Lloyd had already received the report from his servants when Aidan's car first parked outside the Crossley Residence. There was no doubt that he had also arranged for the servants to stay out of sight.
The purpose of his actions was to teach Leanna a lesson. However, judging by the situation, she seemed to have been unaffected by his actions. On the contrary, since she managed to marry into the Pearson Family back then and even made Aidan pursue her romantically once more, it would seem that she was rather cunning and resourceful.
He placed down the cutlery he was holding. "Perhaps the servants have been slacking off. I will reprimand them later."
Georgina chimed in lightly, "The servants of the Crossley Family are busy with their own affairs, so it's enough if they perform well in their respective duties. There is no rule saying who they should serve." While she said that, she turned to look at Leanna. "Miss McKinney, don't you think so too?"
The smile on Leanna's face remained unfazed. "Of course."
"Since you are so understanding, Miss McKinney, I'll make it clear to you. From now on, you will be responsible for your own daily needs while living in the Crossley Residence. If you are dissatisfied with the conditions, you are free to leave at any time."
"There's nothing to be dissatisfied about."
Georgina said, "That's good. However, we should be frank with each other from the beginning, lest you accuse the Crossley Family of bullying you, don't you think?"
Leanna calmly replied, "If you've finished speaking, Miss Crossley, can you tell me where I can find my room?"
Georgina stood up arrogantly. "Come with me."
Throughout the entire process, Lloyd remained silent. His silence was all the encouragement Georgina needed.
Georgina brought Leanna to the side of the living room and glanced at a door below the stairs. "That's your room. Unfortunately, that room has been vacant for a very long time. You might need to clean the room by yourself, Miss McKinney. Or, you can get a servant to help you if they have finished all their allocated tasks."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the two servants waiting in the living room quickly took their leave.
Leanna said, "No problem. I'll clean the room myself."
After Georgina left, Leanna stepped forward and pulled open the door. A cloud of dust practically hit her in the face.
If she had not seen this room with her own eyes, she would never have imagined that such a place existed within the residence of a wealthy family like the Crossleys.
She honestly suspected that Georgina had deliberately set up this room overnight just to mess with her.
It was unknown whether this room used to be a storeroom or an abandoned servant's room. Someone had piled various odds and ends in a corner and even placed a one-meter-wide bed in the middle of the room. The entire room was covered in dust. Moreover, the room was barely several square meters wide and didn't have a single window. It was dark and damp.
Although the situation was challenging, it was fortunate that these circumstances were still within her expectations. Regardless, it would be weirder if Georgina did not try to make the situation difficult for her.
So, she left her suitcases outside the room, removed her jacket, and began to move the bits and bobs out of her new bedroom.
While she was moving those items, she deliberately passed through the living room and exerted a light force to cause a cloud of dust to fly above the dining table.
Georgina's expression turned ugly. She was just about to speak when Lloyd stopped her. He wanted to see how long Leanna would persist.
Leanna had only just finished two trips when a servant rushed into the room and whispered something in Lloyd's ear. His expression changed slightly as a result. Then, he walked over to Leanna. "Miss McKinney, Gina was merely joking with you earlier. Your room is upstairs. I'll guide you there."
Leanna could tell that there was a definite reason for his sudden change in attitude.
At this moment, the rumble of a car engine seemed to come from not far away.
Did somebody come to visit?
Needless to say, she would never create a rift with him at such a time. She smiled slightly. "Great."
Before they headed upstairs, he shot a look at the servant standing behind them and motioned for the servant to dispose of those miscellaneous items.
She followed him upstairs, and a servant immediately brought along her suitcase behind them.
He opened the door and said, "You will live here from now onward. Are you alright with this?"
Compared to the storeroom downstairs, this room was practically heaven.
She smiled. "Of course, it's not a problem. It's my first time living in such a spacious room by myself. It looks like Miss Crossley was really playing a joke on me."
He added, "I'll leave you to unpack your stuff. I'll be heading downstairs first."
"Thank you, Mr. Crossley."
Once Lloyd left the room, Leanna closed the door behind him. The smile on her face slowly disappeared. It would seem that the father-and-daughter pair were planning to intimidate her into submission, but a visitor unexpectedly disrupted their plans.
At this moment, a slight commotion came from outside the window. Walking over to the window, she stuck her head out to take a look and saw Mr. Jackson climbing out of the car with a walking cane in his hand.
No wonder.
Since she was covered in dust, she had planned to shower. However, she suddenly stopped in her tracks as soon as she walked through the bathroom door.
It's one thing to keep the peace with Lloyd, but I can't just let what happened today slide so easily.
Mr. Jackson sat in the living room downstairs and glanced around his surroundings. Then, he reached out his hand and waved at the air in front of him with a frown on his face. "Why is there so much dust around?"
A servant glanced at Lloyd and immediately stepped forward to explain. "I was cleaning out some miscellaneous items just now, so…"
He couldn't care less about such matters and simply asked, "What about that girl? Has she arrived?"
Lloyd poured him a cup of tea. "Yes. She is currently unpacking her luggage upstairs."
He nodded lightly at Lloyd's words and glanced at Georgina, who was standing not far away. Then, he commented nonchalantly, "Since we have yet to learn the exact identity of Sandra's actual daughter, you shouldn't favor one party too much. I understand that you raised Gina yourself, but if that girl turns out to be… your biological daughter, then you owe her too much."
Lloyd smiled. "You're right. I will keep those words in mind."
Georgina scowled and protested, "Mr. Jackson, why do you always assume that Leanna is Dad's biological daughter? Which part of her resembles him? The reason she entered the Crossley Family could not be more obvious. It's all for the sake of money!"
"It's normal to act for the sake of money. But, in order to live in this world, don't you need money to support yourself?" Mr. Jackson continued, "Just like your father's business and all the projects under the Crossley Group, which one is not for earning more money? Did you think we were doing charity?"
"But, how could you…"
Lloyd interrupted her, "That's enough, Gina. Didn't you have an appointment with your friends today? It's about time for you to leave. You shouldn't keep them waiting too long."
Georgina pursed her lips and went upstairs to change her clothes.
Mr. Jackson earnestly continued, "I know you poured all your energy into the Crossley Group and taking care of Gina after Sandra's death. But you only have one daughter. It's normal for you to feel bad for her and try to make up for what she lacked. However, now that such a conundrum has appeared… You might have your beliefs, but she has Sandra's inheritance as evidence. You have no choice but to follow God's will. It might be the workings of fate, but someone will eventually reveal the truth behind this matter."
Lloyd knew that the last few sentences Mr. Jackson uttered had a deeper meaning behind them. Nevertheless, he maintained a smile on his face. "Don't worry. If Miss McKinney turns out to be the daughter born between Sandra and me, I will do my best to compensate for all the hurt and grievances she suffered up until now."
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