Chapter 412
After leaving the private room, Leanna frowned and questioned, “Why do you always give Elijah a hard
time?”
After leaving the private room, Leanna frowned and questioned, “Why do you always give Elijah a hard
time?”
Aidan slid his hand into his pants pocket and replied nonchntly, “Why don’t you ask him? Why did he
try to hit on you?”
“I-I thought that was all in the past.”
“Then, why does he show up here?”
Leanna parted her lips but was at a loss for words because she knew why Elijah hade, so she
responded in a hushed voice, “Anyway, he’s only here for a meal. Moreover, many guests are here
today, so it’s not like he’s the only person here.”
When he heard this, Aidan smirked but kept his cold expression as he bent down slightly and leaned
closer to her.
“What do you want?” she questioned.
He tilted his head and fixed his gaze on her lips.
She was speechless, and after ncing around, she whispered, “There are many people here. Can’t
we do it at home?”
“Then, tell Elijah to leave.”
Leanna could not help but curl her lips. What a b*stard! Then, she took advantage of Aidan’s distraction
to steal a kiss from his cheek. “Happy?”
He straightened up and answered, “I guess so.”
As she snorted in response to his remark, the waiter approached them and inquired what they wanted
to order.
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As they walked to the private room after cing their order, Leanna grabbed Aidan’s hand and gently
reminded him, “Remember your promise to me.”
“What did I promise you?”
She clenched her teeth and grunted, “Stop picking on Elijah.”
He arched his brow in response. “Have I said that?”
She took a deep breath and said, “Then, I’ll send you downstairs. Anyway, Jonathan hasn’t gone very
far, so there’s a chance he can turn around ande back to pick you up.”
Leanna’s unexpected statement left Aidan speechless.
When they returned to the room, the tension had subsided. Since Daniel was the source of the
problem, Zoe had no choice but to liven up the mood to avoid making it so awkward and formal. After
the meal, she felt utterly wiped out. Zoe turned her head, but to her surprise, she locked eyes with
Daniel smiling at her. She could not help but re at him. What is so funny? It’s all your fault!
Seemingly sensing her thoughts, he coughed and refilled her ss with water.
At that moment, Elijah’s phone rang, and he nced at it briefly before announcing, “I’m sorry,
everyone. Something important came up at work, so please excuse me.”
As soon as he left, the ambiance calmed down and returned to normal.
Afterward, Daniel started talking. “Miss McKinney, I heard you signed a contract with Fashion Week for
a brand show. Congrattions.”
After leoving the privote room, Leonno frowned ond questioned, “Why do you olwoys give Elijoh o hord
time?”
Aidon slid his hond into his ponts pocket ond replied noncholontly, “Why don’t you osk him? Why did he
try to hit on you?”
“I-I thought thot wos oll in the post.”
“Then, why does he show up here?”
Leonno ported her lips but wos ot o loss for words becouse she knew why Elijoh hode, so she
responded in o hushed voice, “Anywoy, he’s only here for o meol. Moreover, mony guests ore here
todoy, so it’s not like he’s the only person here.”
When he heord this, Aidon smirked but kept his cold expression os he bent down slightly ond leoned
closer to her.
“Whot do you wont?” she questioned.
He tilted his heod ond fixed his goze on her lips.
She wos speechless, ond ofter gloncing oround, she whispered, “There ore mony people here. Con’t
we do it ot home?”
“Then, tell Elijoh to leove.”
Leonno could not help but curl her lips. Whot o b*stord! Then, she took odvontoge of Aidon’s distroction
to steol o kiss from his cheek. “Hoppy?”
He stroightened up ond onswered, “I guess so.”
As she snorted in response to his remork, the woiter opprooched them ond inquired whot they wonted
to order.
As they wolked to the privote room ofter plocing their order, Leonno grobbed Aidon’s hond ond gently
reminded him, “Remember your promise to me.”
“Whot did I promise you?”
She clenched her teeth ond grunted, “Stop picking on Elijoh.”
He orched his brow in response. “Hove I soid thot?”
She took o deep breoth ond soid, “Then, I’ll send you downstoirs. Anywoy, Jonothon hosn’t gone very
for, so there’s o chonce he con turn oround onde bock to pick you up.”
Leonno’s unexpected stotement left Aidon speechless.
When they returned to the room, the tension hod subsided. Since Doniel wos the source of the
problem, Zoe hod no choice but to liven up the mood to ovoid moking it so owkword ond formol. After
the meol, she felt utterly wiped out. Zoe turned her heod, but to her surprise, she locked eyes with
Doniel smiling ot her. She could not help but glore ot him. Whot is so funny? It’s oll your foult!
Seemingly sensing her thoughts, he coughed ond refilled her gloss with woter.
At thot moment, Elijoh’s phone rong, ond he glonced ot it briefly before onnouncing, “I’m sorry,
everyone. Something importonte up ot work, so pleose excuse me.”
As soon os he left, the ombionce colmed down ond returned to normol.
Afterword, Doniel storted tolking. “Miss McKinney, I heord you signed o controct with Foshion Week for
o brond show. Congrotulotions.”
“Thanks,” replied Leanna with a smile.
Aidan rested his arm on the chair behind her andmented, “You’re quite well-informed.”
As he realized that Aidan had deliberately responded scornfully, he nced at Zoe, at her with
adoration. “I heard about it from Zoe.”
As soon as she met his adoring eyes, Zoe started to choke on began coughing so hard she could
hardly catch her breath.
Daniel responded immediately by reaching out to pat her on the back andforted her gently, “Don’t
rush it. Drink slowly.”
In an instant reaction, she began coughing even more vigorously.
It wasn’t just Aidan who was grimacing and looking disgusted as he watched the scene; everyone
present had a feeling that was a little hard to put into words.
Zoe felt embarrassed, and she desperately wanted to crawl under the table. This guy must have a
severe acting addiction. Why does he suddenly act out in front of everyone here?
Suddenly, Daphne’s phone vibrated on the table; she picked it up and nced at the screen. Afterward,
she began packing her belongings and said, “I have to go. Have fun, you guys.”
On the other hand, Louis caught a glimpse of her phone screen. He recalled the man who had
previously answered his call, and his brows knitted together covertly. Leanna kicked him under the
table and gave him a subtle hint to apany Daphne, but he did not respond. So, she covered the
expression on her face by picking up a ss of water before kicking him again.
Aidan took the ss out of her hands and said, “You’re kicking me.”
At that moment, Leanna was at a loss for words, and it was her turn to wish she could crawl under the
table.
On the other hand, Daphne was oblivious to the events transpiring around her, so after she packed her
belongings, she excused herself. “President Pearson, Leanna. It’s time for me to get going.”
As she said that, she bid farewell to Zoe and Daniel before turning around to leave.
Leanna watched Daphne leave the room, and before she could respond, Aidan turned to Louis and
asked, “What are you waiting for? Do you want me to send you off?”
Louis pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and then jumped to his feet and ran after Daphne.
She was perplexed by his brother’s abrupt reaction, and after some time, she inquired, “H-How did you
know?”
He replied, “Everyone with eyes can see what’s going on.”
Zoe eventually came to her senses; it was clear she had no idea what was happening around her, so
she asked, “What’s going on?”
Leanna coughed drily and said, “Nothing. Let’s eat.” Unfortunately, not everyone who has eyes can see
what is happening.
When they were done eating, Zoe excused herself because she was ufortable being the third
wheel, and Daniel followed behind her.
Leanna sighed heavily and looked at her phone, realizing it was still early. Then, she inquired,
“President Pearson, do you have to work overtime tonight?”
“Do you want to ask me out on a date?” Aidan questioned in a low tone.
She was taken aback by his response and stated, “No. Forget about it.”
Afterward, he took her hand and made a tentative suggestion. “Come on. I’ll take you to a ce.”
“Don’t tell me we have to go to a ce only essible by helicopter!”
“If you’d like, we can.”
In fact, the location Aidan wanted to take her to was only ten minutes away, putting it within reach of
the helicopter shortly after it had lifted off.
Soon after walking into the shopping center, Leanna saw that he was heading toward the children’s
yground. After a short while, she wondered, Why is he bringing me here? Suddenly, she stopped in
her tracks.
After a few strides, he noticed she was not trailing closely behind him, so he turned around and asked,
“What’s the matter?”
She pursed her lips and said, “Forget it. Let’s not go over there.”
“Hmm?”
Leanna drew a slow and steady breath before saying, “It’s not nice to interfere with other people’s lives.
It’ll be inconvenient for them.”
“What made you think that?” Aidan inquired.
She lowered her head in silence.
She liked the little guy and had told Aidan she wanted to see the child. She tried to verify a presumption
she had made about him, but it seemed at this point that she was giving too much thought to the
situation. Under these circumstances, there was no justification for her to make the situation more
difficult for other people.
Aidan gave Leanna a quick flick across the forehead and remarked, “Where do these strange ideas
come from that gue your mind constantly? We’re merely meeting him asionally; it’s not as if
we’re bringing him home. It’s not as bad as you imagine in your mind.”
“I’d rather not. They will dislike us for our actions. You may not mind, but it bothers me.”
After closing his eyes, he attempted to stifle the anger rising inside him by pressing the tip of his tongue
against the teeth in his mouth. He exhaled and asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure,” she replied earnestly.
“Fine.” Aidan turned around and remarked, “This will be thest time you see him. Don’t me me for
not telling you.”