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

Chapter 231: Chapter 231: I, Every Night...

Asher Keating’s words made Ethan Shaw and the others shriek with delight. Leah Sinclair stared, stunned, at his gentle eyes, her own welling with deep emotion.

”Asher... I love you too.”

”Kiss! Kiss!”

”Kiss her! Kiss her!”

”Go and drag the Civil Affairs Bureau over here!”

Asher Keating smiled and lowered his head, capturing Leah Sinclair’s lips. Sean Yates immediately yelled into his walkie-talkie, and in that instant, countless fireworks erupted, illuminating the night sky over the City of Riverfall.

Beneath the fireworks, Leah Sinclair excitedly told Asher Keating what this one looked like, and what that one reminded her of. Asher Keating looked down at her. Her eyes curved into crescents, full of mirth and reflecting the fireworks above. He suddenly felt it was all worth it.

Asher Keating had been planning this proposal for a long time. Neither of them were particularly ostentatious, so he didn’t want to do anything too over-the-top. He just wanted to invite the people they were both close to.

However, the location, the method, and the atmosphere truly taxed Mr. Keating’s ingenuity.

The proposal ring had been settled on a long time ago. He wanted to give Leah Sinclair a proper proposal before their official engagement. As he walked toward Leah just now, Asher Keating appeared composed, but only he knew that his fingers were trembling from nerves.

But the moment he held her hand, Asher Keating felt his heart calm. Looking into her glistening eyes, the long speech he had prepared melted away, leaving only the words, ”Marry me?”

Leah Sinclair’s firm ”Yes” sent a wave of ecstatic joy through Asher Keating’s heart.

”Louise Holt! You were in on it too! No wonder! I was thinking, I didn’t even do anything this afternoon, how could my clothes have gotten dirty?”

Leah Sinclair gave Louise Holt a playful swat. Earlier that afternoon, Louise had suddenly handed her a dress and high heels, claiming she’d seen Leah’s clothes get dirty at the construction site and telling her to change.

Since the dress wasn’t too fancy and she was planning to have dinner with Asher Keating that evening anyway, she hadn’t thought much of it and just changed.

”Hahahaha, Miss Grant, I didn’t have a choice! How could I dare disobey the boss’s orders?”

”And you two! Sheila Hughes, Zion Sawyer! Louise Holt answers to Third Master Keating, but what’s your excuse?”

”Huh? Isn’t our boss President Keating, too?”

”...”

’She couldn’t argue with that.’ When Leah Sinclair turned to Nathan Grant, Nathan puffed out her barely-there baby bump. ”Go on, give it a shot!”

As if Leah would dare. She gently stroked Nathan’s belly. ”My dear little nephew or niece, give your mom a few extra kicks for me.”

Chester Hale laughed. ”The baby hasn’t started moving yet. By the time you and Third Master Keating have your engagement party, this little one will probably be kicking up a storm.”

Leah Sinclair huffed and looked away from him, turning her glare on Ethan Shaw, Riley Sterling, and Shawn Grant. The three of them pointedly avoided her gaze. As for Sean Yates, Edward Yates...

’Forget it,’ she thought. ’Their boss was Asher Keating, too.’ The easiest target was still Sheila Hughes.

Ethan Shaw watched Leah Sinclair and Sheila Hughes playfully wrestling and sidled up to Asher Keating. ”Third Master Keating, you’ve gotta help me out. How should I propose to Sheila?”

Asher Keating gave him a cool glance. ”Figure it out yourself.”

”Ugh! This is so hard! I finally came up with a great beach proposal, but then Second Master Hale used it! Then I thought of a fireworks proposal, and now you’ve used it! What am I supposed to do? I don’t care! Third Master Keating! Second Master Hale! You two have to come up with something for me!”

Asher Keating and Chester Hale—one watching his wife playing around, the other stroking his wife’s pregnant belly—both acted as if they hadn’t heard his whining at all.

’What a joke. Proposals were mentally exhausting. Did he think they were professional wedding planners or something?’

Seeing that the two were completely ignoring him, Ethan Shaw turned his gaze to Riley Sterling and Shawn Grant. He took one look, then looked away with disdain. The two exchanged a glance, then came over and slung their arms over Ethan’s shoulders from either side. ”What’s that look for? You looking down on us?”

”You’re both single! What the hell would you know?”

”Single? Dude, I’ve got a different bride every night!”

”Yeah, and I’m... every night—”

”Shawn Grant! You’re what every night?”

At Nathan Grant’s furious roar, the three men scrambled away, and the entire rooftop filled with laughter. The fireworks extravaganza continued for nearly half an hour before finally dying down.

Countless people who saw the amazing display were left wondering who could have been behind such a lavish and extravagant fireworks show.

Phoebe Peyton heard her phone chime repeatedly. She picked it up, glanced at the screen, and immediately sat bolt upright. With trembling hands, she opened her social media feed.

Three minutes earlier, Asher Keating had posted: ”Marry me?”

Leah Sinclair had replied with her own post: ”Yes!”

The posts were accompanied by photos: Asher Keating on one knee, sliding the ring onto Leah Sinclair’s finger; the two of them kissing before a wall of flowers; their hands, now wearing rings, with fingers intertwined; and a shot from behind of Leah leaning on Asher’s shoulder as they watched the fireworks.

The color drained from her face, her elegant and gentle features turning grim and dark. ’So those fireworks, the ones that went on for so long... they were for Asher Keating’s proposal to Leah Sinclair.’

’They were so magnificent, so dazzling, they lit up half of the City of Riverfall as if it were day. And she... she had even found them beautiful.’

”Phoebe, what are you looking at?”

Morgan Sterling sat up as well, placing a hand on Phoebe Peyton’s waist. As he pulled her into an embrace, he saw what was on her phone screen.

Phoebe Peyton’s eyes flashed with anger as she turned to glare at him. ”This is you helping me? Asher just proposed to her!”

Morgan Sterling chuckled, pulling her closer into his embrace. ”They were already getting engaged. Is a proposal really that surprising? Relax. Even if they get married, it’s not a big problem.”

Phoebe Peyton pushed him away, dissatisfied. ”When exactly does your plan start?”

Morgan Sterling tossed her phone aside, grabbing her hands and pinning her beneath him. ”Phoebe, what’s the rush? Didn’t I tell you? Until you have Third Master Keating, I’m all yours. Or is it... that I’m not satisfying you? Then who was that enjoying herself so much just a moment ago?”

As he spoke, Morgan Sterling bit down on her shoulder, as if in punishment. Phoebe Peyton’s body slowly went pliant, and a series of soft, alluring moans escaped her lips.

Morgan Sterling murmured against her skin as he kissed her, ”Phoebe, stop thinking about all that. Let’s continue.”

Phoebe Peyton arched her body. Morgan Sterling held her waist firmly, calling out a name again and again. ”Phoebe...” But only he knew in his heart whether he was calling for Phoebe, or for Leah.

Meanwhile, Mabel Grant saw their social media posts. She zoomed in on the ring on Leah Sinclair’s hand and snorted softly. ”Say what you will about Third Master Keating, but at least he’s willing to spend money on our Leah.”

Brandon Jacobs saw it too. That ring, he estimated, had to be at least seven figures. Besides, he and Mabel Grant had already seen the other rings Asher Keating had commissioned.

The matching engagement and wedding bands were more modest; Leah Sinclair didn’t like anything too flashy, so Asher Keating had chosen an understated set based on her preferences. The main wedding ring, a diamond, was an eight-figure piece.

He sighed softly, his voice a mixture of amusement and bittersweet sentiment. ”Time flies. Our little girl is getting married.”