Chapter 135

Chapter 135 Do I Need Permission to Be Here?

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 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 uprooting your life.

But in order for me to do that, I’m going to need your help, President Pearson.”

“So, that’s why you called me,” he said irritably.

“I know I’m 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 here,” she pressed.

Her voice was cracking on the other line, and upon hearing this, Aidan closed his eyes in frustration as

he snapped, “Why are you making up scenarios in your head and getting all melodramatic when I

hardly said a thing about not helping you?”

Leanna panicked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

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

“Goodnight then, President Pearson.”

She hung up the call at once. When he heard the decisive beep on the other line that indicated the call

had ended, he stared at his phone and chuckled in disbelief.

…

During her first week at the Pearson Family Estate, Leanna’s life was like clockwork. She would go

downstairs for her meals, and after dinner, she would take a stroll in the garden with Justin. She had

initially planned on asking one of the maids to prepare snacks for her in case she got peckish at night,

but she never got the chance to, because every night at 10.00 PM, someone would deliver food to her

door.

All this aside, what startled Leanna the most was how Anna had stopped picking on her and somehow

melted away into the background. She didn’t even make a single scathing remark about Leanna on the

days when they brushed past each other in the house.

Oddly enough, this made Leanna feel even more like an inmate whose only activity outside the house

was taking evening strolls in the garden.

Just as she was beginning to settle into a routine on the estate where she spent each day in total

boredom, Aidan moved back and took everyone by surprise.

He had not lived on the Pearson Family Estate since taking over Pearson Group.

After Gordon found out about Leanna’s pregnancy, Anna had been so on edge that she was compelled

to stop picking on the girl. When she heard that Aidan was moving back, she panicked. At present, she

was clutching Sienna’s sleeve as she asked, “Aunt Sienna, what should I do?”

Sienna did not look bothered at all as she pointed out, “Why are you getting anxious all of a sudden?

You said you had everything planned.”

“But I—”

“Aidan has bigger things to worry about, and he might not even bother looking into the person who

leaked the word on Leanna’s pregnancy. Besides, you could always deny it when he accuses you of

being the tattletale; he can’t do anything to you if you just stand your ground,” Sienna said, cutting her

off. She set her cup of tea down and added, “You don’t actually think he came back for Leanna, do

you?”

Anna frowned. “Why else would he—”

“Leanna is now being kept on the estate because your uncle insists on it. The child she’s carrying is the

key to Pearson Group’s future, so Aidan couldn’t possibly leave her here all alone.”

Anna whispered, “But you said he would never let Leanna have the baby.”

Sienna chuckled. “Oh, Anna. There are some things that just take time, and this is just the beginning.”

Meanwhile, in the garden, Justin had been called away by one of the maids, leaving Leanna on the

bench alone as she gazed at the twilight sky.

It was only when the sky had darkened completely that she was pulled back to her senses. She was

just about to get on her feet and leave when suddenly, a figure sat down next to her.

The man observed her indifferently, “Looks like you’ve made yourself at home.”

Leanna gaped at him wordlessly, and he cast her a sidelong glance as he added, “And you’ve been

eating well too.”

Nothing good ever comes from this bastard’s mouth, she concluded grimly. Her baby bump was looking

very much like a bowling ball now, and she had put on some weight, which was evident in the subtle

roundness of her face.

The added weight was only natural now that she was in her final trimester. She refused to dignify his

remarks with a response, but at the thought of the favor she was asking of him, she swallowed her

pride and said, “I didn’t think you’d show up here, President Pearson.”

Aidan stared into the distance and asked, “Do I need permission to be here?”

Leanna was quiet for a moment, then she sputtered.

Hearing that, Aidan turned to raise a brow at her. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” she replied as she kept her eyes on the lamp post up ahead. Seconds ago, she had felt as

though all the frustration pent up over the last few days abruptly disappeared. Right now, with Aidan,

she didn’t have to worry about what to say or if she would offend him. She didn’t have to be on guard

all the time in case he caught her doing something uncouth and looked down his nose at her.

She never realized how much easier her life had been before she was imprisoned here at the Pearson

Family Estate.

Aidan might have a sharp tongue, but he was an angel compared to the others who dwelled here on

the estate, which she had decided was hell on Earth. He was like a thorn on the Pearsons’ side; they

could not pull him out without being pricked bloody.

As he sat next to her on the bench, a small laugh escaped him, but he did not say anything else and

went on to ignore her.

The evening breeze was starting to pick up. Shivering, Leanna stood up and said, “I’m going back to

my room, President Pearson.”