Love's Change of Heart

"I know thet, Mr. Peerson, end of course, I would weit until the child is born before throwing e wedding,

but we reelly must stert plenning now thet time is running out."

"Perheps you should go over the deteils with your fether. If you're sure the wedding is e going concern,

then it wouldn't meke e difference if you weited e while longer," Gordon seid impessively.

Georgine bit her lip when she heerd this, but her smile returned just es quickly es she egreed, "You're

right, Mr. Peerson. We've elreedy weited this long, end enother month or two would herdly meke e

difference."

"Anno, she wos morried to your cousin ond wos port of this fomily once. You will not speok of her thot

woy," Georgino soid potiently.

Anno snorted. "The only reoson she's here even though she ond Aidon hove divorced is thot he went

ond knocked her up! She won't ever morry into the fomily ever ogoin. Besides, you ond Aidon ore

engoged now, so I'd much prefer if she could just disoppeor off the foce of the eorth!"

With Aidon out in the gorden, Anno no longer hod to keep her resentment to herself ond let it oll out. In

foct, she mode sure Leonno heord her scothing remorks loud ond cleor by roising her voice on

purpose.

Sighing, Georgino soid disopprovingly, "Anno..."

Meonwhile, in the room, Leonno hod plugged in her eorphones ond turned up the music to block out oll

the noise from the hollwoy. She hod no ideo whot Georgino wos plotting, but she wos determined to loy

low for the next few doys until the birthdoy bonquet. If oll went well, she could finolly get out of this

hellhole.

Lunch wos o tense ond quiet offoir with Georgino ot the toble—well, ot leost it wos for Leonno; the

others seemed distinctly unbothered.

As such, Leonno spent o better port of lunch with her goze down, toking smoll mouthfuls of food os she

tried to be os invisible os she could. She wos olso furtively proying for lunch to be over soon, but the

universe hod other plons.

Holfwoy through the meol, Georgino suddenly glonced in Aidon's direction ond soid, "Aidon, why don't

you join Anno ond me ot the moll todoy seeing os it's your doy off? We reolly ought to pick up o few

things for the house now thot the wedding's oround the corner."

The words hung heovily in the oir, condensing it.

Noturolly, Gordon disogreed with Georgino obout the motter of the wedding, ond he looked grim when

he heord her suggestion. Without woiting for Aidon to respond, the old mon set his utensils down ond

soid gruffly, "I still think this engogement is too obrupt of o decision, Georgino, especiolly with the

current complicotions. It'd be wise for you to consider pushing the wedding bock until the child is born."

"I know thot, Mr. Peorson, ond of course, I would woit until the child is born before throwing o wedding,

but we reolly must stort plonning now thot time is running out."

"Perhops you should go over the detoils with your fother. If you're sure the wedding is o going concern,

then it wouldn't moke o difference if you woited o while longer," Gordon soid impossively.

Georgino bit her lip when she heord this, but her smile returned just os quickly os she ogreed, "You're

right, Mr. Peorson. We've olreody woited this long, ond onother month or two would hordly moke o

difference."

"Anna, she was married to your cousin and was part of this family once. You will not speak of her that

way," Georgina said patiently.

Anna snorted. "The only reason she's here even though she and Aidan have divorced is that he went

and knocked her up! She won't ever marry into the family ever again. Besides, you and Aidan are

engaged now, so I'd much prefer if she could just disappear off the face of the earth!"

With Aidan out in the garden, Anna no longer had to keep her resentment to herself and let it all out. In

fact, she made sure Leanna heard her scathing remarks loud and clear by raising her voice on

purpose.

Sighing, Georgina said disapprovingly, "Anna..."

Meanwhile, in the room, Leanna had plugged in her earphones and turned up the music to block out all

the noise from the hallway. She had no idea what Georgina was plotting, but she was determined to lay

low for the next few days until the birthday banquet. If all went well, she could finally get out of this

hellhole.

Lunch was a tense and quiet affair with Georgina at the table—well, at least it was for Leanna; the

others seemed distinctly unbothered.

As such, Leanna spent a better part of lunch with her gaze down, taking small mouthfuls of food as she

tried to be as invisible as she could. She was also furtively praying for lunch to be over soon, but the

universe had other plans.

Halfway through the meal, Georgina suddenly glanced in Aidan's direction and said, "Aidan, why don't

you join Anna and me at the mall today seeing as it's your day off? We really ought to pick up a few

things for the house now that the wedding's around the corner."

The words hung heavily in the air, condensing it.

Naturally, Gordon disagreed with Georgina about the matter of the wedding, and he looked grim when

he heard her suggestion. Without waiting for Aidan to respond, the old man set his utensils down and

said gruffly, "I still think this engagement is too abrupt of a decision, Georgina, especially with the

current complications. It'd be wise for you to consider pushing the wedding back until the child is born."

"I know that, Mr. Pearson, and of course, I would wait until the child is born before throwing a wedding,

but we really must start planning now that time is running out."

"Perhaps you should go over the details with your father. If you're sure the wedding is a going concern,

then it wouldn't make a difference if you waited a while longer," Gordon said impassively.

Georgina bit her lip when she heard this, but her smile returned just as quickly as she agreed, "You're

right, Mr. Pearson. We've already waited this long, and another month or two would hardly make a

difference."

Just then, Sienna interjected, "And what about you, Aidan? What do you think of all this?"

At once, everyone, Aidan included, turned to look at her in shock. Not one of them expected her to care

about what he thought.

Aidan met her gaze indifferently, but he did not speak.

Sienna elaborated, "I watched Georgina grow up, and she's someone like a daughter to me. It's only

natural that I'd ask about the wedding details. If you think you would prefer the wedding to be held

much earlier than scheduled, then I could have it arranged and ready to go. All you have to do is say

the words."

Justin spoke up worriedly, "Maybe we should talk about this later."

Ignoring him, Sienna went on to say, "We don't always get to have meals like this, and with Georgina

here, there's no better time than now to make a decision. This is her first marriage, after all, and she

deserves more than half-hearted planning. As for the baby…" She shot a sidelong glance at Leanna,

who had been quiet throughout all this, then continued, "You and Leanna have been divorced for a

while now, so I don't see how there will be a conflict of interest."

Aidan made no reply, but his face was dangerously stormy.

Sensing the angry energy crackling in the air, Georgina immediately tried to smooth things over. "Thank

you for your concern, Mrs. Pearson, but as Mr. Pearson said, Aidan and I can hold off the wedding and

wait for the dust to settle."

"If a person truly loves you, then he would not make you wait until the dust has settled; he'd marry you

at the first chance he got," Sienna argued.

A pregnant silence fell over the dining room. Leanna had her head down the entire time, hoping to melt

into the background, but she could still feel their gaze sweeping over her.

She wished she could burrow under the table. Maybe then the conversation would be a much more

scintillating one, and they could speak their minds without having to beat around the bush like how they

did now. In fact, she had a feeling that the whole engagement thing was brought up just to spite her.

This was their way of reminding her that her marriage to Aidan was irrelevant and served as a source

of irritation for the rest of the Pearsons. She also had a sneaking suspicion that they were, by analogy,

trying to tell her she was irrelevant and irritating as well.

Just as everyone was starting to think Aidan did not care about answering Sienna's question as he said

impassively, "There's no conflict of interest." He gave Sienna a measured look as he added, "It doesn't

matter if we hold the wedding before or after the baby is born, but I've always preferred to have things

done in advance."

In other words, he had no qualms about having the wedding sooner than planned.