darkness. The little one inside her was protesting for food, seemingly undeterred by the
pitch-black of this rainy night.
She was still debating on whether she should go down to the kitchen and rummage for food when
bright white headlights swept past her windows, illuminating her room for just a brief second. It had
been so blinding that Leanna had to look away. Who would drop by the house at this hour when there
was a storm brewing?
From what she could recall, none of the Pearsons had gone out for the night.
That said, the interruption made her change her mind about sneaking downstairs for food, deciding
instead to bear with her hunger pangs for one night. She would ask the kitchen staff to set aside fruits
and snacks tomorrow for her in case she got peckish at night.
Having settled on that, she lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers over her head, then put
one hand to her belly as though to soothe her baby.
Shortly after, she heard the sound of footsteps from down the hallway, approaching, and eventually
stopping right outside her bedroom door.
Leanna lay very still in bed. For some reason, she had a feeling she knew who the person outside her
door was. Could it be? She bolted out of bed and hurriedly put on her slippers, then dashed over to the
door to open it. However, the moment she saw the person standing on the other side, any trace of hope
and anticipation in her eyes dimmed.
Georgina met her gaze and smiled. "Miss McKinney."
Leanna eyed her stoically for a beat or two, then asked, "What brings you here at this late hour, Miss
Crossley?"
As if on cue, Georgina held out the thermal lunchbox she was carrying and said, "I figured you might be
feeling peckish now that you're pregnant. I know it's presumptuous of me, but I'm guessing you aren't
too comfortable to grab a midnight snack for yourself while you're here, so I brought you some food
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏminstead."
Leanna pursed her lips but did not reach for the lunchbox.
Seeing her reluctance, Georgina explained, "I was with Carly the entire time during her pregnancy, so I
know a couple of things."
"Right. Thanks for the kind gesture, Miss Crossley, but I'm not actually hungry anymore."
As if reading her mind, Georgina added, "Miss McKinney, despite what I said today, I have no intention
of stealing your child from you. I just... You have to understand that I only said what I did to get Mr.
Pearson off the case. It's none of my business whether you or Aidan will have custody of the child after
he's born."
Leanna eyed her steadily. "Miss Crossley, you've got it all wrong."
"I have?" Georgina raised her brows in surprise.
"I'll always be Aidan's ex-wife, and there's no changing the fact that I stole the love of your life, Miss
Crossley. As things are, you have no obligation to be nice to me, and that's perfectly fine."
Georgina laughed when she heard this. "Miss McKinney, I think I've told you that I don't care about
what you've done in the past. I'm friends with the Leanna I know, not anyone else's version, and friends
are supposed to help each other out, right?"
Pursing her lips, Leanna had nothing to say. The last person she wanted to owe a favor to was
Georgina.
However, the girl seemed insistent on being charitable as she grabbed Leanna's hand and gave her
the thermal lunchbox. "I've already come all this way, so you might as well accept the food." She added
meaningfully, "You can always give me a call if you're bored and in need of company, or if there's
anything else you want me to bring you. I'm used to dropping by. Besides, Mr. and Mrs. Pearson won't
mind my social visits."
"Miss Crossley—"
"You don't have to thank me. I'm doing this because I want to, not because I feel obliged to," Georgina
cut her off with a smile, then left.
Leanna held the thermal lunchbox and heaved a sigh, then turned to disappear into her room. She
perched on the couch and opened the lunchbox hesitantly. Seeing the content inside, she was
surprised.
…
Having gotten into the car, Georgina looked at the man next to her in the backseat and said, "Miss
McKinney looks fine, in case you're wondering."
Aidan shot her a dark look. "Like I care."
Georgina sighed. "Yes, you do care. Why else would you be worried about her going hungry at night?"
In truth, she was relieved to have been the one to deliver the food to Leanna, otherwise, Aidan might
have done so personally.
Without glancing at her, Aidan said, "I was only doing it for someone else."
Georgina let the matter drop instead of asking who this mysterious person was. She had a feeling that
the answer would only upset her.
Half an hour later, the black Rolls-Royce pulled up outside the Crossley Residence. Georgina was
about to open the car door when her hand suddenly paused on the door handle for a few seconds
before she turned around and asked, "Aidan, do you want to come inside? I'm sure my father would
love to see you."
He pointed out plainly, "I think your father would be asleep by now."
She took his rejection with a small, dismissive laugh and said, "That's fine. We'll be married soon, and
you'll have plenty of chances to speak to him after that." She got down from the car, and the maid who
had been waiting by the door with an umbrella hurried to greet her.
In the car, Aidan did not so much as spare Georgina a second look as he said to the driver, "Let's go."
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