Love’s Change of Heart novel Chapter 501

Chapter 501

It happened to be 9.00AM when Leanna arrived at the first floor of the Crossley Group.

There was still one hour left before the meeting started. She came earlier so that she could understand the company's internal situation better.

However, before she even opened the car door, she noticed a group of employees asking to be paid their salaries squatting at the entrance of the company. They held banners and signs as they denounced the Crossley Group.

Aidan had already predicted this.

Turning her head, Leanna asked, "What should we do now?"

"Let's get out of the car," Aidan suggested.

As soon as Leanna appeared at the company's entrance, someone yelled, "It's her! She's Lloyd Crossley's daughter! We need to get our money from her!"

The group was already rushing over to surround Leanna the moment they heard those words.

Upon seeing this, Aidan's bodyguards immediately stepped forward and stopped them from approaching.

The place became extremely rowdy following the commotion.

Aidan swiftly pulled Leanna into his arms. Despite having to face the angry crowd, he neither told them to stop nor restrained them. He only put up with them quietly.

It was currently rush hour. Passersby huddled over to see what was happening when they heard the big commotion.

Jimmy, who was in the building of the Crossley Group, immediately frowned when he saw this. "What is he doing here?" he asked.

"President Pearson has always thought highly of himself. It's not surprising that he would come," Raymond answered as he stood beside Jimmy.

Jimmy scoffed in response. "This is Crossley Group's business and yet, someone from the Pearson Group is intervening. I doubt Leanna can gain a foothold within the company."

Jimmy was the one who arranged for the people currently outside the company to be there. His initial plan was to trap Leanna there so that she knew she couldn't just waltz her way into the Crossley Group. It was also a warning for her to drop her attitude.

He would then wait for the right time to appear and dissolve the crowd while he promised them on behalf of the Crossley Group to be responsible for everyone. It would be a nice boost to his reputation if he successfully cracked the whip.

However, judging from the current situation, he could neither stay in the building nor go out.

At the same time, Aidan calmly asked when the commotion had died down, "Are you done?"

The people in the crowd looked at each other. They seemed to be pondering whether to continue with their protest.

Aidan added, "Is the loudest person going to get the highest salary?"

"Ha! How can you say that? We are here because we want justice. Are we not supposed to make a sound even though Lloyd Crossley ripped us off?"

"But Lloyd Crossley died twenty years ago. Surely he didn't appear in everyone's dreams or something?"

"But Lloyd Crossley died twenty years ago. Surely he didn't appear in everyone's dreams or something?"

The person who refuted Aidan immediately flushed red.

Someone quickly roared again, "Who cares if it's Lloyd Crossley or Leroy Crossley? It doesn't change the fact that the Crossley Group owes us money. We want to—"

"What? Drag the Crossley Group down with you?"

"That's an overstatement. We only want our money!"

Aidan's face remained emotionless when he questioned, "Is this how you should act when asking for due salary?"

The crowd fell silent when they heard that.

They were only here under Jimmy's instructions to kick up a fuss at the entrance. They didn't think they would need to answer questions like this.

Furthermore, Aidan was so intimidating they could hardly breathe even though he was only standing there.

They knew they were no match for him in terms of arguing.

Just as they struggled to answer him, Leanna lightly informed them, "I'm aware that there have been many incidents regarding the Crossley Group lately and that everyone has been affected or inconvenienced one way or another. I am here to solve these problems."

She paused briefly before continuing, "I promise that the Crossley Group will adequately handle everything, but I hope that everyone who is involved can give me time to get things moving. I will need to approach the problems step by step. You will only make things worse by gathering and causing a disturbance here. It's unfair for the victims who are quietly waiting for a solution."

She could hear many sounds of approval from outside the crowd as soon as she said that.

At some point, reporters appeared at the scene.

Seeing this, the crowd who was protesting started to worry about getting themselves in trouble, and they hurried off without saying another word.

The company's entrance was empty in no time.

It was only then that Aidan let Leanna go. "I've miscalculated," he murmured with a chuckle.

Confused, she turned to look at him. "What?"

"You would have handled that perfectly even if I wasn't here."

She raised her eyebrows. "You're complimenting me?"

"Is it not obvious?"

Leanna smiled in return. She would have to disagree with what Aidan said. In fact, she didn't expect all this to happen. She would have been eaten alive by the unexpected crowd.

If it weren't for Aidan being beside her, she wouldn't have been composed enough to say what she said.

He then looked at the entrance of the Crossley Group and said, "I won't be able to go in with you."

"I can handle this." She nodded.

As soon as she said that, a voice rang out from beside them. "Am I… invisible to you?"

"But Lloyd Crosslay diad twanty yaars ago. Suraly ha didn't appaar in avaryona's draams or somathing?"

Tha parson who rafutad Aidan immadiataly flushad rad.

Somaona quickly roarad again, "Who caras if it's Lloyd Crosslay or Laroy Crosslay? It doasn't changa tha fact that tha Crosslay Group owas us monay. Wa want to—"

"What? Drag tha Crosslay Group down with you?"

"That's an ovarstatamant. Wa only want our monay!"

Aidan's faca ramainad amotionlass whan ha quastionad, "Is this how you should act whan asking for dua salary?"

Tha crowd fall silant whan thay haard that.

Thay wara only hara undar Jimmy's instructions to kick up a fuss at tha antranca. Thay didn't think thay would naad to answar quastions lika this.

Furtharmora, Aidan was so intimidating thay could hardly braatha avan though ha was only standing thara.

Thay knaw thay wara no match for him in tarms of arguing.

Just as thay strugglad to answar him, Laanna lightly informad tham, "I'm awara that thara hava baan many incidants ragarding tha Crosslay Group lataly and that avaryona has baan affactad or inconvaniancad ona way or anothar. I am hara to solva thasa problams."

Sha pausad briafly bafora continuing, "I promisa that tha Crosslay Group will adaquataly handla avarything, but I hopa that avaryona who is involvad can giva ma tima to gat things moving. I will naad to approach tha problams stap by stap. You will only maka things worsa by gatharing and causing a disturbanca hara. It's unfair for tha victims who ara quiatly waiting for a solution."

Sha could haar many sounds of approval from outsida tha crowd as soon as sha said that.

At soma point, raportars appaarad at tha scana.

Saaing this, tha crowd who was protasting startad to worry about gatting thamsalvas in troubla, and thay hurriad off without saying anothar word.

Tha company's antranca was ampty in no tima.

It was only than that Aidan lat Laanna go. "I'va miscalculatad," ha murmurad with a chuckla.

Confusad, sha turnad to look at him. "What?"

"You would hava handlad that parfactly avan if I wasn't hara."

Sha raisad har ayabrows. "You'ra complimanting ma?"

"Is it not obvious?"

Laanna smilad in raturn. Sha would hava to disagraa with what Aidan said. In fact, sha didn't axpact all this to happan. Sha would hava baan aatan aliva by tha unaxpactad crowd.

If it waran't for Aidan baing basida har, sha wouldn't hava baan composad anough to say what sha said.

Ha than lookad at tha antranca of tha Crosslay Group and said, "I won't ba abla to go in with you."

"I can handla this." Sha noddad.

As soon as sha said that, a voica rang out from basida tham. "Am I… invisibla to you?"

Leanna was at a loss for words and when she looked in the direction the voice came from, she saw Freddie had appeared at some point.

Before she could ask anything, Aidan told her, "Many of the contracts with the Crossley Group will involve legal issues. People can easily fool you if there's something you're unclear about. He can help you with that."

Freddie sighed at that. "I'm an unremarkable tool for people to use, and you're exactly the type of person who comes to me only when you need me."

Aidan quietly glanced over, immediately shutting Freddie up. The latter then took a look at the time before he urged, "Alright, alright. We've wasted enough time here. Let's go. We have to look at the problematic contracts first."

Leanna turned to Aidan. "I'm off," she said.

"Alright."

She took a deep breath and looked away before she strode in the direction of the main entrance.

She had just stepped into the building when Jimmy hurried over from the elevator with an apologetic smile on his face. "You're here, Miss McKinney! I had something to attend to earlier, which was why I couldn't personally welcome you. I'm truly—"

However, Leanna cut in, "Mr. Ollander, enough with the pleasantries. Take me to my office, please."

The smile on Jimmy's face quickly stiffened. He glanced at Freddie for a second and the look on his face soon fell. "Right this way, Miss McKinney."

After they got into the elevator, Jimmy began to cotton up to Freddie. "We've met, Mr. Sutton. Do you remember me? It was at your father's birthday celebration."

Freddie let out a gentle smile then. "Is that so?"

"Yes, yes."

"But it's not a good thing to be remembered by me. If I remember you, it's either because you're a business elite I brought to prison because of corruption and bribery, or you're a company leader who embezzled public funds and spent hundreds of millions you shouldn't. Right, Mr. Ollander?"

Jimmy immediately went silent upon hearing that.

As Leanna stared at the elevator display which indicated that they were ascending, she stated, "Mr. Ollander, I told you yesterday that I want all the senior executives of the company gathered for a meeting at 10.00AM today. Have you notified them?"

"I did, but…"

"But what?"

"Two of them can't attend due to personal reasons. One of them is sick and the other one—"

"What a coincidence. Everything's happening all at once."

Jimmy sighed. "Right…"

"Fine, then. They should rest since their 'personal reasons' are keeping them busy. I'm free anyway. I'll personally visit them later in the day to finalize the issue with the employees' salaries."


Leanna was at a loss for words and when she looked in the direction the voice came from, she saw Freddie had appeared at some point.