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

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Are You Panicking?

Leah Sinclair stood up, resigned to her fate. Their gazes met for a fleeting moment, and she saw the hint of a smile hidden in his eyes. She silently bit her lip as Asher Keating gestured for her to sit down.

The Aevon Group headquarters had five project departments, with a total of one hundred sixty-two employees. It took Asher Keating nearly an hour to read through all the names. He closed the file. ”Alright. Have the design department come over. Everyone else is dismissed.”

People began to file out in order from right to left. Since Leah Sinclair’s group was on the far left, they were the last to leave.

Asher Keating’s lips curled into a smile as he watched Leah, who looked as if she wished she could just melt into the wall and escape. While waiting for the design department to arrive, he took out his phone and saw the message she had sent him earlier: ”Asher, I have to work overtime today. Apparently, some new ’Devil’ is here, so I don’t know what time I’ll be back. If you get in early, just go have dinner with Ethan Shaw and the guys.”

’Tsk. It’s only my first day and I’ve already been branded The Devil.’ Amused, Asher Keating texted her back: ”The Devil? How so?”

Leah Sinclair didn’t reply. She didn’t dare. Staring at the four words on her phone, she felt like she could just die.

Zion Sawyer noticed the utterly hopeless look on her face and asked curiously, ”What’s wrong with you? Did the meeting really make you feel like you’re about to keel over and die?”

”I think I actually might die,” Leah said, collapsing onto her desk, motionless.

”You two, get the files for the New City project ready. You’ll be coming upstairs with me to report on our work in a little while.” Mr. Langdon had suddenly appeared.

”Huh? Just the two of us?” Zion Sawyer suspected Mr. Langdon had gotten the names wrong. ’We’re an intern and an assistant engineer. What could we possibly have to report?’

”It’s not just you two. The higher-ups requested one manager, two employees with over five years of experience, and two who’ve been here for about a year. You’re the only ones in our department who joined recently.” Mr. Langdon took a document from a person beside him, opened it, and quickly signed it.

”What are we supposed to say?”

”How should I know? Just remember: don’t say anything you shouldn’t, and only talk about what you know.” Mr. Langdon shot her a glare, then glanced at the silent Leah Sinclair. ’As I thought, Leah is more level-headed. She hasn’t said a word.’

Zion Sawyer nudged Leah. ”Are you panicking?”

”Panicking,” Leah sighed. ’More than panicking, I want to die.’

”Well, President Keating is super handsome, so getting a few more looks at him isn’t so bad.”

With that, Zion Sawyer cheerfully went to prepare the documents. Leah grabbed a mug, planning to make a cup of coffee. The benefits at Aevon Group really were excellent. The coffee machine and refrigerated drink cabinet were free and available 24/7. The company also provided lunch, and if you worked overtime, all you had to do was report it to HR to get dinner as well.

Leah wasn’t a fan of the black coffee provided by the company, so she had bought a few boxes of instant coffee online. The first thing she did every day upon arriving at the office was to make a cup.

She stirred her coffee, wondering what on earth she was going to do in the meeting, but eventually gave up. ’Even Mr. Langdon doesn’t know what to expect, so how would I?’ Shaking her head, she began to organize her section of the materials. As an intern, she hadn’t yet started to follow projects independently.

For now, her work still consisted mainly of organizing documents. They were from Department One, so they would certainly be the first to report. They didn’t even have a chance to get a feel for the situation; they were going in completely blind, with no idea what the new president would ask.

「An hour later.」

Leah, holding her files, followed Mr. Langdon and the others into an elevator. When they got out, Sean Yates led them to the small conference room next to the president’s office.

He had seen Leah earlier, but as Asher Keating’s assistant, he was the consummate professional and acted as if she were a stranger. Leah, meanwhile, was praying he wouldn’t so much as give her a second glance.

When they entered, Asher Keating was leaning back languidly in the swivel chair at the head of the conference table, looking over some documents. A few other people were already seated on both sides of the table.

Mr. Langdon led the greeting. ”President Keating.”

Asher grunted in acknowledgment without looking up. ”Sit wherever you like.”

The group exchanged a look before splitting up to sit on either side of the table. Leah and Zion automatically sat at the very end. As she settled into her chair, Leah chanced a glance at Asher. He was reading the documents with one hand and rhythmically tapping the chair’s armrest with the other.

Asher Keating didn’t speak, so no one else dared to. The entire conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Leah even found herself slowing her own breathing.

After a full five minutes, Asher Keating finally lowered the documents. He scanned the room, a faint smile playing on his lips. ”The New City project... it’s in the final stages, correct?”

”Yes, President Keating. If all goes smoothly, we can begin the final inspection next month.”

A slightly balding man immediately replied. Leah recognized him—he was the head of their entire project department, Chester Hughes.

”Then let’s have an overview. I’m new here, so I’m not yet familiar with everything.”

”In that case, Manager Langdon, your team can start.”

”Of course.” Mr. Langdon opened his laptop, connected it to the projector, and stood up to begin presenting the New City project.

”We began the New City project back in 2034. After progressing through planning, design, and construction...” Mr. Langdon presented the project in meticulous detail.

Since Leah had only joined recently, this was her first time hearing such a detailed report. She quickly opened her notebook and listened intently, the pen between her fingers never stopping.

As Asher Keating watched the large screen, his peripheral vision caught sight of Leah sitting at the far end of the table. She was wearing a white blouse today, with a thin gray knit cardigan layered over it, and her hair was tied up in a bun. From his angle, her neck looked long and slender, and her profile was lovely. The sight of her focused, earnest expression brought a faint, smiling light to Asher’s eyes.

After Mr. Langdon finished his presentation, the engineering and technical leads for two other projects also presented their respective sections. Asher Keating listened attentively the whole time. Then it was Zion Sawyer’s turn; she was primarily responsible for materials.

When she finished her report, only Leah was left. The others had already covered most of the material, so Mr. Langdon spoke up. ”Leah Sinclair is an intern in our department. She’s currently still in her training phase.”

Asher Keating raised an eyebrow. ”An intern? She just joined the company?”

’He remembered Leah telling him back when she was at Azure Bay that she had found a job. Worried he might get the wrong idea, she had even emphasized that it was a legitimate one. The timing did add up; she really hadn’t been at Aevon for very long.’

Mr. Langdon looked a little awkward. ”Our department is mostly composed of senior staff, President Keating. You asked for two employees with about a year’s experience, but we only had Zion Sawyer. So, I brought Leah along, figuring it would be a good learning experience for a newcomer.”

Asher Keating tapped the table. ”No matter. All veterans were newcomers once. So, intern, tell me: what are your main responsibilities right now, and why did you choose to work at Aevon?”