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

Chapter 146: Chapter 1146: Mom’s 2nd Lesson

Mabel Grant placed an exquisite piece of food into Leah Sinclair’s bowl with her chopsticks. ”I know you haven’t had it easy all these years. It’s made you sensitive and insecure.”

”But from now on, you have no reason to feel insecure. You are the second young miss of the Grant Family. So, straighten your back and hold your head high!”

”No matter who you meet, they will be the ones flattering you. All you have to do is act according to your mood. If you feel like it, you can acknowledge them. If you don’t, you can do whatever you want to them.”

Leah Sinclair stared blankly at Mabel Grant. Today, she was only wearing a simple black top, and she didn’t seem to have much makeup on.

But right now, with her red lips slightly upturned and her slender fingers lightly holding her chopsticks, she casually picked up some food. Even a simple action like this looked like a painting when she did it—elegant and captivating.

Leah Sinclair suddenly spoke up. ”I want to know... what kind of accident... was it?”

Mabel Grant’s hand, which had been about to place more food in Leah’s bowl, paused. She slowly set down her chopsticks and turned to look at Leah Sinclair.

In that instant, Leah saw a trace of profound sorrow in her eyes, tinting their usual beauty with a touch of melancholy. She suddenly regretted asking the question.

”A car crash.”

Mabel Grant watched Leah Sinclair, only speaking after a long moment.

”It was a huge incident at the time. I’ve always suspected Thomas Sterling was behind it. Your father’s driver was a very careful man, but that day he supposedly dozed off. On the mountain road, the car went straight through the guardrail. Both of them... died at the scene.”

”I investigated for a long time. The police confirmed there were no drugs in the driver’s system. His family said he hadn’t rested well for several days because he was taking care of his sick child.”

Leah Sinclair’s grip on her chopsticks tightened. Mabel Grant calmly lit a cigarette and spoke quietly of events from over twenty years ago. Her tone was placid, but Leah could still feel the sorrow in her heart.

The two of them sat in silence for a long time before Mabel Grant spoke. ”How are things between you and the Keating family’s third master?”

”...They’re good.”

”Heh, are you shy?”

Leah Sinclair was a little shy. Mabel Grant had only just acknowledged her as her daughter yesterday, and today she was already asking about Asher Keating. She had never experienced this before and didn’t know how to talk to her mother about him.

”Have you thought about marriage?”

”...Yes. I... love him very much.”

After saying this, Leah Sinclair felt her ears turn red.

But after hearing her, Mabel Grant laughed. ”Leah, are you sure you love him?”

Leah Sinclair instantly looked up at her. ”What do you mean?”

”I’m asking if you’re sure you love him, and aren’t just grateful to him.”

”I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Mabel Grant looked at Leah, whose face had instantly turned cold, and sighed softly. ”Leah, love is a conversation between equals. It’s more than just saying the words. This is the second lesson your mother is teaching you.”

She looked at Leah, who was silent with her lips pressed tightly together, and slowly continued, ”Whether it’s you or Third Master Keating, are you two really sure what you feel for each other is love, and not just habit?”

Those words made Leah feel as if she couldn’t breathe. Mabel Grant’s gaze was too sharp, piercing right into her heart. Her mind was suddenly in turmoil. ’Do I love Asher Keating? Does Asher Keating love me?’

Every memory she had with Asher Keating surfaced one by one: his indifference when they first met, his domineering nature on their first night together, the ruthlessness in his eyes when he thought she had schemed against him.

The warm smile in his eyes when he celebrated her birthday for the first time, the fury when he learned she was in danger, the heartache in his eyes before Grandma Sinclair’s memorial altar... there were too many memories.

All of those moments, one by one, ultimately distilled into the firm words he had told her: ”I’m here.”

Leah Sinclair squeezed her eyes shut. Her voice trembled slightly, but she managed to keep it steady. ”Perhaps all of you think that how Third Master and I started was absurd. And it’s true, it was utterly absurd.”

”You might not be able to understand, but I love him, and he loves me. I’m sure of it! But you’re right about one thing: love is a conversation between equals.”

”Right now... it’s true that I’m not strong enough yet. But I will work hard to become stronger. One day, I won’t be someone who can only rely on him for protection.”

Mabel Grant raised her eyebrows in surprise. Leah Sinclair’s gaze was resolute. When she had fallen silent just now, Mabel had thought her mind was in turmoil. She hadn’t expected Leah to regain her conviction so quickly.

’It seems I still don’t know my own daughter well enough. Then again, you can’t just get to know someone after twenty-odd years apart. Still, this personality of hers... it’s a lot like mine when I was young.’

She smiled and stubbed out her cigarette. After elegantly picking up a glass from the table and taking a sip of water, she said, ”Well said, Leah. But you need to understand something. You want to become strong, but how do you do it on your own?”

”Truthfully, I have no issue with Third Master Keating. You are my daughter, the daughter I’ve thought about for over twenty years. I have no intention of hiding your identity. Once it’s made public, you should know how many men will want to ask for your hand in marriage. And Third Master Keating... he is not worthy.”

Leah Sinclair shot to her feet, her face flushing red. ”Third Master is a good man! He’s more than worthy of marrying anyone! If you look down on him, then just pretend you never came looking for me! I’ve gotten by for over twenty years. I can live perfectly well even without you. The Grant Family might have high standards, but I don’t want to be some ’Second Miss of the Grant Family’ anyway!”

With that, she grabbed her bag and turned to leave. But a single sentence from Mabel Grant successfully stopped her in her tracks. Mabel said, ”And what if I make a move against Third Master Keating?”

Leah Sinclair whipped her head around. Mabel Grant was still sitting leisurely in her chair, the corners of her eyes slightly lifted as she watched her quietly.

Leah Sinclair’s hand, gripping her bag, began to tremble uncontrollably. ”Are you threatening me?”

”If that’s how you want to interpret it, you’re not wrong.”

Mabel Grant rose from her chair. Treading on her high heels, she walked slowly and gracefully toward Leah Sinclair. Standing in front of her, she gently took the bag from her hand.

”You should know that I am fully capable of making the Keating Family disappear from the map of Riverfall. But rest assured, as long as you return to Kingsford with me, I won’t do it. As I said, I have no issue with Third Master Keating. I just want to see how far he’s willing to go for you.”

The color drained from Leah Sinclair’s face. She never imagined she would become a bargaining chip for Mabel Grant to use against Asher Keating. The person before her was her mother—the mother she hadn’t seen in twenty-four years.

Just last night, this woman had been telling her how much she loved her. But after only one night, she was now cruelly telling her that she was being threatened.

Leah Sinclair’s eyes began to redden. ”You want me to go back to Kingsford with you... so you can marry me off to someone else in exchange for benefits for the Grant Family?”