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Chapter 77
The next day, Jonathan rushed over to speak to Aidan the moment Aidan came
downstairs. "Bad news, President Pearson," Jonathan uttered.
Zayn had always been cold and hostile toward Anna, even after they got engaged.
Furthermore, both the Barnett and Pearson families treated their marriage as a mere
business partnership—no one cared about Zayn and Anna's relationship. Anna was
probably the only person who took the engagement seriously.
Previously, Anna might have kept her behavior in check because she was worried that
Zayn would call the marriage off if she tested his limits. However, now that they were
engaged, Anna no longer had much to be afraid of. Leanna's pregnancy was like a thorn in
Anna's heart, and she blamed Leanna for how cold and distant Zayn acted around her.
Leanna didn't get pregnant after being married to Aidan for three years. How could she
get pregnant right after she got a divorce? I suspect that the child might be Zayn's, Anna
thought.
So, Anna started a whole fuss about this matter at breakfast that morning. She was smart
enough not to bring up Leanna's name at all. She simply mentioned that there was a
woman who was pregnant with Zayn's child before begging Gordon to deal with this for
her. If Gordon happened to find out that the woman in question was Leanna, his realization
would have nothing to do with Anna.
Gordon lost his cool upon hearing this news. He didn't care if Anna and Zayn were in love
with one another, but he cared about the reputation of the Barnett Family! Furthermore,
for such a thing to happen right after Zayn and Anna got engaged… The Barnett and
Pearson families' partnership would be affected if such an incident were to be exposed to
the public.
"Old Master Pearson wants to discuss this matter, and the Barnetts are already on the way
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtto the Pearson Family Estate," Jonathan explained. The look in Aidan's eyes didn't seem to
carry any emotion as he spoke. "How did Anna find out about this?"
"I'm not sure. I'll investigate this matter," Jonathan replied.
"Forget it." Aidan parted his long legs to walk out. "We'll find out if we go over to question
her," he uttered with a tone as cold as ice.
…
Gordan sat on the couch in the Pearson Family Estate, with both his hands resting on his
walking stick and a grim look on his face. Anna was seated opposite him, and she had
been crying for a while by then. Soon enough, Gordon lost his patience. "What's done is
done. What's the use of you crying? You were the one who insisted on getting married to
Zayn even when you knew he didn't fancy you. It was only a matter of time before he
started seeing some other woman."
Anna responded in a meek voice, "But that woman's the one who keeps pestering him.
Now, they even have a kid. They've never considered my feelings at all!"
"Why does the kid matter? I don't think Zayn will have the guts to actually have the child
and bring it into the Barnett Family!" Gordon barked. Right then, Sienna took a gaze at the
front entrance before she interrupted to make a comment. "Yeah. Not every illegitimate
child lives a good life, you know." Moments later, the maid's voice filled the hall. "Hello,
Young Master Pearson!"
Aidan responded with an unimpressed grunt. There was no sign of emotion on his face, yet
the whole hall was filled with pin-drop silence the moment he stepped in. The air around
them seemed to turn a few degrees colder. Even Anna stopped crying when she saw Aidan
walking in. She tried her best to contain her sobs. This was the scene that Justin was
greeted with the moment he came down. "Let's take a walk at the park, Aidan. There are
some things I'd like to talk to you about, anyway," Justin uttered with a sigh.
After they left, Gordon frowned and glared at Sienna. "Did you have to trigger him at a
time like this?!"
Sienna scoffed. "Who did I trigger? I'm just telling the truth." Then, she turned to Anna
before she continued speaking. "Regardless of what happens, you shouldn't overlook the
capabilities of an illegitimate child, Anna. You never know—an illegitimate child might
snatch your entire life away at some point in time."
Anna didn't know anything about their family's history, so she simply nodded in
agreement. However, she felt more determined than ever to get rid of the child that was
in Leanna's belly.
Soon enough, the Barnetts arrived, with Zayn leading the way. Gordon tried his best to
control his anger as he confronted Zayn. "Tell me. What's this about? Who's that woman?"
Zayn shot Anna a glare. "There's nothing going on."
"You don't have to be in such a hurry to deny this matter. We're not trying to put the
blame on you. You're here because we want to come up with a solution for this," Gordon
replied.
"I trust my son. He would never do such a thing." Douglas spoke up for Zayn.
"Tell us what happened. Was there some sort of misunderstanding, Zayn?" Marilyn added.
Anna immediately shot to her feet and shouted at them upon hearing their words. "How
could this be a misunderstanding?! I saw it with my own eyes! They've already had tons of
secret meetings, and Zayn is always so protective toward that woman!" she cried.
"You can't judge things based on your own observations, Anna. You need to provide
concrete evidence," Marilyn uttered exasperatedly.
"Well, the evidence is the kid in that woman's belly! Forget it. I'm not going to further
pursue this matter as long as that woman aborts the child. I can just forget that this ever
happened," Anna uttered.
"Are you done, Anna?" Zayn couldn't hold his temper back for much longer. Tears trickled
down Anna's face when she heard the way he spoke to her. "Look at that, guys. He's still
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmprotecting that woman right now. Why would he show such huge reactions if he didn't
have something going on with that woman? Why would he care if that child wasn’t his?"
Marilyn hastily tugged on Zayn's sleeve while frowning. "Calm down, Zayn. You should
speak in a more civil manner. Since Anna is making such claims, then I'm sure there's
something going on. You should just explain yourself."
"She's a friend. Sure, I do like her, but she has already rejected my feelings for her. Are
you happy with this answer?" Zayn shot Anna a glare.
Anna hadn't expected Zayn to openly admit his feelings for Leanna, and she felt both
ashamed and furious when she heard the words coming out of his mouth. "I knew it! I
knew you liked her. What's so great about that woman? She has gotten you completely
mesmerized. Even Aidan is—" She knew that she messed her words up the moment she
uttered Aidan's name, so she hastily slapped her hand over her mouth.
Gordon frowned when he realized this. "What are you talking about, Anna? What's up with
Aidan?"
"What's up with me?" Aidan's voice came from behind the crowd. His tone was flat, yet it
sent chills down Anna's spine. She no longer spoke with the firm tone she had earlier. "I-
It's nothing…" she muttered.
"Well, we now know that it's all a misunderstanding, Anna. So, I don't think it's necessary
to continue fussing over this matter," Justin said. "You should apologize to Mr. and Mrs.
Barnett for rushing all the way here over such a tiny matter."
"But…" Anna protested.
"It's just an engagement. You can always call the wedding off," Zayn uttered calmly. Anna
no longer said anything after that, but her eyes were filled with dissatisfaction. In the end,
Justin had to apologize to the Barnetts in order to make sure that there were no hard
feelings. Although Justin didn't have much of a presence in the Pearson Family, he was one
of the kindest and most polite ones in the household. If it hadn't been for the disability in
his legs, the Pearson Family would be in a completely different situation. Aidan wouldn't be
the one calling all the shots.
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