Chapter 172: You Guys Are a Little Too Intense
"Preparations? What preparations?" Leah Sinclair was a little lost.
"He wants to marry my daughter. Is he not going to make any preparations at all? Does he think he can just get something for nothing?"
"...Mom, I only just got back."
"And you know you only just got back? You returned yesterday and ran off with him just like that. Doesn’t he owe me, her mother, some kind of explanation?"
Mabel Grant’s voice wasn’t quiet, and Asher Keating heard everything. Just as Leah was hesitating, Asher took the phone from her. "Aunt Mabel, you can come anytime. I’ll be ready anytime."
There was a brief moment of silence on the other end. "You’d better be."
Without waiting for Asher to say anything else, Mabel Grant hung up. Asher handed the phone back to Leah, who looked a little embarrassed. "My mom’s just got that kind of temper."
"It’s fine, I know."
Asher squeezed her hand, then a thought occurred to him and he asked, "Yesterday, if Sean Yates had still been driving his original car, would you not have blocked it?"
"Uh, ha... I guess, I guess so."
Leah felt a little guilty. She had only dared to block the car because she didn’t know it was Asher’s. If it had been the Cullinan, she probably would have hidden back in her own car on the spot.
Asher tutted, giving her cheek a firm pinch to vent his frustration. Leah rubbed her face, then leaned against his shoulder with a smile, playing with his fingers as she told him about some of the things that had happened over the past few years.
Sean Yates glanced in the rearview mirror. Although Asher still wasn’t saying much, the corners of his mouth were constantly curved up, and his eyes held a hint of a smile. He could tell that his young master was in a very good mood, and he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
On the surface, Asher had lived a life of limitless glory these past few years. Only he and Edward Yates knew just how much effort he had put in to achieve that glory. It had been a very long time since Sean had seen such a relaxed expression on Asher’s face. Sean’s mood lifted as well, and he even felt like humming a song.
It was noon. Leah wanted to surprise Sheila Hughes and Zion Sawyer, so she hadn’t told them she was coming. Asher had planned to go to his office first, but as soon as they got out of the car, they ran into Sheila and Zion, who were heading out for lunch.
"Do I... think I see Leah?" Zion Sawyer said, looking stunned.
"Be more confident. Drop the ’think I.’ Ah! You stinker, Leah!!" Sheila Hughes was already charging over.
"Sheila! Zion!"
When Leah saw them, she let go of Asher’s hand, which he had just taken. The three of them shouted and jumped as they hugged, drawing glances from confused onlookers. When people saw Asher, they came over one by one to greet him.
Asher stared at his empty hand, speechless, and felt his expression darken. ’She really is a heartless one,’ he thought. ’The moment she sees her friends, she doesn’t even want to hold my hand anymore.’
After the excitement died down, the three of them glanced at the people around them and felt a little embarrassed. Sheila and Zion came over to greet Asher.
"We were just about to go eat. Leah, want to come with us?" Sheila asked, linking arms with her.
"Okay. Third Master Keating, I’m going to grab a meal with them first. I’ll come find you later."
Leah’s eyes crinkled into crescents. After she spoke, the three of them were about to leave, but Asher cleared his throat, and Leah stopped in her tracks.
She shyly stepped back, stood on her toes, and gave him a peck on the corner of his mouth, whispering, "Wait for me to come back."
Asher pulled her in for a proper kiss, only letting them go after he was satisfied. Before they left, he told Leah to take the presidential elevator directly to the 68th floor to find him when she got back. Leah’s face turned completely red as she grabbed Sheila and Zion and ran off.
Because of Leah’s arrival, the two friends, who had originally planned to grab a quick bite, dragged her into a Chinese restaurant next to the company building that looked quite nice.
After they got into a private room and ordered their food, Sheila cleared her throat twice. "Fess up. You got back yesterday, and you were already sleeping with Third Master Keating again last night?"
"Can you not be so... vulgar?" Leah said, facepalming.
"What’s vulgar about it? Just look at your own neck."
"My neck?"
Leah touched it, then pulled out her phone to use as a mirror and finally realized. "Oh no. I didn’t look in the mirror when I left. I didn’t cover it up at all."
"Hahaha, you’re only just realizing? You guys haven’t seen each other in over three years. That must have been some intense reunion!" Zion said excitedly.
Leah’s face turned impossibly red from their teasing, and she finally shouted, "I guess you don’t want your makeup, perfume, and laptops anymore!"
"We do, we do, of course we do!"
"Oh, my dearest Leah, I was wrong."
The two of them each grabbed one of Leah’s hands, making her laugh so hard that they finally changed the subject.
"But speaking of which, Leah, Third Master Keating has really had it tough these past few years. Ethan Shaw once said he didn’t go home for over a month, just sleeping at the office whenever he got tired," Sheila said while eating. During that period, even Ethan was swamped with work.
"Yeah, I saw President Keating lost a lot of weight during that time. It took him a while to gain it back," Zion added.
Leah poked at the food in her bowl. After a long while, she whispered, "I know."
Shawn Grant had mentioned this to her before. That time, Leah had almost lost control and rushed back. She had even bought a plane ticket, but in the end, she canceled it and cried alone in hiding for a long time.
Did her heart not ache for him? Of course, it did. But things were already as they were; she couldn’t let all her past efforts go to waste.
The three of them ate and chatted, and time flew by. Sheila and Zion had to get back to work, so they agreed to have a proper dinner and chat together after work when they were free.
Leah hadn’t seen the people from Project Department One in a long time either. She planned to go to Asher’s office first, then go down to see them. She’d have to order some afternoon tea, of course. As for Sheila and Zion’s gifts, she figured she would have them get them from the car after work.
The three of them headed back, talking and laughing. It was the post-lunch rush, and many people were waiting for the elevators. Leah thought for a moment, then called Sean Yates to let him know she’d be bringing Sheila and Zion up in the presidential elevator.
The company had a rule: without authorization, regular employees were not allowed to use the presidential elevator. Sean said it was fine. Since it was crowded, and the three of them didn’t want to be too conspicuous, they went to the first basement level to get in the elevator.
They thought the elevator would go straight up, but it stopped on the first floor. The three of them were stunned for a moment, and the person outside the elevator was stunned as well. Upon seeing the people inside, the person’s angry voice rang out, "What are you doing in this elevator?"
Once they got a clear look at the person, Sheila and Zion scoffed in unison. Zion was even more direct, "Are you the only one who can get in?"
Leah was completely confused, not knowing who this person was. Seeing that the elevator doors were about to close, the person hurried inside.
After glancing at the ID badges on Sheila’s and Zion’s chests, the person sneered. "Project Department One? Hmph. Later, I’ll have to have a good talk with your Manager Langdon. This is the presidential elevator. What are you two doing riding in it? And you," she said, turning to Leah, "what department are you from? Why aren’t you wearing an ID badge?"