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

Chapter 238: Chapter 238: The Peyton Group and the Grant Group’s Marriage Alliance is Imminent

”The Grant Group and the Peyton Group, a marriage alliance?”

Asher Keating’s voice was so cold that Edward Yates couldn’t help but shiver. Steeling himself, he handed over the tablet. ”Yes, President Keating. Look, many entertainment columns are publishing these.”

”Peyton Group’s VP Dominantly Protects His Woman; Second Miss Grant Hides Bashfully in His Arms!”

”Peyton Group and Grant Group Marriage Alliance Imminent! VP Peyton Travels to Riverfall for Love!”

”VP Peyton and the Grant Family’s Second Miss Return to Their Love Nest.”

Asher Keating pursed his lips as he stared at the various news articles on the tablet. The accompanying photos all showed Leah Sinclair with Liam Peyton’s jacket draped over her, while Liam, frowning, held her protectively and shielded her from the cameras.

”Heh...”

Asher Keating let out a single, sharp sound. Edward Yates swallowed nervously. ”We’ve already looked into it. The first few outlets that published the news are actually from Kingsford. These media companies love chasing gossip about wealthy families like this. Liam Peyton has been in Riverfall recently, and yesterday was the opening of the Peyton Group’s branch office. They were probably following him.”

Asher Keating lit a cigarette without a word. Before long, his WeChat started buzzing with activity. It was Ethan Shaw and the others asking about the situation.

The news had exploded quickly. In just a short while, several related topics were already trending. Asher Keating ignored them all.

”President Keating, this... should we suppress it?”

”Let me think.”

”Yes, sir.”

Asher Keating looked at the photos on the tablet again. They must have been taken when Leah Sinclair knocked over the wine and Liam Peyton was escorting her out. He knew these media outlets existed.

They weren’t just in Kingsford; Riverfall had them too. They loved digging up scandals and grudges among the wealthy elite. Three years ago, never mind anything else, just the business between Asher Keating and Madeline Sterling, the internal struggles within the Keating, and the various open and hidden conflicts between the Keating and the Sterling Group had contributed immensely to the GDP of Riverfall’s media.

When Liam Peyton got the news from his assistant, he frowned as well. He was no stranger to the media outlets that published the stories. You could even say a few of the writers were familiar faces.

Those people had nothing better to do all day than chase after them, digging for gossip.

The fact that Asher Keating and Leah Sinclair were getting engaged hadn’t been announced yet, so for now, only their close family and friends knew.

Now that this news had broken, both the Grant Group and the Peyton Group had inexplicably received a flood of congratulations. Mabel Grant and Brandon Jacobs frowned and exchanged a look, both seeing the confusion in the other’s eyes.

”I’ll go check what’s going on. How did Leah get involved with that Peyton kid? Wasn’t she supposed to be with Asher yesterday?”

Brandon Jacobs was getting antsy. Because of these news reports, Leah Sinclair, whose fame had long since faded, was thrust back into the spotlight.

Many people were now digging into Leah Sinclair’s background. Three years ago, they had managed the media, so even though Leah had a brief moment of fame, it quickly passed.

Everyone’s focus had only been on her return to the Grant family, and not many other details had been exposed. But this time was different. Everything had happened too suddenly for them to prepare.

They weren’t afraid of anything else, just that it would affect Leah. And Leah, the one they were worried about, was at this very moment getting ready to head out to the construction site.

She was stopped by Louise Holt before she could even walk out the door. ”Miss Sinclair, have you seen the news?”

”What news?”

Louise Holt quickly handed her phone over. After reading it, Leah Sinclair frowned too. ’What is all this nonsense?’ She couldn’t be bothered with it. Handing the phone back to Louise, she said, ”What a load of crap.”

Louise Holt was speechless as well. She followed her out, saying, ”It just suddenly blew up. I’m sure President Keating has heard by now. I just don’t know how he’s going to handle it.”

Leah Sinclair took out her phone. Sure enough, there were a lot of messages on her WeChat—some in group chats, some individual ones from Sheila Hughes and the others, but nothing from Asher Keating.

Leah Sinclair picked a few to reply to, then said to Louise Holt, ”Help me check if these media outlets followed Wynn to Riverfall on their own, or if someone put them up to it.”

Louise Holt let out a small ”ah” before it clicked. ”Miss Sinclair, you don’t think this was a coincidence?”

”I don’t believe in that many coincidences in this world, all happening at once.”

Louise Holt said she understood and quickly sent a message to Sean Yates. Sean replied that their side was already on it. It turned out Asher Keating had already started investigating the matter one step ahead of Leah.

”Wow, Miss Sinclair, you and President Keating are really in sync,” Louise Holt said, surprised and excited.

Leah Sinclair didn’t say anything. By the time they reached the Peyton Group building, Louise Holt noticed that all the trending topics had disappeared. She asked Leah about it curiously. Leah guessed that Asher Keating, Mabel Grant, and Liam Peyton must have all taken action.

Setting the other two aside, as for the Peyton Group, she knew the Peyton Family had previously proposed the idea of a marriage alliance to Mabel Grant. However, Mabel had rejected it, stating clearly at the time that Leah was to marry Asher Keating.

Therefore, from the Peyton Family’s perspective, they would not allow Liam Peyton to be linked with Leah.

Meanwhile, in Phoebe Peyton’s office, she refreshed her phone countless times, only to find that she couldn’t see any of the news anymore. She was so angry she almost threw her phone. She called Morgan Sterling. ”Why did the trending topics disappear so quickly?”

Morgan Sterling answered lazily, ”I reminded you yesterday not to release the news so quickly. Leah Sinclair definitely reacted after overhearing that conversation yesterday. You should have let things fester between them and released it tonight. They might not have had time to react then. But you didn’t listen to me.”

”So you’re blaming me now?”

”How could I? I wouldn’t dare blame you. Don’t worry, there’s a follow-up tonight. You’ve handled those reporters on your end, right?”

”Of course. These reporters were already keeping a close watch on my brother anyway. Plus, I paid them so much. No one will suspect me.” Phoebe Peyton was very confident about this.

”Alright. Let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll come find you tonight.” Morgan Sterling’s voice took on an amorous, suggestive tone.

”Tsk, you don’t miss a single day, do you? You miss me that much?”

”Can’t help it. Phoebe, you’re so captivating. You’ve got me completely hooked.”

The two flirted for a while longer before hanging up. After the call, Phoebe Peyton felt her face flush. ’That Morgan Sterling... he’s really full of tricks.’

Morgan Sterling, however, just lit a cigarette and sneered.

When Phoebe Peyton had told him about her situation with Asher Keating, he had already started planning how to get this information to Leah Sinclair. The earlier incident with Tiana Vaughn had given Morgan Sterling some inspiration; he had seen the deep-seated insecurity in Leah’s bones.

Asher Keating had chosen to cooperate with Phoebe Peyton, and Morgan knew it was because Asher was looking at the Peyton Family. But Leah wouldn’t necessarily know that. Women, after all, inevitably get caught up in these matters of love and romance.

The conversation between the two people that Leah had overheard yesterday was, of course, also arranged by Morgan Sterling. Those two were just a couple of random people he had paid to put on an act.

So, even if Asher Keating were to investigate, he wouldn’t be able to trace the source of the story.