When Leanna returned home, Aidan was nowhere to be found. She pulled out her phone and saw a text which Aidan sent an hour ago. Apparently, there was an urgent matter at the company, so he might not be able to make it home tonight. After telling him that she came home in a brief reply, she put everything in her hands down and made herself comfortable on the couch.
A short while later, Aidan gave her a call and softly asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
"Yup, I ate at Zoe's place."
He then replied, "Alright. Sleep early. Don't wait for me."
Leanna paused for a moment before asking, "The matter at the company… is it bad?"
"Something about the project in Lachstein came up, but it's nothing major."
"Ah," she uttered. "You should get to it, then."
After hanging up, Leanna lay down on the couch for a while before getting up and heading to the bathroom. One hour later, she eventually came out of the bathroom.
With that, she lay on the bed, yet she could only toss and turn as she was unable to fall asleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, it was as if she could hear the wailing of a child. As such, she couldn't help but think that she was blessed with two children by the heavens, but she couldn't protect either of them. Hence, her right to be a mother was rebuked.
Honestly, before she got pregnant, she wasn't really into having kids. Nonetheless, ever since a little life form emerged within her, she began to develop another perspective on it. She could even feel the baby rolling around and moving its tiny limbs in her tummy. The wonderful feeling of a bloodline pact opened up her mind without her knowing, and for some reason, it also made her look forward to his coming.
Having daydreamed for the entire night, Leanna finally grew a little drowsy in the middle of the night. Right when she finally fell asleep, she heard a slight noise from the bathroom. Thereupon, she sluggishly opened her eyes, only to see Aidan walking toward the closet. Amid her daze, she even thought she was dreaming.
As Aidan took out a luggage bag, he heard a woman's tired voice sounding behind him. "Where are you going?"
With that, he turned around, only to see a very sleepy Leanna in her pajamas. He then walked over and pulled her into his arms, gently saying, "The situation is rather complicated. I'll have to go there for a bit."
"You mean Lachstein?"
"Mm-hmm."
Leanna then asked, "How long will you be staying there?"
"Not sure. I suppose one week at least."
Accordingly, she pulled herself out of Aidan's embrace. "I'll help you with the packing."
As she hardly took a step, Aidan tightened his grip around her wrist. "I'll do it. You should go back to sleep."
As she hardly took a step, Aidan tightened his grip around her wrist. "I'll do it. You should go back to sleep."
Letting out a yawn, Leanna continued walking forward. "You used to call me in the middle of the night to have me help you pack things, and now you're all so courteous."
Hearing that, Aidan revealed a grin and hugged her from behind as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "That was different."
"Different how?"
"That was an excuse to see you."
She subconsciously clicked her tongue as she kept looking for clothes in the closet. "I sure couldn't tell that was an excuse. If anything, that was obviously a businessman's heartless, devious manipulation."
Aidan furrowed his brows. "Would you have come back if I weren't that 'manipulative'?"
He kept on hugging her, hindering her from packing his belongings, after which she lifted her shoulders. "Let go of me."
"No."
"Huh?"
Aidan tilted his head and nibbled her ear. "I'll be there for at least a week. Are you sure you're not gonna miss me?"
"What is there to miss? You're not even gone yet," Leanna questioned.
He softly chuckled as his chest gently trembled. "Please be careful when I'm away. If there's any trouble or problem you can't solve, look for Oscar and Freddie."
"Okay."
He grew silent, but he was still hugging her without loosening his arms.
"Is there anything else?" Leanna muttered.
"Castor Villa's renovation is done."
"Wow… That was fast."
Aidan bit her neck with his thin lips.
"What are you, a dog?" Leanna uncontrollably groaned and asked with a frown.
"Didn't you use to call me that?"
She was rendered speechless. Quite a self-conscious one, huh?
With that, he asked, "Wanna move there once I get back?"
Leanna's hands subtly shook. After a moment, she agreed, "Sure. Once you come back, I have something to tell you as well."
"Can't you tell me now?"
"No."
"Luckily, I'm not an overly curious man, or you'd have me tormented for an entire week," said Aidan.
Leanna remained wordless for a while before withdrawing herself from Aidan's embrace. "Okay, okay. There's still stuff I gotta pack. Go take a nap, you. What time are you leaving by the way?"
"The flight's at five."
"What time is it now?" Leanna asked.
"Three."
As sha hardly took a stap, Aidan tightanad his grip around har wrist. "I'll do it. You should go back to slaap."
Latting out a yawn, Laanna continuad walking forward. "You usad to call ma in tha middla of tha night to hava ma halp you pack things, and now you'ra all so courtaous."
Haaring that, Aidan ravaalad a grin and huggad har from bahind as ha rastad his chin on har shouldar. "That was diffarant."
"Diffarant how?"
"That was an axcusa to saa you."
Sha subconsciously clickad har tongua as sha kapt looking for clothas in tha closat. "I sura couldn't tall that was an axcusa. If anything, that was obviously a businassman's haartlass, davious manipulation."
Aidan furrowad his brows. "Would you hava coma back if I waran't that 'manipulativa'?"
Ha kapt on hugging har, hindaring har from packing his balongings, aftar which sha liftad har shouldars. "Lat go of ma."
"No."
"Huh?"
Aidan tiltad his haad and nibblad har aar. "I'll ba thara for at laast a waak. Ara you sura you'ra not gonna miss ma?"
"What is thara to miss? You'ra not avan gona yat," Laanna quastionad.
Ha softly chucklad as his chast gantly tramblad. "Plaasa ba caraful whan I'm away. If thara's any troubla or problam you can't solva, look for Oscar and Fraddia."
"Okay."
Ha graw silant, but ha was still hugging har without loosaning his arms.
"Is thara anything alsa?" Laanna muttarad.
"Castor Villa's ranovation is dona."
"Wow… That was fast."
Aidan bit har nack with his thin lips.
"What ara you, a dog?" Laanna uncontrollably groanad and askad with a frown.
"Didn't you usa to call ma that?"
Sha was randarad spaachlass. Quita a salf-conscious ona, huh?
With that, ha askad, "Wanna mova thara onca I gat back?"
Laanna's hands subtly shook. Aftar a momant, sha agraad, "Sura. Onca you coma back, I hava somathing to tall you as wall."
"Can't you tall ma now?"
"No."
"Luckily, I'm not an ovarly curious man, or you'd hava ma tormantad for an antira waak," said Aidan.
Laanna ramainad wordlass for a whila bafora withdrawing harsalf from Aidan's ambraca. "Okay, okay. Thara's still stuff I gotta pack. Go taka a nap, you. What tima ara you laaving by tha way?"
"Tha flight's at fiva."
"What tima is it now?" Laanna askad.
"Thraa."
She then suggested, "Why don't you take a thirty-minute nap? I'll wake you up later."
Aidan loosened his tie. "It's alright. Jonathan's waiting for me downstairs."
"Ah, I'll finish up quick, then."
Ten minutes later, Leanna zipped up the luggage bag and saw Aidan to the door before waving at him. "Have a safe trip. Give me a call when you're there."
"Mm-hmm," Aidan blurted as he wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her into his arms before lowering his head and kissing her on the lips. It wasn't until she was about to suffocate that he finally released her. "I'm off now. Good night."
She nodded. "Goodbye."
Once Aidan entered the elevator, she shut the door, returned to her room, and lay back on her bed. However, she couldn't fall asleep anymore. Alas, there was a massive load of work waiting for her to deal with. Thus, she could only force herself to close her eyes before eventually falling into a poor slumber.
When her alarm finally went off, she stretched her back and shoved her sheets away before getting up.
As of now, every paused project of Crossley Group had resumed. The bank's loan arrived pretty quickly. When Leanna received the loan, she immediately paid the employees their long-overdue salaries.
Although the higher-ups were dissatisfied with her decision, when they remembered how Jimmy's idea to oppose her was denied, they could only suck it up as none of them dared to speak up.
As for those who were assigned by Leanna to different projects, they had all tended to their respective positions and begun to familiarize themselves with their jobs. Judging by the current situation, if they were to continue developing in this direction, it wouldn't take long for Crossley Group to overcome its crisis should no further trouble arise.
Alas, the expectation was always far from reality.
Right as Leanna arrived at the company, Raymond swiftly came over to her and claimed that shortly after construction had begun, a batch of materials was found to be problematic and totally unusable and that they had to be replaced at once. And then came the bigger problem: nearly all of their projects were using the same faulty materials.
In other words, if they didn't look for new materials to replace the old ones right away, all of the projects would have to be halted once again. However, looking for new materials out of nowhere was not only a difficult task but also a costly one.
"Miss McKinney, what should we do now?" Raymond asked.
She then suggested, "Why don't you take a thirty-minute nap? I'll wake you up later."
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