Chapter 171: Did You Go Abroad to Stock Up?
Leah Sinclair’s hair was a bit shorter than it was three years ago. She hadn’t cut it again after that last time. She was also thinner, but her features had matured. Her thin, slightly swollen lips were a testament to how intense their passion had just been.
Asher Keating stroked the corner of her mouth, his voice laced with disapproval. "Did they not feed you overseas? You’re so thin."
His touch made Leah stir. She shifted unconsciously, snuggling closer and murmuring, "Asher..." Asher’s heart melted into a puddle. He bent down, kissed her forehead, and then held her as he drifted into a deep sleep.
The next day, when Leah Sinclair woke up, she was groggy for a moment before it dawned on her that she was in Asher Keating’s bed. He wasn’t there, and she couldn’t help but blush.
’Sleeping with my technical ex-boyfriend on my very first day back in the country?’
But Leah didn’t even know if she and Asher had officially broken up. Neither of them had ever said those two words.
She felt lost all over again. ’Are Asher and I still a couple?’
When she tried to get out of bed, Leah’s legs felt incredibly weak. It took her a moment to adjust before she could stand up. Unable to find her own clothes, Leah could only wrap herself in a bathrobe and go wash up.
She knew where Asher kept the spare toothbrushes and towels, finding them with practiced ease.
After washing up, Leah went to make the bed. But when she lifted the comforter, she saw the stain on the sheets and her face instantly flushed crimson. In a frantic hurry, she found a clean set of sheets and a duvet cover. Only after changing the bedding did the heat in her cheeks begin to subside. Once she was done, she found herself wondering where Asher had gone.
It was quiet downstairs. As Leah walked down, she wondered if Asher had left for the office. But the moment she rounded the corner into the living room, she froze.
Asher was sitting on the sofa, his brow furrowed as he looked over something. Several other people were seated on the surrounding couches, apparently waiting for him to speak.
At the sound of her movement, everyone looked over. Leah let out a small gasp and immediately bolted back the way she came.
A flicker of amusement glinted in Asher’s eyes before he spoke calmly. "Accelerate the plan to acquire Degeco. Tell Franklin Coleman that my price is seventy-five million. Not a penny more. I want to see results by the end of the month."
"Understood, President Keating. We’ll get right on it."
A somewhat heavyset man wiped sweat from his brow as he replied. ’There’s less than half a month until the deadline. They had to hurry. If they failed to close the acquisition, this year’s bonuses would likely go up in smoke.’
"Mm. Sean Yates, see them out. Head to the office in half an hour."
"Understood."
While Sean Yates saw the men out, Asher picked up Leah Sinclair’s suitcase and headed upstairs. The moment he lifted it, he was taken aback. ’What in the world did she pack in here? It’s so heavy.’
Back in the room, Leah sat on the bed in a daze. ’So embarrassing! I have no idea who those people were, and I went downstairs in just a bathrobe. Is this my first day back ending in social suicide?’
Asher pushed the door open and walked in. "What on earth did you pack in this suitcase? It’s so heavy."
"Huh? Oh, they’re all gifts I brought back for everyone."
Leah quickly hopped off the bed. "Asher, what happened to my clothes from yesterday?"
"Do you think... they’re still in any condition to be worn?"
There was a teasing note in Asher’s voice. When he turned and saw that the bedding had been changed, he reached out and pinched her cheek. Leah covered her face as it dawned on her. Her dress from yesterday... she thought Asher had... ruined it.
Blushing, she opened her suitcase. Asher watched with a raised eyebrow as she started pulling things out.
"These are cosmetics, a laptop, and perfume for Sheila and the others. This is liquor and cigarettes for Ethan Shaw, Riley Sterling, and Shawn Grant. This is a wedding gift for Nash, and these are health supplements and some local specialties for your parents."
"These are for you: clothes, a belt, and cologne. Oh! And this is an antique for Grandpa Keating. This one is really heavy."
Leah struggled to pull out a large box. Asher quickly stepped forward to take it from her. He opened it to find a massive, single piece of agate, a decorative sculpture.
"...Did you go overseas to become a wholesaler?" Asher asked, rendered speechless by the mountain of things on the floor.
"Well, it’s not every day I get to come home," Leah said.
Leah took out her own clothes. She had been crouching for a moment, and since she hadn’t eaten much the day before, her vision suddenly went black as she stood up, and she swayed unsteadily.
Asher immediately caught her with one arm, his eyebrows knitting into a tight knot. "What’s wrong?"
Leaning against his chest, Leah waited for the wave of dizziness to pass before speaking slowly. "Probably just low blood sugar."
Asher let out a small sigh of relief. He carried her downstairs, handed her a sweet pastry, and told her to eat while he went to reheat a glass of milk.
The sweet pastry made Leah feel a little better. Asher placed the warm milk in front of her, his voice turning cool. "You go overseas and manage to give yourself low blood sugar. Don’t they have food there?"
Leah grabbed his arm, a guilty look on her face as she tried to placate him. "It’s not that... I was just on a long flight, and I didn’t really eat yesterday."
Asher pinched her cheek. "Finish all of it."
Leah glanced at the food on the table. It was all her favorite dishes, but the sheer amount made her grimace. She picked up her chopsticks and started to eat. Asher had already eaten; he had prepared the food, timing it for when he expected her to wake up, so everything was still warm.
After eating for a while, Leah couldn’t manage another bite. She stole a glance at Asher.
Asher hadn’t actually expected her to finish everything. Seeing that she was about done, he said, "Go get dressed. You’re coming to the office with me."
"Huh? Why would I go to the office?"
"Don’t you need to find Sheila Hughes and Zion Sawyer?"
"You’re still working out of the Aevon office?" Leah asked, surprised.
"Aevon has been moved to the Keating Group’s building."
Asher had moved Aevon’s entire operation over to the Keating Group’s headquarters last year. Since most of the projects in Southwood were now handled by Aevon, he didn’t want to waste time commuting and simply reorganized the office space.
"I’ll go get changed, then."
With that, Leah scampered up the stairs. Asher watched her go, the corners of his mouth lifting into a slight smile.
Once changed, Leah came downstairs excitedly, carrying the gifts for Sheila Hughes and Zion Sawyer. "Asher, I’m ready. Let’s go."
Asher looked her over. She was dressed in her usual simple, casual style. It was early summer, and her outfit couldn’t quite hide the few obvious hickeys on her neck.
Leah hadn’t looked in the mirror before coming down, so she hadn’t noticed. A faint, knowing smile touched Asher’s lips as he took the bags from her and led her out the door.
Once they were in the car, Asher handed her the phone. "Aunt Mabel called. You missed it."
Leah quickly took it. She turned on the screen and saw two missed calls from Mabel Grant—one from last night and another from this morning. She immediately called back. "Hello, Mom."
"Where are you? Getting bold enough to ignore my calls now?"
Mabel Grant’s chilly voice came through the phone. She had been on a business trip abroad for the past couple of days, so she hadn’t been able to attend Nathan Grant’s wedding in Riverfall. When she couldn’t reach Leah yesterday, she had called Nathan and the others, but Nathan Grant and Shawn Grant hadn’t gotten their stories straight.
One said Leah had gone to hang out with Sheila Hughes; the other said Leah was asleep. From that, she’d guessed Leah was probably with Asher Keating.
Leah stole a glance at Asher, who was watching her with a mischievous look on his face. She cleared her throat in embarrassment. "I’m... with Asher."
The line went silent for a moment, and Leah’s heart jumped into her throat. Just as she thought Mabel Grant was about to explode, her mother finally spoke. "I’m heading to Riverfall in a few days. Tell Third Master Keating to prepare himself."