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

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Declaring Sovereignty

Todd Coleman had a few drinks, finally mustering up the courage to say what he’d been hesitating to say all night.

Leah Sinclair was silent for a moment, then said, ”I’m sorry, Todd. I... I can’t.”

”Why not?” Todd grew anxious. He hadn’t dared to confess all this time, choosing instead to observe Leah. From what he could tell, she didn’t seem to have a boyfriend. That’s why he’d boldly made his move tonight after being egged on by Zion Sawyer and Leo Lawson.

”I like someone.”

Leah Sinclair looked at him, bit her lip, and said it directly. ’With things like this, you have to be clear with your rejection from the get-go.’ She and Todd were colleagues who saw each other every day. If she wasn’t clear, it would be awkward for both of them whenever they met in the future.

Todd Coleman felt his mind go blank. After a long moment, he said, ”Does he like you back? You said you like someone, not that you have a boyfriend.”

Leah Sinclair gave a faint smile. ”I don’t know. But he’s the only one I like. So, I’m very sorry. Let’s just be friends.”

After another long moment, Todd Coleman managed a somewhat bitter smile. ”Alright. We’re still friends.”

”Thank you.” Leah Sinclair smiled and extended her hand.

Todd Coleman gave her another deep look before gently shaking her hand. ”Heh, at least you didn’t hit me with the ’You’re a great guy’ line. I’ll take it.”

Leah Sinclair paused. ’That’s actually what I was about to say,’ she thought, realizing it wouldn’t be right. She gave a slightly embarrassed cough. ”Well, you should get back to the party. I’m going to head out.”

”Are you sure you don’t need me to take you home? You drank a lot just now.”

”No, it’s fine. I can hold my liquor. You go on back.”

”Alright then. Text me when you get home.” Todd Coleman walked away, looking back every few steps.

Leah Sinclair watched him get into the elevator and let out a sigh of relief. She looked around but didn’t see Asher Keating’s Cullinan. Just as she was about to text him, a car horn beeped. She looked over and realized it was another one of Asher’s cars. She quickly ran over, opened the door, and got in.

”Why are you today... Mmph...”

Before Leah Sinclair could finish her sentence, Asher Keating pulled her in for a fierce kiss. He must have been chewing gum; a strong minty flavor flooded her mouth, leaving her dazed.

Asher Keating only let her go when she was about to run out of breath. Leah Sinclair knew how to kiss now; it had been a long time since he’d kissed her so hard she couldn’t breathe.

”Third Master, what’s wrong with you?” Leah Sinclair stared at him, stunned.

Asher Keating didn’t know why, but watching Leah talking and laughing softly with Todd Coleman just now, even knowing she was just setting things straight with the guy, had still pissed him off.

He started the car and said flatly, ”It’s nothing.”

Leah Sinclair stole a glance at him. ”Third Master, are you unhappy because Todd said he wanted to pursue me?”

Asher Keating didn’t answer. Leah broke into a happy smile, pinching her fingers together to show a tiny gap. ”Were you maybe just a little, tiny bit unhappy?”

Asher Keating turned to look at her sparkling eyes, and the corner of his mouth curved up slightly. ”Yeah.”

Leah Sinclair felt all the bad feelings from the evening vanish into thin air. She took Asher’s hand from the armrest and beamed. ’He was unhappy. Does that mean I’ve finally carved out a little space for myself in his heart?’

Asher Keating squeezed her hand in return. ”That’s all it takes to make you happy?”

”Mhm, I’m happy now.”

Meanwhile, after Todd Coleman went back inside, Zion Sawyer and Leo Lawson immediately asked him how it went and if Leah had said yes. Todd gloomily chugged a glass of alcohol. ”Queue up a song for me. ’He Doesn’t Love Me’.”

”Huh? Leah didn’t say yes?” Zion Sawyer nudged him.

”She said she likes someone else. Ah! She doesn’t love me,” Todd Coleman wailed.

Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling exchanged a look, struggling to hold back their laughter. ’It’d be a miracle if Leah had said yes.’

Ethan Shaw called out, ”Alright, buddy. Plenty of fish in the sea. No need to get hung up on one. Drink up, drink up.”

Leah Sinclair was more proactive today, so Asher Keating took the opportunity to introduce her to something new. His movements were rough, and Leah could barely take it. Finally, he had her in tears on the bed, her voice like a low sob as she called out ”Third Master” and begged for mercy.

Asher Keating held her firmly beneath him, nibbling lightly on her earlobe as he asked, ”Like it?”

”I... I like it.”

”What do you like?”

”I like Third Master.”

”Who likes Third Master?”

”Leah Sinclair likes Third Master.”

Asher Keating left several marks on her neck. With a hoarse voice, Leah told him not to leave them there. Previously, Asher had been considerate of her job. She had once begged him not to leave hickeys on her neck, and since then he’d restrained himself, leaving them on other parts of her body instead.

Today, he had no intention of holding back. ”Staking my claim.”

When everything finally came to a stop, it was already past three in the morning. Asher Keating was satisfied. After cleaning up, he waited for Leah to fall asleep before slipping a watch onto her wrist. Leah sleepily felt a cool sensation on her wrist and started to get up.

He held her down and fastened it properly. ”It was over three thousand. That’s already very cheap. If you don’t wear it properly this time, I’ll kill you.”

Thinking about this frustrated Asher Keating. The last time he gave her a necklace, she had only worn it for two days before carefully putting it away, saying it was too expensive and inappropriate to wear to work.

As for the watch, he happened to see her browsing for it on a shopping app on her phone one time. She’d looked at it again and again but never bought it, probably because she couldn’t bear to spend the money.

For Asher Keating, whether it was watches, necklaces, or anything else, he had never bought anything that cost less than a five-figure sum.

In the end, he had asked Sean Yates. After some thought, Sean said it definitely shouldn’t cost more than five thousand. She was just an intern; she couldn’t very well wear a watch worth five or six figures to work. Something in the two to three thousand range would be most appropriate.

In the end, after much searching, Asher picked out a Tissot watch. It was over three thousand. He felt speechless giving it to her. Since when did he, Third Master Keating, have to pick out something cheap when spending money on a woman?

Leah Sinclair looked at the watch on her wrist. It had a white strap with a small floral print, and a tiny flower inside the watch face. She’d seen it before. It was sitting in her shopping cart, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to buy it, planning to wait for the Double Twelve sale. She never expected Asher to buy it for her.

She hugged Asher and said softly, ”Thank you, Third Master.”

Asher Keating pinched her cheek. ”You’re too much. Go to sleep.”

For the past few days, Leah’s dreams had been filled with organizing documents and running to construction sites, constantly afraid she was forgetting something. Tonight, after being thoroughly ravished by Asher several times, and with her spirits lifted, she had what was arguably her most peaceful night of sleep in over a week.

The next day, the weather was nice. After breakfast, Asher Keating was summoned back home by the old Mr. Keating. With nothing to do, Leah Sinclair started cleaning.

While making the bed, she saw some of the marks left behind and blushed thinking about Asher’s ”new game” from last night. She quickly changed the sheets and took the comforter out to air in the sun on the balcony.

The sun felt wonderful on her skin, and she stretched lazily. Seeing the watch Asher had put on her wrist last night glinting in the sunlight, she felt her mood soar.