Love's Change of Heart

to Highside to target the Pearson Group or do anything to Aidan. I had been keeping an eye on the

development in this city, so I seized the chance to get a few business deals done. The few projects I'm

working on are wrapping up soon, so I'll leave the city when the time is right."

After hearing that, Leanna pursed her lips. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like I'm chasing you off."

Nonetheless, Joseph shot her a warm smile. "I understand and know that it's inevitable for you to be

wary of strangers after what you've been through. That's normal. My only concern about leaving the

city is Charlotte. She's unwilling to return to Jamesdon, so I'll have to trouble you to look after her for a

while longer."

The two of them sat outside for a while. Suddenly, the chatter coming from the people inside the gallery

rose in volume as if something had happened.

Charlotte is still inside the gallery. Leanna hurriedly stood up to see what was happening. The moment

she walked near the gallery entrance, she heard the whispers.

"That girl must be a fan of Daphne. Tina did that on purpose, but that girl still fell for it. After all, Tina is

so high in the social hierarchy that even Daphne has to be cautious of her."

"What can I say? That girl is too naive. Still, she must be a true fan of Daphne. She's so bold. No one

else would have the guts to publicly criticize Tina in such a crowded place."

"Yes. Now that I think of it, I do admire Daphne. I wish I had a fan who would defend me so fervently."

Leanna glanced at the two gossiping women. They were celebrities who might not be very popular but

would be frequently seen in the major film productions of the year. Charlotte must be the girl they're

referring to. So, she picked up the pace and entered the gallery.

She only took a few steps when she heard Tina's voice soaring above the crowd's chatter. "People are

still debating about this online. There's no use saying anything to me. I didn't ask her to be a

homewrecker."

It was apparent that Charlotte lacked experience when it came to debating someone who was so two-

faced. Her face was flushed with rage, as evidenced by how she spoke. "You're lying! She's not that

kind of person. You're... You're just—" She racked her brain for a long while, yet she could not recall a

single word Zoe used to insult Tina. Hence, Charlotte resorted to the most basic and elegant retort,

"You're just jealous!"

Tina sighed in response. "Girl, I understand how you feel, but I really am not jealous of her over this.

Even as a fan, you should know what's right and wrong. You need to have some morals. You cannot

abandon all sense of morality just for one person."

By the end of Tina's speech, Leanna finally made her way to the center of the commotion. She pulled

Charlotte aside and coldly said to Tina, "Is insulting and making life hard for a young woman in front of

a crowd within the limits of your morality?"

Tina's haughty sneer faded slightly when she spotted Leanna. Still, she shot back, "You can't say that. I

was just talking to my friend. She barged into our conversation and insisted on arguing with me. Also, I

feel quite embarrassed to be doing this in public. How can you say I'm giving her a hard time?"

"You have work today, don't you? Did you take a day off just to come here and gossip with your friend

about some rumors?" Leanna asked.

"I am here to view the exhibition. Why would I have the time to talk about such inane gossip?" Tina

rebuked.

"Oh!" Leanna said with an expressionless face. "So, you took a day off filming just to come here to view

the jewelry exhibition, yet you ignore all the jewelry around you after entering the gallery. Instead, you

came here to discuss a controversial topic before her."

"I—" Suddenly, Tina found herself at a loss for words. She was at the gallery because she heard that it

belonged to Theodore.

It would be inappropriate for her to bring up the past without the male protagonist making another

appearance. Thus, she came here for a chance to do so. While walking around, she noticed one of the

friends Daphne had dined with the other day. Charlotte looked relatively young and simple-minded, so

she should be easy to manipulate. That was why Tina chose to target Charlotte.

On the other hand, the celebrities who attended the exhibition knew about the scandal between

Daphne and Tina. They could tell that Tina was picking a fight as well. However, the conflict had

nothing to do with them, so they stood aside and watched. To their surprise, Leanna would expose

Tina's underlying motives and put her in a tough spot.

When Tina only had one target, she would strike back, yet she now had to suppress her rage.

At that moment, Theodore walked through the crowd to stand before them. "What happened?"

When she saw him, Tina could not resist smiling. He shows up just in time. So, she crossed her arms

before her chest and languidly declared, "Nothing much. That girl seems to be Daphne's fan. She has

opinions about me. Why don't you tell her if I was spreading slander about Daphne, Mr. Frost?"

He glanced at her before he turned his attention to Charlotte. He was audibly reluctant as he said,

"While I did date Daphne once, that is all in the past. We can't say it's her fault, either. I am partially

responsible for what happened. Please direct all your anger at me. Do not attack her."