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

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: What Is the Relationship with Our Leah?

Leah Sinclair hadn’t slept all night. At one point, a relative had pulled her up and made her rest on the sofa. She didn’t know how long she sat there, but as dawn broke, she went back to kneeling.

When others saw they couldn’t convince her otherwise, they could only sigh and let her be. Everyone here knew that Grandma Sinclair had raised Leah single-handedly. Now that her grandmother was gone, they understood her grief.

Asher Keating and Sean Yates found Leah Sinclair’s home by following the sound of the funeral dirge. As they walked through the village, people saw them and began to speculate about who they were.

When they stepped into the Sinclair family’s courtyard, everyone stared at them oddly. The way Asher Keating and Sean Yates looked, they were clearly not people anyone from around here would know.

”You’re... Ah, I remember now. Leah’s boss? Hello, hello.”

First Uncle Sinclair, realizing who he was, hurried out to greet him. ”What brings you here?”

”To pay my respects to Grandma Sinclair and offer incense.”

After replying, Asher Keating looked toward the mourning hall. Leah Sinclair was kneeling to the side, dressed in mourning clothes. She was quietly burning joss paper, apparently oblivious to the commotion outside.

Leah Sinclair truly hadn’t heard a thing. It was as if her senses had dulled ever since she returned to the courtyard. Her eyes were fixed on the black-and-white portrait of Grandma Sinclair in the mourning hall, in which her grandmother was smiling down at her.

”Sean.”

”Yes.”

Sean Yates pulled a white envelope from his pocket—one he had bought in town yesterday at the last minute. Asher Keating had him fill it with cash, and he now handed it to the person registering condolence money. The registrar asked, ”Excuse me, what is the gentleman’s surname?”

”Keating.”

Sean Yates replied. The announcer glanced at the registry book and called out, ”Mr. Keating has arrived.”

As Asher Keating entered the mourning hall, Leah Sinclair finally looked up. Asher took the incense sticks someone offered him and slowly knelt on a prayer cushion.

He bowed solemnly three times. Then, he looked up at Grandma Sinclair’s portrait and said in a steady, clear voice, ”Grandma, you can rest easy. Leah has me.”

That one sentence left Jason and Jack Sinclair, who were kneeling on the other side, completely stunned.

Outside, First Uncle Sinclair was also dumbfounded. He stammered as he asked Sean Yates, ”This gentleman... your Mr. Kea... Mr. Keating... what is his relationship to our Leah?”

”Miss Sinclair is our President Keating’s girlfriend.” After speaking, Sean Yates gave him an indifferent glance and also went inside to offer three incense sticks to Grandma Sinclair.

After placing the incense in the holder, Asher Keating knelt beside Leah Sinclair, took the joss paper from her hands, and slowly began to burn it. Leah watched him, a bit dazed. After a long moment, she spoke softly, ”Asher, you...”

”She was your grandmother. I never had the chance to come back with you and see her while she was alive. The least I can do now is give her some peace of mind.”

The rims of Leah Sinclair’s eyes slowly reddened. Asher Keating wasn’t wearing his glasses today, and dressed in all black, his entire aura was incredibly cold. Yet Leah knew that by kneeling here beside her, he was giving her the greatest possible support.

When Asher Keating finished burning the joss paper in his hands, he turned to Leah Sinclair, a faint smile playing on his lips. ”Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

He knelt beside Leah for the rest of the day, taking only a short break for lunch. Otherwise, he remained quietly by her side, and First Uncle Sinclair and his family didn’t dare to approach them with a single question.

At dinnertime, a relative from Grandma Sinclair’s side of the family came to get Leah. ”Leah, come on. Get up and eat something.”

”I can’t eat.”

”I know, but even if you don’t have an appetite, you should... let Mr. Keating have something to eat. He barely touched his food at lunch.” The person nudged Leah, gesturing toward Asher Keating beside her.

Leah Sinclair glanced up at Asher Keating. It was true he hadn’t eaten much at lunch. She knew that while he wasn’t a picky eater, he certainly wasn’t accustomed to this kind of food.

She grabbed Asher Keating’s hand and softly called out, ”Asher.” He stood and helped her to her feet. Leah had been kneeling for so long that her knees were aching and stiff, almost as if they’d lost all feeling. Her legs buckled as she stood up.

Asher Keating all but carried her out of the mourning hall. He sat her down in a chair and began to gently massage her knees.

First Uncle Sinclair approached them hesitantly. ”Leah... let Mr. Keating get something to eat.”

Leah didn’t look at him. ”I’ll make something for Asher later. You all just worry about yourselves.”

First Uncle Sinclair left at her words. For some reason, he was a little afraid of Asher Keating. Once he was gone, Asher spoke. ”I’ll be fine with whatever. You’re tired.”

”I’m fine, Asher. Just let me sit for a minute, then I’ll go cook.”

Asher Keating said nothing. Leah waited for her knees to recover, told him to rest, and then went to the kitchen. Asher stepped outside the house for a cigarette.

Prodded by his wife and two sons, First Uncle Sinclair walked over. ”Mr. Keating, are you... really in a relationship with our Leah?”

Asher Keating just grunted without speaking. First Uncle Sinclair hesitated for a moment before continuing, ”In that case... about my mother’s funeral and burial plot expenses... since my mother did raise Leah all those years... shouldn’t... how about Leah and we split it fifty-fifty?”

Asher Keating shot him an icy glare. Behind Asher, Sean Yates was left speechless. ’What kind of person is this? He actually wants to make Leah pay for half of his own mother’s funeral?’

First Uncle Sinclair was startled by the look in Asher Keating’s eyes and immediately felt a pang of regret. This man had given ten thousand in condolence money alone; he was clearly loaded.

But the man’s aura was terrifying. That single glance had made him feel as if he’d been stripped naked and thrown into the snow. He never should have listened to his wife and sons and brought this up.

Asher Keating put out his cigarette and said coolly, ”There’s no need to split it. I’ll pay for it all.”

First Uncle Sinclair had been about to say ”never mind,” but he was shocked to hear Asher Keating offer to pay for everything. He immediately brightened. ”Well then, thank you, Mr. Keating! Thank you so much!”

First Uncle Sinclair hurried back to tell his wife and children. His wife happily calculated how much money they were saving, and the family huddled together, muttering excitedly as if the funeral wasn’t for their own mother and grandmother.

Sean Yates watched them talking off to the side and said with disgust, ”Sir, Leah’s uncle and his family... they’re really going too far.”

”Just consider it part of Leah’s final respects to her grandmother. Go keep an eye on them. Don’t let them cause any trouble.”

Asher Keating also watched the four of them, his eyes filled with an icy chill. Though he already knew Leah hadn’t had an easy life over the years, he’d never imagined the Sinclair family could be like this. He worried they might try to pull another stunt.

”Yes, I understand.”

Leah Sinclair made three bowls of noodles and called Asher Keating and Sean Yates over to eat. Sean Yates was genuinely hungry and finished his bowl quickly.

Today was the first day of the wake, and according to local custom, only noodles were served. While the noodles, cooked in a large communal pot, weren’t exactly bad, it was a taste neither Asher Keating nor Sean Yates was accustomed to. Asher managed to finish most of his bowl, but Leah herself barely took more than a few bites.