I'm Afraid I Won't Be Able to Leave

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: A Word in Private

"Hm?"

"Kiss me."

"...I just lit this cigarette."

"I know, but I want to kiss you."

Leah Sinclair gazed at him, her eyes curving into crescents. Asher Keating pulled her onto his lap and kissed her tenderly. Leah wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss.

The scent of tobacco and a crisp, woody fragrance from Asher’s body filled her senses, along with a faint hint of mint between their lips. Asher didn’t let her go until the cigarette between his fingers had nearly burned to the filter.

Leah leaned against him, breathing softly. Asher chuckled, shifted forward slightly to extinguish his cigarette, and suddenly remembered seeing her smoke the day before. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "When did you start smoking?"

A pang of guilt hit Leah. She sat up straight and answered honestly, "About a month after I went abroad, I think. My spoken language skills weren’t good, and I was really stressed... so I started."

Seeing Asher Keating’s brow furrow, she quickly added, "But once things got smoother, I smoked less. Only when I was really stressed, or... when I really missed you."

Asher still didn’t say anything. Leah hesitated before speaking. "Third Brother, I won’t smoke anymore. Don’t be mad, okay?"

Asher helplessly pinched her cheek. "Quit gradually. It’s not good for women, anyway."

"Okay. Besides, I’m back now, so there’s not as much to worry about. And I can see you, so I won’t be so stressed." Leah’s eyes curved as she smiled at Asher, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

Asher couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her again, but Leah jumped out of his arms. With a serious expression, she said, "I’m going to see Mr. Langdon and the others! I’ll be back up later."

Asher felt his arms suddenly go empty and couldn’t help but chuckle. "Go on."

In high spirits, Leah walked out. Sean Yates saw her and came over to say hello. She smiled and said, "I’m going to see Mr. Langdon and the team. I’ll bring you some afternoon tea later."

"Great! Thanks, Second Miss Grant." Sean was all smiles as well.

"Ahem, Sean, can we not do that? It feels so weird."

Sean pressed the elevator button for her. Seeing no one else around, he lowered his voice. "Heh heh, I have to call you that officially. But in private, can I still call you Leah?"

"Deal."

The elevator doors opened, and Edward Yates rushed out.

"Hey, Edward." Leah greeted him and stepped into the elevator.

"Huh? Oh, hey?"

Edward was a bit dazed. Watching the elevator doors close, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. He grabbed Sean. "Was that... Leah Sinclair?"

"Yeah. You weren’t here yesterday, so I didn’t get a chance to tell you," Sean said as he started walking back.

"When... when did she get back?"

"Yesterday. Haven’t you noticed the boss is in a great mood today? He hasn’t chewed anyone out yet."

Edward thought it over and realized it was true. When he had brought a document for Asher Keating’s signature earlier, it had a typo. Asher had just told him to take it back, fix it, and not to make the same mistake next time.

He had been in a hurry to leave at the time, so he hadn’t given it much thought. But thinking back on it now, something was definitely off.

Asher Keating’s sharp tongue had only gotten more potent over the past few years. He never used profanity or even seemed particularly angry, but he could humiliate someone so thoroughly they wouldn’t be able to look up.

"So what’s the deal? Tell me everything."

No longer in a hurry, Edward pulled Sean into the stairwell. After lighting a cigarette for him, he started gossiping.

"What is there to say? Leah’s back, so our boss can finally be at ease. I’ll tell you, I was a little worried seeing them together yesterday, but it turns out Miss Nash and the others came through..." Sean gave Edward a rough summary of what happened the previous night.

"Tsk, tsk. So you’re saying now that Leah’s back, things will finally work out between her and the boss? He’s been waiting for her for over three years." Edward put out his cigarette and sighed.

"That, I don’t know. I have a feeling about the Grant family... Ugh, never mind. Let’s get back. The boss is waiting for your document." Sean pushed Edward out of the stairwell.

The stairwell door closed. Neither of them noticed that there was someone else on the floor below. Tiana Vaughn was wringing her hands, grinding her teeth in frustration. She had come out to take a call and was about to go back when she heard the Yates brothers’ voices, so she had hidden and kept quiet.

’No!’

Tiana thought to herself. She had only been at Keating for a short time. Now his girlfriend was back. She couldn’t just do nothing.

’Asher Keating sponsored me for two years of university, and then he let me join the Keating Group after graduation. That’s almost three years altogether. There’s no way I’m less important than Leah Sinclair.’ Tiana refused to believe Asher didn’t care about her at all.

When Leah Sinclair arrived at Project Department One, everyone was stunned. The afternoon tea she had ordered had been delivered earlier, and at the time, Todd Coleman and the others had asked who ordered it.

Sheila Hughes and Zion Sawyer had mysteriously said the answer would be revealed later. When Leah arrived shortly after, everyone knew it must have been her. Those who knew her well shrieked with delight and crowded around her.

Three years ago, Leah had suddenly quit and left the country. At first, none of them knew what had happened. Later, they heard bits and pieces of the story, leaving them both shocked and amazed. Who would have thought that the diligent little employee working beside them was actually the Second Miss of the Grant Group?

Leah saw Mr. Langdon standing at the door of his office, looking at her. Her heart felt a little heavy. She walked over and called out softly, "Master." Mr. Langdon looked at the young woman before him, a warm smile in his eyes. "You’ve grown up."

She followed Mr. Langdon into his office, and the two of them talked for a long time. Before she left, Leah invited him to have a meal together when he was free. The people in Department One still had to work, so Leah didn’t stay long.

When she returned to the 68th floor, Leah saw Tiana Vaughn as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. She didn’t spare her a second glance, but Tiana called out to her. "Miss... Miss Grant, could I have a word with you?"

"What is it?"

Tiana’s eyes were red-rimmed. She pulled Leah into the nearby stairwell, nervously wringing her hands. "I want to apologize. I know I was wrong. Could you please talk to Assistant Yates and ask him not to dock my pay?"

Leah raised an eyebrow. "I only made a suggestion. The final decision was President Keating’s. Telling me this now is probably useless."

"No! Miss Grant, Third Brother will definitely listen to you! After all, he sponsored me for several years and has always taken good care of me. He’s only listening to you because you’re the one who spoke up," Tiana grabbed Leah’s hand, pleading.

Hearing her call him "Third Brother," Leah’s eyes turned cold. She had been referring to him as President Keating, but this woman had the audacity to call him by his nickname to her face. ’Third Brother?’

After she got together with Asher Keating, although he never explicitly said anything, no other woman besides Madeline Sterling had been allowed to call him "Third Brother." At most, they might call him "Third Master Keating." Madeline had called him that since they were children, so Leah didn’t mind. But this person...

"Sorry, I won’t speak up for you." Leah didn’t want to get tangled up with her and turned to leave.

"Miss Grant, I’m begging you! You can hit me or yell at me, whatever you want, but please, don’t let them dock my pay! I really need the money." As she spoke, Tiana actually dropped to her knees.

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