Love’s Change of Heart novel Chapter 221

Most of the employees from Constellation Tech were already downstairs by the time Leanna got to the hotel lobby, except for Elijah.

Minutes later, there was still no sign of him.

The employees from Constellation Tech started craning their necks and peering around as though expecting him to pop out of thin air, then whispered in a frenzy among themselves.

Just as the assistant was about to go upstairs to look for him, Elijah emerged from the hotel building. He chuckled apologetically, "Sorry to keep you all waiting. Shall we go?"

The restaurant was only a ten-minute walk away. As the employees began to make their way down the sidewalk, Elijah fell in step next to Leanna and said, "Come along now"

She nodded, but that was when she noticed the trace of blood crusted over the corner of his mouth. She gaped at him with wide eyes. "What happened to you?"

When he realized she was referring to the cut on his lip, he quickly turned to wipe off the dried blood. "Nothing. I bumped into something, I guess."

Leanna clutched his arm. "Don't move." With that, she hurriedly pulled out some alcohol wipes from her purse and handed them to him. "You'll infect the wound if you touch it with your bare hands. Here, sterilize the area."

Elijah didn't take the wipes. "l can't see where the wound is. Can you help me, Leanna?"

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded as she carefully cleaned his wound. Her gaze was focused, and her touch was gentle but firm.

While this was happening, Aidan stood not too far away, observing their exchange. A grim look passed over his face as the air around him dropped to freezing temperatures.

Even Jonathan had to take a wary step back in case the man combusted on the spot.

On the other hand, Leanna was oblivious to the hostility projected in her direction as she cleaned Elijah's wound. Still, when she caught Aidan's smoldering dark gaze, she paused in her ministrations. She stiffly drew her hand back and stammered,

Elijah flashed her a smile. "Thank you."

She rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously and looked elsewhere.

"l think the others should be halfway to the restaurant by now. Come on. Let's catch up with them," Elijah suddenly said.

"Alright"

An awkwardness hung between Leanna and Elijah as they walked side by side to the restaurant Neither of them broke the silence, and Elijah, uncharacteristically, did not try to make any small talk.

When they finally got to the restaurant, they saw that the others had already taken their seats at their respective tables.

Leanna was meant to sit with Elijah at the executives' table. The executives of Constellation Tech were all young-ish men in their mid-twenties to early-thirties, and they were close to Elijah. When they took their seats, one of the executives immediately teased, "Had I known we were allowed to bring our girlfriends along, I'd have brought mine as well. Now I'm trapped here watching you rub your relationship in my face, President Parker."

"Yeah, President Parker. You could've given us a heads up so that we wouldn't feel so left out This is borderline unethicall"

Elijah laughed. "Alright, give it a rest, boys. I told you guys beforehand that you could bring a plus-one."

At once, the executives started heckling him. One piped up, "Come on, prez, make the introductions already.½ Your girlfriend's looking a little awkward."

Elijah corrected, "Stop it, guys. She isn't my girlfriend yet"

Leanna smiled politely and nodded as she introduced herself, "Hello, everyone. I'm Leanna McKinney."

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His friend jested, "Come off it You're always using the same line when you meet a pretty girl.'

Taken aback by her forward approach, Elijah stammered, "But l.