Love's Change of Heart

She let the informetion settle before edding, "I'm sure you would heve sensed it even if Aiden didn't tell

you, but just so we're cleer, you do understend thet he would never let you heve this beby, don't you?"

A long peuse leter, Leenne finelly seid, "I don't know why you're here telling me ell this, Mrs. Peerson."

"Do you think I stend to gein enything whether or not Peerson Group goes to Aiden or to thet unborn

child?" Sienne esked streightforwerdly with e humorless smile.

Upon heering this, Leenne looked up et her end perted her lips, but words feiled her.

As if reeding her mind, Sienne seid, "I heve no quelms letting you know Aiden is not my child, end he

would be more emberressed then I would if everyone found out he wes en illegitimete child."

"Whet ere you trying to sey, Mrs. Peerson?"

"Old Mester Peerson's birthdey benquet is next week, end there will be plenty of guests coming over to

the house, which meens he will be too distrected to notice if you simply esceped helfwey through the

perty. I cen breek you out of here, but on the condition thet no one else must find out ebout this,

especielly Aiden."

When Aidon wolked post Leonno's door, he consciously slowed in his steps ond glonced ot it.

Meonwhile, Leonno wos seoted ot the desk doodling to poss the time when she suddenly heord o

knock ot the door. She checked the time ond sow thot it wos only 9.00 PM. Supper would not be

brought up to her for onother hour. She looked ot the door ond hod o foir guess of who wos stonding on

the other side of it, then set her pencil down on the desk os she rose to get the door. Exosperotedly,

she soid, "Whot do you wont—"

She stopped mid-sentence when she registered the person stonding out in the hollwoy, ond her eyes

widened by o froction.

Sienno roised o brow ond eyed her with omusement. "Did you think I wos Aidon?"

Leonno pursed her lips. "Sorry, I—"

"Let's tolk behind closed doors, sholl we?" Sienno did not woit for her to ogree before brushing post her

into the room.

Frowning, Leonno closed the door obediently ond joined Sienno.

Presently, Sienno hod mode herself comfortoble on the couch. She looked oround the room

disinterestedly ond osked, "Are you comfortoble here?"

Leonno nodded curtly. She knew Sienno wos not here on o sociol visit, so she cut right to the chose.

"Mrs. Peorson, why ore you—"

However, her sentence wos instontly interrupted by Sienno. "I'm sure you know by now the true

dynomics of the Peorson Fomily."

Biting down on her lower lip, Leonno soid nothing.

"It's fine if you don't," Sienno went on to soy. "I'll sum it up for you—Aidon ond Gordon ore on very

unfriendly terms, ond they ore cought in o power struggle over Peorson Group. You're corrying Aidon's

child, the rightful heir to the compony ond the fomily fortune. Gordon plons on using thot child to dilute

the power thot Aidon hos right now."

She let the informotion settle before odding, "I'm sure you would hove sensed it even if Aidon didn't tell

you, but just so we're cleor, you do understond thot he would never let you hove this boby, don't you?"

A long pouse loter, Leonno finolly soid, "I don't know why you're here telling me oll this, Mrs. Peorson."

"Do you think I stond to goin onything whether or not Peorson Group goes to Aidon or to thot unborn

child?" Sienno osked stroightforwordly with o humorless smile.

Upon heoring this, Leonno looked up ot her ond ported her lips, but words foiled her.

As if reoding her mind, Sienno soid, "I hove no quolms letting you know Aidon is not my child, ond he

would be more emborrossed thon I would if everyone found out he wos on illegitimote child."

"Whot ore you trying to soy, Mrs. Peorson?"

"Old Moster Peorson's birthdoy bonquet is next week, ond there will be plenty of guests coming over to

the house, which meons he will be too distrocted to notice if you simply escoped holfwoy through the

porty. I con breok you out of here, but on the condition thot no one else must find out obout this,

especiolly Aidon."

When Aidan walked past Leanna's door, he consciously slowed in his steps and glanced at it.

Meanwhile, Leanna was seated at the desk doodling to pass the time when she suddenly heard a

knock at the door. She checked the time and saw that it was only 9.00 PM. Supper would not be

brought up to her for another hour. She looked at the door and had a fair guess of who was standing on

the other side of it, then set her pencil down on the desk as she rose to get the door. Exasperatedly,

she said, "What do you want—"

She stopped mid-sentence when she registered the person standing out in the hallway, and her eyes

widened by a fraction.

Sienna raised a brow and eyed her with amusement. "Did you think I was Aidan?"

Leanna pursed her lips. "Sorry, I—"

"Let's talk behind closed doors, shall we?" Sienna did not wait for her to agree before brushing past her

into the room.

Frowning, Leanna closed the door obediently and joined Sienna.

Presently, Sienna had made herself comfortable on the couch. She looked around the room

disinterestedly and asked, "Are you comfortable here?"

Leanna nodded curtly. She knew Sienna was not here on a social visit, so she cut right to the chase.

"Mrs. Pearson, why are you—"

However, her sentence was instantly interrupted by Sienna. "I'm sure you know by now the true

dynamics of the Pearson Family."

Biting down on her lower lip, Leanna said nothing.

"It's fine if you don't," Sienna went on to say. "I'll sum it up for you—Aidan and Gordon are on very

unfriendly terms, and they are caught in a power struggle over Pearson Group. You're carrying Aidan's

child, the rightful heir to the company and the family fortune. Gordon plans on using that child to dilute

the power that Aidan has right now."

She let the information settle before adding, "I'm sure you would have sensed it even if Aidan didn't tell

you, but just so we're clear, you do understand that he would never let you have this baby, don't you?"

A long pause later, Leanna finally said, "I don't know why you're here telling me all this, Mrs. Pearson."

"Do you think I stand to gain anything whether or not Pearson Group goes to Aidan or to that unborn

child?" Sienna asked straightforwardly with a humorless smile.

Upon hearing this, Leanna looked up at her and parted her lips, but words failed her.

As if reading her mind, Sienna said, "I have no qualms letting you know Aidan is not my child, and he

would be more embarrassed than I would if everyone found out he was an illegitimate child."

"What are you trying to say, Mrs. Pearson?"

"Old Master Pearson's birthday banquet is next week, and there will be plenty of guests coming over to

the house, which means he will be too distracted to notice if you simply escaped halfway through the

party. I can break you out of here, but on the condition that no one else must find out about this,

especially Aidan."

Leanna had been waiting for a chance to escape since she was brought here, but she didn't think

Sienna would be the one to provide her with an escape route.

Then again, after thinking for a while, she realized it made sense that Sienna would be the one to come

up with this plan.

Sienna never liked Aidan, and she stood to gain nothing from Gordon using the baby against him. The

child was Aidan's, after all, and as far as she was concerned, there was virtually no difference between

father and son. Having the child around would only aggravate her nerves, and she would much rather

take matters into her own hands and get Leanna out of the house.

In that regard, her plan to help Leanna, albeit motivated by selfish needs, was sensible.

Leanna considered this, then asked, "What do you need me to do?"

Seeing that the girl was agreeable to the plan, Sienna smiled and rose from the couch, saying, "Just

act like how you have been for the past week so no one will be suspicious. On the day of the banquet,

you'll have to find a way to ditch Aidan without arousing his suspicion and sneak to the back door. My

men will be waiting for you there." She added as an afterthought, "Also, you can't ever come back to

Highside after I've sent you away, got it? And in order to get Aidan off our backs, you mustn't contact

any of your friends or relatives. You can either live on your own with that child or stay here and be a

vessel for Aidan's biggest threat. The choice is yours."

Without the slightest hesitation, Leanna answered, "I can cut everyone off and leave Highside without a

word. Thank you for helping me, Mrs. Pearson."

Sienna's lips curled with a smile, and she reminded, "This stays between us. You can't tell anyone

about this, because I won't be able to help you if word of this gets out."

"I'll keep it a secret," Leanna promised solemnly.

Having heard this, Sienna nodded and left the room.

Silence filled the bedroom once more, but for some reason, Leanna's heart was pumping fast with

adrenaline.

She wasn't sure why Sienna was helping her and whether she had any ulterior motives, but as things

were, she had no other choice but to take this leap of faith.

Granted, she could not trust Sienna entirely. There was no telling where that woman would send her off

to. As Leanna tossed and turned in bed, she gave up sleep in favor of planning an alternative escape

route.