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

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Let Me Call You Big Sister

After dinner, Shawn Grant lazily lit a cigarette and blew a few smoke rings. ”So, is Thomas Sterling dead yet?”

Asher Keating and Chester Hale exchanged a glance. Thomas Sterling was sick—a kidney problem. The Sterling Family had kept it so well under wraps that almost no one outside the family knew.

Chester Hale was a doctor, so he knew a few things from the Sterling Family’s previous hospital visits. Asher Keating had found out on his own. They just hadn’t expected the Grant Family, all the way in Kingsford, to know as well.

”Tsk, what are you two looking at? Even though the Grant Family isn’t based in Riverfall, we can still find things out if we want to,” Shawn Grant said with a devil-may-care attitude.

”Ahem. He’s not on death’s door just yet, but neither Morgan Sterling nor Madeline Sterling are a match, and there are currently no suitable kidney donors available.”

Chester Hale said with a light cough. This was the very thing he had wanted to remind Asher Keating about at Grandma Sinclair’s funeral, but he hadn’t expected Asher to have already investigated it.

After Leah Sinclair finished cleaning up, Asher Keating checked the time. ”It’s about time. I need to head back to the old family residence, and Leah is going to meet her friend. Second Master Hale, you can take Shawn home.”

”Yeah, Shawn, let’s go. I’ll take you home.” Chester Hale agreed it was getting late.

”Alright, we’re off. Leah, thanks for lunch. See you next time.” Shawn Grant said goodbye to Leah and left with Chester Hale.

Asher Keating dropped Leah Sinclair off at Sheila Hughes’s place before heading back to the old family residence. Leah and Sheila went to the supermarket. Even though Sheila’s apartment was fully furnished, she still needed to pick up a few things. As they shopped, they chatted, and Leah told her about attending the old Mr. Keating’s birthday banquet in a few days.

Leah was very nervous about it. This would be her first time formally attending a Keating Family gathering as Asher Keating’s girlfriend.

And it wasn’t just the Keating Family attending; many influential figures from Riverfall’s business and political circles would also be there. She had never been to such a banquet and was worried she might embarrass Asher Keating.

Sheila Hughes tried to console her, saying that with a face like hers, she couldn’t possibly go wrong once she was in full makeup, a beautiful gown, and high heels. But Leah still felt flustered.

She returned to work feeling apprehensive. On the first day back, Aevon handed out 500-yuan ”welcome back” red envelopes to everyone, and Mr. Langdon personally gave each member of their department an additional 200-yuan one. This filled Leah with motivation, and she spent the day at the construction site with Leo Lawson.

The Southwood project had been in the planning stages since before the New Year holiday, so everyone was swamped once work resumed. Leah was responsible for data collection, constantly running back and forth between the construction site and the project office. She was so busy she was practically run off her feet.

One day, Leah had just returned from the construction site with Leo Lawson. She had spent the entire morning squatting down to mark measurements, and her legs had gone numb. Exhausted, she collapsed into her chair, unwilling to move. Zion Sawyer poured her a glass of water, and Leah, slumped over her desk, offered a listless ”thank you.”

Just as Zion Sawyer was speaking with her, Todd Coleman came over. ”Leah, someone’s at the door for you. He says his last name is Grant and that you know him.”

”Grant? Shawn Grant?”

Leah stood up, confused, and looked toward the entrance. Sure enough, it was Shawn Grant, leaning against the office doorway with a roguish grin on his face.

”HELLO, Leah. Remember me?”

”Of course, Mr. Grant. What brings you here? Are you looking for President Keating?”

Leah replied with a smile. Behind him stood another man, who looked younger than her and was about Shawn Grant’s height, yet he carried himself with a serious and composed air.

”Yeah, Mason’s here. My sister asked me to bring him to see Third Master Keating, so I figured I’d stop by and see you too. Mason, this is Leah, the amazing cook I was telling you about.”

Shawn Grant slung an arm over Mason’s shoulder. ”This is Mason, my cousin.”

”Hello, Mason Grant,” Leah greeted him politely.

”Hello... Sister Leah. You’re a bit older than I am. Is it alright if I call you that?” Mason Grant seemed a little shy as he extended his hand.

Leah, though a little puzzled, didn’t think much of it since she was, in fact, older than him. She shook his offered hand. ”President Keating is on the twenty-eighth floor. You can go straight up. He should be in his office at this hour.”

”Alright. Well, we’ll let you get back to your work. We’re heading up now,” Shawn said, pulling Mason away.

Leah returned to her desk, a million questions running through her mind. Zion Sawyer immediately started gossiping. ”Who were those two? They were so handsome! Are they friends of President Keating?”

”Yeah, they’re here to see President Keating.” Leah took a sip of water, then forced herself to focus and began organizing the data she’d collected that morning.

”Tsk. Mason, you were way too obvious,” Shawn Grant said once they were inside the elevator.

”I... I know. But I couldn’t help it,” Mason Grant said, taking a deep breath.

Earlier, when Shawn Grant had been at Europa Gardens, he had carefully observed his surroundings. At one point, he’d excused himself to use the restroom. In the guest bathroom, there was a comb that Leah occasionally used.

He had managed to get a strand of Leah’s hair from it. Mason Grant had arrived two days ago, bringing a hair sample from Mabel Grant. Nathan Grant had arranged for a DNA test on both samples, and the results had come in today, confirming that Leah Sinclair was the child Mabel Grant had given birth to more than twenty years ago.

Mason Grant had been too agitated to wait and had insisted on coming to see Leah right away. Nathan Grant was busy today, so he’d told Shawn to keep a close eye on his cousin. The news couldn’t be made public yet; everything had to wait until Mabel Grant arrived in Riverfall.

”I’m excited too. But Mason, this is a huge deal. Right now, besides the three of us, nobody knows Leah’s true identity. No matter how emotional you get, you can’t let it show. She and Third Master Keating... they’re good together. Plus, we did some digging after we arrived, and it seems like her life all these years has been really tough. We need to handle this carefully, understand?”

It was rare to see Shawn Grant speak so seriously, his brows furrowed slightly. He had been just as excited when he first heard the news, but he understood the gravity of the situation. It was perfectly understandable that Mason wanted to see Leah, which was why Shawn hadn’t stopped him and had come along.

They still hadn’t figured out when to tell Mabel Grant about Leah’s identity. If she knew, she would undoubtedly rush to Riverfall at once and might even approach Leah directly to claim her as her daughter.

However, the current situation in Riverfall was a little uncertain, and the old Mr. Keating’s birthday was in just a couple of days. Mabel Grant still hadn’t confirmed whether she would attend.

Before the elevator doors opened, Shawn patted Mason’s shoulder. Mason composed himself, his expression reverting to one of cool indifference. He had a personality much like Mabel Grant’s—a man of few words. He had been that way since childhood.

He might be a bit more talkative around Shawn and Nathan, whom he knew well, but with most people, he would offer only a one- or two-word reply for every ten sentences they spoke. In Shawn’s words, he was ”one boring little brat.”

Sean Yates was also surprised to see them, but he quickly greeted them and led them into Asher Keating’s office. Asher was in the middle of reading an email and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at their arrival.

”Third Master Keating, what’s with that look? Not happy to see us?” Shawn Grant asked, flopping onto the sofa.