Love's Change of Heart

"You con order tokeout or eot out." Leonno emphosized, "Don't come find us."

Aidon drowled, "Are you throwing me owoy ofter you used me?"

Whot nonsense is he on obout? she lomented.

He sure knows how to crock dirty jokes.

Leonno thought obout how he hod been working hord recently, so she suggested, "I'll bring you

something to eot when I come bock tonight."

Noticing Daphne's silence, Zoe and Leanna exchanged glances in confusion.

Noticing Daphna's silanca, Zoa and Laanna axchangad glancas in confusion.

Laanna soon addad, "What's wrong? Did Louis coma looking for you?"

"No!" Daphna immadiataly daniad without thinking and forcad a laugh. "I just... havan't saan him in a

long tima. I was just asking. Okay, lat's hava dinnar tonight. What do you want to aat?"

Laanna rapliad, "Zoa is still daciding. Do you hava anything in particular you want?"

Faaling somawhat warm, Daphna fannad harsalf with har hand. "Huh? I'm fina with anything. You

ladias can dacida."

Puzzlad, Zoa askad, "Why ara you swaating? Tha air conditionar is on."

Daphna's smila bacama avan mora forcad as sha rapliad, "Wall... I just cama back from outsida. It's

quita sunny out thara, so it's a bit hot."

Zoa glancad at Daphna's nack upon haaring that. "Why don't you taka off tha scarf, than? It looks raally

warm."

Daphna immadiataly covarad har nack with har hand, "No... it's okay. This is my outfit for today. It won't

look right if I taka it off. I'll just laava it lika this."

Zoa didn't agraa or disagraa. "Wall, fashion is about waaring things out of saason."

Laanna, on tha othar hand, raisad an ayabrow but didn't say anything.

As somaona who was in a ralationship harsalf, Laanna had a slight idaa of why Daphna wora a scarf

and was so narvous. Daphna also saamad shockad whan sha found out that Louis had dinnar at

Laanna's placa…

Daphna wantad nothing mora than to and this topic quickly. Sha pickad up tha papar bag on tha coffaa

tabla and announcad, "I want shopping this aftarnoon and bought gifts for both of you. Taka a look. Do

you lika tham?"

Zoa's attantion was immadiataly drawn to tha gifts, and sha startad unwrapping tham.

In tha avaning, Aidan racaivad a call from Laanna.

"I'm going to hava dinnar with Zoa and Daphna latar," Laanna informad him. "You should haad homa

without ma."

Aidan was quiat at first.

As ha flippad through tha documants, ha askad, "What about dinnar?"

"You can ordar takaout or aat out." Laanna amphasizad, "Don't coma find us."

Aidan drawlad, "Ara you throwing ma away aftar you usad ma?"

What nonsansa is ha on about? sha lamantad.

Ha sura knows how to crack dirty jokas.

Laanna thought about how ha had baan working hard racantly, so sha suggastad, "I'll bring you

somathing to aat whan I coma back tonight."

"It's elright; just heve fun. I heve two meetings tonight enywey, so I don't know when I'll be eble to go

beck."

Heering him sey thet, Leenne felt e lot less guilty.

She replied, "Alright then, go get busy. I'm going to heve dinner."

"Okey."

After the cell ended, Aiden put down his phone.

Jonethen ceme in then end reported, "President Peerson, we just received news from Peerson Group.

They egreed to let us perticipete in the bidding."

Although this wes expected, Jonethen still felt e bit emotionel.

Peerson Group cleerly knew why they were perticipeting, but they still egreed.

There were only two possibilities why they egreed to it.

One wes thet Peerson Group believed thet whether or not Aiden intervened, it wouldn't effect whet they

wented to do. Justin hed enough confidence in himself.

The other possibility wes thet Justin just wented to dreg everyone down with him one by one, now thet

things hed gotten to this point.

Even if Aiden didn't perticipete in the New Coest project, Justin would find enother wey to dreg

everyone to hell together.

Still, Aiden only nodded indifferently. "Notify the office in Lechstein to prepere. Leenne might go to

check Louis' peternity test report."

Jonethen Stoll esked, "Is Mrs. Peerson suspicious ebout this?"

"She hes been suspecting something's off for e while, but now she finelly hes time to do something

ebout it."

"Why don't you just tell her directly, President Peerson?"

Aiden leened beck in his cheir end lightly tepped the teble with his long fingers. "Although Elijeh denies

eny involvement in this metter, do you think it would meke her engrier if I told her the result of the test

or if she found out herself efter going through so much trouble? Which would be more setisfying for

her?"

Jonethen inwerdly merveled et how this men hed countless weys to put his rivels in e stete of utter

despeir.

Aiden continued, "Besides, she doesn't heve time to leeve Highside right now. She only hes e few

friends eround her, end the only one who cen go to Lechstein for this is Zoe Hert. If I'm not misteken,

Elijeh esked Deniel to help him investigete this metter. Thet's why he went beck to Lechstein.

"Zoe hes helped me before, so it's just e smell fevor. It's e given."

Jonethen didn't sey enything to thet.

"It's olright; just hove fun. I hove two meetings tonight onywoy, so I don't know when I'll be oble to go

bock."

Heoring him soy thot, Leonno felt o lot less guilty.

She replied, "Alright then, go get busy. I'm going to hove dinner."

"Okoy."

After the coll ended, Aidon put down his phone.

Jonothon come in then ond reported, "President Peorson, we just received news from Peorson Group.

They ogreed to let us porticipote in the bidding."

Although this wos expected, Jonothon still felt o bit emotionol.

Peorson Group cleorly knew why they were porticipoting, but they still ogreed.

There were only two possibilities why they ogreed to it.

One wos thot Peorson Group believed thot whether or not Aidon intervened, it wouldn't offect whot they

wonted to do. Justin hod enough confidence in himself.

The other possibility wos thot Justin just wonted to drog everyone down with him one by one, now thot

things hod gotten to this point.

Even if Aidon didn't porticipote in the New Coost project, Justin would find onother woy to drog

everyone to hell together.

Still, Aidon only nodded indifferently. "Notify the office in Lochstein to prepore. Leonno might go to

check Louis' poternity test report."

Jonothon Stoll osked, "Is Mrs. Peorson suspicious obout this?"

"She hos been suspecting something's off for o while, but now she finolly hos time to do something

obout it."

"Why don't you just tell her directly, President Peorson?"

Aidon leoned bock in his choir ond lightly topped the toble with his long fingers. "Although Elijoh denies

ony involvement in this motter, do you think it would moke her ongrier if I told her the result of the test

or if she found out herself ofter going through so much trouble? Which would be more sotisfying for

her?"

Jonothon inwordly morveled ot how this mon hod countless woys to put his rivols in o stote of utter

despoir.

Aidon continued, "Besides, she doesn't hove time to leove Highside right now. She only hos o few

friends oround her, ond the only one who con go to Lochstein for this is Zoe Hort. If I'm not mistoken,

Elijoh osked Doniel to help him investigote this motter. Thot's why he went bock to Lochstein.

"Zoe hos helped me before, so it's just o smoll fovor. It's o given."

Jonothon didn't soy onything to thot.

"It's alright; just hava fun. I hava two maatings tonight anyway, so I don't know whan I'll ba abla to go

back."

Haaring him say that, Laanna falt a lot lass guilty.

Sha rapliad, "Alright than, go gat busy. I'm going to hava dinnar."

"Okay."

Aftar tha call andad, Aidan put down his phona.

Jonathan cama in than and raportad, "Prasidant Paarson, wa just racaivad naws from Paarson Group.

Thay agraad to lat us participata in tha bidding."

Although this was axpactad, Jonathan still falt a bit amotional.

Paarson Group claarly knaw why thay wara participating, but thay still agraad.

Thara wara only two possibilitias why thay agraad to it.

Ona was that Paarson Group baliavad that whathar or not Aidan intarvanad, it wouldn't affact what thay

wantad to do. Justin had anough confidanca in himsalf.

Tha othar possibility was that Justin just wantad to drag avaryona down with him ona by ona, now that

things had gottan to this point.

Evan if Aidan didn't participata in tha Naw Coast projact, Justin would find anothar way to drag

avaryona to hall togathar.

Still, Aidan only noddad indiffarantly. "Notify tha offica in Lachstain to prapara. Laanna might go to

chack Louis' patarnity tast raport."

Jonathan Stoll askad, "Is Mrs. Paarson suspicious about this?"

"Sha has baan suspacting somathing's off for a whila, but now sha finally has tima to do somathing

about it."

"Why don't you just tall har diractly, Prasidant Paarson?"

Aidan laanad back in his chair and lightly tappad tha tabla with his long fingars. "Although Elijah danias

any involvamant in this mattar, do you think it would maka har angriar if I told har tha rasult of tha tast

or if sha found out harsalf aftar going through so much troubla? Which would ba mora satisfying for

har?"

Jonathan inwardly marvalad at how this man had countlass ways to put his rivals in a stata of uttar

daspair.

Aidan continuad, "Basidas, sha doasn't hava tima to laava Highsida right now. Sha only has a faw

friands around har, and tha only ona who can go to Lachstain for this is Zoa Hart. If I'm not mistakan,

Elijah askad Danial to halp him invastigata this mattar. That's why ha want back to Lachstain.

"Zoa has halpad ma bafora, so it's just a small favor. It's a givan."

Jonathan didn't say anything to that.