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

Chapter 220: Chapter 220: Can’t I Satisfy You Anymore?

Asher Keating took Leah Sinclair’s hand. He looked at Morgan Sterling and responded with a quiet, indifferent sound.

Morgan Sterling stepped into the elevator. Seeing Leah’s reaction, he couldn’t help but laugh. ”Leah, it’s been so many years. Besides, you’re my cousin. Why are you still so afraid of me?”

Leah Sinclair pressed her lips together, saying nothing. He continued, ”I never had a chance to apologize for what happened with Madeline last time. Since we’ve run into each other now, please let me offer a sincere apology on her behalf.”

”...That’s not necessary,” Leah Sinclair said softly.

”Asher, my father’s memorial service is the day after tomorrow. You’ll be there, right?” Morgan Sterling said, turning to look at Asher Keating. ”Leah should come too. After all, he was her uncle.”

”I’ll go. Leah won’t.”

Asher Keating shot him a sidelong glance, a sneer playing on his lips. ”She has absolutely nothing to do with your family.” ℴ

”Hah. Asher, is that really for you to decide?” Morgan Sterling said, narrowing his eyes.

”Asher is my fiancé, so of course his word counts. Besides, don’t you forget what your father did to mine. ’Uncle?’ Is he even worthy of the title?”

Leah Sinclair finally met Morgan Sterling’s gaze, her eyes filled with a cold light. After everything Thomas Sterling had done to Tobias Sterling back then, if her father hadn’t survived, there was no way she and Mabel Grant would have left the Sterling Family in peace.

Morgan Sterling looked at her, then suddenly broke into a smile. ”Leah, you’re really not the same as you used to be. As for the business between my dad and uncle, I was just a kid back then. I don’t know the details.”

The elevator arrived. Asher Keating gave Morgan Sterling one last, hard look before leading Leah out without another word. Morgan Sterling’s eyes remained fixed on their retreating backs until the elevator doors slid shut. Asher sensed his stare and tightened his grip on Leah’s hand.

While they waited for the designated driver, Asher told Leah about Madeline Sterling. He wasn’t just worried about Madeline; he didn’t trust Morgan either. ’That man is a deviant to his very core.’

He didn’t tell Leah that, though, afraid the truth would revolt her and she wouldn’t be able to sleep. He only told her about Madeline and his plan to arrange for someone to accompany her.

Leah looked conflicted after hearing his plan. ”But if I have someone following me, they can’t come to the office with me, can they?”

”Don’t worry, I’ve arranged for Louise Holt to do it. You can just treat her as your assistant.”

Leah was surprised. ”Isn’t she a bodyguard? Can she work as an assistant too?”

”Of course. What, you think Sean is just a driver and an assistant?”

”That explains it! My mom always has two assistants with her, and I’ve always suspected they knew how to fight. So, is Sean a good fighter? Did he study traditional martial arts or something like kickboxing?”

Seeing Leah’s excited and curious expression, Asher put an arm around her and told her about the Yates brothers. Sean’s and Edward’s father had been an assistant to Theodore Keating, but he had fallen ill and passed away at a young age.

He had been incredibly devoted to Theodore Keating. After his death, Theodore took pity on his widow, who was struggling to raise two children by herself. He supported them financially, paying for everything from their living expenses to their education. So, in a way, Sean and Edward grew up alongside Asher.

Edward had a steadier temperament, so Theodore had him study business management. After graduating, he began helping Asher manage the majority of his work.

Sean, on the other hand, was more restless and energetic, a real wild child growing up. When he got a little older, he saw a movie and thought the bodyguard in it was incredibly cool, so he volunteered to be Asher’s personal bodyguard.

After some thought, Theodore agreed that Asher did need someone like that, so he sent Sean for training in various combat disciplines. Theodore also made Asher go train with him for a while, though Asher never became as skilled as Sean.

Asher’s training was focused mainly on self-defense. Afterward, Sean became his assistant in name but his personal bodyguard in practice. When things were quiet, Sean handled an assistant’s duties. When trouble arose, he had more than enough fighting prowess to handle it.

When Leah first met Sean, she’d thought he was cocky. It turned out he was just trying to put on a cool, professional bodyguard persona for her. Once she got to know him better, she learned that he could actually be quite a handful.

After hearing all this, Leah began to seriously reconsider her mother, Mabel Grant’s, suggestion about taking a martial arts class. Asher agreed that she should learn some self-defense. That way, at least she wouldn’t be completely helpless if something happened.

Back home, Asher went to take a shower first. Leah pulled out the personnel files again, still agonizing over her choice for the third candidate. She was still deliberating when Asher came out of the bathroom.

After she explained her dilemma, Asher casually picked up the files from the table and glanced through them. When he was done, he handed one back to Leah. ”Pick this one.”

Leah took the file and saw that he had chosen Juanita Coleman.

Asher lit a cigarette. ”On paper, they’re quite similar,” he said. ”But Juanita Coleman has one advantage: she’s married and has a child.”

”You mean she’ll be more stable?”

”Mhm. This Quentin Warren guy has a slightly stronger resume than Juanita Coleman, but he’s changed companies four times in twelve years. You’re just starting out. You need to cultivate a team of people you can rely on.”

Hearing his analysis, Leah picked up Quentin Warren’s file again. She had noticed that detail in the afternoon but hadn’t thought too deeply about it. After all, she was just hiring someone for the renovation project.

Leah sighed. ”That was my oversight. I was focused on mentoring Miles Kessler, so I figured I just needed someone with experience for this project. I wasn’t thinking that far ahead.”

Asher pinched her cheek gently. ”Don’t be hard on yourself. You’re new to this stuff, it’s bound to happen.”

”Asher, how are you so brilliant? You’re only four years older than me, yet you figured all that out with just a glance.”

”...”

For some reason, the phrase ”four years older” grated on Asher’s ears. He pinned her down, pinching her waist. ”What’s wrong with being four years older? Am I not enough for you?”

The pinch was unbearably ticklish, and Leah squirmed, laughing and trying to get away. ”No! That’s not what I meant! I was just saying you’re brilliant!”

”Brilliant how?”

”...”

”Why’d you stop?”

Asher’s lips grazed lightly against her collarbone, and Leah’s breathing grew unsteady. ”You’re... you’re brilliant in every way. Asher, let me go shower first. I feel all sticky.”

Asher didn’t let her go. Instead, he scooped her into his arms and headed for the bathroom. ”Perfect. I was thinking I could use another one, too.”

When Leah woke up the next day, Mrs. Lowell was already there and had breakfast ready. Seeing her, Mrs. Lowell hurried over. ”Miss Leah, Mr. Keating has already left for the day. He insisted that you eat breakfast before going to work. He also said a Miss Louise Holt will be arriving shortly.”

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Leah opened it, and sure enough, there was Louise Holt.

Leah asked if she had eaten, and Louise confirmed she’d eaten on the way. Leah quickly finished her own breakfast and grabbed her bag to leave, but Mrs. Lowell stopped her, making her drink a full glass of milk before she would let her out the door.

In the car, Leah considered how to position Louise at the office. She obviously couldn’t introduce her as a bodyguard. Louise herself was unconcerned, saying that as long as she had a desk and a computer, she could handle all the tasks of a regular assistant.

When Leah led Louise into the office, her colleagues all looked at the newcomer with curiosity. Leah kept the introduction brief, simply stating that Louise was her new assistant.