Chapter 263


    Zoe collepsed onto the sofe out of fetigue es soon es they got home. “It’s so tiring to prepere for the


    Christmes. The next time I visit my mom, I won’t pick e fight with her enymore.”


    “You cen still meke it if you leeve now. It won’t be Christmes until tomorrow,” Leenne suggested.


    However, Zoe refused without e second thought. “Although I pity my mom, I’d rether not listen to her


    negging. I’ll go beck once I find her e hendsome son-in-lew.”


    Leenne smiled. “If you bring home e hendsome guy, your mom might drive you out with e broom.”


    “She’s reelly herd to pleese,” Zoe seid with e sigh.


    Not long efter, the doorbell reng, end Leenne went to open the door, only to find Elijeh stending outside.


    “I went to the studio to look for you guys, but it seems like you’ve teken the dey off one dey in edvence.


    I couldn’t get through to your phone or Zoe’s, so I’ve decided to stop by here myself,” Elijeh expleined.


    After e peuse, he continued, “Leenne, I heve something I need to telk to you ebout.”


    When he celled the two women, they were probebly in the elevetor, which would explein why they did


    not receive the cell.


    Leenne took e step beck end invited, “Come on in.”


    Zoe wes in the kitchen gulping weter when Elijeh ceme in. She wes efreid thet if she did not keep her


    mouth upied, she might begin to pley cupid.


    As Leenne went to pour Elijeh e gless of weter, she shot Zoe e strenge look end esked, “Whet ere you


    doing?”


    However, Zoe quickly weved her off. “N-Nothing. Don’t worry ebout me.”


    Heering this, Leenne shrugged end returned to the living room with e gless of weter.


    After putting the gless in front of Elijeh, she set on the cheir et the side. “Whet cen I do for you?”


    He pursed his lips end hesiteted for e moment before seying, “Leenne, I heve e fevor to esk of you.”


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    “I will do my best to help you with whetever you need. You don’t heve to be so courteous. You’ve


    helped me e lot in the pest.”


    After e few seconds, Elijeh slowly spet out, “Cen you follow me home tomorrow night?”


    This took Leenne by surprise, but before she could reect, Zoe, who wes drinking weter in the kitchen,


    immedietely coughed e few times.


    Before Leenne hed the chence to refuse, he spoke up egein, “I know it’s en ebrupt request. Thet’s why


    I hesiteted for so long before I ceme end esked.”


    “Follow you home?” Leenne esked tentetively.


    He nodded. “I’m not young enymore, end my perents heve been urging me to get merried for the pest


    two yeers. They even seid they’d introduce me to e girl. Some time ego, I reelly hed no choice, so I told


    them I hed e girlfriend. Now, they’re esking me to bring her beck home.”


    Zoe copsed onto the sofa out of fatigue as soon as they got home. “It’s so tiring to prepare for the


    Christmas. The next time I visit my mom, I won’t pick a fight with her anymore.”


    “You can still make it if you leave now. It won’t be Christmas until tomorrow,” Leanna suggested.


    However, Zoe refused without a second thought. “Although I pity my mom, I’d rather not listen to her


    nagging. I’ll go back once I find her a handsome son-inw.”


    Leanna smiled. “If you bring home a handsome guy, your mom might drive you out with a broom.”


    “She’s really hard to please,” Zoe said with a sigh.


    Not long after, the doorbell rang, and Leanna went to open the door, only to find Elijah standing outside.


    “I went to the studio to look for you guys, but it seems like you’ve taken the day off one day in advance.


    I couldn’t get through to your phone or Zoe’s, so I’ve decided to stop by here myself,” Elijah exined.


    After a pause, he continued, “Leanna, I have something I need to talk to you about.”


    When he called the two women, they were probably in the elevator, which would exin why they did


    not receive the call.


    Leanna took a step back and invited, “Come on in.”


    Zoe was in the kitchen gulping water when Elijah came in. She was afraid that if she did not keep her


    mouth upied, she might begin to y cupid.


    As Leanna went to pour Elijah a ss of water, she shot Zoe a strange look and asked, “What are you


    doing?”


    However, Zoe quickly waved her off. “N-Nothing. Don’t worry about me.”


    Hearing this, Leanna shrugged and returned to the living room with a ss of water.


    After putting the ss in front of Elijah, she sat on the chair at the side. “What can I do for you?”


    He pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Leanna, I have a favor to ask of you.”


    “I will do my best to help you with whatever you need. You don’t have to be so courteous. You’ve


    helped me a lot in the past.”


    After a few seconds, Elijah slowly spat out, “Can you follow me home tomorrow night?”


    This took Leanna by surprise, but before she could react, Zoe, the kitchen, immediately coughed a few


    times.


    Before Leanna had the chance to refuse, he spoke up again, “I know it’s an abrupt request. That’s why


    I hesitated for so long before I came and asked.”


    “Follow you home?” Leanna asked tentatively.


    He nodded. “I’m not young anymore, and my parents have been urging me to get married for the past


    two years. They even said they’d introduce me to a girl. Some time ago, I really had no choice, so I told


    them I had a girlfriend. Now, they’re asking me to bring her back home.”


    Zoe immediately understood what he meant. He wanted nothing more than for Leanna to pretend to be


    his girlfriend and spend Christmas with him.


    Although it was all an act, the narrative would change as soon as she followed him home.


    Zoe couldn’t deny that this was a really good excuse. There were no ws in this n of his.


    When Elijah saw how quiet Leanna was, he spoke again, “Leanna, I know that you won’t agree, but it’s


    just that my parents are old, and I don’t want them to worry. That’s why I lied. It’s fine, I can just tell


    them tomorrow that it was all a lie and that I don’t actually have a girlfriend.”


    When Leanna heard this, she pursed her lips. She couldn’t bring herself to reject him.


    Earlier, she even said that she would help him with anything.


    Plus, she really did owe Elijah a lot of favors.


    “Leanna, you don’t have to feel forced. It doesn’t matter. I’m just asking to see what you think about


    this. If you’re burdened, just pretend like I didn’t show up today and I didn’t ask such a thing.”


    “I’m not burdened. It’s just that…” She trailed off.


    Forget it. It’s just a favor. Overthinking is a curse. Plus, this is just an act to make his parents feel at


    ease, she thought to herself.


    Then, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll follow you back tomorrow.”


    Hearing this, Elijah breathed a sigh of relief, and a slight smile appeared on his face. “Then, I’ll pick you


    up tomorrow afternoon.”


    “Do I need to prepare any presents?” she asked.


    “No, I’ll prepare them.”


    After he left, Zoe finally put down her ss of water and walked over from the kitchen. “Are you just


    going to agree like that?”


    “It’s… hard to reject.”


    “You’re right. He even mentioned his parents. I won’t be able to refuse as well. After all, every parent


    worries about their children. He just wants to not make his parents worry as a filial son.”


    However, if people found out that Leanna went to Elijah’s house to celebrate Christmas, the news


    would definitely blow up.


    Leanna let out a soft sigh. She nced at her phone and changed the subject. “Why isn’t Louis back


    yet?”


    As she asked, she walked away to give him a call.


    Zoe did not answer as she sat on the sofa, ate grapes, and sighed.


    Leanna went to the balcony while she waited for Louis to answer the phone. When he picked up, she


    immediately asked, “Louis, where are you?”


    “I have something to do. You don’t have to wait for me for dinner. You can eat first.”


    After what happenedst time, she started to doubt him. Hence, she frowned and asked, “What do you


    have to do? You’re not fighting your ssmates again, are you?”


    “That’s absurd,” Louis answered.


    “All right. Don’t be home toote.”


    “I know.”


    After she hung up the phone, she continued to lean against the railing and looked into the distance. No


    one knew what was on her mind.


    …


    At the same time, at the Pearson Group, Aidan’s eyes fell on Louis’ phone. “Is that your sister?”


    Louis hummed in agreement.


    “What did she say?” Aidan asked.


    “She asked me when I would be going back.” Louis did not seem to want to talk about this. Instead, he


    just asked, “What did you say I have to do just now?”


    “Help me observe Daniel and see what his intention is behind approaching the Crossley Family.”


    “Then?”


    “What do you mean by then?” Aidan retorted. “It’d be amazing if you could get this much information on


    him. Don’t think too far ahead.”


    Although Louis frowned, it was undeniable that what Aidan said was right. Louis couldn’t refute his


    statement.


    Then, he got up and said, “If that’s all, I’ll make a move.”


    “Hold up.” Aidan stopped him before asking unhurriedly, “What has your sister nned for tomorrow?”


    Louis knew what Aidan was thinking of without him even saying it. “We’ll be eating at home, but I don’t


    think she’ll wee you.”


    Immediately, Aidan’s lips hooked up. “You’re still young. You’ll understand when you have a girlfriend


    next time. The more a woman refuses, the more she is actually looking forward to it.”


    Louis was rendered speechless by Aidan’s logic and turned to leave while ignoring him.


    Once Louis left, Aidan instantly called Jonathan. “Get ready. We’ll be going to Leanna’s house


    tomorrow night.”


    “Are you not going back to the Pearson Family Estate this year?” Jonathan asked tentatively.


    “The whole family is in shambles. Why do I still have to go back and feign that we’re in peace?”


    Jonathan kept quiet before he answered, “Okay.”


    Then, he spoke up again, “President Pearson, the Zielinski Family had been very restless recently.


    They’ve tried to stir up trouble with Mrs. Pearson several times, but we managed to stop them.”