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

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Down-to-earth Rich People

Asher Keating pulled her hand away. ”It’s just the two of us here. There’s no need to put on a show.”

”Asher, what’s wrong? Why are you treating me like this? It was my fault for insisting on going abroad, but I regret it now. Over these past two years, I’ve realized I can’t live without you. I’ve been thinking about you every single day. I’m never leaving again.”

Madeline Sterling threw her arms around him and tried to press her red lips against his, but Asher Keating turned his head. She missed, leaving a lipstick stain on his collar.

Asher Keating pushed her away and watched her quietly for a moment before the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk. ”You and I both know exactly what happened back then. Don’t take me for a fool. The only reason I haven’t said anything is out of respect for your family’s elders. I’d rather not see them angered to death in their old age.”

With that, Asher Keating turned to leave. Madeline Sterling clutched her dress, spun around, and shouted, ”Is it because of that Leah Sinclair?”

Asher Keating stopped in his tracks.

”No matter what anyone said these past few years, you’ve never reacted like this. But now you’re acting this way? How long have you even been keeping her? She’s just a bar hostess, and you’ve already fallen for her? You really think you were her first? Did you check?” Madeline Sterling suddenly screamed.

”Say one more word about her, and don’t blame me for what happens next.” After saying this, Asher Keating went straight to the door to leave.

”Asher!” Madeline Sterling quickly grabbed his hand.

”I was wrong. You know why my brother arranged for us to be here. I know you’re not happy about it, but please, you have to help me. I just got back. If he finds out we didn’t do anything, I’m finished.” Tears streamed down Madeline Sterling’s cheeks, a tragically beautiful sight.

When Leah Sinclair and Ethan Shaw returned, they didn’t see Asher Keating or Madeline Sterling. Morgan Sterling yanked Leah Sinclair over to sit beside him. ”Leah, be with me. The more I look at you today, the more I like what I see.”

Leah Sinclair pulled her hand free. ”Eldest Young Master Sterling, I’ve told you many times, I won’t be with you.”

”Then who else can you be with? My sister is back. You think Third Master Keating will still keep you around? What do you think they went off to do? They haven’t seen each other in over two years. A dry twig meeting a blazing fire—he couldn’t even wait a moment longer,” Morgan Sterling whispered in her ear.

Leah Sinclair froze. A sour, numbing feeling suddenly washed over her heart. She bit her lip and said nothing.

”So, be with me. I won’t treat you poorly. Anything Third Master Keating can give you, I can give you too—and even more.” Morgan Sterling wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He tugged open her collar for a look. ”You like it this rough? I can be much rougher than Third Master Keating.”

Leah Sinclair hastily backed away, clutching her collar. ”I don’t want to.”

”Then who else can you be with? Look around,” Morgan Sterling said, gesturing with his chin. ”Does anyone here dare to take you?”

”I do. I do.” Ethan Shaw quickly pulled Leah Sinclair back to his side.

”Heh, Ian. The last time you tried to pull one over on me, she ended up drinking six glasses. You want to try that again? How much are you prepared to drink this time?” Morgan Sterling lit a cigarette and leaned back on the sofa.

Ethan Shaw pressed his lips together. ”You choose.”

”Then... let’s have a drinking battle.” Morgan Sterling looked at the three of them. ”You three, and we’ll pick three from our side.”

”What’s a ’drinking battle’?” Leah Sinclair asked Ethan Shaw, confused.

”A drinking battle means mixing Coke buckets. You play rock-paper-scissors; loser drinks. First one to go to the bathroom or first one to throw up loses. You keep drinking until someone gives up. The teams take turns, and the side with the last person standing wins. It’s simple, but it’s brutal,” Ethan Shaw explained through gritted teeth.

Leah Sinclair fell silent. ’I thought it would be some sophisticated game, but it’s surprisingly down-to-earth. Still, drinking like this will get you drunk fast enough.’

”So, have you decided? Let’s keep the stakes small. Twenty,” Morgan Sterling said with a smile.

Leah Sinclair’s lips tightened when she heard the number. Not a penny more, not a penny less—it was the exact amount she’d gotten for her first night.

”You two... Can you handle it?” Leah Sinclair asked, looking at Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling.

”...”

”...”

The truth was, neither Ethan Shaw nor Riley Sterling were particularly good drinkers, but being asked like that by Leah Sinclair was still a blow to their pride.

”I... can’t last many rounds,” Riley Sterling admitted, feeling utterly ashamed.

”I’m... about the same,” Ethan Shaw added.

”Then it’s up to me,” Leah Sinclair said, looking at the two of them with a sense of resignation.

”You drink last, then.”

”Okay.”

”Bring it on, Eldest Young Master Sterling,” Ethan Shaw said through gritted teeth, accepting the challenge.

Morgan Sterling waved his hand, and three people from his side came forward. Riley Sterling suddenly remembered he had called for backup. ”Wait! Let’s make it five-on-five! We have people too!” he shouted.

After shouting, he hurried to the adjacent private room to call a few people over. Morgan Sterling just raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Five-on-five. The two teams sat down in rows facing each other, while everyone else gathered around to watch. Ethan Shaw’s group, spooked by what Morgan Sterling had pulled last time, didn’t dare let the other side pour their drinks. They had all the glasses replaced with new ones and had their own people do the pouring.

The game began. Leah Sinclair knew everyone on her side, but aside from Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling, she wasn’t very familiar with the others.

From what she recalled, the one sitting in the third spot was Charles Shaw, Ethan Shaw’s cousin, who could hold his liquor reasonably well. But as for the five on Morgan Sterling’s team, she had no idea what they were capable of. All she could do was pray that Lady Luck was on their side.

But clearly, Lady Luck was not on their side today. It was already Charles Shaw’s turn on their team, while their opponents were still on their first player. A dizzy Riley Sterling had been helped to the bathroom to throw up. Ethan Shaw, sitting between Charles Shaw and Leah Sinclair, asked her nervously, ”You can handle this, right? It’s really going to be up to you soon.”

”Why do you rich people play such lowbrow games? I thought you’d at least play with dice or cards,” Leah Sinclair said speechlessly, watching the first few rounds unfold.

”What damn lowbrow? This is straight from hell! It gets you drunk fast, that’s the point. It’s all about being ruthless,” Ethan Shaw shot back, equally exasperated. He felt like Leah Sinclair was subtly mocking them.

Charles Shaw finally managed to drink one of their opponents under the table, but he couldn’t take down the second. Ethan Shaw swallowed hard. ”I’m going to puke soon. Stand clear.”

”Rock, paper, scissors!”

”Rock, paper, scissors!”

After downing five glasses in a row, Ethan Shaw slammed his hand on the table. ”Damn it! Lost five times straight? What is this bullshit luck!”

Leah Sinclair quickly handed him a cigarette and lit it for him. Ethan Shaw took a deep drag before charging back into the fray. He lasted until his thirty-fifth glass, but then he truly couldn’t take any more and ran off to puke. Now, it was just Leah Sinclair left to face their three remaining opponents.

If they were drinking slowly, Ethan Shaw and the others could actually hold their own. But the main point of rock-paper-scissors was speed. A win or loss was decided in seconds, leaving no time to recover. There was only one rule: drink.

”Leah, need my help?” Morgan Sterling asked, smiling at her. ”I can help you make up the numbers. They won’t say a thing.”