Chapter 199: Taking Leah Sinclair Home
Sean Yates was utterly shocked when he received the message. In all these years, Asher Keating hadn’t taken more than three consecutive days off, let alone half a month. He was always swamped, even during the New Year. To suddenly clear his schedule for two weeks... what was going on? ’Is he planning to go on a honeymoon? No way!’
He hesitated, carefully choosing his words as he replied, "So, about these two weeks?"
"I’m going to attend my wife’s graduation ceremony."
Staring at the words on his phone, Sean Yates suddenly felt a wave of helplessness. He really shouldn’t have asked.
He then went to find Edward Yates to discuss how to adjust the plans originally scheduled for those two weeks. When Edward asked in confusion why they needed to reschedule, Sean repeated Asher Keating’s words verbatim. Edward’s expression was a mirror of Sean’s, saying, ’I shouldn’t have asked either.’
Mabel Grant had come to Riverfall and was staying at Nathan Grant’s villa. When Leah Sinclair and Asher Keating arrived that evening, they saw only Brandon Jacobs in the living room, with no sign of Mabel. Leah felt a little nervous. Brandon smiled and spoke, "Stop looking. Your mother is in the study. Asher, you can go on up."
"Dad, what about me...?"
"You stay here."
Seeing the conflicted look on Leah’s face, Brandon Jacobs cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "It’s not like your mother is going to eat Third Master Keating alive, is she?"
Asher Keating gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, then smiled at Brandon Jacobs. "In that case, Uncle Jacobs, I’ll head up first."
Brandon Jacobs pulled Leah Sinclair down to sit with him. He hadn’t seen her in over half a year, and his heart ached at the sight of her thin face. With no one else around, Leah felt at ease talking with him, but her eyes kept darting upstairs.
Before knocking on the door, Asher Keating felt an unexpected surge of nervousness. He found it almost funny. ’In all his years, he had experienced countless emotions, but never the feeling of formally meeting his mother-in-law.’ He took a deep breath and knocked.
"Come in." Mabel Grant’s cool, clear voice came from inside.
"Aunt Mabel."
"Mm, have a seat."
Mabel Grant put down her tablet and observed the man who sat down quietly and properly. In fact, she had only seen Asher Keating once, three years ago, at the old Mr. Keating’s birthday banquet. Back then, he wore glasses, but now he didn’t.
After all this time, Asher Keating’s features had matured; he seemed colder and more composed. Honestly, his looks were flawless. He had perfectly inherited all the best traits of Theodore Keating and Ruth Hughes.
A high-bridged nose, thin lips, sharp brows, and eyes as bright as stars. Even having seen so many people in her life, she had to admit that Asher Keating’s appearance was exceptionally striking.
Asher Keating knew Mabel Grant was observing him, and he let her look, remaining perfectly calm and composed, showing no hint of impatience.
After a long moment, a faint smile touched Mabel Grant’s lips as she spoke lightly, "Do you resent me?"
Asher Keating raised an eyebrow slightly, then smiled. "You’re joking, Aunt Mabel. Three years ago, Leah Sinclair leaving Riverfall was indeed the best choice."
Mabel Grant laughed and leaned back on the sofa. "Third Master Keating, you’re a smart man, so let’s get straight to the point. You want to marry Leah. Have you prepared proof of your sincerity?"
Asher Keating said nothing, simply placing several documents in front of Mabel Grant.
Mabel Grant took them and glanced over them, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "What is the meaning of this?"
"I know you’re worried Leah will be wronged if she marries me, Aunt Mabel. This is a share transfer agreement, and this is a detailed list of all assets under my name. The prenuptial agreement states it very clearly: if my marriage with Leah ends in divorce due to my fault, I will leave with nothing. Everything will go to Leah."
His deep, dark eyes looked at Mabel Grant with utmost seriousness. "I am willing to offer the entire Keating Group as a bride price to marry Leah and bring her home."
Even for someone like Mabel Grant, who had seen and met countless people, her breath caught in her throat when she heard Asher Keating’s resolute declaration.
He was only thirty-one this year, yet he already held the lifeline of more than half of the City of Riverfall’s business world in his hands. And now, he was looking at her with such firm resolve, asking for her daughter’s hand in marriage with everything he owned.
The entire Keating Group—he was staking his whole fortune, utterly convinced that he would never betray Leah Sinclair.
Asher Keating watched as Mabel Grant remained silent for a long time. The fingers resting on his lap curled slightly, a flicker of nervousness flashing in his eyes.
Mabel Grant caught it immediately, and her red lips curled into a smile. "And here I thought the Third Young Master Keating wasn’t nervous at all."
The tips of Asher Keating’s ears turned slightly red. He rubbed his fingers together, fighting the urge to smoke. ’How could he not be nervous? He had been planning for this moment ever since Leah Sinclair left three years ago.’
Leah’s departure had been too painful. That feeling of being lost and aimless, that inability to find peace—he never wanted to experience it again.
Mabel Grant waved the stack of documents in her hand. "Do you think Leah would sign this?"
"She won’t. That’s why your signature is all that’s needed, Aunt Mabel. It will belong to the Grant Group. If you give it to her, it’s the same thing."
"You should know, ever since I acknowledged Leah as my daughter, countless men have come asking for her hand. Many of them are more powerful and better than you. So, Third Master Keating, what makes you think you’re better than them?"
A smile touched Asher Keating’s handsome face, a smile that was somewhat unrestrained, yet his eyes were filled with deep tenderness. "Leah Sinclair loves me. That is my greatest confidence."
"...Tsk."
Mabel Grant looked exasperated, but she knew Asher Keating was right. What could she do? Her own daughter was in love with him.
Mabel Grant closed the folder and pushed it back. Asher Keating’s brows immediately furrowed, but Mabel held up a hand to stop him from speaking. "If I took these, what would be the difference between this and selling my daughter? I, Mabel Grant, don’t need to resort to that. Asher Keating, all I wanted was to see your attitude, not to take your assets."
Asher Keating was silent for a moment before speaking. "You don’t have to take them, Aunt Mabel, but I have to give them. I’ve already signed the documents. I’ll leave them here with you. You can sign them whenever you wish."
Mabel Grant raised an eyebrow. "No regrets?"
"Absolutely none."
Mabel Grant smiled serenely. "It’s still too early for marriage. You and Leah have, all told, not even spent a full year together. And I haven’t had enough time with my daughter yet. Go back, ask your family for their opinion, pick an auspicious date, and you can get engaged this year."
Asher Keating opened his mouth, but in the end, he agreed. Mabel Grant’s considerations weren’t wrong. For someone like her, Leah would never have trouble finding a husband. He had originally been prepared for a long battle; the fact that Mabel had relented and agreed to an engagement today was already a great outcome.
"By the way," Mabel Grant said, lighting a cigarette for herself before tossing the pack to Asher Keating. "Nash told me you said something to Madeline Sterling before you left yesterday. What did you mean by that?"
Asher Keating lit his cigarette and took a deep drag before speaking. "I don’t know the specific details of what happened back then, but I do know that Madeline Sterling had also been drugged. That’s why she was unconscious and doesn’t remember. The people who actually slept with her... were Morgan Sterling and Aaron Keating."
Mabel Grant froze upon hearing this. When she processed it, a wave of nausea washed over her, and she let out a cold, scornful laugh. "So it’s true what they say—like calls to like. And you? You managed to endure it? You let them pin something so disgusting on you for all these years without ever denying it?"