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

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Sending Some Blessings to Ji San

Leah Sinclair recalled what Asher Keating had said about her ”payment,” and the mortification came flooding back. She wished she could just dig a hole and disappear. ”I... I wasn’t thinking that much.”

Asher Keating smiled and put some food on her plate. ”Alright, eat up.”

Leah Sinclair’s old phone had broken, so the new one didn’t have any photos of Asher Keating yet. However, she had secretly snapped a picture in the car just now, when he was driving with one hand and holding hers with the other.

She quickly pulled out her phone and asked softly, ”Can I post this one? My social feed is mostly business partners, classmates, and people like that. I’m afraid it’ll cause trouble if I post your face.”

Asher Keating glanced at the photo. Although the car’s interior was a bit dim, their intertwined hands were clearly visible.

He knew Leah Sinclair was worried that if she posted his face, people would ask her for favors on his behalf. He didn’t mind, though. ”You don’t have to post it if you don’t want to. I was just kidding.”

”No, I want to! I wanted to post something when you sent me flowers before, but I just didn’t dare to back then.”

Worried he might misunderstand, Leah Sinclair quickly explained. ’What girl wouldn’t love to be able to openly post about her relationship on her social feed?’

”Then post it. This one is great.” Seeing her rush to explain herself, Asher Keating couldn’t resist pinching her cheek.

”AHHHHHH! Can you two stop with the PDA! Ethan Shaw, this is all your fault! I told you I wanted to bring my girlfriend, but you insisted, saying she could join for the second half.” Riley Sterling cried out in agony.

”My fault? If I’d known they were going to be rubbing it in our faces, I would have brought a date myself! This is infuriating! I can’t eat anymore. I’m stuffed from watching you two!”

Ethan Shaw threw down his chopsticks and shot a mournful look at the couple across from them, but it was clear the two of them had no intention of paying him any mind.

Leah Sinclair selected the photo, thought for a moment, and wrote the caption, ”My New Year’s wish: to have you by my side. Right by my side.”

As she tapped ’Post,’ Leah Sinclair could almost hear her own heart thundering in her chest.

Finally, she could openly post anything and everything about Asher Keating on her social feed. No more being like before, when she didn’t even dare to post a picture of a bouquet of flowers. She looked up at Asher Keating, who was smiling at her, and suddenly felt that everything... was worth it.

In Morgan Sterling’s villa, Madeline Sterling had just finished dinner with him when her phone suddenly started buzzing with notifications. DING! DING! DING!

She casually unlocked her phone and opened it to see it was flooded with messages from her friends, all gossiping about Asher Keating’s official relationship announcement on his social feed.

With trembling hands, Madeline Sterling opened Asher Keating’s social feed. The post was already flooded with likes and comments. She screamed and threw her phone on the ground. ”AH! Why her?! That bitch Leah Sinclair! Why her!”

Morgan Sterling glanced over and asked coolly, ”What is it now?”

”Brother! Third Master Keating made an official announcement on his feed... with Leah Sinclair! He said... he said she’s his girlfriend!”

Madeline Sterling was shaking with rage. ’I’m going to go crazy. Didn’t someone say just a few days ago that those two had broken up? And now, just a few days later, Asher Keating is making it official on his feed?’

Just two days ago, she had been telling her friends that she was going to start pursuing Asher Keating, that she had to have him, and that they should get ready for her and Asher’s wedding invitation.

Morgan Sterling raised an eyebrow, took out his phone to look, and zoomed in on the photo. ”Hah. She really is beautiful.”

Madeline Sterling’s face was twisted with anger. ”Then what does that make me? I’ve been shamelessly throwing myself at him, and he just turns around and makes it official with another woman!”

”You’re nothing. I’ve reminded you before. Your little tricks don’t work on Third Master Keating.” Morgan Sterling lit a cigarette and took a slow drag.

”But I was trying to pressure him! Dad told me that for the Keating Family, a marriage alliance with us is the best option. But he’s always been so lukewarm toward me. I just wanted to put some public pressure on him.” Madeline Sterling’s eyes reddened with grievance.

”Is Third Master Keating the kind of person who yields to pressure? Use your head.”

Morgan Sterling scoffed. Madeline Sterling had declared she wouldn’t marry anyone but Asher Keating, even hiring people to stalk them and take photos. But what was the use?

Asher Keating completely ignored her, and now, his one social media post had turned Madeline Sterling into a total joke.

Morgan Sterling stood up and grabbed his jacket. Madeline Sterling, looking wronged and pitiful, asked him where he was going.

Morgan Sterling gave a cool, faint smile, a sinister glint in his eyes. ”On such a happy occasion, shouldn’t we go congratulate Third Master Keating?”

”I’m coming too!” Madeline Sterling quickly stood up.

Morgan Sterling shot her a dark look. ”Control your expression and watch your mouth. Since it’s already come to this, don’t embarrass yourself further.”

Madeline Sterling bit her lip hard. ”I know.”

Compared to the drama on Asher Keating’s side, things were calmer for Leah Sinclair. She didn’t have many friends to begin with. Aside from Zion Sawyer and a few others teasing her, and some people subtly prying for information, the real commotion was in the small group chat she shared with Sheila Hughes and a couple of her closest friends from her college dorm.

Sheila Hughes, in particular, called her immediately. ”Leah! What’s going on?! Just a few days ago you were telling me your unrequited love was a failure and you were going to Transterra to cleanse your soul! How the hell are you suddenly dating?”

When Sheila Hughes’s call came in, Leah Sinclair was in Asher Keating’s car. They had finished eating and were heading to the next venue. Asher hadn’t been drinking, so he was driving.

It was quiet in the car, so Asher Keating heard Sheila Hughes’s loud voice coming through the phone. He glanced at Leah Sinclair with an amused look. ’Unrequited love was a failure? Cleanse her soul? She’s really something else.’

”Sheila, I... it’s complicated. I’ll tell you about it later. I can’t explain it in just a sentence or two.”

”You promise!”

”I promise!”

”Hmph, that’s more like it. But what does he look like? Is he hot? Is he hot? His hand looks really nice in the picture. Send me a photo!” Sheila Hughes was incredibly excited. ’Leah’s in a relationship! My Leah has finally seen the light!’

Leah Sinclair felt a little embarrassed. She turned her body slightly away and said in a low voice, ”My old phone broke, so I don’t have any photos. I’ll sneak a picture for you next time. He’s very handsome!”

”...”

Asher Keating was rather speechless. ’Did I ever say she couldn’t take pictures of me? Why does it have to be a sneak shot?’

Only after Leah Sinclair’s repeated promises did Sheila Hughes reluctantly hang up. Not long after the call ended, the car pulled through the gates of the Zenith Club.

It was New Year’s Eve, so the place was crowded and all the parking spots were full. But when the security guard saw Asher Keating’s car arrive, he was sharp enough to immediately call someone over to guide him to a private parking spot reserved for their group in the back.

Asher Keating hadn’t originally planned to stay long. The New Year’s Eve programs were more or less the same every year. However, the Zenith Club had created a gimmick with a ”New Year’s Prize,” announcing that it wouldn’t be revealed until eleven o’clock at night.

Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling had been clamoring to come and join the fun. He figured Leah Sinclair had probably never experienced such a lively New Year’s Eve, so he brought her along to have some fun.