Chapter 183


    Elijah could tell that Leanna’s mind was wandering when they were in the restaurant. Softly, he asked,


    “Do you not enjoy the food tonight, Leanna?”


    Upon hearing this, she snapped back to reality and shed him an apologetic smile. “That is not it. It is


    my problem. The food is delicious.”


    She didn’t know if it was because she had hugged Carly’s baby today that she had been rather


    dispirited the entire afternoon. She couldn’t help having her mind drift off to the possibility of her own


    child being as tiny, soft, and cute if she had given birth then.


    He added hot water to her cup. “No, I am the problem,” he said. “I must have scared you by saying that


    last night.”


    Elijah did think that he had been a little abrupt after he went home and thought about it.


    But then, he had no reason to go back on his own words since Leanna had already agreed.


    Lips pursed, she began, “Elijah, I actually—”


    He smiled and finished her sentence for her, “I am aware that the reason why you agreed to meet me


    was that you were angry with Aidan.”


    She was slightly startled when she heard his words, but she didn’t deny it. All she said was, “I am


    sorry.”


    “It is alright. I am happy I can help you this way.” Elijah then continued, “Leanna, I don’t know if it’s


    appropriate for me to say this, but I always thought that you had lived a good life in the past few years. I


    thought that you might have already gotten married to Zayn after graduation, but all I got was news of


    his engagement with Anna.”


    “I felt conflicted the moment I heard the news. I was secretly happy on one hand but on the other, I


    couldn’t help but wonder about what happened between the two of you and what you must have felt at


    that time. In fact, I have never thought about getting anything. I was satisfied with being able to see that


    you were well from a distance. “


    His smile began to fade as he spoke. “But I found outst night that life these few years hasn’t been


    easy on you.”


    The corners of Leanna’s lips raised after she heard that, and she replied nonchntly. “That is life. It is


    inevitable there are ups and downs. At the very least, I am happy now. The rest are all things of the


    past, anyway.”


    Elijah knew that there hadn’t been any changes to her stubborn and optimistic character. She had


    never spoken about the pain she was going through.


    Leanna had always been a beautiful girl that was constantly swarmed by boys since the time when


    they were students. However, she had always smilingly rejected everyone’s advances, no matter if the


    boys were giving her gifts or inviting her to meals.


    She would go to a convenience store just one block away from the school every day. Other than it


    being the ce she stayed at the most besides the school, it was also where she got her source of


    ie.


    Elijah could tall that Laanna’s mind was wandaring whan thay wara in tha rastaurant. Softly, ha askad,


    “Do you not anjoy tha food tonight, Laanna?”


    Upon haaring this, sha snappad back to raality and shad him an apologatic sm. “That is not it. It is


    my prom. Tha food is dalicious.”


    Sha didn’t know if it was bacausa sha had huggad Carly’s baby today that sha had baan rathar


    dispiritad tha antira aftarnoon. Sha couldn’t halp having har mind drift off to tha possibility of har own


    child baing as tiny, soft, and cuta if sha had givan birth than.


    Ha addad hot watar to har cup. “No, I am tha prom,” ha said. “I must hava scarad you by saying that


    last night.”


    Elijah did think that ha had baan a lit abrupt aftar ha want homa and thought about it.


    But than, ha had no raason to go back on his own words sinca Laanna had alraady agraad.


    Lips pursad, sha bagan, “Elijah, I actually—”


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    Ha smd and finishad har santanca for har, “I am awara that tha raason why you agraad to maat ma


    was that you wara angry with Aidan.”


    Sha was slightly stard whan sha haard his words, but sha didn’t dany it. All sha said was, “I am


    sorry.”


    “It is alright. I am happy I can halp you this way.” Elijah than continuad, “Laanna, I don’t know if it’s


    appropriata for ma to say this, but I always thought that you had livad a good lifa in tha past faw yaars. I


    thought that you might hava alraady gottan marriad to Zayn aftar graduation, but all I got was naws of


    his angagamant with Anna.”


    “I falt conflictad tha momant I haard tha naws. I was sacratly happy on ona hand but on tha othar, I


    couldn’t halp but wondar about what happanad batwaan tha two of you and what you must hava falt at


    that tima. In fact, I hava navar thought about gatting anything. I was satisfiad with baing a to saa that


    you wara wall from a distanca. “


    His sm bagan to fada as ha spoka. “But I found outst night that lifa thasa faw yaars hasn’t baan


    aasy on you.”


    Tha cornars of Laanna’s lips raisad aftar sha haard that, and sha rapliad nonchntly. “That is lifa. It is


    inavita ups and downs. At tha varyast, I am happy now. Tha rast ara all things of tha past,


    anyway.”


    Elijah knaw that thara hadn’t baan any changas to har stubborn and optimistic charactar. Sha had


    navar spokan about tha pain sha was going through.


    Laanna had always baan a baautiful girl that was constantly swarmad by boys sinca tha tima whan


    thay wara studants. Howavar, sha had always smilingly rajactad avaryona’s advancas, no mattar if tha


    boys wara giving har gifts or inviting har to maals.


    Sha would go to a convanianca stora just ona block away from tha school avary day. Othar than it


    baing tha ca sha stayad at tha most basidas tha school, it was also whara sha got har sourca of


    ia.


    Elijah didn’t particrly have a strong impression of Leanna at first. He only knew that there was a


    pretty girl there.


    It wasn’t until that one day he was passing by a convenience store when he saw a drunk man asking


    her for money. It was probably the day she was receiving her sry.


    She took out some from her bag and gave it to the man. Despite that, the man was extremely


    dissatisfied, and wanted to rob her of all the money in her envelope.


    He remembered how firm her tone was when she warned, “This is Louis’ and my living expenses for


    next month. I can’t give it to you.”


    The man proceeded to curse her out, but her expression remained unchanged.


    Judging from the words the man scolded her with, he most probably was her father.


    After the man was done ranting and had left, she didn’t look sad for even a moment. She only took a


    deep breath, put her smile back on, and continued to work in the convenience store.


    At that time, Elijah didn’t know what hade over him, but he was slowly walking in her direction


    before he knew it.


    The young girl with a high ponytail was standing there, carefully counting the goods with a focused and


    serious expression on her face.


    Just as he was about to step forward, Zayn hade to her and called her by her name.


    Her smile when she turned around was so bright Elijah stopped in his tracks before he took a few steps


    back.


    From that moment on, he had resigned himself to the fate that he would never be the one beside her in


    his life, and he could only watch from a distance.


    But now that he had his opportunity again, Elijah wanted to take that first step he didn’t have the


    courage to back then.


    He began to speak, but a nonchnt voice rang out from aside at this moment. “What a coincidence,


    President Parker.”


    Aidan didn’t think he was intruding at all as he sat down right next to Leanna. In a casual tone, he


    suggested, “Let’s share a table. I trust that you won’t mind, President Parker. As a token of my


    sincerity, please allow me to buy you dinner tonight.”


    He only got silence from both Leanna and Elijah in return.


    Still, Aidan proceeded to take the menu from the waiter, ordered some food, and added, “Also, get me


    a chicken noodle soup.”


    Just when the waiter was about to say that they didn’t have it on their menu, the store manager quickly


    hurried over. “Alright,” he interrupted. “Is there anything else, President Pearson?”


    “Addtro in the soup,” Aidan replied.


    “Please wait for a moment, President Pearson. I will have the kitchen prepare your orders now.”


    After the manager left, Leanna got up while she held back her temper. She then said to Elijah, “I am


    done eating. Let’s go.”


    Elijah nodded and stood up as well. He called for a waiter to get him the bill, and then said to Aidan,


    “Enjoy the food, President Pearson. Dinner is on me.”


    Aidan only pursed his lips slightly as he grabbed Leanna by her hand.


    “Please take your hands off me, President Pearson,” she coldly demanded.


    “Don’t you love chicken noodle soup? Have some before you go.”


    “Just because I used to like it doesn’t mean I like it now.”


    “And just because you don’t like it now doesn’t mean you won’t like it in the future,” Aidan refuted.


    There was no emotion in his voice, but she could tell that it was a double entendre.


    D*mn b*stard is starting to have fun!


    Leanna forcefully threw off his hand then. “I hope you enjoy your dinner.”


    Better yet, I hope your tummy explodes from all the food!


    She darted out of the restaurant after she said that.


    After Elijah paid the bill, he turned to look at Aidan and asked, “Don’t you think your behavior is


    ridiculous, President Pearson?”


    Hearing that, Aidan looked up at the other man with indifferent eyes. “Nope, not really.”


    “I wonder if you have ever heard the saying that even grass is worth more than overdue affections.”


    After throwing that out, Elijah nodded slightly at him before he strode away.


    Just then, the manager of the store came over again. “Would you still like to have the food served,


    President Pearson?”


    “Pack it all up,” Aidan instructed.


    “Yes, sir.”


    Jonathan walked in with hurried steps two minutester and reported, “President Pearson, Mrs.


    Pearson and President Parker have left.”


    Aidan only hummed in reply, but he didn’t say anything else.


    Hearing this, Jonathan further inquired, “Should we follow them?”


    “No.” Aidan said, “Surely he is only sending her home. It is not rocket science.”


    What’s more, Aidan had already achieved his goal today.


    Twenty minutester, the store manager came to him with the packed food boxes. “Sorry to have kept


    you waiting, President Pearson.”


    After leaving the restaurant, Jonathan knew what to do next even though Aidan didn’t say anything—he


    swiftly keyed-in the address to Leanna’s home.


    At this moment, he suddenly heard a male voice speak in a tone he couldn’t decipher from behind. “Is


    grass cheap?”


    Jonathan had no answer to that.