Love's Change of Heart

Chapter 639

Chapter 639 Did They Hit You?

Leanna had a rough start to her day after staying up all night and sleeping through her alarm. Feeling groggy and disoriented, she reached for her phone and was surprised to see that it was already 11.00AM. She let out a deep sigh and headed to the bathroom, giving her waist a quick rub before dialing up Zoe. “Hey, Nana, you’re finally up!” Zoe exclaimed. Leanna struggled to get the words out, “I-I…” Zoe reassured her, “President Pearson told me this morning that you were working on some design sketches until 4.00AM and told me not to disturb you. Charlotte is already at the studio, so take your time and come in whenever you’re ready.” Feeling relieved that Aidan had found her a proper excuse, Leanna replied, “Thank you, Zoe. I’ll be there soon.” Looks like that jerk still wants to keep a good reputation! After hanging up the phone, Leanna splashed some water on her face, trying to shake off the sleepiness. She then walked over to the kitchen to get some water and stood there for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts. Finally, she went back to her room to change clothes before heading to the studio. When Leanna arrived, the aroma of the delicious lunch that Zoe had ordered filled the room. Leanna sat down on the couch, closed her eyes, and stretched her body. Zoe noticed her exhaustion and commented, “Nana, I know Fashion Week is putting a lot of pressure on you, but please don’t stay up so late. It’s not good for your health.” Zoe had developed the habit of going to bed early before midnight since becoming pregnant and found it to be very beneficial. Now that her sleeping schedule was back to normal, she felt refreshed every day. Leanna tugged on her lips and responded with a half-hearted excuse, “I felt inspired yesterday. I won’t do it again next time.”

It was true that one had to find another lie to cover up a previous lie. Zoe smiled and said, “Okay, let’s eat. I’ll call Charlotte in.” Leanna agreed, “Sounds good.” After spending the entire afternoon drawing, Leanna was feeling some discomfort in her back and decided to take a break by helping out in the studio. However, upon stepping out, she noticed that Charlotte was nowhere to be found. Thinking that she might have gone with Zoe to the neighboring photo studio, Leanna headed over there. As Zoe returned from the photo studio, she complained, “The lighting is pretty bad today. I wonder what’s going on.”

“I guess it’s broken. Just change it.” “I’ll try it again tomorrow. If it’s still the same, I’ll change it.” Leanna paused and asked, “Is Charlotte still there?” Zoe was a bit confused, “No, isn’t she over here?” “No, I didn’t see her when I came out just now. I thought she went with you.” “When I went over, she was still in the studio.” Leanna hurriedly went into the studio and asked the several shop assistants where Charlotte had gone. One of the girls came out of the warehouse and heard her asking, so she said, “Leanna, we were very busy just now, but a customer was in a hurry and asked us to deliver some things to her. We couldn’t leave, so Charlotte volunteered to go…” “How long ago did she leave?” “It has been over an hour. Almost two hours. She should have come back by now.” At this point, Zoe walked up to Leanna and took out her phone, saying, “Nana, maybe she just got lost because she’s not familiar with the area. I’ll give her a call.” But the phone on the other end was turned off. Leanna frowned and prepared to go outside to ask Aidan’s men. They must have sent someone to protect Charlotte.

As Leanna walked up to the studio entrance, she saw Charlotte hobbling back, her work clothes dirty as if she had rolled around in a trash heap. Charlotte saw her and grinned at her, but her expression was clearly one of distress. Leanna asked softly, “Charlotte, what happened?” Charlotte sniffled and replied, “When I was on my way back after delivering the goods, I ran into a few guys at the corner of the alley. They insisted on getting my phone number, but I didn’t want to give it to them, so they…” Leanna asked coldly, “Did they hit you?” Charlotte hadn’t had a chance to speak when a male voice sounded next to her. “No, Charlotte just got scared and fell down the stairs.” Leanna then noticed that there was a man following Charlotte. The man looked to be in his 30s or 40s, and although his appearance was not tremendously outstanding, he was still handsome among ordinary people. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and had a gentle and courteous smile when he looked at Leanna. Leanna asked, “Who are you?” Charlotte came to her senses and introduced, “Oh, Leanna, this is Uncle Joseph. He just saved me!” The man extended his hand to Leanna and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Joseph Woodley.”

Leanna’s gaze toward him became warier, but she calmly pulled Charlotte behind her. Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

Joseph withdrew his hand and smiled. “I suppose you must be Miss Leanna McKinney. Charlotte has told me all about you on our way here. Don’t be nervous. I’m not here to take her away.” Leanna asked, “Then what do you want?” “I heard there was trouble in the Woodley Residence lately that is related to Highside, so I came to take a look. It was a coincidence that I ran into Charlotte,” Joseph explained. Leanna asked, “You heard about it?” Charlotte spoke from behind her. “Uncle Joseph is not from Woodley Residence, and he doesn’t like those old fossils either.”

Joseph laughed, “Yes, Charlotte is right. I left Woodley Residence a long time ago. I came to Highside this time because I heard some rumors and was curious. Miss McKinney, rest assured, I am not your enemy, nor do I have any ill intentions toward you.” With that, he continued, “Now that I’ve brought Charlotte to you, I’ll take my leave.” Charlotte called out to him, “Uncle Joseph!” She felt a bit reluctant to see him go. Joseph said, “Charlotte, you are in someone else’s place now. Be obedient and don’t be stubborn. If there’s a chance, I’ll come to see you again.” And with that, he left. Charlotte waved goodbye to Joseph, calling out to him, “Uncle Joseph, goodbye!” Joseph nodded and gave a slight nod to Leanna before turning and leaving. Once he was out of sight, Leanna turned her attention back to Charlotte. Charlotte was already eager to share her story with Leanna. “Leanna, let me tell you! I always thought Uncle Joseph was dead because my dad and great-grandfather always said so! But I didn’t expect him to be alive, and on the way back, he told me that he left Woodley Residence because he didn’t agree with the Woodley Family’s rules! Uncle Joseph has always been good to me since I was a child, and I never thought I’d see him again!” Listening to Charlotte’s excitement, Leanna could feel her happiness and asked, “How long has your Uncle Joseph been away from Woodley Residence?” “It has been a really long time. I can’t remember the exact time, but I think it was before I turned 10,” replied Charlotte. “It has been 10 years. But all this time, you haven’t heard any news about him?” Leanna asked. “No, I haven’t. I remember asking my dad once when I was little, and he said that Uncle Joseph had passed away. They never talked about him at home, and I thought it was probably because it was too sad for them.”