Love’s Change of Heart novel Chapter 447

With the entire hall watching, Lloyd slowly announced again, "I'm sure everyone is curious about what happened to the Crossley Group recently. There is one thing that I am also curious about, which is the explosion twenty years ago, what exactly happened after that, and whether Georgina is my biological daughter. I spent a lot of time and energy investigating the truth and eventually found a key person."

After he finished speaking, Jethro came out accompanied by two bodyguards.

This was Jethro's first time at this kind of event, but he didn't feel out of place at all. Instead, he was full of smiles as he greeted everyone who looked at him.

Lloyd's voice continued to ring out. "Miss McKinney once took my deceased wife's belongings and told me that they belonged to her mother. Well, this is the father who raised her. Whether or not Miss McKinney's mother was my deceased wife, he is the only one who knows what the truth is."

Freddie, who was in front of the stage, whispered, "Seems like he's going to make Jethro say that the belongings and what you said are fake so that he can kick you out of the Crossleys."

"Looks like it," Leanna replied.

Standing not far away with a walking stick in his hand, Mr. Jackson looked at the scene with a solemn expression.

"Even I am curious just what is going on," Lloyd added again. "But before the truth is revealed, I am going to make another announcement. No matter what the result is, I will hand over the entire Crossley Group to Leanna regardless of who my biological daughter is."

The audience was immediately in an uproar as they got into fervent discussions after hearing his words.

Lloyd's move was definitely cutthroat and well-planned. As long as he bribed Leanna's gambler of a father ahead of time, even if Leanna was his biological daughter, the Crossley Group would end up falling into Georgina's hands. Not only would Leanna get nothing, but her reputation would also take a hit.

However, it was still confusing for some if that was all. If Leanna was his biological daughter, then what was his purpose for doing this? Could it be that he had developed fatherly love for her after he raised her for decades, despite her being someone else's daughter? Did he not care about the formalities because his fake daughter was more important to him than his biological one?

If they traced back, it would seem that Leanna fabricated everything about her biological mother and her belongings because she coveted the Crossleys' wealth. She would have her complete defeat and fall from grace here tonight.

Everyone was now clear about who was behind Leanna—Lloyd was completely planning to make an enemy out of the Pearson Group.

No matter what, any decision he made felt inconceivable to people.

Just as everyone was expecting to hear something, Jethro walked up to Lloyd and rubbed his hands together. Glancing at the audience, he finally said with a smile, "I didn't expect that I would ever be able to deal with so many rich people... Oops, I went off-topic. Mr… Mr. Crossley here came to me today just to ask me what happened twenty years ago. He wants to know whether Leanna is my daughter or his daughter. But geez, is there even a need to ask that? I raised my good daughter till she's all grown and beautiful. Obviously, she's my daughter."

Jethro paused to look at the different expressions of everyone in the audience, and he instantly felt that he was the center of attention. He had never been prouder than this and presently, he straightened his back and chuckled. "But unfortunately, she's not my biological daughter."

He then began to reminisce about what seemed to be a sad memory for him. "I remember it was a dark and windy night when I came home to a mother and daughter lying next to some grass. I rescued them out of kindness then. I wanted to call the police for help in looking for their family, but the woman said that bad people were looking for them and she wouldn't let me call the police. As such, I had no choice but to let them stay and provide them with the best."

Someone in the audience raised a question. "Leroy Crossley died in an explosion and Mr. Lloyd woke up after being in a coma for three months. There were reports in the newspapers at the time. Why did they seemingly disappear instead of returning to the Crossley Residence after that?"

The smile on Jethro's face became even more distorted as he replied, "What do you think could be the reason? Of course, it's because she and I started having feelings as time went by! She was reluctant to go back."

"Bullsh*t!"

"Why don't you find out if that was 'bullsh*t' by asking around? She also gave birth to our son. My son is a provincial champ—"

"Shut your trap!" A woman's cold voice rang out.

No one had noticed it, but Leanna was now in front of Jethro.

The man only looked at her and tried to get on her good side. "My dear daughter, I didn't raise you in vain after all. I would have sent you back to your real home if I had known your biological father is such an important person. I wouldn't have made you suffer with us."

Leanna proceeded to ignore him and look at Lloyd. "You got the answer you want, Mr. Crossley. Why let him stay?"

That immediately put an unsatisfied frown on Jethro's face. "How can you talk to me like that? I did raise you for years, my daughter. Are you not going to care about your poor dad just because you've found your rich dad?"

At the same time, Lloyd raised his hand to signal for someone to take Jethro away.

The latter kept complaining the whole way out, but he didn't stay back either.

He was soon out of the crowd, leaving the hall deadly silent.

No one expected to hear him admit that Leanna was the real daughter of the Crossley Family.

Does… Lloyd's words earlier still count?

Just when everyone was busy guessing, Lloyd got their attention again. "I feel regretful and ashamed about what happened back then. If I had spent more energy looking for Sandra and Leanna, things wouldn't have turned out this way. Leanna wouldn't have had to suffer for so many years out there as well."

Seeing the cold smile and look in Leanna's eyes, he continued, "I won't go back on what I said earlier. To make up for my regrets of these years, I will hand over the entire company to Leanna and let her handle it. I will never intervene in anything about the Crossley Group after Leanna takes over.”

There was a commotion as soon as he uttered those words.

The crowd couldn't believe how different things were from what they imagined.

Lloyd was just about to leave the stage when Leanna commented in a calm voice, "There is something I would like to talk to you about, Mr. Crossley."

"You should change the way you address me, Leanna. Let's talk it out after we leave the stage. I want to have a nice chat with you."

Leanna smiled at that. "No need to trouble ourselves. Let's have a nice chat here. I'm sure everyone is curious about what I'm about to ask you."

Standing there, Lloyd pulled his eyebrows together into a frown but only for a brief moment. "Ask away," he offered.

"Since my mother and I went missing together, where exactly does Miss Crossley come into the picture? I was seven then. Are you trying to say that you got the wrong person, Mr. Crossley?"