Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Scum Girl
On top of that, Mabel Grant’s words weighed on her heart like a stone, so she had no choice but to return to Kingsford.
But after returning to Kingsford, Leah Sinclair refused to follow Mabel Grant’s plan for her to join the company. Instead, she went straight abroad to study. This was her silent rebellion, and it was an opportunity she had to seize.
She didn’t want the title of the Grant family’s second young miss; she wanted the ability to be a worthy match for Asher Keating.
Asher Keating knew. And it was because he knew that his heart now felt as if it were steeped in bitterness. ’It’s because I’m not strong enough. I haven’t given her a sufficient sense of security.’
"So... aren’t you going after her?" Ethan Shaw asked hesitantly. Sheila Hughes, who had been crying softly nearby, also looked up at Asher upon hearing this.
"What’s the point? Don’t I know her temper? Let’s just leave it at that." Asher Keating took a slow sip of his drink and gazed out the window into the darkness, unwilling to say more.
In silence, Ethan Shaw went back to Asher’s liquor cabinet, retrieved another bottle and glasses, and sat down on the rug to drink with Sheila Hughes. Heartbroken, Sheila began talking about Leah Sinclair as she drank, and Asher Keating simply listened in silence.
As a freshman, Leah Sinclair was insecure and timid. She never dared to start a conversation with anyone and avoided crowded places outside of class. Sheila Hughes, with her frank and outgoing personality, kept trying to chat with her. It took a full half a month before Leah grew familiar enough with her to initiate a conversation.
Later, after everyone in their dorm room grew close, Leah’s personality brightened up a little, and she gradually started to smile more. But she would still get unconsciously nervous in crowded places, afraid people would laugh at her the moment she opened her mouth.
After that, Sheila and her other dorm mates started taking her to student clubs and various activities. Leah knew she couldn’t go on like that forever.
She had fought so hard to get from Stonecreek to Riverfall. So, even though she was still nervous and insecure, she started forcing herself to speak up. Later, she began taking all kinds of part-time jobs, working desperately to earn money.
It took a full year and a half, almost two years, for Leah to transform from that insecure, timid young girl into someone who was no longer afraid or nervous, even when speaking in front of the entire school.
But Sheila knew that Leah still got nervous every time. She would have sleepless nights, terrified she wouldn’t do a good job or that she’d embarrass herself. She didn’t want her friends to worry, so she always endured it in silence.
Sheila only found out by chance. She had woken up one night to use the bathroom and found Leah hiding under the covers with a flashlight, going over her speech for the next day again and again.
That’s why her heart ached for Leah. The thought of Leah spending over three years in a foreign country like Eldoria, without her there to keep her company, made Sheila’s heart feel like it was being pricked with needles.
In the end, Asher wasn’t drunk, but Sheila Hughes and Ethan Shaw were. The two were shouting about becoming sworn siblings. Asher had offered to let them rest at his place, but Ethan insisted it wasn’t necessary and called his own butler to come and take Sheila home.
Sheila also shouted that she couldn’t possibly stay the night at her best friend’s boyfriend’s house. The two of them stumbled out, leaning on each other for support. Asher followed them down, watched them get into the Shaw family car, and instructed the driver to take them home safely before he went back inside.
Back in his room, he opened another bottle of liquor and checked the time. There was still half of Leah’s flight to Eldoria left.
Asher drank his liquor slowly, his mind on what Sheila had said. He made a call to Sean Yates. "Arrange for someone to keep an eye on Madeline Sterling in Arcadia."
Sean Yates was confused. "What exactly do you mean by ’keep an eye on’?"
"Monitor her movements and confirm her presence there. If she leaves, report to me, no matter where she goes."
"Understood, sir."
Asher hung up and lit a cigarette. ’Mabel Grant won’t move against me.’ He actually knew that much. Even if he didn’t know her well personally, he had heard bits and pieces about her from his father’s generation and the old Mr. Keating.
Mabel Grant wasn’t the type to throw her weight around without reason. But Leah didn’t know that. She was just scared—scared even of a one-percent possibility.
He knew Leah was doing it for his sake. The part that hurt was that she hadn’t been willing to tell him. If she had, they might have found a better solution together.
But he couldn’t blame her. Leah had never experienced anything like this; she’d had no real exposure to the world of wealthy family feuds. Her main contact with it came from TV shows and novels. He figured that one threat from Mabel Grant was enough to make Leah think Asher could be easily pushed around by her.
Asher knew that in Leah’s heart, it was a gamble she couldn’t afford to take.
"Silly girl,"
Asher chuckled softly and took another slow sip of his drink, his gaze fixed on the inky blackness outside. He didn’t even realize that a faint warmth had crept into his eyes.
’It’s only a little over three years. I can wait.’
After Leah landed, Mason Grant took her to her new house in Eldoria. Once her phone and internet were all set up, she opened WeChat. The newest message that popped up was from Sheila: "Leah, help! I slept with Ethan Shaw!"
"???"
"!!!"
Apparently, after Ethan had taken Sheila home the previous night, he’d been worried about her going upstairs alone. He’d insisted that as a gentleman, he had to see her all the way to her door, and so he escorted her up.
The two of them, having jokingly become sworn siblings at Asher’s place, had started calling each other ’brother’ and ’sister’ after going upstairs. Who knew who made the first move, but by the time Sheila woke up, they were both naked in the same bed.
When Ethan woke up, he was stunned for a long moment before letting out a shriek. "Sheila Hughes! You slept with me? I’ve never... Holy shit, this is the first time a woman has ever slept with me!"
"So? What about Ethan...???"
Leah felt like she was about to have a meltdown. ’What is all this? Did I just move to another country, or did I travel to outer space?’
"He says I have to take responsibility!!! What the hell? It was just a one-night stand, we’re all adults! I’m the girl and I haven’t said a thing, but this playboy is over there screaming his head off! Can you please talk to him for me? Tell him to stop pestering me!" Sheila was clearly exasperated.
Leah carefully composed a message to Ethan. "Ethan, you and Sheila... you’re not a good match. Why don’t you... just let it go?"
"!!! She slept with me! I’m the one who sleeps with people, not the other way around! She slept with me, so she has to take responsibility! Are you and your best friend both the type to sleep with someone and run??? So irresponsible!!! You’re both players!"
"..."
Even through the phone, Leah could feel Ethan’s agitation. She couldn’t help but facepalm. ’Getting dragged into this is a real pain,’ she thought.
In the end, she decided it was best to keep her mouth shut. ’On second thought,’ she mused, ’Sheila and Ethan together... it’s not like they’re a completely terrible match.’
’When it comes to relationships... forget it. Better to let them sort it out themselves. My own life is a complete mess; what right do I have to give advice on someone else’s love life?’
Leah put down her phone and started to unpack. Although Mason’s school was in the same city as hers, it was still some distance away—about a two-hour drive.
Mabel Grant had bought her a two-bedroom apartment right near the university. After unpacking all her things, Leah sat on the rug beside her bed, staring blankly into space.
The sky outside had already darkened. Leah knew that the hardest part of her day had arrived once again.
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