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

Brandon Jacobs took Mabel Grant’s hand and smiled. "Theodore and his wife did a fine job raising Asher."

Years ago, when Brandon Jacobs was planning to fake his death, he had very little money. After much hesitation, he asked Theodore Keating for a loan. In their social circle, quite a few people knew that Tobias Sterling was an illegitimate son, and they all looked down on him for it.

Only Theodore Keating had maintained a good relationship with Tobias Sterling back then. At the time, Theodore wasn’t exactly in the Keating Family’s good graces himself due to the matter with Ruth Hughes, but his situation was still far better than Brandon Jacobs’s.

When Tobias Sterling asked, Theodore Keating didn’t hesitate for a second. He gave Tobias all the money he could spare. At the time, he assumed Tobias was planning to flee the country, so he told him to be careful and to contact him once he was settled abroad, promising to help in any way he could.

When Theodore later heard that Tobias Sterling had still met with disaster, he was filled with regret for a long time, but he never mentioned to anyone that he had lent Tobias money.

So, whether for the sake of the Tobias Sterling of the past or the Leah Sinclair of today, Mabel Grant had no intention of making things difficult for Asher Keating.

However, she knew full well that a man won’t cherish a woman who is too easily won. ’If Asher Keating isn’t sincere enough, I won’t give my consent, no matter how much Leah likes him.’

’My daughter, Mabel Grant’s daughter, deserves the absolute best. Fortunately, that boy Asher does seem genuinely sincere.’

"By the way, what about the Peyton family?" Brandon Jacobs asked, a hint of worry creeping into his voice.

"We’ll reject them, of course. What else can we do? It’s that Peyton boy’s own fault for being so hopeless. Three years, and I have no idea how he even went about courting her," Mabel Grant scoffed.

On the day Leah Sinclair was to go abroad again, she told Sheila Hughes and Nathan Grant that she would be back in about a month, and she didn’t ask Sheila to come see her off.

Mabel Grant and Brandon Jacobs had already returned to Kingsford, but they had told her that they would both come for her graduation ceremony.

Asher Keating drove her to the airport. After what had happened, he couldn’t bear the thought of Leah Sinclair going abroad alone, so he had arranged for two bodyguards, one male and one female, to accompany her. The pair would stay with Leah abroad until after her graduation ceremony.

At first, Leah thought it was an overreaction, but she couldn’t argue with him. Seeing that he had already made the arrangements, Mabel Grant didn’t interfere. When it was almost time, Asher walked her to the security gate. Before she went through, he pulled her into his arms for a long hug.

With others standing nearby, Leah felt a little shy. But when she caught a glimpse of Sean Yates and the two bodyguards tactfully looking elsewhere, she felt a pang of reluctance. Standing on her toes, she gave Asher Keating a quick kiss on the lips. "Asher, I’m off."

"Okay. Call me when you land."

Asher Keating tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and gently pinched her cheek. He desperately wanted to go with her himself, but he was incredibly busy. After a recent restructuring at work, he was even busier than before.

Only after Leah Sinclair’s figure disappeared through the boarding gate did Asher Keating turn to walk back. Sean Yates hurried to catch up. "Sir, this is great. We finally don’t have to hide when we see her off."

"You think she didn’t see me that time, three years ago?" Asher Keating replied, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Huh?"

Sean Yates was a bit stunned. ’Did Leah Sinclair actually see Mr. Keating when he saw her off three years ago? That can’t be right. We were standing so far away.’

Asher Keating didn’t answer. He knew that three years ago, after Leah had gone through the gate, even though she hadn’t turned back, her shout that she would definitely return had been meant for him.

After returning to Eldoria, Leah Sinclair was immediately busy. Following a discussion with her advisor, she had some additional materials to prepare.

The house Mabel Grant had arranged for her there was quite large, with plenty of rooms, so the two bodyguards Asher had assigned to her were living with her. After a few days, the three of them had started to get acquainted.

The two bodyguards, a man named Gavin Holt and a woman named Louise Holt, were siblings. They had started working for Asher Keating two years ago and didn’t know about his and Leah’s past. They only knew that Asher had a girlfriend who had been abroad and that she was the second daughter of the Grant Family.

They had heard bits and pieces about what had happened after Leah returned to the country. When they were first assigned to protect her, they were a little resistant, thinking Asher Keating was being a bit dramatic.

After all, Madeline Sterling was already in prison. Besides, she was the second young lady of the Grant Family; surely she would be a spoiled princess. Sean Yates hadn’t given them the full details, only stressing that they must protect Leah Sinclair at all costs, as she was the person Asher Keating cherished most in the world.

But after interacting with her for a few days, they discovered that Leah had none of the airs of a pampered heiress. On the contrary, she was very easygoing and always treated them with kindness.

Most importantly, Leah Sinclair was an amazing cook!

With Gavin Holt and Louise Holt around, Leah figured the three of them couldn’t just get by on takeout. Besides, before she left the country, Asher Keating had dragged her onto a scale and warned her that if she dared to lose even a single ounce by the time he visited in a month, he would have to "deal with her."

So, Leah started cooking their meals herself. Both Gavin and Louise Holt were completely useless in the kitchen, and after just a few of her home-cooked meals, she had them wrapped around her finger.

Her graduation defense went smoothly. When it was over, Leah’s advisor patted her on the shoulder with a broad smile and said in heavily accented Chinese, "Leah Grant, you were excellent!"

Buoyed by her advisor’s praise, Leah was in high spirits. She gave him a deep bow, said her goodbyes, and walked out. Louise Holt, who had accompanied her to the defense, immediately rushed forward to nervously ask about the outcome.

Leah happily replied that there were no problems, then waved her hand. "Let’s go! We’re going grocery shopping! We’re having a feast tonight!"

Louise Holt’s face lit up with excitement. The two of them went to the supermarket and bought a lot of groceries. Leah then sent a message to Mason Grant, inviting him over for dinner. Mason quickly replied with an "okay," and asked if he should bring Liam Peyton, who was with him. Leah had no objection. After sending a quick text to Asher Keating to let him know her defense was over, she started to cook.

It was the middle of the night back in her home country, so Leah didn’t expect Asher to reply right away. To her surprise, a video call from him suddenly popped up. Startled, she quickly put down the vegetables she was about to wash and answered the call.

Asher Keating looked like he had just gotten home. He casually tugged at his collar and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I was just about to start cooking. Asher, did you just get home? It must be almost three in the morning there, right?" Leah said, her heart aching as she noticed the fatigue in his eyes.

Seeing Leah’s worried frown, Asher Keating’s lips curved into a slight smile. He had been at a dinner with a senior official from the planning bureau that evening, which was why he was home so late. He had also been anxious about her defense results, so he initiated the video call the moment he saw her message.

"I had a late business dinner," Asher said as he lit a cigarette and leaned lazily against the headboard.

Leah urged him to get some sleep, but Asher didn’t listen, and they chatted for a while longer. It wasn’t until Louise Holt called out to Leah, asking how to prepare the pork ribs, that Leah urged him to sleep again, and he finally ended the call.

After hanging up, Asher Keating couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. ’Are those two supposed to be bodyguards, or are they just there to freeload meals?’