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

Chapter 224: Chapter 224: The Rank is Too High

”I still have to work, even with a team. But hold on, take a look at this for me. I just have a feeling my approach here isn’t right.”

As she spoke, Leah Sinclair handed the documents to Sheila Hughes. Sheila let out a groan. ’Why are you working so hard after we’ve already clocked out?’

Despite her complaint, she began to look over them carefully. In reality, Leah’s concept was perfectly fine; she just lacked the experience to be confident about it. After Sheila explained, Leah finally breathed a sigh of relief.

”There, see? All good. Manager Sinclair, can we please just eat now?”

”Yes, yes! Let’s eat. This one’s on me.”

Leah smiled, put her documents away, and started to eat. In the middle of her meal, Sheila suddenly asked, ”So, how are things between you and Third Master Keating lately?”

”Things are great, why?”

Sheila Hughes hesitated for a moment. Seeing the slightly puzzled look on Leah’s face, she put down her chopsticks and said seriously, ”Lately, a lot of people at our company have been gossiping about him and that Phoebe Peyton. They say she’s always running to Third Master Keating’s office.”

Leah froze for a second, then chuckled. ”Asher and she are in the early stages of their collaboration. Of course they have a lot to discuss. It’s only normal that they’d be in contact frequently.”

”I know, but other people don’t think so. And...”

Sheila glanced around and lowered her voice. ”I heard from Ethan Shaw that when Asher Keating was studying abroad, this Phoebe Peyton supposedly went after him. Ethan only remembered it a few days after that race. And now she’s rejected a partnership with the Sterling Family just to insist on working with Asher. I think she might not have given up on him, you know?”

Leah put down her chopsticks, too. After a moment of silence, she said, ”Last night, Asher got home very late. He’d gone to dinner with her. I saw his hand in one of her social media posts. And tonight... he’s out to dinner with her again.”

...

Sheila was speechless. ”What is with Third Master Keating? Is all this really necessary? Dinner yesterday, dinner today... Is a meal with her really that special?”

But after saying that, she saw the look on Leah’s face and quickly tried to comfort her. ”But Third Master Keating is completely devoted to you. There’s no way he could like that Phoebe Peyton. Maybe it really is just to discuss work, right? You said it yourself, they’re in the early stages of their collaboration.”

”Yesterday, he said it was because Phoebe Peyton was thanking him for last time, about the car incident. Today, it’s a reunion with old classmates from abroad.”

”And Phoebe Peyton organized both?”

”Mhm.”

Sheila tutted. ”Wow, this woman’s got some serious game, huh? She’s way more advanced than that Tiana Vaughn. But aren’t you going to ask Asher about it?”

”I was planning to ask him when I got home today, but isn’t he out to dinner?”

Leah pouted a little, then changed the subject. Phoebe Peyton was different from Tiana Vaughn; she didn’t want to accuse her unjustly. She’d never heard anything about Phoebe pursuing Asher before.

’Since she failed to win Asher over back then,’ Leah thought, ’surely Phoebe wouldn’t try to come between us now, when we’re about to get engaged.’

Meanwhile, Asher Keating, Phoebe Peyton, and three other former classmates were having dinner. After a few rounds of drinks, the initially awkward atmosphere, a result of not having seen one another for years, had grown lively.

The group reminisced about amusing stories from their school days, chatting happily as their glasses clinked. Eventually, the conversation drifted to Asher Keating.

”By the way, Asher, what’s the deal with you and Phoebe now? I just saw you two arrive together. Are you planning to rekindle an old flame?” one of them asked, looking at Asher Keating and Phoebe Peyton with a suggestive expression.

”Brian, don’t talk nonsense,” Phoebe Peyton said, her face flushing. She lowered her head slightly, though she was still sneaking glances at Asher Keating out of the corner of her eye.

Seeing her shy demeanor, Brian Chase laughed. ”Phoebe, what’s there to be shy about? Asher’s still single, isn’t he? And you’re single, too. You two didn’t get together back in school, and you’re both unattached now, so why not just give it a shot?”

The others chimed in in agreement. None of them were from Riverfall; they were here at Phoebe Peyton’s invitation. Moreover, Asher Keating had had very little contact with them after returning to the country; he hadn’t even added some of them on WeChat.

So they weren’t very clear on what Asher Keating had been up to these past few years. They only knew he had become the CEO of the Keating. Thinking about how Phoebe Peyton came directly to Riverfall after returning to the country, and how the two of them had just arrived in the same car, they naturally linked the two together.

Asher Keating put down his wine glass and smiled slightly. ”I have a girlfriend. We’re getting engaged soon.”

The group fell into an awkward silence for a moment. Phoebe Peyton quickly jumped in, ”That’s right, Asher’s girlfriend is very beautiful. You guys should stop talking nonsense, in case she hears and gets the wrong idea.”

”Hahaha, well then, let us congratulate Asher first. When are you going to bring your girlfriend out for us to meet?”

”Yeah, Asher, we really don’t keep in touch enough. We should contact each other more often from now on.”

”Congratulations! Don’t forget to invite us to the wedding!”

”Don’t worry, I will.”

The conversation about the two of them was brushed aside within a few sentences. Phoebe Peyton watched Asher Keating’s faint smile, a wave of disappointment washing over her. She kept a smile plastered on her face and started making the rounds, toasting everyone.

After a few rounds, she was a little drunk. Her eyes curved into a smile as she pulled Asher aside to talk, reminiscing about their time together back in school.

Some of the others were drunk, and some were not. Watching the scene unfold, they couldn’t help but think to themselves, ’This Phoebe Peyton is clearly still hung up on Asher. Just look at her eyes, they’re practically glued to the man.’

Asher Keating raised his hand to check the time. Feeling it was about time to wrap up, he started arranging to have the drunk ones sent home.

”Asher, what about Phoebe? We don’t know where she lives,” someone asked.

Asher Keating looked at Phoebe Peyton’s hazy, drunken eyes and hesitated for a moment. ”I’ll take her.”

He helped her up from her seat, took her things, and said, ”Phoebe, I’m taking you home.”

Phoebe Peyton leaned against him dizzily. Asher Keating frowned slightly and steadied her. But Phoebe had drunk too much; her whole body was limp. He could only half-support her as he walked outside, calling Sean Yates to bring the car to the entrance.

Leah Sinclair and Sheila Hughes came out, ready to get their car. Since she was having dinner with Sheila today, she hadn’t brought Louise Holt along. Before the two of them even reached the entrance, Sheila grabbed her arm. ”Isn’t that Third Master Keating and Phoebe Peyton?”

Leah looked up just in time to see Asher half-supporting Phoebe Peyton. The man stood tall and strong, the woman looked delicate and frail. Sean Yates’s car pulled up in front of them. Asher helped her into the car before getting in himself from the other side.

”Leah, this... he’s even taking her home?”

Leah bit her lip. ”It looks like Phoebe is drunk. It’s only normal to take her home. I’m going to head back now.”

”Okay, be careful on your way home. Text me when you get there. I really think you need to have a good talk with Asher. It would be best if Phoebe really doesn’t have those kinds of intentions.”

”And if she does... I think Asher needs to be more careful. After all, the office is full of wagging tongues.”

Sheila held her hand comfortingly. Ever since the incident with Tiana Vaughn, Sheila hadn’t been worried about Asher’s feelings for Leah. But this Phoebe Peyton was on another level. She was worried Leah would lose out.