Love’s Change of Heart novel Chapter 353

Leanna was done with her work around three in the afternoon. After a glance at the clock and around her office to ensure there was nothing else to do, she packed up her things and headed to the door.

Now that she knew where Celia lived, she could drive straight over to Celia's home. Of course, even if Celia had left, her neighbors would surely know something about where she went.

However, just as she reached the door, a familiar figure appeared before her.

Carly awkwardly smiled at her.

Leanna paused and greeted, "Miss Barnett."

"Don't," Carly said with a bitter smile. "Do not be so formal. With how the Barnetts are doing, you do not need to call me Miss Barnett."

Leanna glanced at Carly's stroller and took a few steps away from the door. "Come in."

Today, Carly was dressed extremely casually, without a proper piece of jewelry. She did not look at all like a proud daughter of the Barnetts. Perhaps it was because she was with her child.

Leanna asked for two glasses of water from the receptionist before leading Carly to the break room. Carly was visibly uneasy the entire time. She only relaxed slightly after she downed the whole glass of water.

"Miss..."

Leanna had subconsciously called out "Miss Barnett" before recalling what Carly had just said. She faltered as she wondered what she should call Carly now.

"If you don't mind, you can just call me Carly," said Carly as she put her glass on the table.

Leanna nodded. "Carly."

A moment later, she continued, "Is there something you need, Carly?"

Distress flashed across Carly's eyes when she heard that. "I'd been meaning to visit you for a while, but there was so much to do at home. My child is still a baby, and I could not find the time. It is why this visit took so long. I wanted to... apologize to you."

"Apologize to me?" Leanna was confused.

Carly seemed anxious as she took a deep breath before replying, "I had been biased against you from the start and have been bad-mouthing you behind your back."

Hearing that, Leanna smiled. "It is fine. After all, the way I married into the family... It was rather scandalous. It is normal for you to dislike me."

"No," said Carly. "It is not just that. I-I even..."

She found it hard to speak at the end.

Seeing Carly's difficulty in speaking, Leanna interrupted, "It is all in the past now. We should look to the future instead."

Carly shook her head. "While it is in the past, I still have to apologize. It bothers me all the time. My nights are filled with nightmares; I am constantly worried and afraid..."

She stopped and looked down at the child sleeping in the pram.

"As a mother, I have a duty to take responsibility for my past mistakes." She closed her eyes and continued, "Do you still remember when you fell into the swimming pool on the Pearson Family Estate?"

Surprised that she would mention that incident, Leanna stared at her for a moment before replying, "I do."

It was then that Aidan found out she was pregnant.

"That was not an accident," stated Carly. "I had someone push you in."

Shocked, Leanna blurted, "Why?"

"Anna was so insistent on getting even with you back then that she seemed mad. Something seemed off about it, so I stopped her. That was when I found out about your pregnancy. Zayn had just returned home back then, and you were close to him. Thus, Anna and I thought your baby was..."

"The baby was likely Zayn's," Leanna calmly continued.

Carly nodded. "Our families were going to tie themselves together with a marriage. I did not want the engagement to fail because of that. It was why I did it. I am not saying all this to ask for forgiveness. I merely feel it is not right for me to continue hiding it. Living a life constantly plagued with worry is worse than accepting the brutal consequences now. No matter what happens, I deserve it."

Leanna turned her gaze to the pram and calmly commented, "You would have been about to give birth back when it happened."

That statement seemed to be one of Carly's sore points, as her eyes immediately went red.

Even if she did not want to admit it, she had undoubtedly planned on killing Leanna's baby that day.

A few long moments later, Leanna burst out, chuckling. "I did not realize so many people found it so hard to accept a single baby's existence that they would take away his chance to live in this world."

"Miss McKinney, I am so sorry. I..."

Leanna snapped out of her thoughts and blankly looked at Carly. "Forget it. There is no meaning in apologizing. It does not change what happened, nor can it change one's fate."

She still had not expected something like that to have happened.

Carly wiped away her tears. "Either way, the Barnetts owe you a favor. If you need anything in the future, feel free to ask. I will do anything to help, even if I have to sacrifice everything."

"Now, now, Miss Barnett," Leanna replied, "why would I ever need you to do anything that requires you to sacrifice everything?"

The sudden change to "Miss Barnett" had Carly opening her mouth to retort, but she was at a loss for words.

A few seconds later, she stood up. "I-I will be heading back now. If you need anything, you only need to ask."

Leanna stood up as well. "Let me walk you out."

At the studio entrance, Carly could not resist the urge to turn around to say, "Miss McKinney, I know you will not forgive me. I did not tell you that just to excuse myself from the blame. I merely found the situation... off."

"You know as well as I do that Anna is someone who believes everything she hears," she continued. "She made the sudden decision to go to you because she just found out about your pregnancy. If she knew before, she would not have waited until that day. Now that I know that... that woman was also there."

Leanna frowned upon hearing that.

"I do not know if I am overthinking this," Carly said. "However, I later found out the hospital you went to for your check-ups was the hospital I regularly go to. She has been there with me a few times. I... Perhaps I should not speak further when I have no proof, but I hear you have been living with the Crossleys lately. Hence, I have to say this; be careful. I have known Gina for over ten years, yet I have only recently discovered she is not what I thought she was."

She then nodded in farewell to Leanna before walking out of the studio.

Leanna blankly stared after her.