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

Leah Sinclair frowned after hearing Ethan Shaw out. "He can’t be dead. If Thomas Sterling died that easily, who would Eldest Young Master Sterling perform his ’great filial son’ act for? Besides, if Thomas Sterling were really dead, the Grant Family would definitely know."

"That’s true. You are Uncle Tobias’s daughter, after all. If Thomas Sterling died, Morgan Sterling would have to inform you, his niece."

"...Do you know what my mom said when you all came to Kingsford for my banquet, and Thomas Sterling called to demand why she hadn’t invited him?" Leah Sinclair looked at Ethan Shaw calmly.

"What did she say? Though I’m sure it wasn’t anything nice."

"My mom said if Thomas Sterling ever mentioned my connection to the Sterling Family again, she would wipe the Sterling Family off the map in Riverfall."

...

Ethan thought, ’That’s Aunt Mabel for you.’

"Alright, enough about that. Leah, come eat your noodles. Ethan, you should go home. I’m staying here to keep Leah company. I won’t be back for the next few days."

Sheila Hughes started shooing Ethan away with a look of disdain. She hated Asher Keating right now, and by extension, she couldn’t stand the sight of Ethan either.

"Are you serious? You’re not going to work? Asher didn’t approve your resignation letter! He just told me to let you take the day off."

Ethan Shaw was speechless. Ever since he got together with Sheila Hughes, he had been the model boyfriend, deleting every other girl’s contact information. He felt completely wronged by all the things Sheila had been saying to him over the past two days.

"If I say I’m quitting, I’m quitting!"

"Sheila, you should go back with Ethan. I want to be alone. I’m fine now, really. Your resignation wasn’t approved, so not going to work is just skipping out. It’ll affect you in the long run. Besides, Ethan is being so good right now; don’t take your anger about my situation out on him."

Leah Sinclair sat at the table and began to eat as soon as she finished speaking. She had no appetite, but whether it was to reassure Sheila or to prevent another hypoglycemic episode, she had to eat.

"Then starting tomorrow, I’ll go to the President’s Office every day and just sit there. I won’t do a thing. Let’s see if Asher Keating approves my resignation then! If he’s got the guts, he can just never approve it!" Sheila Hughes declared, looking completely unconcerned.

"Tsk, don’t be so extreme. One thing at a time. Asher really... well, yeah. But can you not fight with me, please?"

Ethan Shaw tugged at her hand, looking at her with a wronged expression. His face made Sheila Hughes laugh. She tutted softly and shot him a playful, scolding look. Ethan immediately brightened, and the two began getting all lovey-dovey with their little gestures.

"Can you two please get out of my sight? Don’t you know a heartbroken person can’t stand to watch other people’s public displays of affection?" Leah Sinclair said, giving the pair a completely exasperated look.

"How about I stay with you? Ethan and I can also break u—mmph!"

Before Sheila Hughes could finish, Ethan Shaw clapped a hand over her mouth and dragged her straight out of Leah Sinclair’s apartment.

"Leah, we’re leaving! Eat up and get some rest. Call us if you need anything!" Ethan Shaw shouted from the doorway.

Ethan Shaw didn’t let go until he’d dragged Sheila Hughes into the elevator. Furious, she pounded on his chest. "What do you think you’re doing?"

Ethan Shaw looked at Sheila Hughes with fury in his eyes. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He pinned her against the elevator wall and kissed her. It was a fierce kiss. A frightened Sheila Hughes pushed against him with all her might but couldn’t budge him. She had no idea what had gotten into him and was terrified someone might get on the elevator.

He didn’t let her go until they reached the ground floor. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice muffled like a big, sad puppy. "Don’t ever talk about breaking up with me."

Sheila Hughes froze, her heart instantly softening. "I was just kidding."

"Not even as a joke! Do you know how many times you’ve yelled at me in the last two days?" Ethan Shaw lifted his head to look at her, genuinely feeling wronged.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong. Don’t be mad anymore, Ethan. Let’s go home, and I’ll take *very* good care of you, alright?" Sheila Hughes linked her arm in his, smiling as she pulled him out of the elevator.

"Hmph. You said it, not me. You’re on!" Ethan Shaw said with a proud little smirk.

"Alright, alright! I’ll take the lead this time. I’ll take the lead."

Leah Sinclair forced herself to eat half the bowl of noodles before she truly couldn’t manage another bite. She threw the rest away, washed the bowl, and ambled downstairs to take out the trash.

The early summer breeze felt pleasant against her face. The light from the streetlamps stretched and then shortened Leah Sinclair’s slender shadow. She looked up at the sky.

A half-moon hung askew in the sky. From the nearby bushes, the intermittent chirping of unseen insects added a layer of sound to the quiet night.

Once again, she found herself thinking of Asher Keating, unable to stop. At the thought of him, a dull, prickling ache started in Leah Sinclair’s heart. She leaned against a lamppost and lit a cigarette.

Only as the smoke dissipated did it begin to suppress the bitterness spreading through her heart. After putting out her cigarette in a roadside ashtray, Leah Sinclair sighed and slowly walked back.

Not until Leah Sinclair had entered the elevator did a black car slowly pull up in front of the building. The window of the back seat rolled down.

The person inside watched the entrance she had disappeared into with a heavy gaze, the corners of their mouth curling into an eerie smile.

「Two days later.」

Ruth Hughes, having heard the news from Theodore Keating, stormed into the Keating Group, her face a mask of fury.

Zion Sawyer had just delivered some documents and was about to head downstairs when she saw Ruth Hughes emerge from the elevator. Ruth Hughes didn’t even glance at her as she walked straight in. Zion Sawyer quickly pulled out her phone to text Sheila Hughes. "President Keating’s mom is here."

"I’m on my way!!!"

Everyone in the President’s Office knew the woman who had entered was President Keating’s mother and quickly greeted her. Ruth Hughes ignored them all, marching straight to Asher Keating’s office and pushing the door open. No one was inside. She turned back, her brow furrowed.

Edward Yates heard the commotion outside. Seeing Ruth Hughes’s furious expression, he felt a headache coming on and hurried to intercept her. "Madam, what brings you here?"

"Where is Asher?" Ruth Hughes asked icily.

"President Keating stepped out for a meeting. Would you like to wait for him in his office?"

Hearing Edward Yates’s explanation, Ruth Hughes snorted, pushed him aside, and scanned the nameplates on the office doors. "Which office is that Tiana Vaughn in?" she demanded.

As soon as she mentioned Tiana Vaughn, Edward Yates’s headache grew even worse. Ever since the incident in Asher Keating’s office the other day, everyone on this floor—no, the entire Keating Group—knew that Tiana Vaughn liked Asher Keating.

And Asher Keating hadn’t objected. He never explicitly said they were dating, but Tiana Vaughn had already started carrying herself as if she were his girlfriend.

Seeing Edward Yates’s silence, Ruth Hughes’s expression darkened. Before she could speak again, Sheila Hughes arrived. The moment Ruth saw her, she called out, "Sheila, come here."

"Auntie, you’re here?"

Seeing Ruth Hughes, Sheila Hughes felt a fresh wave of indignation on Leah Sinclair’s behalf, and her eyes grew red. Ruth saw her expression and knew she was hurting for Leah. She took her hand and whispered, "I’m here to give Leah some payback. Where is that little vixen?"

"In that office."

Sheila Hughes pointed to Tiana Vaughn’s office. Ruth Hughes immediately marched over and called out from the doorway, "Which one of you is Tiana Vaughn?"

Tiana Vaughn stood up, looking bewildered. She didn’t recognize Ruth Hughes, but she had heard the commotion outside and people calling the woman "Madam," so she realized this must be Asher Keating’s mother.

She walked out nervously, wringing her hands, and said in a low voice, "Ma... Ma’am, hello. I’m Tiana Vaughn."